DEADLY VIRGIN

Lost Battle

"Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen….."

"Welcome to Phnom Penh International Airport…"

"This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 5007 to Singapore."

"We are now inviting all passengers with small children and any passengers requiring special assistance to begin boarding at gate 7 now."

"All other passengers, please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately twenty minutes. Thank you."

Twenty Minutes later….

Flight 5007 is now boarding at gate 7.

"Would all passengers traveling to Singapore on flight 5007 please make your way to Gate 7 for boarding!"

"Are we ready to close the door?"

"No. A passenger is missing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, give me the passenger manifest."

"Who is missing?"

"Alex Johnson."

"Announce it."

"This is the final boarding call for passenger Alex Johnson flying to Singapore on flight 5007."

I repeat, "This is the final boarding call for passenger Alex Johnson flying to Singapore on flight 5007."

"Your flight is ready to leave.

Please go to gate 7 immediately."

"The doors of the plane will close in five minutes."

"Final boarding call for passenger Alex Johnson."

With my passport and my boarding pass in hand, I walked through immigration towards gate 7 at a fast pace.

Whoever was making the announcement kept shouting my name on the Airport-Terminal-Client system as if that will make it less irritating that I am late.

"Good afternoon; I am Alex Johnson."

"I am sorry for the delay," I said through gritted teeth.

"Can I have the boarding pass?" A beautiful yet irritated lady said to me.

I handed her the documentations, and she marked my name on the passenger's manifest.

"Kindly take your seat."

"Thank you," I said as I walked into flight 5007.

I paused in my steps when I overhead the beautiful air hostess said, "What a douchebag!"

Her colleague giggled and playfully slapped her arms.

I turned around and gave them a creepy smile before walking to my seat.

I always love the window seat as it calms me down no matter the situation. I spent 30 minutes this morning studying the plane layout to select the perfect window seat.

I was looking forward to a beautiful sky view; unfortunately, there is a kid in my seat.

She looks like not more than five years old.

Shit, I don't do well with kids.

Well, technically, I didn't have any opportunity to deal with kids.

I was always homeschooled and did not have the privilege of doing things like Disney land and other hyperactive things that teenagers my age do.

I pushed away all my psychopathic thoughts and gave the little girl a calming smile.

At least, calming according to my point of view.

Hahaha. I can't believe I am sweating.

Fuck, she is just a mini version of adults.

Focus I breathed in and out—a calming smile.

I prep talked myself...

"Hello Princess, what is your name?"

Shit, I think my voice is too high-pitched for a man. I mentally cursed myself.

She raised her head from her teddy bear and gave me a toothy smile.

For a minute, I thought, well, I am a step closer to my window seat, but her next words were like a bucket of ice water splash on me.

"Sir, I don't talk to creepy strangers."

What! I know I am a stranger, but where did the creepy come from.

I look like the average man. Not handsome and not ugly either.

It took me 3 hours to pull off this makeup and clothes to fool immigration and security to be on this flight only for a kid old enough to be my daughter to call me creepy.

If I wanted to be featured in teen’s mom reality show, I swear she could be my daughter.

As I was standing there, imagining where kids get their vocabulary these days, with shock written all over my face, the beautiful air hostess walked to me and stated, "Sir, kindly take your seat. We are about to start take-off processes".

I apologized to her, and I swallowed my injured pride and sat in the little girl's supposed seat.

She walked off while I turned to look at the kid in my seat.

I just lost an argument with a kid.

What a disappointment! I am scared for life.

I will try to avoid arguments with kids from now on. They are worse than dealing with an AK-47 rifle.

I swallowed a non-existing saliva and asked, "Where are your parents?

"She looked at me like I just slapped her a hundred times and answered with a tear-stained voice, "it is just me today. Mummy is waiting for me at the airport, and Daddy is busy".

I looked at her with a smile and said, "Don’t cry. You are a big girl. Big girls don't cry."

She smiled and puffed out her chest like a silent salute admitting she is a big girl.

I smiled, forgetting I was just called creepy by a kid, and for a minute, I was jealous of her perfect world.

A world where everything is simple, her life is just about simple gratifications, how I wish to live in that innocent bliss of a world.

"I got out of my admiration when I heard the Pilot making announcements.

Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen. This is your captain speaking….

Welcome onboard Flight 5007 with service from Cambodia to Singapore.

We are currently third in line for take-off and are expected to be in the air in approximately seven minutes.

We ask that you please fasten your seatbelts at this time and secure all baggage underneath your seat or in the overhead compartments.

We also ask that your seats and table trays are in the upright position for take-off.

Please turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones.

Smoking is prohibited for the duration of the flight.

Thank you for choosing Singapore Airlines.

Enjoy your flight."

I put in my seat belt and turned to make sure the kid is safely tucked in her seat belt.

Surprisingly, she had her seat belt buckled in and was flipping the national newspaper.

I started laughing as I honestly don't know what a five-year-old kid will read in a newspaper.

I was about to comment when I caught a glimpse of the front paper.

The words died in my throat as I saw in block letters,…. "DARA CEO OF DARA ENTERPRISE FOUND DEAD"