Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: CABIN (09/08/22)
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TITLE: Lonesome Passenger | Previous Challenge Entry
By Robert Rutaagi
09/15/22 -
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It would be my longest journey in life. I frantically departed from home to airport. Myself and my Chauffeur. My preoccupations were my: passport, visa, yellow fever, Covid-19 certificate and conference-related credentials.
As CEO, with business class ticket, navigating through the airport was effortless. The VIP lounge was full of eats and drinks, tv screens giving news updates and intermittent flight schedule announcements.
Being alone, made me feel flattered but briefly before guilt conscience descended upon me. ‘’Are you the only VIP travelling today?,” a familiar voice pounded me. ‘’Yes, and no!’’ I silently answered.
To placate the accusations, I reasoned that more passengers were travelling ‘’ second and economy class,’’ so I would see them later. Buried in deep thoughts about my daily executive schedules back in my office, I lost appetite to eat or drink anything.
‘’Sir, you are ready to board now,’’ a hostess ushered me to the boarding gate and on to Lufthansa Aero-plane.
I found my seat and sat. Business Class full. That is when it dawned to me that for that airline that day, for my country, I was, probably, the only VIP in the VIP lounge but not, necessarily, the only VIP passenger except, perhaps, for my seat. All other VIPs were in transit from other countries. A quick survey revealed that I did not know any of the passengers in the BC.
Meanwhile, people proceeding to second class and economy were passing through while others were entering from the rear entrance. From my lonesome seat, I could see only a few people I knew. After a while, when we were all seated in our respective classes and doors safely closed, taxing started, on and on until take off.
In those good old days, before nine eleven September 2011, security and freedom were guaranteed. With the permission of the air-hostess, I visited the pilot in his cockpit.
‘’Sir, why is this called a cockpit?’’ I asked Andrew.
Looking at me sardonically, and curiously, he answered, ‘’ I am cock sure of falling - myself and all passengers into a bottomless pit!’’.
‘’How long have you been flying and how many times have you been involved in accidents?’’ I asked again.
‘’Young man, you are funny – you cannot have an accident in flying and live to answer such a question.’’
Through many airports and lounges, I passed and experienced much loneliness until I arrived in Osaka, Japan for my international conference. I stayed in a five-star hotel with excellent facilities, visited places of entertainment and beaches.
From Osaka, I flew to Toronto, Canada for another Conference. On the way, I crossed the so called International Date Line I studied in high school geography class. I was all eyes and ears to experience crossing the Rubicon. All I saw, was a sudden moment from pitch black night into broad day light! Exactly, what I experienced the very moment I received salvation! It was awesome!
Two nights in Toronto, in the midst of enjoying my conference, my hotel room flooded with water. Although the management handsomely compensated me, I was surprised about the incident and what it symbolised.
From Toronto, I visited Niagara Falls, at the border of Canada and USA. What an awesome experience to see such an enormous volume of water displaying God’s glory in such a manner.
Finally, I returned home– totally healed from years of stress, filled with metric tons of physical and spiritual experience transcending human understanding. Many years of living, studying and working were tried and tested by the four weeks of my longest journey in terms of geographical distance, hours and emotional response to nature. For the first time, it dawned to me what a living entity I was amidst other entities – living and non-living only within God’s purview – Him alone. Psalms 139.
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