BY LINDA DYSON
HE girl sitting by the window was crying silently, her small face crumpled with distress.
The boy at her side was trembling with fear and clutching my hand tightly. I reached across to the girl with my free hand and stroked her arm reassuringly.
The boy sat silent.
The three of us sat motionless for several minutes. I then pointed out of the window and told them to take a look.
Thankfully I felt them both begin to relax. I released my hands and smiled at them encouragingly.
They both looked out at the white blanket below, no land now in sight. Thomas let go of my hand and sat back, I could feel the stress slowly oozing out of his young body.
Grace wiped her eyes and resigned herself to leaving Pippa, her puppy, for three weeks.
During the ten months of planning this trip, each time I had seen the two children we had excitedly reminded each other how many months, then weeks and finally days, until we set off on our big trip. Today, when at last we took to the skies, the excitement had momentarily changed to grief and fear.
Our three travelling companions occupying the three seats in front of us, were happily chattering away together, oblivious to the crisis that had been going on behind.
The seat belt signs went off. The drinks trolley appeared and after being encouraged to choose the unhealthiest snacks, the dog was forgotten and the clouds had provided a form of reassurance.
Twenty five hours later the aeroplane touched down at Brisbane airport.
After three take-offs and this his third landing, Thomas barely noticed the touchdown and continued to solve the Sudoku in his puzzle book whilst the plane taxied towards the terminal building. He only looked up when it finally came to a standstill.
“Are we really here?” he asked excitedly.
I nodded my acknowledgment.
I let the children out to join their parents standing in the aisle by the seats in front of us. My husband stepped back allowing them to go past and held his hand out to me.
Grace looked out at the bright sunshine and the clear blue sky and turning back to me, her face animated with excitement, she said:
“Grandma we are going to have the best time ever.”