Well, back to my story and the young lady’s metamorphosis. I was on the last leg of my trip flying from Dallas to the Houston Hobby airport. This is a relatively short flight (roughly about an hour) and in itself this leg of the trip always provided me with some amusement. In those days this was one of the few flights that always seemed to be packed full. The stewardesses (okay, flight attendants then – I’m showing my age) always started at the front of the plane serving drinks and snacks to passengers then proceeded slowly to the rear. It was always a race to see if they could serve us all before we landed. They were seldom successful and while I hate to say it, it amused me to see them try despite their obvious distress (I also kind of felt sorry for them. It was hardly a glamorous job!). Usually those that sat in the back didn’t get served as there always seemed to be one or more ostentatious jerk who wanted to load up on booze while paying with $100 bills (even on a one hour flight!). This slowed the stewardesses progress considerably.

As soon as the plane touched down on the runway the metamorphosis occurred. The young lady immediately relaxed, let go of the arm rests and started chatting with me. Hers was an interesting story. She was from Nigeria and was traveling to Houston to surprise her fiancée. I was impressed! To travel all the way by air from Nigeria when she was so obviously frightened of air travel took, I suspect, considerable courage. Excitedly she started telling me about herself as we taxied down the landing runway. Then she sprang her disturbing surprise.

Shyly she pulled out a well worn envelope to ask for my help. It seemed that her fiancée had not written for awhile and she was worried that something had happened to him. The beginning of a bad feeling started growing in my stomach pit. The more she spoke the deeper and more ominous the feeling grew. Finally she showed me the envelope. Pointing to the return address she asked if I knew where it was located. Reading the return address my stomach collapsed. It was a post office box!

A worst nightmare for the young lady was hard to imagine and honestly I didn’t know what to do or say. Momentarily my mind went blank. I was on a business trip and I doubted that NASA would understand that I canceled in order to help a young lady in distress (but maybe they would, I’ve met several very nice people at NASA). Cravenly, I passed the buck. Calling a stewardess I told her that my companion had a problem. Handing her the envelope I could see the panic shoot through her eyes too as we exchanged glances.

Telling her to remain sitting the stewardess went to the front of the plane and radioed ahead for help (yes, she was passing the buck too but what else could we do? We certainly weren’t equipped to handle the situation). As we docked for deplaning the stewardess returned and told the young lady to remain seated while the rest of the passengers exited the plane. I also waited until the last minute then gathering my stuff I left the plane but curious I lingered at the gate to see what was happening.

As the young lady stepped out of the gateway she was met by a couple of airline employees and a social worker stationed at the airport. I felt a little better that someone competent was now in charge but her predicament still concerned me and to this day I often think about her. She seemed like a nice young lady and I sure hope the situation was not what it appeared but I fear that she might have been engaged to some heel who didn’t deserve her. If so he was a fool and, as much as it probably hurt, she was better off without him.

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Tags: airline, Nigeria, travel

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