Kopter

‘Ladies and Gentleman, we are now boarding rows A to F. I repeat, boarding all seats from rows A to F’. 

I loved flying. I don’t know what it was about them but airports just gave me the greatest rush. Maybe it was the fact that airports didn’t seem to adhere to the laws of time, it was like walking into one transported you into another dimension where drinking at 10am or sleeping on the floor in an immaculate suit were perfectly normal and respectable things to be doing. It’s like a land free of judgement as everyone rushes across the world. I walked towards the check in gate passport in hand. 

I felt my back pocket vibrate as I walked down the jet bridge, I bet it’s Mom.

“Hello?” 

“Darling you said you’d call me before you take off, I was worried!” So predictable I couldn’t help but smile.

“Mom, I’m literally boarding right now. I couldn’t have called you any sooner if I’d wanted to.” 

“Humph, a likely story” she let out an extra wistful sigh just to let me know how guilty I should be feeling. 

“Okay, I’m sorry but I can talk now. Well at least for the next ten minutes or so…” I heard my voice trail off as I was distracted by the shear size of the plane before me. How the hell do those things get off the ground? Thank god I don’t have to take physics this year. 

“You remember what to do when you land at JFK?” she asked like she hadn’t been drilling it into me for the past 2 weeks. 

“Head straight through passport control and wait. Your Uncle will be waiting for you right outside the entrance so don’t even think about wondering anywhere on your own.”She replied, answering her own question. 

“Mom, please. I’m eighteen, I’ll manage just fine.” The flight attendant gave me a weird look as I handed her my boarding pass, I guess passengers walking in already on loud telephone calls were a bad omen for them. 

“And remember to call me as soon as you land, and after your first day.” 

“Don’t you worry, I’ll let you know all the details of the raves, drugs and parties I’ll take part in.” 

“Kopter Sittawat, if I hear of you being in so much as the same room as a drug you’ll be in big trouble mister! You’ll have to bare the full force of your own mother’s wrath if you use our families fortune for such frivolous expenses.” 

She was always so easy to wind up, though I think she plays into it a little for comedic effect. 

“You know I’m not like that Mom, -sorry sir, I think that’s my seat?” the elderly man in seat C3 grumbled as I squeezed past him into my place.

“You’ve gotta study hard while you’re there my love, get good grades and try your best. That way you’ll be able to attend a good university there too and be well equipped to take over the business.” 

Ah yes, the family business. Sounds so ominous, but really my family’s claim to fortune was in Thai food. My great-grandmother had set it up during the Vietnam war back in the 50’s as a small food stand for American soldiers. As a very good-looking single mother aged twenty seven, it gained moderate success amongst the homesick soldiers but the business really starting booming when her eldest daughter (my grandmother) took over twenty years later. Aged twenty four she married an American businessman and with his wealth and business know-how and her culinary expertise, they grew it into a Thai food empire with branches all over Bangkok. 

Since then, it’s been passed down the female line of my family from sister to sister and mother to daughter. My mother had been the one to take the business international, hence why my uncle was stationed in New York as the US branch manager. Since my grandmothers generation there’s been a drought of female heirs with my mother having one brother and seven male cousins. As the only child of my mother, I’ll be the first man to have run the business in all sixty three years of it’s existence.

No Pressure. 

“-and remember to wear clean underwear every day, I’ll be checking!” Lord she was ruthless. 

“I don’t even wanna think about how you’d be able to check that Mom, but I will.” 

The familiar ‘bing bong’ of a cabin announcement filled the air.

‘Ladies and gentleman, we will be taking off shortly so please stowaway all handheld luggage and switch off any mobile devices. Thank you.’ 

“Mom, I’m gonna have to go, they’re taking off. I’ll call once I’m with uncle Nok. Love you!” 

As I hang up I notice the flight attendant give me a relieved look as he then proceeds with the safety demonstration. 

Take offs are always my least favourite part of the experience. At least with landing you had the giddy excitement of being in a new place and finally getting out of this stuffy metal can, with take offs all you have to look forward to is leg cramps. 

The plane lurched forward and I held my breath. I’ll be damned if I let my ears pop on this flight. I resisted the urge to close my eyes, looking out the window at the twinkling lights of Bangkok below growing smaller and smaller. My heart sank knowing that next time I’d see those lights again would be in December when we break up for the winter holidays. I’d never been so far from home for so long, if I didn’t know my workaholic mother any better, I’d be scared she’d get lonely. 

The plane finally stabilised and the seatbelt light pinged back on.

Welp, only nineteen hours to go.