Busily working with my hands, five lunchboxes piled up on the table.

As dawn turned to morning and family members rose, stretching, the kimchi and bean sprout soup was good smell.

The hiss of steam escaping the pressure cooker signaled the end of bathroom battles.

Later, worn out from the lunchbox business, I devised a plan. I enrolled the youngest in a foreign language high school where they could buy lunch and dinner at 

school.

 

 

   We arrived at Denver Airport to head to our son's place in South Carolina with our youngest daughter. Breakfast was nice because we could pick from a buffet-style spread in the lounge, and it was free. Naturally, we ate more than our usual light meal.

When we got to the gate, we learned the departure time was delayed by thirty minutes, so we had the leisure to go the restroom and gaze out the window. The aircraft preparing for flight looked sleek with its blue wings and tail. Its white body seemed to absorb the sunlight.

How could an airplane carry heavy passengers and luggage and fly through the sky?

Could the spaces between the aisles, seats, and ceiling inside the cabin act as air pockets?

 

 

  Before I knew it, boarding time arrived, and my seat was in the middle of unfamiliar people, separated from my family. About thirty minutes later, an announcement  came saying the departure time would be delayed. I fastened my seatbelt, took out my rosary, and began to pray.

Then another announcement came. People stirred, stood up, took their luggage out of the overhead bins, and some even went outside. Puzzled, I asked a young man   beside me. He said there was an issue that needed resolving and we had to disembark.

Confused, I looked toward my family. My daughter looked at me and said, “Mom, we have a lot of luggage, so just stay put.” Though the people seated on either side of me got off, I remained seated.

After a long while, another announcement came. Finally, several teams and we took out our luggage, exited the plane, and lined up at the gate to wait.

We boarded again, and an apology announcement played as preparations for takeoff began.

How fortunate it was that the problem was discovered before takeoff.

 

 

The flight attendant pushed the cart over to take orders. I'd eaten a bit too much for breakfast, so I ordered cider.

The refreshing taste, served with two ice cubes floating inside, was a pleasant surprise that soothed my troubled mind and stomach.

But oh dear, the flight attendant's next words flustered me. She said drinks must be paid for with a credit card. I thought drinks and snacks were free, but the young man sitting next to me whispered that they weren't free on domestic flights.

I considered saying I'd pay with cash instead of a credit card.

 

 

Finally arrived at Charlotte Airport. As I stepped off the plane and approached the flight attendant to pay for my drink, a young man offered to pay for it instead.

I smiled in thanks, and the flight attendant smiled back, waving it off.

She probably felt bad making passengers get on and off the plane so much.

Yay, another freebie added—I could feel my eyes smiling.

 

 

By the time we stepped outside the airport, night had already fallen. I handed the wheel to my son-in-law, who rented a car and drove us through the night, and I fell asleep almost immediately.

Navigating unfamiliar roads, he drove us safely to our son's house, where we were greeted with a lively reunion.

The next morning, my son-in-law woke up, made a V sign, and entered the kitchen, saying this trip had ended up being free for us.

He said the round-trip airfare had been fully refunded. The insurance we'd purchased during the ticketing process had paid off. Because of the delay exceeding two hours.

The breakfast table was filled with boisterous cheers.

 

 

The wings, even carrying six passengers, felt light again, ready to dream another dream.