I refuse to be dissuaded from the fact that the view of the sky from the ground is nothing compared to the view when you are in an aeroplane. This is when the saying that the sky is your limit starts to seem like a lie.
The wings of the plane added to the beautiful sight that the clouds provided to my eyes. It felt like this deserved to be among the wonders of the world but since not everyone is allowed to a plane or even privileged to take a flight, I wonder if they would wonder about this wonder of the world.
The plane had left LA and was on a straight course for the republic of Botswana.
The trip to the airport itself had its thrills. From the early morning alarm to the greetings and farewell that we said to aunt Penelope.
She prayed for us as we set out for the school. She also permitted us to use our cars to transport to school.....majorly because of the luggage.
Anyway.
We got to the school and I got to meet Jay Jay's mum who also happens to be black just like we are. The only difference though is that though I and my family are from Nigeria, Jay Jay happens to be of Jamaican blood.
Jay Jay's mum is a woman an average height with short and slightly fat legs and hands. She has a gentle smile and a gentle face and eyes to go with it.
At least now I have "insight" into where Jay Jay got her beautiful eyes.
She met us when we arrived at the school, right at the entrance of the school. She came down from the sienna that she was in with some bags in her hands. She gave us a bag too, that is I and my brother got one bag while Jay Jay got one bag.
She kissed Jay Jay on her head and hugged her tight as though letting go was never on the agenda. We also got to know from that encounter that she could be a bit emotional about having a daughter thousands of miles away.
it's pretty sweet to see this.
My consciousness was brought back to the plane abruptly when a fair air hostess touched me and asked me to fasten my seat belts.
I can't believe that I was so entranced that I didn't hear the announcements blow through the speakers.
" ugh....thanks" I said to her as I fastened it and looked back at her with my lips folded in.
She simply nodded at the action and then after showing a friendly smile, she walked further down the aisle to find those who could also have been in my trance-like state.
I used my eyes to see her off before I resumed looking out the window. I guess I was still in awe of the view.
"It's beautiful uhn?" my brother asked from in front of me, rudely interrupting my imagination and my thoughts.
I guess you can say that he brought my head out of the clouds.
Why am I even trying these puns out? LOL.
I smiled at his statement and I nodded my head slowly in agreement with what he had said. The view was very breathtaking and satisfying, probably even better than most therapies.
"Indeed it is, we should probably take a picture of it," Jay Jay suggested from the seat behind me.
We were seated close to each other because we did everything necessary to ensure that we weren't torn apart from each other during our check-in and entry into the plane. I guess we just wanted to ensure that we were together or at least close to each other during the flight to Botswana and we succeeded. So now we were seated in a vertical alignment.
Jay Jay reached into her bag and pulled out a camera. My guess is that her mum had put it in one of the bags that she gave her at school.
"I didn't know you were into photography" I commented
"Well… now you do" she replied laughing.
"why do you love it though… like do you plan to build a profession from it or is it just a hobby to you?" I asked
"I wish I could do it forever but… you know how mums are, so I'm chasing a job as an Architect" she replied as she fixed a lens to it.
"I see"
"Alright," Danny started as he pointed his two arms at the clouds as though he was a traffic warden.
"ensure that you aim and take the cute clouds in the pics," he said as he looked over at Jay Jay who had the camera slightly tilted as she took a few shots.
"also make sure that you take the clouds that look like irregular shapes," he said with all seriousness.
I guess that it took a little while for it to sink into Jay Jay's mind.
"They are all irregular Danny!" she said as she looked at him blankly
"no they aren't," he said with a finger up.
Jay Jay let out some air from her lungs as she sat back in her seat slowly. I guess she had learned just from the events of last night that it is fruitless to try and talk to or dissuade Danny once he has his mind fixated on something.
that's pretty smart of her. Danny's mind is pretty similar to the kind of mindset that my dad has.
Think of it as wet concrete. While it is still wet you can easily shape it but if you take too long it will harden and remain unchangeable. it's one of the things that I love about him.
Other times, he's just looking for the best way to lighten the pressure in the room or to make everyone laugh. He's a good kid.
I took hold of the flight brochure that was placed by the arm of my chair and I opened it to at least have an idea of what this safari experience was going to be like.
To be very precise and while being as honest as possible, based on what I saw in the brochure, Botswana is very stunning.
Though I have laid hold of a brochure that I found with my dad and found pictures of Lagos and that was also awesome, Botswana wasn't too far behind it.
"alright guys listen up," Mr Moore said as he clapped his hands to get the attention of the students causing me to look up.
"if your neighbour has headsets on, please be kind enough to take them off because this information is for everyone," he instructed.
He waited a few minutes to be sure that all the students were paying attention to him.
"Okay"
"Welcome guys to Riversdale's first-ever practical geography class and international trip." he was met with applause and whistling from us. The excitement that filled the plane was unique and saturated. I seemed to also find mixed up in it.
"Alright," he said exasperated as well.
"Now listen closely to this," he said with his hands to his ears as though he was going to frog jump.
"We are going to the Kalahari game reserve of Botswana and it's the best we could get with the school's budget and a part of my savings," he said before faking tears over the loss of his savings.
"This man is hilarious but also considerate." Jay Jay commented from behind me with a smile.
"anywho, you are expected to pick yourselves in groups of fours: two boys and two girls to share a cabin space," he said
"ensure that the people that you pick to share this space with you is someone that you are very very very...…. emphasis on very, comfortable with," he said with his fingers clamped together tightly.
I guess I understand why this instruction was very necessary. It was probably put in place to ensure that the students do not end up injuring each other or fighting all the time.
Although this was one instruction that I was okay with because I knew it would be me, my brother, Jay Jay and..... oh wow, we need a fourth roommate.
And it has to be a girl.
This was going to be a tough one because we needed a girl whose vibe and energy matched the vibe that we currently had as friends.
"when all have picked their set of 4 please step into the upper section of the plane for registration and assigning of cabins," he said as he began to ascend the stairs.
Let the search for the fourth roommate begin.
Students who were part of big cliques already knew their cabin partners. it's pretty easy for those who have girlfriends and buddies who had girlfriends too.
Nerds also had it easy for them; just pick someone in the same club with you. The same goes for the sports junkies, the melomaniacs, the kick lovers and the hotties most especially the hotties but here we were in the mix lacking the fourth person.
"We haven't even reached Botswana yet and we are having these problems," I said as I banged my head against the headrest.
"Attention, students," the captain said through the speaker.
"We are now entering Botswana airspace." said the pilot in a somewhat cheerful voice.
"Just great" I muttered as I put my hand on my face.
"hey bro what's wrong with you? This Is Good" my brother said as he looked at me from over his chair.
"how do you mean," I asked, slightly confused.
"Because.....If we do not get a partner then it will be three people living in four people living space," he said as he crossed his hands behind the back of his head and relaxed into the chair.
Damn, this boy is smart. This is more of an advantage than it is a disadvantage.
Though to be frank it didn't sit too well with me, so I decided that if anybody walked up to us and asked to join in, I would still accept the person gladly.
Out of nowhere, the plane bucked a bit as though it were a car that had entered a sudden gallop. Those who were standing or didn't have their seat belts on were easily tossed around like a rag-doll.
The commotion from the air gallop caused someone to fall while standing and fall into my arms.
And no it was not Jay Jay