Another Summer Day, Has Come And Gone Away

To all my wonderful readers, family and friends - I am finally home.

After two months of silence, I am finally able to stretch my cramped fingers and let it go crazy again on my laptop keyboard again to write to you the best way I know how.

The Flight Home

There is a girl of four and she looks like she stepped out of one of those kiddie commercials - blue-eyed, her fringe perfectly cut against her forehead just above her eyebrows and the two ponytails arched over her crown of blonde hair danced every time she turned her head. She had a dimpled smile that would disarm you and a twinkle of mischief about her.

She was sitting with her grandmother - her younger sister who could barely walk without falling was sitting across the aisle on her grandfather's lap. It is their first flight, and the grandfather has been gently explaining every thing to the younger sister to soften what must be a simultaneously scary and exhilarating experience.

The plane is about to take off now!
It's going to make a loud noise now, so don't be afraid.
Ready?
One, two, three!... Whoosh!

It is towards the end of the flight when the captain announces that the plane has begun its descent into Melbourne that my ears begin to feel the pressure change.

Nana! cries the four-year-old. My ears are blocked! she laughs.

Nana I can't hear you! I can't hear you Nana! I can't hear you! I can't heaAAAR YOU! she giggles to herself.

Her grandmother turns to her with kindness in her voice.

"That's because I haven't talked to you, sweetie."

The girl laughs, and persists - Nana can YOU hear me? What about now? And now? Andnow?Andow? Andow?Anow? Anow? Anowanowanowanow?

The grandmother smiles gently at her little granddaughter, and helps her back into her seat. She pulls the seatbelt carefully across and snaps it shut.

"We're going to be landing soon, sweetie. You're going to feel a big bump as we land okay? Ready? We're going to land now... coming closer, and closer, and closer... and three, two, one..."

There is no bump.

The girl turns to her grandmother and looks quizzically, wondering why the bump that was promised never eventu...

Bump! The plane lands with a thud, and the unexpected shock delivers a laugh through the grandmother and child, both revelling in their first plane ride together.