The Descent
Written by: Ric
It was extremely quiet as I glided through the white clouds. Emerging from them I could see the ploughed fields below. They were far below and looked like a fluffy quilt of green and brown cotton. The contrast between sky, cloud and earth were a beauty that was a privilege to behold.
The beauty that surrounded me while soaring gently and quietly through the air, always made me think of Carol waiting faithfully for me at home. I know that Carol always worried when I flew, but she never let on. She had kept the fear to herself, not wanting me to be distracted in any way. She knew from the beginning that I loved flying and never interfered, and I loved her all the more for it. It was always in these quite moments that I chose to spiritually have her join me here.
The weather was warm and the resultant thermals were slowing my rate of descent. I was confident that I would make the runway easily and so was happy for my mind to wander around the hills and vales of my life rather than concentrate on those below me. I had flown many times and felt completely in control of this environment which was at once both natural and unnatural.
I was thrown from my reverie by the sight of a large bank of dark cloud directly ahead of me over the expanse of forest that announced my approach to the runway. If there was rain there as well, then controlling my descent could prove difficult.
I suddenly became aware of a feeling of being where I did not belong. Man was not meant to fly and seemed to be the only creature that couldn’t fly that had any great ambitions to do so. Aircraft were designed to counter the forces of nature which constantly construed to remind us that our place was on the ground. It was these forces of nature that were now construing to bring me down and I would have to use all my resources to get me over the beckoning trees.
It was quite dark under the clouds and with it my once sunny mood completely disappeared. I had no time for self pity though as all my faculties were now directed in keeping us in the air for the few minutes required to reach the runway. The controls felt sluggish and the craft unresponsive to my desires, responding more to the forces of gravity pulling us inexorably towards the earth.
Suddenly, through the haze of rain and cloud I could see in the distance the runway lights, but as I felt and heard the tips of some of the taller trees scraping underneath me I realised that even that small distance was too great and that I was not going to make it. I was going to have to land in the forest and a forest was not the place to try and land a crippled Boeing 737.
Oh Poor Him. And poor Carol too. I hope he miraculously survived.
The first para reminded me so much of Richard Bach’s ‘The One’ that I believed it’ll be a light inspirational story. But it turned out to be as different, yet as well written, as it could possibly be.
The nature does put us back in our place every now and then. I guess the floods, the quakes and the storms are its way of reclaiming the forests we burn, the rivers we pollute.
Thank you Aniket. Yes I think that nature, every so often, reminds us who is boss.
Sorry Aniket, the anonymous comment above is from me. Forgot to log in. ;~)
i can’t imagine having the lives of that many people in my hands. makes me wonder what kind of mindset those folks must need. i’m more in the “we don’t belong up here” camp. thought-provking story.
Thanks joaquin. For obvious reasons I had to leave out a lot of detail so I am glad it made you think. I hope your thoughts made it believable.