He was looking forward to his gap year. Alan was preparing for his holiday to New Zealand, last minute packing and checking his ticket. That’s Gatwick to Auckland then re fuelling at Hong Kong, 20 plus hours on an aeroplane, he will be mostly sleeping and reading, fingers crossed he doesn’t have to sit next to someone snoring.
After the usual goodbyes with his family and friends he adventured into the airport, there were flyers all around the place for a huge comic con in China, great he thought, he hoped he wouldn’t have to bump into them when in Hong Kong airport, that’s the last thing he needed, lots of people in funny costumes pushing past him.
Boarding went fine and on schedule and he got a window seat near the back, luckily the plane wasn’t busy and he didn’t have anyone sitting next to him which was a bonus for the long haul flight.
After they had left the ground he started to drift away staring out of the window, thinking of how much fun he was going to have, he already had a friend waiting for him at the other end to show him round, and they were going to drive around the country in a motor home, he was told not many people drove between islands new Zealand, they were much more laid back when it came to things like round about s and straight roads. He was looking forward to doing some semi dangerous things, sky dive, bungee jump and anything else that took their fancy, and of course the obligatory lord of the rings tours.
Alan put in his earphones and his music started, 80’s classics, as he stared out of the window while George Michael was singing faith was an unusual sight, he tried blinking a few times, it didn’t work, but he thought he saw a rocket parallel to them and something, no, someone was straddling it, Jane Fonda?, after a few seconds she and the rocket had gone, OK now was the time to ask for a drink, he knew it was early but he didn’t care, Bloody Mary please, he asked the air hostess, he had heard the noise on the aircraft would enhance the flavour.
After a respite of reading he looked out of the window again, slowly he lifted the blind to see Valcor the flying luck dragon, he wasn’t reading the never-ending story, baffled he tried to sleep it off, he pulled down the blind again and put his sleep mask on. After about half an hour he could hear what sounded like cries of pain from outside the aircraft, he tentatively lifted the blind to see what looked like a pteranodon squawking, and fighting mid air with a turkey vulture, the pteranodon was winning. Alan shook his head, took another sip of his drink and went back to sleep, after a while and a bathroom break he opened his blind again, nothing there, bliss back to normality all of a sudden a light shone straight up to the heavens through the clouds, at first he saw the hammer, then the person holding it, Thor?, he was in full uniform with the red cape, for a second they caught each others gaze and he could have sworn Thor winked at him before disappearing straight up into the clouds. That’s it Alan thought he was going crackers, headphones back on sleep mask on, no-one and nothing was waking him now.
Eventually he was shaken awake by the stewardess telling him he had arrived in Hong Kong and they had to vacate the plane while it was being refuelled. He got his bag and followed her off the plane to the departure gate where everyone else was already stretching their legs.
Having a wonder he noticed a familiar figure walking towards him with some storm troopers, Darthvader was walking towards him with 4 of them behind him, but only when he saw Dumbledor talking to Gandalf did he remember about the comic con, at one point the Rock walked past him in the corridor and got surrounded by families wanting autographs, Alan remembered that wrestle-mania was part of the comic con and went back to his book, although he would’ve liked to have gotten his autograph himself, he had seen him in a few films, he could act and was funny, but Alan decided not, bit geeky maybe?.
Back on the plane he had some food and was back listening to his play list, more 80’s tracks, looking out of the window as the Eurythmics was playing sweet dreams what looked like a load of Disney characters flew past, headed by Mary Poppins, quickly followed by tinker bell, peter pan, Wendy, Aladdin on a flying carpet and a witch on a broomstick, that’s it he thought the weirdest flight he has ever been on, something in the air, drink, plane?.
OK earphones in, sleep mask back on blind down and lights off, he drifted off to ‘here comes the rain again’ and didn’t wake up again until they were almost there, relieved and very awake he looked around, everyone else was coming too as well, lights were coming on and tray tables were going up, he tried slowly putting up the blind on the window to see the New Zealand outline and small white fluffy clouds, He was here, thank god and no more fantasies in the sky.
In the airport there were no storm troopers or wizards, it was over, Alan’s friend was there waiting for him
‘Alan over here’ a voice yelled
‘Hi mate’ Alan said as he embraced his friend Steven
‘How was the flight?’
‘Weird, very weird, every time I looked out of the window there was something flying past, at one point I could have sworn I saw Valcor and Mary Poppins’
‘Together?’
‘No you foul, separately’, ‘does it matter?’ Alan said smiling
‘Well I know that there are rumours about that long haul flight, other peoples dreams coming to life, personally I think it’s bullshit but you never know’
‘But who would dream of Barberella straddling a rocket?’
‘A horny teenager?’
They both walked off laughing together carrying Alan’s bags ready for an unforgettable holiday and yet the plane journey was unforgettable in its self.