- 1 -
Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this flight to Eden!
For too long have we craved after you, desert beauties in long veils, and since we cannot become your lovers, we shall prove villains and take your idle chastity. At last a rare opportunity has come. June 15th, Crown Prince Air, long-distance flight, a newly assembled crew, inexperienced stewardesses, many still maidens. The pilots are tipped off. Take out the purser and the whole cabin shall be our bedchamber. The odds are greatly in our favor.
Amen! Here comes our call to board.
- 2 -
Maryam is alone in the empty cabin, on a last-minute check, but really she is checking out her own uniform. Brand new, freshly laundered, everything speaks of taste, even the hosiery is of top quality. Farewell to cheap no-label tights; here everyone is entitled to a pair of French luxury beige stockings, along with the garter belt to keep them from slipping. And don't even mention her Italian designer brand stilettos!
She is quite satisfied to say the least. At first she had been uneasy about this moving back home. Once upon a time she left there to chase greener pasture in Europe, but it was a different time and a different country. Back then there simply was no place for aspiring women like her. Now things have changed, considerably so, and mostly for the better.
She has already made a home in London, has two kids still in grade school, and works hard to gain a respectful life. It was no easy decision moving back alone without her family. But the minister of tourism and travel called her personally for the job. Said they need a veteran and a symbol of this country's latest progress, and the pay is simply magic. They told her she's a top candidate. She'd be a fool to refuse it. It's now or never, as she was told.
She will soon be 42. Not young but not old either. Her beauty is quite apparent if not enhanced. The golden age of womanhood: the girls here all call her "madam" without a thought and she is much flattered. A lot of nervous first-timers. She's been there before. Time to join them at the gate. Stop fidgeting, honey, your hijab is fine! They are all wearing the hijabs she gifted them a little earlier, finest handcrafts from her hometown, and they all look so beautiful. Young and beautiful! Now, girls, do put on our warmest smiles for our guests, for here they come.
- 3 -
Allah be praised! The takeoff goes smoothly. Through the oval windows the sunset lingers askew, the deep blue sky at its rear almost purple. Seatbelt signs are off and lavatories are now in use. Soon the many bellies in this giant iron bird will need to be fed and tended.
Naturally the flight attendants are ready for the challenge. They hurry out in their dark green hijabs, onto the aisles, with their metal carts clinking and their hips swaying in wine-red pencil skirts. The new uniform strikes a nice balance between daring and modesty, the female curves teased out but not over done and made indecent. Like nimble forest nymphs they navigate the narrow paths with ease, stoping and going at a natural flow. Behind the meal cart their heels follow right on cue and soon, rows after rows, the passengers' cups are filled with their choices of refreshment.
Maryam marvels at the diverse crowd she is serving tonight. People from every corner of the world seem to have found a spot on this plane! She also notices that they are all men: not a single woman onboard except for the flight attendants themselves. A bit odd and baffling, but she has no time to overthink such trifle matters, for the next row are already looking at her expectantly.
What can I get you today, sir?
Why, an excellent choice, sir!
Right away, sir!
Oops, we've just emptied of this one, allow me to fetch another, sir.
The purser squats down behind her cart to search for the replacement. As she does that, her skirt tightens around her ample behind, which contrasts nicely with her narrow waist. Many heads immediately tilt that way to enjoy the naughty little show which the unaware purser has put on. Maryam on her part never feels anything funny, as her work at hand demands full attention, the passengers' satisfaction being the only thing on her mind.
Now she stands up again holding a spare box of berries mix, the men then shift their gaze down the stewardess's legs in leather stilettos. Under the smooth glowing stockings the veins on the backs of her feet converge in a beautiful pattern, her cute toes hidden under the shoe boxes. How her feet form arches so perfect in the stilettos! How savvy and aggressive those sharp heels make her look! Her time to be trained will soon come.
Next, meals are dispensed in their little lunchboxes, along with desserts and fruit. A large quantity of ice-cream and other desserts are also available on demand. But by far the passengers seem most interested in getting more drink, and their choices are overwhelmingly on the hard side. A battle for filling and refilling hundreds of polyester cups ensues.
Fatimah, go and see what that gentleman needs over there!
Fetch me that can and let me open it for you -- watch out Sana, coming behind!
Take a breath, Nadia and Mona, don't wear yourselves out too early!
Somebody please tell me how the second deck is doing!
In a graceful bow Maryam bends forward with the wine bottle in her hands; as the man raises his cup he try to catch a glimpse of her bras through the little gaps in her blouse. She then pours another shot of brandy for a bearded white man whose face is already red like a lobster. She is so busy and can't catch a single breath.
Excuse me? Another fill for me!
She turns around, her large bright eyes searching for the caller but she can't quite place where the call came from. Suddenly something trips her feet beneath and she falls heavily on the ground. Had someone not been quick to catch the bottle from her hands the carpet would have been ruined!
Maryam groans in pain; for a second or two she struggles to get up on her own. The fall also makes the skirt roll a little up her legs. Now the brown welts of her stockings are partly revealed, and their intricate floral pattern is carefully studied by the passengers. Another flight attendant soon comes to the purser's aid, and Maryam is back on her feet in no time. Thankfully nothing is torn on her clothes. She apologizes and resumes her work.
But what a heartless crowd! No a single of them rose from his seat to offer her a hand, but glued to their seats instead and watched her suffer. Maryam's heart turns bitter at this thought. To think she was serving a group of gentlemen! Now she's even suspecting whether someone had tripped her deliberately in the first place. But Maryam has a heart of gold and never wants to think the worst of other people. So she moves on, greeting passengers with her usual warm smile. Rude or not, they are on her plane and she has a job to do.
While Maryam is dashing along the aisle overseeing the service, she is stopped by something that demands her immediate attention: the toilet in one of the lavatories seems to be malfunctioning and people are waiting with quite some urgency, having indulged too much of their beer.
- 4 -
Alas! Once onboard a flight attendant is expected to handle any situation. Plumber or not, Maryam is determined to get this toilet fixed. She pushes the flash button a few times but nothing happens; the toilet won't flash. The many foams and bubbles on the yellow water stare back at her in their collective silent wonder. After a few more tries it is time for her to admit that she doesn't know a thing. It's a new plane and she has to consult the user's manual.
That means the passengers outside will have to wait for other lavatories for now. Maryam feels bad for them, all standing there holding it back. At least they are decent enough not to pee in a broken toilet! Before she leaves for the manual Maryam decides to quickly clean the toilet. Just as she bends down to clean the urine from the rim she hears the door close behind her.
Sir, could you keep this door open please --
She has not finished her sentence before realizing she is not alone. Someone is inside the lavatory with her. She sees in the mirror a very short man who cowers in a tight spot behind her. He has a shrinking air that makes her dislike him instantly. Then to her mortification she sees that his pants are already dropped to his knees, and his little prick is hanging out amidst a dark grove of pubic hair. An unremarkable standing guard it is, with the head larger than its shaft.
Sir, you cannot be in here like this--
Maryam tries to turn around to face the man but the tight space makes it impossible. She feels a hand reaches over her hijab and lands around the back of her neck, while the other hand feels her inner thigh and then slides slowly upward. The purser is shocked but not afraid; she has confronted such a scene many a time before. Those drunken lads who think they can do anything to the flight attendants need to be put in their place. So in a most righteous tone she says,