7/22/2008: Jules endures torture on the plane
After enduring two and a half hours of grueling torture via being placed in the company of a five-year-old named Damon and a ten-year-old named Jesse, my hopes are not high for the second leg of the flight, though I've thankfully been allowed to change seats for the second durationdirectly in front of the demons.
Evil Minion Undoubtedly Sent by Fate to Catalyze My Long-Due Unhinging #1 (aka Jesse, the ten-year-old): Where you coming from?
Unfortunate Middle-Aged Man Placed in My Seat (and to whom I've already extended my sincere condolences): I was in Denver for three days for work. Before then I was in Texas watching my daughter play college softball.
Jesse: What's her name?
Middle-Aged Man: My daughter? Er, Kelly Murray.
The man looks like he's about to beg the flight attendant for either a seat change, or flight change altogether, when the plane starts taking off. Bugger for him.
Jesse and Damon both take turns screaming as the planes takes off. The flight attendant (poor man) alternately tells them to please be quiet and crosses his eyes at me, his fellow veteran. I make a mental note to write a letter considering this guy's salary.
Jesse: I asked because I watched college softball one time. (I had no idea ten-year-olds' memories/attention spans stretched that far—especially after just having a blast screaming their heads off). I sneeze a few times, and their voices are drowned out.
Middle-Aged Man: ...Goes to Texas A&M.
Damon: I gotta pee!
Jesse: Look we're in a cloud!
My opinion of Evil Minion #1 rises exponentially at the wonder in his voice. Just...aww!
Evil Minion #2 returns.
Middle-Aged Man: (jokingly) Did you wash your hands?
Damon: (death glare) Fine.
Middle-Aged Man: (agape) (I turned around to witness the undoubtedly priceless look on his face and was not disappointed.)
Middle-Aged Man: So, do you two know each other?
I turn around to see them nod, and decide to continue looking, not really caring if I freak anyone out by staring at them and writing.
Middle-Aged Man: Are you brothers? Friends?
Damon: Friends!
Middle-Aged Man: (apparently hearing incorrectly) Twins?!
I burst out laughing—even not counting the five-year age difference, the five-year-old is an adorable African American boy with Morgan-Freeman-like freckles, while the ten-year-old is Caucasian with perpetually rosy cheeks and blue eyes. I'm not sure you can be that fraternal.
Damon: FRIENDS, YOU STUPID HEAD!
Here, I turn on my iPod, partly because I can barely hear the trio over the wailing of a demon baby a few rows back, but mostly because the Evil Minions have started a sword fight with rolled up in-flight magazines, and while watching the Unfortunate Middle-Aged Man try to dodge the blows is amusing, it's not possible to do it justice on paper.
I tune in to hear:
Jesse: Dude, your daughter's hot!
Middle-Aged Man: (wryly) Thank you.
Jesse: (smugly) I've got a girlfriend.
Middle-Aged Man: (dismissively) I've got a wife.
Jesse: (ignores him) Yeah, I got her in St. Louis. Then I lost her.
Middle-Aged Man: You lost her?
Jesse: Yeah. I let go of her hand.
Middle-Aged Man: (mildly horrified) Where was she lost? I-I mean, was she found, or—
Damon: I'VE GOT A GIRLFRIEND, TOO!
Middle-Aged Man: Oh, really?
Damon: (to my amusement, he points at me) Her!
Middle-Aged Man: (laughs)
Damon: For serious!
I go on to explain to Unfortunate Middle-Aged Man that I am dating the five-year-old, and have been for years. I'm smiling broadly and assume he'll get the joke, but judging by the look he's giving me, he isn't very amused. I've hereby decided to never speak again.
Jesse: I like sports!
Middle-Aged Man: Really? What kind of sports?
Jesse: I like football, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, and badminton. (No joke.)
Middle-Aged Man: Badminton?
Damon: I like golf! Tiger Woods is my daddy!
Middle-Aged Man: Really?
Damon: NO YOU STUPID HEAD! YOU'RE STUPID!
The man sighs and stands up to go to the lavatory.
I turn around and ask how the kids' fight is going, and get called 'stupid head' in almost perfect unison.
I've decided this is a good stopping point.
Stupid head.