To the Dreams that Float Away

This sketch was made by me in the international flights waiting room in the airport.  As you might see around, there are the most comfortable armchairs. At the extreme left side of the drawing, is the Omega store of the airport followed by a "Coming soon" store as you might be able to read. Around this sign are swirls, which are meant to be a poster of roses advertising the store. Further off at the there are brightly lit perfume and cosmetics shops. The darkest part of the painting is (if you, again, look carefully) are short palm tree-looking plants and other variety of plants. Being a monochromatic painting (my first one of this phase), this turned out very messy and unclear. This prologue paragraph was just to explain what this sketch was, if you didn't understand.

This sketch of mine is of the Bangalore Airport in the international waiting area. I was very excited that day, my heart jumping with the thought that I would be visiting Paris, Switzerland and London. Compared to these dreams, being in Bangalore in a messy house, was nothing. I roamed around my house the whole day aimlessly with a bland mind. I wouldn't even have got a wink of sleep if I tried. That day our flight was at two o' clock in the morning and while I should have got some sleep in the afternoon... I didn't. Adding to that, I even ran five kilometres that evening. Needless to say, I was tired. 
We came quite early to the airport and had a lot of time to kill. After check in and security, my stomach was grumbling. I bought a hot chocolate covered brownie which had evidently been in the freezer for forever before I had ordered it. It was just slightly warmed up. Still, chocolate is chocolate. It always tastes good, hot or cold. 

Finally at two o' clock, boarding started. We weren't using our usual airlines, so as a result, my dad had no gold or platinum class membership. We had to wait for all the platinum card members to board, then gold class, then business and then finally economy. 

Minutes before the gate was open to economy, and we were at third in line, I suddenly began to feel very light headed. I tried to push away the thought from my head, deciding that I was just imagining it. However, soon enough, I was beginning to feel a bit breathless and my head seemed to spin. I leaned on my mom for support. Nobody thought it was unnatural. 

After this, I tried to lift up, but when I did my head seemed to take a turn and a wave on nausea came over me. I murmured in my mom's ear that I needed to sit. I tried to remove my weight off her, but I lost my balance. The airlines crew at the desk came running to help, and my father and mother helped me to get to the nearest chair and sit down. 

When I sat down, my vision was blurred. Everyone's faces in the lines were blurred. Worse than that, I was seeing in black and white. My parents' voice sounded static. My lips had gone pale and my head was beaded with sweat. I could only seen in black and white colours. My mother asked the flight crew to immediately call a doctor.

Phone calls were made to both my paediatricians, and they assured my parents that this was very common in teenagers. They said that this was caused when blood pools up at the legs and the upper parts of the body do not receive blood, and therefore the pale lips and face. I lifted up my legs, as instructed onto a seat, and soon enough, colour returned to my face and I was able to see much clearer and in colour. I was suddenly feeling much better.

At that moment, the doctor came, a lady with sleepy eyes and messy hair, who looked as if she had just woken up from her sleep. She checked my blood pressure and checked my blood sugar and immediately deduced that I definitely could not go on the flight. Speaking the truth, I was perfectly fine and back to normal. Later when I met my doctor in person, she said that this happened for two or three seconds and if you just lift up your legs, you return back to normal. Adding to this, she even said that this used to happen to her a lot as well and she had much experience about it.
Despite our protests, the doctor to refused to let us go as my blood pressure was low. Generally, my blood pressure is low which is something I got from my mother. The doctor said frantically that they would have to keep me overnight in the airport in a sick bay so that they could supply some glucose to me through a drip.

I could walk, but she still insisted that I should take the wheelchair. However, right after the stamps on our passports had been scratched off, the doctor had disappeared. She had been so insistent that I was in a dangerous condition and that I should not board the plane and should be under medication. What did she do after that? She disappeared.

I was furious at everybody at the airport for not letting us get on the flight. Unfortunately when the doctor says you cannot board the flight, the airlines can't let you. It was not their fault obviously, and as we waited for our luggage, an airlines crew shared his views that even he could see that there was no reason to make such a big deal. However, when we later talked about this incident, we realised that even if the doctor would have said that we could go, we would have never taken such a risk.

We went back home, and while I tried to sleep, I couldn't. I was worried with questions. Could we get a re-book? Would our money be refunded if we couldn't go? If we did get a re-book, would we have to pay again? I couldn't sleep in the taxi, and couldn't sleep even in the bed in my house. Relatives were calling to ask what had happened.

I finally did get a little sleep, and when I woke up, my father and mother were sitting at the computer, making calls. My stomach churned with anticipation. I was really hoping we would go to Europe. My whole family wanted to go. While phone calls were made, they would keep transferring us, and during this time, an annoying music would play on the phone. It was on speakerphone for everyone to listen. Calls were made until ten o' clock in the morning at least and by that time, I was sick of their transferring call music. It just stressed me out even more.

Finally good and bad news was announced. Yes, we were going to go, but no, we were not getting a re-book and had to book the tickets again. Another lakh of money was spent but we got to go. The flight was that day at 2 pm and we went, keeping me nourished with fruit juice boxes and bottles of water which I sipped on until we got to security.

We took a different airlines which went through Delhi and as we waited for our flight in Delhi, in those comfortable chairs where you can lean back and take a nap. There were old bollywood songs playing in the background, bringing out a lot of nostalgia in me. That time, I realised something. Happiness can be taken away from you so easily, and so fast not to mention. You really have to live every opportunity and every essence of joy you get. You need to live the moments and memories. Throughout my Europe trip, any time I would see something breathtaking or magnificent or something beyond measure, I would take a moment to acknowledge it. I would think to myself "It's right there. Right in front of you. It's not a picture or a dream, it's actually there. Later, don't make it a static, blurred memory. When you go back home and remember this place, remember how real it felt to be there at that point."