Gratefulness~ pt.1

A new day dawns. Mom is rattling in the kitchen and she drops something on the floor. I crawl slowly up but then I startle. “Today is the day!” I scream quietly but powerfully. “Ooh God!” I stand up as fast as lightning strikes and get dressed in cozy clothes I have decided to wear to the flight: college trousers, pink pullover and white fluffy socks.
I come out off the room feeling super energetic. I say hello to my mom. I go and wash my teeth and cleanse my face. In the kitchen I make and eat two sandwiches and then I rush to do my makeup. I listen to 'GOOD BOY' at the same time and put the makeup products I have already used to the pink makeup bag. I curl my hair and put it on a ponytail. I pack the straightener and dance a little to 'Crooked'. I choose jewellery and add fragrance. Then I’m pretty much ready to leave.

“Are we going yet?” I smirk to mom who is bustling in front of the mirror.
“Let’s go then!” she laughs.
“Isn’t Karoliina coming?”
“No… She has some work to do.”
First we tought about driving to Helsinki but because train is faster we ended up with that.

“Do you have everything with you?” mom asks when we arrive at the station.
“Yeah yeah!” I keep nodding and lift my suitcase out of the trunk. I sit down on a bench to wait and mom goes looking at the timetable. Soon she comes back and sits next to me.
“Yeah, the train is on time”, she states and looks around restlessly.
“Don’t worry. I will survive”, I laugh and try to comfort her.
Mom sighs loudly. “What if I came with you after all? I could always chill at the hotel or go shopping or —”
“No, mom. Maybe not a good idea”, I laugh thinking about how hopeless she would be wandering around without knowing even a word of English, let alone Korean.
“Okay”, she understands and at the very moment the train arrives. We get in and start the journey. I sleep most of the time because I’m so tired of stressing so much and I also get to dream a little more about the members and about the concert…

Three o’clock we get off the train and we hop in a taxi. I can see how mom gets more and more nervous. She’s groping her scarf and sending lots of text messages to my brothers.
At the airport it’s time to say goodbyes. Mom almost squeezes me into raisin.
“Take good care of yourself! And remember to eat and call whenever you feel like it and ask that Cecily for help! Have you got every phone number to emergency center and everyone else and do you have everything with you?” Mom freaks out and I keep nodding.
“Yes, I have! I have to go now! Have a nice day shopping!” I smile and wave goodbyes. A tear of longing comes out of mom’s eye corner.

I check-in and move to queue for luggage disposal. There aren’t any Finns. All of the passengers look Asians and they are speaking different languages to each others. Luckily, there are only a few people in front of me and I get quickly to the security check section. After that I get to sit down and start waiting for the gates to open. Mom sends me a text message telling that she’s having a coffee downstairs and waiting until I’m safely inside the airplane.
I go and buy a bottle of water and a bread roll and sit back on my place. There’s a plane leaving to Canarian Islands and there are so many people waiting that they can’t all sit down. Some of them have sat down on their bags and there’s a ring of girls sitting on the floor.
Fortunately, there’s lot of space to sit at our gate. Most of the passengers look like they are families that have stayed in Finland for the holidays and the rest of them are business men who have dressed in fine suits. And among them, there is me, a Finnish white 18 years old brunette girl dressed in sloppy clothes.

I throw the plastic wrapping paper to the trashcan next to me and I get my phone out of my black Michael Kors alligator bag. I take a picture for Instagram and write down: “Hong Kong is calling! #HongKong #goodbyeFinland #SeeYouSoon”. A woman looking like a stewardness appears and walks to the gate door.
“Flight AY089 from Helsinki to Bangkok is leaving on time 16.30. The gate is now open.”
I’m the first at the gate right after the business men. I show my passport and ticket and walk inside the plane. A beautiful and kind stewardness guides me to the back of the plane. I open the door and see comfortable modern white seats, tables made of glass, silver trays with champagne bottles, a huge television on the wall and a door to a private toilet only for 1st class passengers. “I could get used to this”, I think by myself. I sit down next to the window and lift my handbag next to me. Two business men also come to the 1st class area. They sit down on the other side of the plane. I kick the shoes off and take a nice cozy blanket out of my bag and wrap it around me. I make myself comfortable and then I send a text message to my mom telling that I’ve made it into the plane.
“Good afternoon! Here is your fligth captain Hans Silversten speaking. We are just about to leave so I request you to…” the captain starts talking. “We heard that there’s a beautiful weather waiting for us in Bangkok but there might be slightly chilly and rainy too. Put your seat belts on, please! You are going to see a video that shows you what to do in case of emergency…” The teaching video appears on the huge screen but I really don’t feel like paying attention to it.

Notes