Chapter Fourty-Two: Me and My Moose (~jinghan)

Everything happens in a blur: I’m harrassed about packing the right things late into the evening, I collapse into bed in exhaustion, I yawn all the way to the airport and before I know it I’ve waved goodbye to my family (Wait, did I mean to do that so soon?) and as I walk past the bording check point the blur slows to agonising clarity. And it’s me all by myself walking down the boarding chute. It feels like I stepped over some line and crossed into the world of being all by myself far too suddenly. (Wait, are you sure I don’t have to do more paper work to cross into this other world?)

I need moral support. I decided. So I take Moosey out of his bag and show him the scene out of the window of the plane. He jingles with joy and I noogie him and tell him he’s a silly moose. (Not out loud though. Only crazy people talk to their stuffed animals outloud…. uh…)

“Excuse me, can I sit here?” I’m caught unaware while conversing with my moose. It’s a little girl asking to sit in the seat next to mine. Her younger sister (pacifier in mouth) is wailing in the background, but this little girl doesn’t whisper or flinch at all.

“Yeah sure…” And I don’t sound half as bold as she did.

She sits down in the seat next to mine, and opens a Dr Suess book in a very matter-of-fact way and proceeds to read. I wonder if she notices Moosey and thinks me weird for holding my moose (complete with minature australian passport) to the window. But she’s reading Dr Suess so surely not…

Don’t tell the little girl, but I stole some of her confidence during the flight, and used it on my next leg to Sydney. I sat next to an American lady, and I didn’t nervous-talk too much and the food was actually edible (not amazing, but edible). I only managed to spill 3.5 Vita-Weets on the floor of the plane and I managed to sleep in such a way that I don’t think I will be that jet lagged at all. (It helped that I was really sleep deprived in the morning).

And now I’m in LA waiting for my next flight and contemplaiting life before mobiles since my mobile seems to be unable to pick up service at the moment. And while it’s not devastating, it is annoying in the same way that spoilt little children find it annoying when they can’t just have whatever they want.

By the way, Moosey says ‘hi’. He thinks its awesomely warm here and was very excited about seeing some double decker planes as well as being in one.