When Carla boards a flight, her scars become the bane of a cruel couple’s existence, triggering a tense confrontation in the cabin. What begins as silent resistance soon escalates as the couple demand action, forcing the crew to intervene.
The airport seemed colder than usual, or maybe it was just the way people were looking at me. I bowed my head and grabbed my boarding pass as if it were the only thing holding me up.
The scar on my face was still healing, but it already seemed to me that it had become part of my identity. People no longer saw me, they saw the scar first.
The wound had been caused a month earlier in a car accident. I was a passenger and when the airbag deployed, a piece of glass cut my face deeply. The doctors acted quickly and stitched me up with precision, but they couldn’t avoid the irregular line that formed.
My dermatologist called it “primitive scar tissue”, raw, shiny and red. It stretched from two centimeters above the hairline, down the eyebrow, across my cheek and ended near the jaw. Part of my eyebrow would never grow back, and on my cheek I had a cleft where the cut had been deepest.
For weeks, my face was covered in bandages. At first, I couldn’t bear to look at myself in the mirror. But when the wounds closed and the bandages were removed, I had no choice but to face it.
My friends tried to cheer me up, telling me I was a beast, even sexy in a mysterious way. I tried to believe them, but it was difficult when strangers stared at me or looked away too quickly.
The healing process was slow and uncomfortable. Every morning I applied the creams and ointments recommended by the dermatologist, making sure the skin was kept clean and moisturized.
But no amount of care could change the shiny, slippery appearance or the harsh red lines that seemed to be crying out for attention. I knew they would fade with time, but the idea that they would never completely disappear weighed heavily on my chest.
Now, as I walked to my seat on the plane, I could feel all eyes on me. I slumped down in the window seat, heart racing.
At least I had boarded early, avoiding the crowds. I put on my headphones and let the music drown out my worries. I closed my eyes and prayed for a smooth and uneventful flight.
I woke up to voices. Loud voices.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,“ a man grumbled. ‘Are these our seats?’ His tone was sharp, as if he were angry with the world.
“Rows 5B and 5C,” a woman’s voice replied, sharp and impatient. “It’s okay. Sit down.”
The couple sat down in the seats next to mine, huffing and shuffling their feet. I kept my eyes closed, hoping they would leave me alone. The man had a deep, rough voice. “I can’t believe it. We paid for this flight, and this is what we get? Last-minute seats next to…” He paused.
“Next to what?” asked the woman, raising her voice. ‘Oh.’ I felt her eyes fixed on me. My skin crawled. ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’
I stood still, my heart pounding. Please stop talking.
“Hey, lady!“ the man barked. I slowly opened my eyes and turned to face him. He flinched and frowned. ‘Can’t you cover that up or something?’
I blinked, too stunned to speak.
“Tom,” the woman hissed, holding her sleeve up to her nose. “It’s disgusting. How could they let her board the plane like that?”
“Exactly!” Tom leaned forward, pointing at me. ”This is a public place, you know? People don’t have to see… that.”
I felt my face flush. The words got stuck in my throat. I wanted to explain, to tell them it wasn’t something I could help, but no sound came out.
“Are you just going to sit there?” said the woman, her voice high and nasal. ‘Unbelievable.”
Tom leaned towards the aisle and signalled to a stewardess. ’Hey! Can you do something about this? My girlfriend is upset.”
The stewardess approached, her expression calm but serious. ”Is there a problem, sir?”
“Yes, there is a problem,” said Tom. ‘Look at her!’ He pointed his thumb at me. ‘She’s bothering my girlfriend. Can you move her to the back or something?”
The employee’s eyes drifted to me. Her face softened for a moment before she turned back to the man. ’Sir, all passengers have the right to their seat. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“I just told you!” Tom shouted. ‘She’s sitting there looking like that. It’s disgusting. She should cover it up or move.”
The woman added, ’I can’t even look at her. I’m going to throw up.”
The stewardess straightened up, her tone cold and firm. ”Sir, ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to keep your voices down. This kind of behavior is not acceptable.”
Tom scoffed. “Behavior? What about her behavior? She’s inconsiderate! She’s scaring people!”
The assistant ignored him and leaned slightly towards me. ”Miss, are you all right?”
I nodded, barely holding back tears.
The assistant stood up again. “I’ll be right back,” he said firmly. “Excuse me for a moment.”
As he made his way to the cabin, Tom leaned back in his seat, murmuring under his breath. The woman next to him folded her arms and looked towards the aisle. I stared at the window, wishing I could disappear.
The cabin was silent, except for the low hum of the engines. I kept my gaze fixed on the back of the seat in front of me, trying not to cry. A few rows behind me, someone whispered. I imagined they were talking about me.
The intercom beeped. The captain’s voice came through, calm but firm.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have become aware of behavior that is not in keeping with the respectful environment that we strive to maintain on this flight. Let me remind everyone that any kind of harassment or discrimination will not be tolerated. Please treat your fellow passengers with dignity.”
The announcement caused a commotion in the cabin. People turned around, passengers shifted in their seats as they looked towards row 5. I caught sight of someone on the other side of the aisle shaking their head in disapproval, and my stomach twisted.
The flight attendant returned, upright and calm. She leaned over to our row and addressed the couple directly. “Sir and madam, I need you to move to seats 22B and 22C at the back of the plane.”
The man looked stunned. ‘What?’ he said. ”We’re not moving!”
“Sir,” said the flight attendant firmly, ‘this is not negotiable. Your behavior has disrupted the flight, and we need to ensure a comfortable environment for all passengers.”
“This is ridiculous,’ snapped the woman, pulling her coat tighter around her. ”Why are we being punished? She’s the one causing the problem.”
The stewardess was unfazed. “Madam, your new seats are ready. Please collect your belongings.”
The man frowned, his face red with anger. ‘This is madness,’ he muttered, taking his bag from under the seat. The woman followed him, muttering loudly as she picked up her handbag. Passengers nearby watched in silence, their expressions ranging from disapproval to quiet satisfaction.
As the couple left down the aisle, someone applauded. Then another. The sound grew, spreading applause throughout the cabin. I bit my lip, trying to hold back tears. This time not out of embarrassment, but for the strange and unexpected comfort of the good deed.
The stewardess turned to me, her expression gentle. “Miss, I want to apologize for what happened. Nobody should have to go through that.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
“We have a free seat in first class,“ she continued. ‘We’d like to move you there as a gesture of goodwill. Is that OK with you?”
I hesitated. ’I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“You’re not causing any trouble,” she said, in a kind voice. “Please. Let us take care of you.”
I nodded and murmured, ”Thank you.”
When I settled into my new seat, she brought me a cup of coffee and a packet of biscuits, and then she left me to rest. I stared out of the window, the clouds like soft white cotton against the infinite blue. My breathing slowed and the lump in my chest loosened.
For the first time in weeks, I allowed myself to cry. Silent tears slid down my cheeks. I thought about the words of my friends, about how they had told me that I was still me, scars and all. “You are still beautiful,” one had said to me. “Now you are also fierce.”
I looked out of the window again. The clouds seemed endless, stretching to the horizon. My tears stopped. I took a deep breath, the air filling my lungs like a promise.
As the plane glided forward, I felt something I hadn’t felt in weeks: hope.