An affluent man, James Courtney, grew immediately displeased when he found himself seated next to a large woman in first class. From the moment she sat down, he could tell it was going to be an uncomfortable flight. Her size seemed to take up too much space, and James couldn’t fathom how he would manage the journey.
As she settled in, her elbow accidentally jabbed into him while she fastened her seatbelt. James, already irritated, snapped at her aggressively. The woman, taken aback by his outburst, quickly apologized, tearfully asking for his forgiveness.
“Excuse me?” James asked sarcastically. “Or should I pardon the three thousand doughnuts you must’ve eaten to get to that size?”
The woman gasped, clearly startled, and James noticed her youthful, gentle face. He couldn’t help but mock her, saying, “Lady, you should book TWO seats when you fly!”
Her eyes filled with tears, but James was in no mood to be sympathetic, especially after noticing her worn-out, outdated clothes and scuffed shoes.
“I bet your whole budget goes to nachos and hot dogs, right?” he taunted. “Can’t afford two seats? Next time you pass the hat, I’m sure the whole plane will chip in!”
The woman turned to the window, and James noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks in the reflection. “Listen,” he said, “I’m sure my friend who owns a clinic down in Mexico could give you liposuction for much less.”
As the discomfort of being pressed up against her soft weight eased, James saw the young woman’s shoulders tremble with sobs. He then ordered a Martini when the bartender came by.
Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, but James clearly didn’t care. In his best James Bond voice, he requested, “Shaken, not stirred,” then added, “I don’t know what Moby Dick here will drink.”
The attractive flight attendant shot him a disapproving look before turning to the woman. “Madam, what would you like to drink?”
The woman, dabbing at her eyes, quietly responded, “Please, a diet Coke.”
James sneered, “Don’t you think a diet Coke is a little late in the game?” He felt a sense of satisfaction knowing he’d upset both the flight attendant and the woman, but they chose to ignore him.
As the woman sipped her diet Coke, James leaned back, chewing on an olive and sipping his Martini. He grimaced, realizing she would need to squeeze past him to use the restroom eventually.
Soon after he finished his drink, the flight attendant returned with food. She set a tray in front of him and another in front of the woman.
“Are you sure that’s enough?” James sarcastically asked the flight attendant, “Why do you think it would take a village to feed this lady?”
Ignoring him, the flight attendant continued serving the other first-class passengers. James muttered to the person next to him, “She really was impolite, wasn’t she? I think I’ll complain.”
But the other traveler ignored him as well, so James continued to enjoy his excellent meal. When the flight attendant returned, he was finishing his wine, and she was smiling.
“Pardon me,” she said. “The captain would love to meet you in the cockpit. He’s a big fan.”
James, startled, noticed that the large woman beside him was being addressed by the flight attendant. She flushed, nodded, and smiled, signaling that James had to stand and give her space.
After escorting the woman off the plane, James resumed his seat, still fuming. He was already composing a string of angry emails to the airline about the first-class service.
Then, the captain’s voice came over the speakers, interrupting his thoughts. “Ladies and gentlemen, one of us is a celebrity! You’ll recognize the voice if, like me, you’re a fan of ‘I Love Opera.’”
A beautiful voice filled the cabin, singing a few bars of a well-known aria. The passengers began clapping and chatting excitedly.
“That’s right,” the captain said. “We’re flying with the lovely Miss Allison Jones, who will perform a charity concert for world hunger.”
James froze in disbelief as the entire plane erupted in applause. The flight attendant approached, her tone cold. “Listen, buster, if you upset her again, I’ll move you to economy, no matter how many millions you have.”
James, momentarily stunned by the flight attendant’s glare, opened his mouth to object but quickly muttered, “I apologize.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me!” she snapped.
Later, Allison Jones, the large woman, reappeared, smiling and signing autographs for other passengers. James immediately stood up to give her room to sit.
With a forced smile, he said, “I’m sorry if I offended you. I didn’t know who you were.”
When she turned to face him, James was struck by her stunning eyes. “It doesn’t matter who I am,” she replied. “Never treat anyone that way! And you’re not sorry. If I weren’t famous, would you even be apologizing? I can’t control my weight, but you can change your attitude. Stop judging others.”
James fell silent, sinking back into his seat, and remained quiet until their arrival in Portland.
