Flying Little

The plane was full! Her baby was very tired, but she struggled to stay awake! How could a little baby know how to resist the natural instinct to sleep? All right. She was not that little. She was already 7 months old. Still, why would she not go to sleep when she was tired? She should not have a clue about what she would miss out on, if she fell asleep. She watched her baby's mouth open, and the dreaded screaming began! That was the scream of fatigue! She looked around at the other passengers warily! They hated her, or they would, after the flight, she thought.

She held the baby close, spoke to her sternly in Vietnamese, and started to rock her vigorously! That was the only way she would go to sleep. She sang to her a Vietnamese lullaby, over and over again, till the crying ceased, and the tiny body relaxed. Her body relaxed too, and she started to feel her arms aching. Gently, her heart thumping, she put her baby down on her seat. The baby did not stir. She heaved a sigh of relief, and sat on the floor beside the baby. She could rest for a little, till the tiny being woke from her sweet slumber.