Playing with Order of Events

When we take our seats, I am by the window, the middle seat is empty, and my mom is seated in the aisle seat because she has a history of being claustrophobic.

            I remember her telling me that she became claustrophobic ever since she had a dream that she got stuck in an elevator. Ever since then it has affected her. During one of our vacations in Miami, we were taking the elevator to the floor that our room was on. My mom was arguing with us to not take the elevator and to take the stairs instead, but the elevator was more convenient. My sister, my mom, and I were in the elevator with about three other women. The elevator all of a sudden got stuck. My mom freaked out right away and pushed everyone aside to try to open the elevator door herself. Everyone else in the elevator stayed composed. My sister and I were trying to relax my mother while another woman called the front desk about the elevator. It wasn’t like we were going to be stuck in there forever and there was no way out. My mom caused everyone else in the elevator to have an even more unpleasant experience dealing with the current situation.

After take off, my mom and I both fall asleep for about an hour until the turbulence jerks us awake.

“Oh my God, Raven! The plane is going to crash! Oh my God!” my mom screams grabbing onto my arm.

“No its not. Stop it.”

“Raven, I’m scared!”

“Are you serious?”

“Why aren’t you helping me?”

“Because you’re overreacting.”

            Still, I let her hold on to me hoping it’ll help outburst which is freaking out the other passengers. But she doesn’t stop, not until the plane lands. The plane rolls up at the gate and stops. We have not been waiting that long but for my mom it feels like at least an hour.