Crystal and her husband, Alton, are on a trip home when an obnoxious passenger kicks Alton’s seat. Crystal takes action after repeatedly telling her to stop.
I flew with my hubby yesterday night. We were returning home after a week with his parents. Looking forward to sleeping in my own bed.
“I’ve missed our shower the most,” Alton added. Mom and dad’s place is fine, but our water pressure is unmatched.”
We boarded and everything appeared fine.
“Come, I’ll take your bags, Crystal,” Alton said, taking my backpack.
After settling into our seats, the engines’ hum provided the soothing white noise I needed to fall asleep.
But as I pushed my seat back, I saw something that made me tense. Back row woman had bare feet on my husband’s seat.
“Why?” I mumbled as she kicked Alton’s seat. She chatted with her companion happily, unaware of her rudeness.
I looked at my spouse, hoping he would act. Usually patient, this was too much for him.
“Could you put your feet down?” He turned to face her and inquired.
She glanced at him, chatted with her buddy, and chuckled. It was hard to hear what she said, but her feet were still.
We sat upright and focused on the in-flight safety protocol. The woman started talking again a few minutes later, shoving her foot into my husband’s seat.
Alton turned around, his voice stronger.
Please remove your feet from my chair. This is annoying now.”
Naturally, she didn’t answer this time. She rolled her eyes and talked with her feet on his seat.
I noticed my husband’s shoulders stiffen. A long flight was ahead.
“Honey, why not find a flight attendant?” I suggested, speaking calmly.
I was hesitant to intervene. I knew Alton didn’t want me involved either. We both knew I could be petty and ridiculous if called upon.
Nodding, he stood and walked down the aisle. He returned with a flight attendant moments later.
Tall and no-nonsense, she was.
I mumbled, “Oh, she’ll fix this,” as Alton sat down.
The flight attendant spoke lower and authoritatively to the woman behind us.
“I just wanted to take a nap,” Alton remarked.
My spouse closed his eyes and yawned.
I turned around to check the woman’s reaction.
Her irritation made her put her feet down. After the flight attendant left, her feet were up again.
The hubris!
Petty Crystal was ready now.
She thought she was who? Why was having her feet up on someone else’s seat so important? She was bratish.
Alton looked uncomfortable and tried to ignore his feet pressing against his seat.
The end.
My idea was simple because I could hear the drinks trolley down the aisle.
“What can I get you?” the flight attendant asked Alton and me.
Alton responded, “I’ll take a gin and tonic,” without hesitation.
“And I’ll have a bottle of water,” I said.
I slowly unscrewed the cap and smiled without drinking.
“What are you doing?” he questioned, narrowing his gaze.
“Just trust me,” I said.
I relaxed in my position and tipped the bottle, spilling half of its contents into the woman’s bag between her seat and my husband’s.
The fabric darkened immediately as water soaked in.
Playful Petty Crystal was here.
But the woman hadn’t noticed what I did.
I drank my husband’s remaining drink.
“Crystal,” he laughed. “I know what you’ll do.”
“Then let me do it,” I said.
My hand went through the armrest to target her feet. Emptied the drink.
“Ew!” she shouted, yanking her feet back so rapidly she nearly kicked her friend.
She glared at me, pulling my sleeve.
“Did you drop your drink on my feet?” she demanded.
I faced her with my most innocent face.
I’m sorry. Turbulence, etc. I had no control.”
She started to argue but stopped.
Instead, she whispered something and looked at her wide-eyed companion.
I heard pieces of their chat about how horrible I was and how disrespectful we were.
“She’s just a trashy woman,” she remarked. “She drenched me in alcohol. I feel it. Gross.”
“She should have asked nicely,” the friend mistakenly remarked.
“Yeah, but I paid for this flight, too,” she said. “I deserve some comfort, too.”
Her companion responded, “Some people just think they’re better than the rest.”
They continued briefly. When the food cart went around, she kicked my husband’s seat while rearranging for her meal.
She shouted, “I’m so sorry!”
“You actually apologized?” her companion laughed.
“Yeah,” she said. “Because I don’t want hot salmon or whatever landing on my feet.”
Alton laughed and grabbed my hand.
You know what? She kept her feet off my husband’s seat the whole flight.
“That was something,” Alton replied, shaking his head and laughing. “You showed her.”
“I’m just tired of people thinking they can do whatever they want,” I said. «Especially when it’s so plainly disrespectful»
Rest of flight was unremarkable. The woman glared at me whenever I turned around, but I smiled and pretended not to notice.
We descended, and the woman saw her luggage was damp. Her cheeks flushed red, and she looked steely.
I smiled narrowly and glanced aside.
“I’m going to shower first,” Alton said. “And then collapse into bed.”
“I’m with you on that,” I said.
She brushed past us and mumbled to her friend as we disembarked. My husband and I took our time packing our stuff and allowing the crowd thin away before leaving.
After getting off the plane, I felt pleased.
Sometimes small retaliation is enough to make a point.
Alton grabbed my shoulder and held me close as we walked into the terminal, the flight’s tension melting away.
“You know, I haven’t seen petty Crystal in a while,” he remarked, laughing.
“Well, desperate times call for desperate measures,” I said.
