MY CONSCIENCE PRICKS ME

 This is Pilot Samuel speaking. The plane is about to take off. Make sure you have your safety belts loosely fastened. Maintain your cool, as the plane is taking off. Thank you.” My voice boomed propitiously in the plane speakers and I looked at Lucy, my fiance, for confirmation. Lucy nodded slightly, multiplying the confidence that was built in me from the 400-flying hour experience. I then pressed down the joystick and the plane made a quick rise into the sky. The motion was smooth and silent, and after a while, I settled the plane at a certain attitude at Mach 3. 

Everything was moving on smoothly. I set the autopilot on so that the plane went on by itself. I then turned to face Lucy, my co-pilot, and my fiancee. She was my world. She was everything that I had been yearning for. She was everything that I had been working for in primary and high school. My mind went back to the day we had met. I met her at university. Being young and naive made her reluctant to my constant proposals to her for being my girlfriend. One day changed everything and she consented. I was very happy. I smiled as I looked at her, and even on the plane, I smiled as I remembered that day. She stood up and hugged me. Her hug was tight and warm, penetrating deep into my heart and spine. I became obsessed. She went on deep kissing me. My mind was not on the plane again. Something came in the ears, via the radio call of the plane, but I ignored it. 

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“What is that? Ah, don’t worry, that’s simply a thought.” I told myself. I spoke sweet nothings to her, assuring her the comfort of a man she needed all her life. I kissed her every now and then, giving her the reassurance of a better life and a better future. When we were on the verge of lying down, the plane trembled. My mind arose, and my head spun. As if confirming my fears, the plane shook violently and began accelerating downwards at lightning speeds. We had been struck by lightning and there was a cloud hindering our vision. The radio call connection went off! Now everything was over. I tried to remember the possible remedies for such a situation. 

“Will we be safe?” Lucy asked. I ignored her question, knowing that looking for its answer was one thing and looking for the solution to survive was another. We were losing altitude! The bare earth could be seen clearly. Screams of passengers could be heard back and the air hostesses trying to calm them down. As they were being instructed to put on the oxygen masks, the cabin crew was all over the cockpit, trying to fix this and that for the last seconds that had remained for us to be alive. Lucy was inconsolable. She cried and cried and cried. I tried to calm her down in vain. Luckily, the radio call connection was restored. 

Sooner than later, while trying to maneuver the aircraft to gain altitude, the worst thing happened. The ground was there before us! There was a loud explosion, 💥 and the next thing I remember is finding myself flying in the air and then landing on a big pool of water. A shadow of something like dust was seen in front of me and on looking back, my worst fears were confirmed. The fire consumed the plane hungrily and ravenously. 

Oh my GOD! I had killed all those people because of simple love! Incorporating love with work made me cause such an accident!! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had lost my job now, I had lost my reputation, and most importantly, Lucy, the love of my life. 

That experience left a permanent scar in my heart.