“Ugh! You can’t be serious! Are you really making her sit here?! Miss, you better do something about it!” Louis Newman grumbled, his voice dripping with annoyance as he noticed a mother-of-three approaching his adjacent seats with the assistance of a stewardess.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the stewardess replied gently, showing him the tickets. “These seats have been assigned to Mrs. Debbie Brown and her children, and we can’t do anything about it. I’d request you to kindly cooperate with us.”
“You don’t understand, Miss! I have a crucial meeting with foreign investors. Her children will keep chit-chatting and making noises, and I cannot afford to lose this deal!”
“Sir…” the stewardess started, but before she could finish, Debbie interrupted her.
“It’s all right,” Debbie said with a calm smile. “I can sit somewhere else if the other passengers are willing to swap seats with my children and me. That isn’t an issue for me.”
“Not at all, ma’am!” the stewardess shot back. “You’re sitting here because you paid for it, and you have the right to be here! It makes no difference whether someone likes it or not, and sir,” she turned to Louis, “I’d appreciate it if you could be patient until the flight is over.”
Louis, a millionaire businessman, was irritated that the stewardess had refused his request, but what bothered him even more was the fact that he was now forced to sit next to a woman who seemed to not belong in business class, wearing the cheapest clothes on the flight.
He inserted his AirPods to avoid any conversation with her and turned his face away as she sat beside him, helping her children buckle up.
The flight took off, and as the airplane ascended, Debbie’s children couldn’t contain their excitement. Her daughter, Stacey, chirped, “Mom! Look, we’re finally flying! Yay!”
Some passengers turned to smile at Stacey’s innocent joy, but Louis had nothing but scorn on his face. “Listen,” he said as he faced Debbie. “Could you please ask your children to be quiet? I missed my previous flight, and I have a meeting from here. I don’t want any kind of disruption.”
“I’m sorry,” Debbie replied politely, signaling for her children to stay quiet. As Louis continued his call, Debbie noticed he was in the fabric business, as his handbooks were filled with fabric samples and designs.
When Louis’s meeting ended, Debbie took a deep breath and approached him. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
Louis, feeling pleased with how his meeting had gone and thinking it had been a success, let his arrogance slip. “Umm… Yeah, sure, go ahead.”
“I noticed you had a handbook with fabric samples and designs. Do you work in the clothing industry?”
“Uh… yeah, you could say that,” Louis replied, leaning back. “I own a clothing company in New York. We just closed a deal. It wasn’t looking good at first, but it worked out.”
“That’s lovely,” Debbie said with a warm smile. “Congratulations! Actually, I run a small boutique in Texas. It’s more of a family affair, started by my in-laws in New York. We recently opened a unit in Texas. I was really impressed with the designs you presented.”
Louis snorted sarcastically. “Thanks, lady! But the designs we make are not some local or family boutique thing; we hire the best designers. We just cracked a deal with the best designing company in the world! A BOUTIQUE? Seriously?” He chuckled loudly, mocking her.
Debbie felt humiliated, but she composed herself. “I understand. It must be something really huge for you.”
“A million-dollar deal!” Louis smirked. “Something a poor woman like you could never understand.” He continued loudly, “I saw your tickets. You’re here in business class, but you don’t look like someone who belongs here! Maybe next time, try economy and find people who own boutiques like you?”
Debbie’s patience was running thin. “Listen, sir,” she said firmly, “I understand it’s my first time flying business class, and I had some trouble with check-in and everything. But don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself? My husband is on the flight with us, but…”
Before Debbie could finish her sentence, an announcement over the intercom interrupted them.
“Also, I’d like to thank every passenger on this flight, especially…” the pilot paused. It wasn’t the usual landing announcement. Instead, the voice continued, “…especially Mrs. Debbie Brown, who is not just any passenger here today. Mrs. Brown’s family has been a part of this airline since its early years, and we are honored to have her with us today. And Mrs. Brown,” the pilot’s voice became warmer, “I would also like to give a special thank you for your husband, Captain Tyler Brown, who has dedicated years of service to this airline as one of our top pilots. We truly appreciate everything your family has done for us.”
Louis’s face turned pale as the truth sunk in. The woman he had just mocked was the wife of the pilot—one of the airline’s top staff members.
The stewardess, noticing the change in Louis’s demeanor, couldn’t help but smile.
“Sir,” she said, “next time, perhaps it would be wise to avoid judging a book by its cover.”
Debbie, who had remained calm throughout the exchange, leaned over to Louis and whispered, “A little kindness goes a long way.”