Habitat For Humility
Chapter Two
The airport was crowded and noisy. Children were screaming as their harassed mothers searched desperately for check-in, dashing around crazily.
The Armstrongs were running late. They had checked in and sent off their baggage but had not yet boarded the flight which was due to leave in five minutes. This was partially due to not leaving the house early enough but mainly it was Billie Joe's fault for stopping in the duty free area.
Adrienne had sent Joey back into the shop to look for him and they reappeared - Joey tugging on his father's hand, dragging him behind him. As the final announcements sounded Billie realised their lateness. He ran towards his wife and younger son. Now Joey was the one being pulled along so he let go. Adrienne realised this so she grabbed his wrist as Billie tossed Jakob over his shoulder in a fireman's lift. There was no way the family was being separated in this mad rush.
Making their way towards the gangway they joined several others: all jostling for space to board then searching for the correct seat.
There was a calming aurora in first class. Billie Joe put his son down and steered him towards four empty seats to the right.
"Pushing it a bit aren't we Bill?" commented Jason White from the left. He received the finger in return.
"Billie Joe!" Adrienne was shocked at her husband's action, not knowing at whom it was directed.
"Oh...hey Jason, Janna." She came up from behind then pushed Joey in alongside his brother. As she slid into the seat behind them Billie whispered in her ear "Not fair. I want the window seat."
Unfortunately he was loud enough for Joey to hear. He began to pummel Jakob who fought back.
Billie Joe intervened by pulling them apart and Adrienne hissed, "Boys behave."
"He hit me" Jakob whined, forcing tears into his eyes. Adamantly, Joey defended himself.
"It's my turn to sit in the window seat"
"You can both sit in the window seat. Joseph you're with me." Billie tried to compromise but was met with groans, silenced only by the airhostess and safety announcements.
Once they were airborne Joey sat sulking, refusing to look at his father whereas Jakob was bursting with curiosity about what they were going to do in New Orleans. It seemed as if all problems he had over the trip had evaporated. In an attempt to make conversation Billie casually said "Look Joe. Out the window. What state can you see?"
"Typical. Jake can bug Mom as much as he likes and I get you giving me a geography lesson. So fair." Joey said, dripping in sarcasm
"Life's not fair." a rather large man from behind, said even more sardonically.
"Dick" Joey muttered under his breath before putting his headphones in to avoid any more unwanted chat, listening to his brother or comments from other passengers. Billie took the hint so turned, with his legs into the aisle, to talk to Jason. The man from behind tutted as the men loudly exchanged details of new guitars and current projects.
It was approximately halfway through the journey before Joey gave up ignoring his father but then they became engrossed in hilarious conversation about what-they-would-do-if-there-is-another-hurricane-but-it-rains-giant-stuffed-toys-and-jelly-beans. Janna and Jason were having an animated discussion with the man in the seat behind Billie Joe over the flaws in certain business laws when Jakob finally stopped talking. Adrienne was tired of answering his questions so she was really quite glad until he mumbled "I think I'm gonna be sick. I hate being sick." Jakob's breathing sped up as sweat ran down his pale face.
She whipped out the bag from the back of the seat in front and opened it out, thrusting it under her son's nose. Billie Joe moved his attention to his younger son and began to offer sympathetic words.
On the other hand Joey leaned forward and started to talk about carrots and partially digested lunch, randomly punctuating his sentences with puking noises. This caused Jakob to moan and pale even more to an ashen colour.
Billie glared. "You are not being helpful whatsoever. Leave him alone."
Joey slumped back into his seat, staring blankly out the window. The smell of his brother's vomit hit him like a wave. He gagged, repulsed.
"Is that better?" Adrienne comforted her younger son, gently stroking the back of his head.
Jakob nodded as Billie wiped his face with one of the towels from chair. He tossed it in the sick-bag then moved from between the seats. "I'll just go and see about the disposal of this."
As he walked down the aisle Jason looked up and stifled a laugh; the man from behind, along with several others gave him strange looks.
After dumping the load on a helpful flight attendant Billie Joe moved to the small on-board bathroom to wash his hands. It was only when his looked down to do so that he realised there was an unpleasant smear across his chest. Groaning, he dabbed with a paper towel but only succeeded in making it worse. Oh well, can't be too much longer. He returned to his seat.
"You stink." Joey stated, pulling his t-shirt over his nose.
"Fuck off." Billie snapped angrily.
"Excuse me, sir." It was the man from behind.
"Yes?"
"I don't approve of your choice of words. I don't believe in foul-mouthing in front of a lady." He signalled to his right. "My wife, for example."
Billie Joe snorted.
"Nor" the man continued, "Do I care for your attitude towards others. Were you never taught to respect your elders?"
He began to chew on the collar of his t-shirt in an attempt to stifle his laughter.
"This isn't really a laughing matter. I don't know anything about you except that you can afford to fly you and your family first class. If it wasn't for the fact your friend here seems very pleasant I'd have doubts over how you came across the money." The man gestured to Jason on his left.
"Do you not know who I am?" Billie practically squealed. Joey commented quietly "No, he obviously doesn't have a clue you big idiot."
"I know that you come across as a scruffily dressed, obnoxious man who is the head of a family which have done nothing other that be an annoyance since you boarded the plane. Late, I may add." Came the cool reply.
That was when Billie cracked. Standing up, his nostrils flaring, he began to shout causing many of the surrounding passengers to stare. "You bastard. You cannot fucking insult my family and me like that. Fucking hell, if I'd started bullshit like that you'd've..."
"Now then sir, do we have a problem here?" A smiling air hostess interrupted. Billie sat down sulkily, shaking his head. Asshole he thought upon hearing the man from behind complain about him bitterly.
Adrienne held her finger against hr lips when Jakob turned inquisitively but shot her husband a warning look. Joey's cackles were met with a furious glare. The Armstrongs sat the rest of the journey in a stony silence.
The Armstrongs were running late. They had checked in and sent off their baggage but had not yet boarded the flight which was due to leave in five minutes. This was partially due to not leaving the house early enough but mainly it was Billie Joe's fault for stopping in the duty free area.
Adrienne had sent Joey back into the shop to look for him and they reappeared - Joey tugging on his father's hand, dragging him behind him. As the final announcements sounded Billie realised their lateness. He ran towards his wife and younger son. Now Joey was the one being pulled along so he let go. Adrienne realised this so she grabbed his wrist as Billie tossed Jakob over his shoulder in a fireman's lift. There was no way the family was being separated in this mad rush.
Making their way towards the gangway they joined several others: all jostling for space to board then searching for the correct seat.
There was a calming aurora in first class. Billie Joe put his son down and steered him towards four empty seats to the right.
"Pushing it a bit aren't we Bill?" commented Jason White from the left. He received the finger in return.
"Billie Joe!" Adrienne was shocked at her husband's action, not knowing at whom it was directed.
"Oh...hey Jason, Janna." She came up from behind then pushed Joey in alongside his brother. As she slid into the seat behind them Billie whispered in her ear "Not fair. I want the window seat."
Unfortunately he was loud enough for Joey to hear. He began to pummel Jakob who fought back.
Billie Joe intervened by pulling them apart and Adrienne hissed, "Boys behave."
"He hit me" Jakob whined, forcing tears into his eyes. Adamantly, Joey defended himself.
"It's my turn to sit in the window seat"
"You can both sit in the window seat. Joseph you're with me." Billie tried to compromise but was met with groans, silenced only by the airhostess and safety announcements.
Once they were airborne Joey sat sulking, refusing to look at his father whereas Jakob was bursting with curiosity about what they were going to do in New Orleans. It seemed as if all problems he had over the trip had evaporated. In an attempt to make conversation Billie casually said "Look Joe. Out the window. What state can you see?"
"Typical. Jake can bug Mom as much as he likes and I get you giving me a geography lesson. So fair." Joey said, dripping in sarcasm
"Life's not fair." a rather large man from behind, said even more sardonically.
"Dick" Joey muttered under his breath before putting his headphones in to avoid any more unwanted chat, listening to his brother or comments from other passengers. Billie took the hint so turned, with his legs into the aisle, to talk to Jason. The man from behind tutted as the men loudly exchanged details of new guitars and current projects.
It was approximately halfway through the journey before Joey gave up ignoring his father but then they became engrossed in hilarious conversation about what-they-would-do-if-there-is-another-hurricane-but-it-rains-giant-stuffed-toys-and-jelly-beans. Janna and Jason were having an animated discussion with the man in the seat behind Billie Joe over the flaws in certain business laws when Jakob finally stopped talking. Adrienne was tired of answering his questions so she was really quite glad until he mumbled "I think I'm gonna be sick. I hate being sick." Jakob's breathing sped up as sweat ran down his pale face.
She whipped out the bag from the back of the seat in front and opened it out, thrusting it under her son's nose. Billie Joe moved his attention to his younger son and began to offer sympathetic words.
On the other hand Joey leaned forward and started to talk about carrots and partially digested lunch, randomly punctuating his sentences with puking noises. This caused Jakob to moan and pale even more to an ashen colour.
Billie glared. "You are not being helpful whatsoever. Leave him alone."
Joey slumped back into his seat, staring blankly out the window. The smell of his brother's vomit hit him like a wave. He gagged, repulsed.
"Is that better?" Adrienne comforted her younger son, gently stroking the back of his head.
Jakob nodded as Billie wiped his face with one of the towels from chair. He tossed it in the sick-bag then moved from between the seats. "I'll just go and see about the disposal of this."
As he walked down the aisle Jason looked up and stifled a laugh; the man from behind, along with several others gave him strange looks.
After dumping the load on a helpful flight attendant Billie Joe moved to the small on-board bathroom to wash his hands. It was only when his looked down to do so that he realised there was an unpleasant smear across his chest. Groaning, he dabbed with a paper towel but only succeeded in making it worse. Oh well, can't be too much longer. He returned to his seat.
"You stink." Joey stated, pulling his t-shirt over his nose.
"Fuck off." Billie snapped angrily.
"Excuse me, sir." It was the man from behind.
"Yes?"
"I don't approve of your choice of words. I don't believe in foul-mouthing in front of a lady." He signalled to his right. "My wife, for example."
Billie Joe snorted.
"Nor" the man continued, "Do I care for your attitude towards others. Were you never taught to respect your elders?"
He began to chew on the collar of his t-shirt in an attempt to stifle his laughter.
"This isn't really a laughing matter. I don't know anything about you except that you can afford to fly you and your family first class. If it wasn't for the fact your friend here seems very pleasant I'd have doubts over how you came across the money." The man gestured to Jason on his left.
"Do you not know who I am?" Billie practically squealed. Joey commented quietly "No, he obviously doesn't have a clue you big idiot."
"I know that you come across as a scruffily dressed, obnoxious man who is the head of a family which have done nothing other that be an annoyance since you boarded the plane. Late, I may add." Came the cool reply.
That was when Billie cracked. Standing up, his nostrils flaring, he began to shout causing many of the surrounding passengers to stare. "You bastard. You cannot fucking insult my family and me like that. Fucking hell, if I'd started bullshit like that you'd've..."
"Now then sir, do we have a problem here?" A smiling air hostess interrupted. Billie sat down sulkily, shaking his head. Asshole he thought upon hearing the man from behind complain about him bitterly.
Adrienne held her finger against hr lips when Jakob turned inquisitively but shot her husband a warning look. Joey's cackles were met with a furious glare. The Armstrongs sat the rest of the journey in a stony silence.