A millionaire criticizes a mother of three for flying business class, but when the pilot greets them and makes a special announcement just for her, he forgets all about his complaints.
“Ugh! You can’t be serious! Are you really making her sit here?! Miss, you better do something about it!”
Louis Newman grumbled 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 like to request that you kindly cooperate with us.”
“Miss, you don’t get it! I have an important meeting with investors from overseas. I can’t afford to lose this contract because her kids will keep talking and making sounds.”
“Sir….” The stewardess had just started speaking when Debbie interrupted her. “It’s all right. 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!” retorted the hostess. “You have the right to be here because you paid for the seat you’re in! Whether someone loves it or not is irrelevant, and sir,” she turned to face Louis, “I would like it if you could wait for the flight to be over.”
Rich businessman Louis Newman was displeased that the waitress had turned down his request, but he was more displeased that he had to take a seat next to a woman dressed cheaply on the aircraft, who didn’t seem to belong in business class.
After helping her kids firmly settle into their chairs, the mother sat next to him. He turned his face away and put on his AirPods to avoid being forced into conversation.
The flight took off as soon as the boarding procedure was over and everyone was seated in their designated seats. The kids started chirping with excitement as the plane took off because it was Debbie and her kids’ first time traveling in business class. Stacey, her daughter, exclaimed, “Mom!” “Look, at last, we’re taking off! Cheers!”
Some of the other passengers on the plane turned to stare at Stacey, smiling at her naivety, but Louis’s attitude was disdainful. “Listen,” he said as he faced Debbie. “Could you please ask your children to be quiet? Because I missed my previous flight, I’m joining a meeting from here. I don’t want any kind of disruption.”
Debbie answered, “I’m sorry,” and gestured for the kids to keep quiet. Debbie learned from Louis’s frequent mention of fabrics and the fact he carried a guidebook containing designs that he was a businessman primarily involved in the fabric industry during their nearly two-hour encounter.
Debbie came up to Louis after his meeting was over and said, “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
Although Louis didn’t want to talk to her, he was relieved that his meeting had gone well and the investors had approved the agreement, so he swallowed his haughtiness. “Umm…Yeah, sure, go ahead.”
“I noticed you had a handbook with fabric samples and designs. Do you work in the clothing industry?”
“Uhhh…yeah, you could say that. I own a clothing company in New York. We just closed a deal. I hadn’t really hoped it would work, but it did.”
“Oh, how beautiful that is. Best wishes! Actually, I’m a Texas small-business owner. It’s primarily a family event. My in-laws in New York started it. We just launched a location in Texas. The designs you were showcasing truly amazed me.”
Louis laughed sarcastically at her. “Many thanks, dear! However, my company hires some of the top designers, and we recently struck a contract with the best design firm in the world, so the designs we produce are not like something from a little local or family store! A BRAND NEW? Really? He smirked and said enough to make fun of Debbie.”
Debbie was embarrassed by his remark and said, “Oh, well,” but she remained composed. “I – I recognize. It must be a really significant thing for you.”
“Something huge?” Louis shook his head and grinned. “A poor woman like you would never understand what it means, but it was a million-dollar deal! Let me ask you this again,” he said after pausing for a brief while. “I mean, I saw your tickets and everything. I know you’re here flying business class with us, but trust me, you don’t look like someone who deserves to be here! Maybe try economy the next time and look for people who own boutiques like you?”
By now, Debbie’s patience was wearing thin. “Listen, sir,” she admonished him. “I understand; it’s my first time flying in business class, and I had trouble figuring out the check-in process 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 say anything further, they arrived at JFK, as announced over the intercom. But after making his announcement, Captain Tyler Brown, the pilot, had more to say before shutting off the intercom.
“I also want to express my gratitude to each and every person traveling with us, especially my wife, Debbie Brown. Debbie, my love, words cannot express how much your help means to me.”
When Louis saw that Debbie’s husband was a pilot on the flight, his face flushed with shame, and his heart missed a beat.
“I was anxious because this was my first time piloting an A-class aircraft. I am grateful to my spouse for reassuring me that everything will work out and for choosing to come along even though she is afraid of flying to soothe my concerns. I returned to work today after a protracted period of unemployed. Debbie has never complained about her circumstances, despite the fact that my wife and I have never had it easy and have faced many challenges in our lives. I would thus like to pop the question to my wife once more on this flight on this day, which also happens to be the day we initially met—a date I think she has forgotten. DEBBIE, I LOVE YOU, HONEY!”
At this point, Tyler defied convention and exited the pilot’s cabin, popping the question at Debbie and putting a ring on her finger. “Would you like to spend the rest of your life with me again, Mrs. Debbie Brown?”
Now Debbie and her kids had been the center of attention for everyone on the plane; they looked like the most gorgeous family imaginable. The passengers cheered as Debbie nodded yes through crying eyes, while Louis stood confused and ashamed. Debbie, nevertheless, would not stand by and let him get away with it. “A materialistic man like you, who only thinks about money, would never understand how it feels to have a loved one around you,” she stated to Louis as they were getting off the plane. ” Indeed, my spouse and I lead a modest life, but we take great pride in it.”
