The oxygen masks dropped from above as the airplane violently shook. I tightened the vice like grip I had on the armrests on either side of me. Towards the back of the plane, I could hear a baby crying. The intercom crackled as the pilot assured us that we had just hit a pocket of turbulence and that everything would be fine. He also suggested that we all place the oxygen masks on our faces, purely as a precaution. The flight attendants walked down the aisles, trying their best to calm down everyone. I slipped the yellow plastic cup over my nose and mouth and tried to breathe as normally as possible, but my heart was pounding in my chest like a Lil Jon bass line. I was always nervous about flying, but seeing that mask drop down in my face kicked my anxiety into overdrive. I pulled the blue nylon strap on my seatbelt until it was cutting off circulation to my legs. As I did, the plane seemed to stabilize and the bumpiness ceased. The intercom crackled once again and the pilot advised us to remain in our seats with seatbelts and masks on for the time being. The elderly woman sitting next to me seemed to be completely unfazed by what was happening. Even with the oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, she sat and calmly read the cheesy romance novel I saw her buy at the newsstand in the terminal. Once again, the plane did a mid-air Harlem shake and she just turned the page in her book as if nothing happened.

When things settled down, I leaned over and asked how she could remain so calm. “There’s no reason in stressing over something I can’t control. If it’s my time to die, then it’s just my time.” Her logic seemed sound enough. I released my death grip on the armrests and my breathing became a little less erratic. But then that annoying little voice in the back of my head offered up an equally sound rebuttal. What if it’s her time to go, but not mine? I looked around the cabin at the other passengers. One guy was cussing himself out for apparently pissing his pants. Everyone else seemed to be in some level of panic. Everyone except the old lady beside me. Frankly, her being that damn calm made me even more nervous. Immediately, I started hyperventilating. The old woman swiftly reached up to get the flight attendant’s attention. Just as she reached our row, the plane went into a sharp nosedive. The plane’s cabin filled with the terrified, partially muffled screams of everyone on board. Everyone except for my neighbor. She was still reading her book as if everything was normal. As loose items fell from the rear of the plane towards the cockpit, she kept on reading. The pilot came across the intercom again and ordered us all to brace for an impact. As soon as he finished his statement, the old lady’s head fell forward and the book slipped out of her tiny hands. Her eyes closed. Almost instantly, the plane stabilized. As if on cue, the entire plane let out a collective sigh of relief. The pilot re-ascended to our previous altitude and informed us to remain seated with our seatbelts and masks on. The flight attendants walked down the aisles, checking to see if anyone was injured. I motioned for one to come to my row.

When she arrived, she noticed the lifeless body of the old woman in the seat next to me. She discreetly checked for signs of life, but found nothing. She looked around the cabin to see if she could locate another empty seat. Once she did, she asked if I would like to move. I quickly nodded my head. As I squeezed past the lifeless shell in the seat next to me, the little annoying voice in the back of my head chimed in again. Maybe it really was her time to go.