Those who serve in the military sacrifice a lot for the benefit of many. Brave is indeed the word befitting men and women who choose to be in the service of their country. So, when we see a person in uniform, it's hard not to show respect.
Aside from protecting the nation's freedom, what is admirable about soldiers is their sacrifice to be away from family. So, when the opportunity to go back home to spend time with their loved ones arrives, they get excited. This is the story of a servicewoman whose "supposed to be" a hassle-free journey home became complicated.
Aside from protecting the nation's freedom, what is admirable about soldiers is their sacrifice to be away from family. So, when the opportunity to go back home to spend time with their loved ones arrives, they get excited. This is the story of a servicewoman whose "supposed to be" a hassle-free journey home became complicated.
Her Journey Home Interrupted
A US Army officer named Jessica boarded a plane home. Although the economy section was packed with passengers, it did not matter as long as she reached her destination. Of course, that is not to say she did not hope there were vacant seats next to hers so she could stretch her legs.
Then, as Jessica was about to sit down, a man stopped her, saying she was in his seat. The army officer was confused because she was still holding on to her ticket, which confirmed the man's claim was incorrect. When the fellow opened his mouth to explain, the soldier could not believe what she was hearing.
Military Training Goes Out the Window
Anyone who went through the Army Basic Combat Training, aka Army boot camp, knows that it prepares trainees to always be ready. That means Jessica is quick to act in different situations, especially those requiring her to deploy the combat and self-defense skills she learned during training.
Needless to say, if someone attacks her, even if it was a man, Jessica could easily take him down. Yet, when the mysterious fellow explained his point, all the soldier learned at boot camp disappeared. The many hours she spent learning them proved useless because of what the man said. What could have happened to the unsuspecting army officer?
Part of the Minority
Once upon a time, service in the military was not accessible to women. Even though it's a progressive institution, it's also tagged with the "macho culture." It was in 1948 that legislation allowing women to join the military was passed—by 2017, 16% of the military were female. Jessica is one of those brave women who chose to become an officer in the United States Army.
She deserves respect when encountered in public, especially when wearing her uniform. On that fateful day on the plane, the servicewoman did not have time to change to regular clothes, yet her attire did not affect the strange man. What then could his motive be?
Excited to Go Home
One of the downsides of a career in the military is being deployed to far places, often out of the country. Jessica was going home for an important reason—she was going to spend the holidays with her family! She had been apart from them for a long time that sitting cramped up in a crowded plane would have been easy to endure.
As soon as she stepped on the plane, the servicewoman counted the remaining hours before she could embrace every family member again. Nevertheless, something disrupted Jessica's plans, delaying the happy reunion she was already daydreaming about.
Just Looking For Her Seat
Like any plane ride she had had in the past, Jessica went through the boarding gate with her passport. Of course, she entered with excitement—she would soon be reunited with her family again! Yet, as soon as she began searching for her seat, something in her gut told her she should not be so hopeful.
Flying could be scary sometimes, especially when in a crowded economy section. For some, having a "feeling" about a flight would make them run out of the plane quickly. Still, despite her qualms, Jessica proceeded to her seat. That was when the unexpected happened.
An Uncomfortable Stare Which Couldn’t Be Ignored
We’re used to seeing men in uniform, and although it’s now common to spot a female military officer, having one seated in the same plane as you could be exhilarating and evoke intrigue. So as uncomfortable as Jessica felt with the stare, she knew that it was probably someone who was fascinated by her and maybe curious to learn her story.
The gaze had more to it than just a person excited to be in the presence of a uniformed female military officer, as Jessica would soon find out. Although she initially ignored the look she was getting, it quickly became apparent that this person was trying to get her attention.
The Service Provider Gets a Much Needed Favour
As nice as it would be for us all to be able to travel in first and business class, a majority cannot afford to. So, we admire the roomy seats and comfort ourselves with the thought that no matter how uncomfortable we may be in our positions, we still get to arrive at our destinations, just like the person who paid more to be cozier.
Jessica thought she would have to endure long hours of being in an economy class seat, but fate had something else planned for her. Thanks to her service to the country, this military officer was about to be rewarded with an unexpected favor.
The Anticipation to Get To Her Seat
It's disheartening enough to walk past the business class seats as you make your way to your economy class, so we can't even begin to imagine how disappointing it is to have your chair at the back of the plane. Although Jessica wasn't happy about being placed in row 31, she was exhausted and couldn't wait to slump herself onto her seat and hopefully sleep through the entire journey.
While she would get the needed rest later during her flight, the first few minutes were full of interruptions. Thankfully, these disturbances were exactly what Jessica needed for a better and more comfortable trip.
The Long and Painful Walk to 31-B
With her seat number being 31-B, as stated on her boarding pass, Jessica made her way to the back. As you may have already guessed, she attracted stares because she was in uniform, but that was no new thing to her.
Jessica's fellow passengers weren't the only ones taking notice, though. This officer was also gawking at the business class seats, which seemed way better and cozier than the one she was trying to make her way to. Even so, Jessica could never afford the position she was admiring, so all she could do was take a long hard look, make a wish and then proceed to her reality.
The Stranger Talking About Her
While Jessica was trying to make her way to her seat, someone else was doing everything within his power to ensure she didn’t spend her entire trip on chair 31-B. As it would soon become apparent, this man was trying to strike a deal with an air hostess to make the military officer on board as comfortable as possible.
That wasn’t the only unusual thing about this flight. Twenty minutes after the departure time, the plane hadn’t left yet. Boy, was this going to be a painfully long journey and one that would need extraordinary patience, especially from someone like Jessica, who was all cramped up in her position?
An Impending Bad News
Strange things have been happening to Jessica since she arrived at the airport, from the weird looks to the whispers and cramped seats. Well, the cramped seat might not come off as a surprise, as economy seats can be a little tight and uncomfortable. Still, that wouldn't have been an issue for Jessica if the plane had taken off when it ought to.
The delay was suspicious, and the military woman was concerned. For one, the extra minutes made her uneasy in her chair, and it felt like trouble was looming. Little did Jessica know that she was responsible for the delay; but how?
A Sense of Foreboding
Usually, flights are delayed when the weather is bad, but it was all clear skies that day. That means nothing should stop the plane from moving, or so Jessica thought. This delay was strange, and the lady couldn't shake off the sense of foreboding.
The feeling amplified when there was no one to ask about the wait—all the flight attendants were out of sight. Then, to make matters worse, Jessica heard anxious whispering. All these signs were proof that something was wrong, but it didn't look like anyone saw or knew what was going on. This situation must have been so disturbing for Jessica, who just wanted to go home to see her loved ones.
A Sudden Flurry of Activity
Things went from zero to a hundred in a split second. Initially, Jessica couldn't locate any flight attendant on the plane, but before she knew it, the cabin crew were out and about. Still, these people were acting strangely—another cause for concern.
Suddenly, the crew started huddling in the corner of the airplane, and while the activity seemed secretive, it drew everyone's attention, including Jessica's. It looked like the attendants were talking about one of the passengers, but who? The military lady would soon find out as the said passenger started moving toward her. Things certainly couldn't get any weirder, or could it?
The Strange Man With Unknown Intentions
As the strange man started approaching Jessica, all of her senses became alert. There was no need for the military lady to be scared because she hadn't done anything wrong. Still, that didn't mean she had to relax; whatever this man's intentions were, Jessica didn't know.
All of Jessica's training in the military came back to her. She had been trained to be prepared for and confront anything, so nothing could take her by surprise. Whatever happened, she would survive it. Little did Jessica know that her years of training in the military wouldn't matter in the next few seconds as she was about to be shocked out of her skin.
Too Strange for Comfort
Amid the awkward situation, Jessica couldn't help but notice that the flight attendants were blushing and giggling, obviously enjoying her predicament. This didn't sit well with the female passenger, who had no idea what was happening.
Normally, Jessica wouldn't bat an eyelid if people were staring at her, as she gets that a lot anytime she's in her uniform. Unfortunately, she was way out of her depths in this airplane because this was a different situation. Since Jessica couldn't do anything about the stares and whispers, she decided to ignore them, but she still felt edgy and confused.
Soldier Ever on Duty
Today though, Jessica was feeling some way. She was tired, and her muscles ached from all the tension. Nevertheless, a soldier is always on duty, and this day was no different. Moreover, thanks to the intensive training she has received, Jessica was always prepared to employ her muscle memory if required.
It didn’t matter that she was off duty; if trouble ensued, Jessica had to be on her toes and act fast. She must have hoped, though, that there wouldn’t be any trouble today. Too bad her hopes didn’t last because immediately, almost impulsively, she took notice of him.
A Strikingly Handsome Fellow
On top of being this tall guy, Jessica's keen eye noted that he had striking features, too. His delicate traits, especially those bright blue eyes, easily made him the most attractive guy on the plane. Neatly dressed as he rocked a suit and tie, Jessica secretly wished he would strike a conversation with her.
Who knew? Would he come up to her all confident and determined, then say hi and maybe even ask for her number? Jessica didn't know that he had totally different thoughts from hers. What did he really want? She was going to find out soon enough.
He Offered Up His Seat
To Jessica's dismay, the guy revealed that the chair she was seated on was his. Jessica couldn't bring herself to believe it. Hadn't she checked her seat number well? She thought she might just as well check the seat number on her ticket again but doubted she got it wrong.
It clearly stated 31-B, and this one she was seated on had the same number, so this guy was clearly out of his mind or playing games. She hoped the flight attendants would intervene, but they didn't. That was when the man explained that he wanted her to have his business class ticket, a kind gesture that no doubt caught Jessica by surprise.
In a Proper Gentleman's Fashion
Jessica couldn't believe what had just happened. It's like this gentleman had read her mind and knew what exactly her aching muscles from all the military training needed—a more spacious and comfortable seat. She couldn't stop thinking of how to return the kind gesture. So, Jessica wrote him an appreciation note from the business class where she was now seated, with a $20 bill attached, and then asked the stewardess to deliver it for her.
The man sent a message back to Jessica politely declining her offer but proposed they have dinner (on him) when their flight landed. A date! Was this a love story brewing like she had seen in the movies? There was only one way to find out.
The Kind Act Received Much Attention
Having witnessed everything, a woman on the flight named Jessica Titus was so touched that she took to her socials to share the story. In less than an hour, the story became a hit, with more than 4,000 shares and others sharing their similar encounters.
A family recounted seeing an older businessman give up his first-class seat to a soldier while they were on a trip. Another woman, Kate Nixon, said that someone had done that for her husband, a serviceman, too. This kind gesture sheds light on the random good deeds that ordinary people do every day but go unnoticed most of the time. The world isn't entirely an awful place, after all.