We are going on a family trip to Australia tomorrow. We are all very excited, although Mum is feeling very nervous. She never flies anywhere if she can possibly avoid it. She will happily go on trips by car, bus, train or boat, never by plane.
This time Mum has no choice. She has to travel by plane, in spite of her phobia of flying. She really wants to go to Australia because my elder brother is working there and she has not seen him for a year.
Yesterday I asked Mum why she was so terrified of flying. She said that it was a result of her first flight. She said that I was not to worry because her experience was very rare.
My mother was born and brought up in England. When she was 12 her parents decided to go on a package holiday to Portugal. Mum said that she was really looking forward to a holiday in the sun after the rainy weather of England.
They got to Heathrow, one of the busiest airports in the world. They then queued for a long time at the check-in desk and made their way through to a departure lounge. There they discovered that their flight to Portugal had been delayed. Mum said that she got very thirsty, hungry and tired.
Finally, they boarded the plane and it took off. After about half an hour, when the cabin staff was serving snacks and drinks, the plane began to shudder a bit. The pilot announced that there was a problem with the engine, but that there was nothing to worry about.
He then announced that they were returning to Heathrow so that the engine problem could be investigated. The plane landed safely and the passengers got off all right. Then it burst in to flames.
No wonder Mum is nervous about flying.
Vocabulary
Phobia—fear
Terrified—afraid
Busiest—crowded
