White clouds flying

Bao Ninh

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Photo: Linh Pham

It was raining when the airplane took off. The sound of the landing gear retracting up into the body of the plane seemed louder than usual, putting the cabin on edge. I wished that I’d listened to my wife’s suggestion. I should have cancelled this trip—it was a bad day to travel, with bad weather.

Suddenly the entire aircraft lifted up into the air. Next to me, directly to my right, sat a man wearing a suit. He looked pale. His eyes were closed and his lips trembled.

Meanwhile, I clutched the armrest tightly. I felt like a tiny being who had been dangled over a canyon that was growing deeper and deeper.

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