‘Tomay-to, tomato, City Tower. Flightbird Six Zero Zero.’
‘What do tomatoes have to do with anything?’
He laughed. I loved it when I made him laugh, even if it was unintentional. The sound of his laughter always came through on my headset with a little crackle. As if his laugh was too big to be contained inside it.
‘We are inbound to Johannesburg Airport, heading over the pylons. Request vectors for ILS, please. Flightbird Six Zero Zero.’
‘Flightbird Six Zero Zero, turn right heading three five zero.’
‘Copy that, City Tower, turn right heading three five zero. Flightbird Six Zero Zero.’ I expected him to go, but he didn’t.
‘Can I wear my pilot uniform to this wedding, or do I have to hire a suit?’
‘Don’t you own a suit?’
‘I don’t. Is that bad?’
‘I don’t think one can assign a moral value to whether one owns a suit or not, but—’
More laughter through the headset. ‘Okay, I’ll go and hire one then. But only because it’s you.’
His voice disappeared again and I turned my attention back to my screen. Amberjet Five Nine Five had to abort its landing due to technical issues, making it impossible for Flightbird Seven Niner, Flightbird Six Zero Zero, as well and Airstreams One Eight and One Seven to land. I made note of all the other flights in the air that would be requesting vectors for ILS soon and getting ready to land. There were twenty planes that would be coming in in the next ten minutes or so, and the knock-on effect that Amberjet would have on them would need a lot of shuffling.
‘City Tower, this is Flightbird Six Zero Zero, established ILS, runway zero seven left.’
‘Flightbird Six Zero Zero, this is City Tower, abandon approach and hold west on the two seven zero degree radial, right turns, expect further clearance at seventeen twenty-two, time is now seventeen-ten, and maintain five thousand.’
‘Copy, City Tower, abandon approach and hold west on the two seven zero degree radial, right turns. Expecting further clearance at seventeen twenty-two, time is now seventeen-ten, and maintain five thousand. Congestion?’
I sighed into the radio. ‘I’m afraid so. Let me get this sorted out as quickly as possible.’
‘I have no doubt you will. Speak soon, City Tower.’
I put the next five flights into holding patterns while we waited for Amberjet to clear the runway. I diverted two approaching flights when it became clear that it was going to take longer than intended for Amberjet to clear. My brain clicked into that mode it clicks into in moments like these. When factual information is coming at me from all angles, my mind has the ability to sift through it clearly and concisely, and then order and process it in a seamless, unpanicked manner. Why was this so easy for me, when other things seemed so damn hard? Why could I rearrange the entire landing schedule of the airport, and not be able to tell what Andrew had meant when his hand was on my waist and he was staring into my eyes? Within fifteen minutes, I had called the airplanes out of the hold and begun landing them.
‘City Tower, you sorted that out quicker than I expected. Flightbird Six Zero Zero, requesting vectors for ILS, again.’
‘Flightbird Six Zero Zero, this time turn left heading five nine one.’
‘Copy, turn left heading five nine one.’ The radio was silent for a while. I took a long, slow sip of iced water. I felt a little warm after all that excitement.
‘City Tower, this is Flightbird Six Zero Zero, established ILS, runway zero seven left. Always getting my lucky runway when you’re on the line.’
‘I hardly think it has anything to do with me but, Flightbird Six Zero Zero, you are cleared to land on runway zero seven left.’
‘Copy, cleared to land on runway zero seven left. Flightbird Six Zero Zero. Black or navy?’
‘What?’
‘The suit? What color are you wearing? Aren’t we supposed to match, or something?’
‘I’m a bridesmaid. Apparently, the dress is pink. I haven’t seen it yet.’
‘I’ll ask my sister what she thinks will work best with pink. How’s the weather down there? Flightbird Six Zero Zero.’
‘Flightbird Six Zero Zero, wind two fifty at twelve knots.’
‘Copy, City Tower, wind two fifty at twelve knots. Flightbird Six Zero Zero. You know my moms were one of the first legal gay marriages in South Africa. They got married in 2006. I was their combined best man. It was a great day.’
