Time to Let Go

by Christoph Fischer

  “Really? How so?” she asked, desperate for more details.

  “The airline confirmed they will cover you. Not that the pigs should ever have hesitated. They pay insurance for such cases. You acted in good faith. They confirmed their support for you yesterday with a press release. The big airline bosses want to use this as an advertising opportunity. With public opinion being so overwhelmingly on your side they see this as free publicity. You are going to be in a press conference with the CEO and all. They want you to be the new face of the airline and a promotional asset. They have big plans for you,” he said excitedly.

  “I don’t want any of that,” she said, taken aback at this new development.

  “You won’t have much of a choice, sweetie. Now that your face is in the papers there is no way back. The company is not going to miss out on that, babes.”

  “My face is in the paper? When did that happen?” She could hardly keep up. “Last time I checked no one had cared at all.”

  “This morning. Front on the Express, pages 4 and 5 in the Mail and I think Times or Telegraph. Let me show you!” He got up and collected a bundle of papers from another desk.

  “How did they even get my picture?” she called out angrily as she looked over the articles. The same photograph had been used in each of the articles. It was a recent shot from a room party in Shanghai.

  She was outraged.

  “You look stunning,” Tony said. “And the picture does not show you with a drink. That helps.”

  She did not hear him; she was trying to read as fast as she could through all of the articles.

  The Express had taken the angle that money could buy you the opportunity to sue everyone now, even those who were trying to help you. It was a rather moving moral piece about the brave woman and her deluded enemy. The Mail was less kind to her and their headline asked: ‘Are we in good hands in the Sky?’ Traditionally biased against domestic airlines, they were running statistics on the training for crew and implied that the public was unaware how little could be expected from flight attendants.

  The Times ran the article in their legal section and had reassuring information about the actual laws covering the issue at hand. The quoted experts were all confident that there was no case to answer for under UK law; however, they mentioned Mr White’s intentions to bypass the British courts and try the airline and Hanna in the US instead, precedents for which had been set before. Since British aircraft fell under UK jurisdiction they thought it unlikely that this could be done.

  “What’s up love?” Tony asked. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost. The public love you!”

  “Not so sure about the article in the Times. Have you read that? I could be put on trial in the States!” Hanna said with sheer panic in her voice.

  “Yes, I have read it. Have you?” Tony said with his eyebrows raised and his hands on the hips. “It says there is only a remote possibility of that happening, and they also said that even in the US legal system you are unlikely to be found guilty.”

  “You know the stories: remember the nanny who shook the little child?”

  “Yes but she got off in the end, didn’t she!” Tony pointed out.

  “Did she? I can’t remember. Well, if she did, she still had to go through the whole ordeal. That can’t have been pretty,” Hanna said, unwilling to be calmed.

  “Sweetie, you worry too much about this,” Tony said. “Just relax. The way I see it the real stumbling block was to secure the support of the airline. They had all the original statements from the other crew. They must have had their lawyers check through those with a magnifying glass looking for inconsistencies. There were tons of witnesses and they all say you performed your duties and the resuscitation according to the guidelines. All we do here is going through the motions, following procedures. I have people here with real problems. Yesterday the airline found 400 cigarettes on one of your colleagues - twice as many as he is allowed by customs. They have had him on their hit list for a long time: he’s a goner before the week is over.” Tony was very convincing.

  “The last thing I want is to do promotional work for the airline.”

  “Well, let’s wait and see what the company has in mind for you, exactly. I have a feeling you are going to like it,” Tony predicted.

  Richard arrived shortly afterwards and handed out several documents from his briefcase. He reiterated in legal jargon more or less what Tony had told Hanna beforehand.

  “Listen, the only point of concern in all of this is the frequency of your obligatory toilet checks. The witness statements are a slightly vague on that one and differ from each other. Unless we get that right we have a small issue to worry about, so don’t blurt out anything about that at all,” Richard advised her.

  “I already mentioned that in my statement and I know that I checked that particular toilet at 4.23 exactly,” Hanna told him.

  “I know, but your purser said you were checking them exactly on the half hour and a different colleague claimed that she checked them herself at 4:35. It sounds as if your colleagues were trying to cover for you by bringing the time of the last check closer to the moment of death. Looking too keen to prove no wrong doings will look suspicious to Mr White and his lawyers.”

  At the police station Officer Young, a middle aged, chubby bureaucratic type with very thick glasses, received them in a small office and without much ado simply read out her previous statement. As Richard had expected he needed only a short clarification concerning the timing of the toilet checks. Hanna confirmed her original statement and signed the renewed document.

  “That was easy,” she said after they had left the building.

  “I told you,” Richard said. “You see, the long arm of the law has better things to do than go after you.”

  At the airline headquarters her manager Martin greeted them enthusiastically. Tony was sitting on a chair looking disinterested and texting on his phone. Martin told Richard to wait with Tony until the official meeting had begun and led Hanna into one of the larger conference rooms where a handful of people were waiting for her.

  “This is Michelle from the Press Office, Tobias from Human Resources, Brenda from the Promotional Team and I am sure you have met Thomas from the Board of Governors?”

  Hanna was a little overwhelmed. She had expected a meeting with lawyers only, but there were none at all.

  “I thought I was here to make a statement about the incident and meet the company lawyers?” she asked confused. “And I want union representation with me.”

  “Yes of course, but we have to hold that meeting a little later. It does not seem so important anymore and Thomas has more meetings later, so we had to squeeze this session in first. It really makes no difference. Our legal team have already read your provisional statement to the police and there is nothing wrong with it. I meant to pre-empt that yesterday when I called the union to pass on the message to you.”

  “That was implied to me this morning,” Hanna replied.

  “Your case has come at a very exciting time for us,” Michelle said, and came towards Hanna. She was very business-like in her mannerisms and dressed in a smart grey suit with her dark hair tied back into a pony tail, which gave her every move a bouncy underlining. Her make-up was classy and understated and Hanna could tell that this woman oozed corporate spirit from every pore.

  “We have had a brain storm in the press office and want your face in our new series of adverts,” Michelle added, undecided on her facial expression as to whether a warm or a factual look would be more persuasive. “Photo and TV adverts, the full works!”

  “I don’t feel that would be very ethical,” Hanna pointed out, “using the death of a woman for publicity.”

  Michelle slowly nodded with a hint of compassion and understanding while formulating her response.

  “Of course, it could be perceived that way, we are aware of that, but we have a much more sophisticated campaign planned. We just want to use the public support you got and use it to sh
ow what a great airline we are, with the best crew.”

  “I don’t want to be part of something like this,” Hanna said.

  “Sweetheart it is too late for you to avoid the limelight,” Brenda chipped in. She was in her late fifties and also looked immaculate, much slimmer than Michelle, dressed in a more feminine blouse and skirt combination and probably because of her age much more maternal.

  “Your face has made the national headlines. I know that can be very scary, but you must never lose the big perspective and do something rushed. It is too late to put your head in the sand and hide. You might as well make the most of a challenging situation and reap the benefits that can come from it. If you work with us, then we can use your story to deter people like him in the future. The more that is known about it the better,” Brenda added. “My campaign needs a pretty and sweet woman like yourself when we tour the airports and try to increase business.”

  “People are going to recognise you and will want to listen to your story.” Thomas said. “It’s a perfect opportunity to raise our profile and get customers’ attention: you are part of our airline. Don’t you want us to do well?” He was only in his early thirties but already one of the bigwigs in the company, and tipped to become deputy CEO before long. He looked very untrustworthy to Hanna; there was something about his body language that seemed calculated and unnatural. She felt there was a scheming and manipulative edge to him.

  “I don’t think you will turn us down when I show you all the benefits that come with the job,” Tobias added.

  Hanna knew Tobias very well. He had once been a cabin crew manager and had been quite popular amongst their community. Rumour had it that his kind and generous attitude had gone a step too far, as far as his own superiors were concerned, and had led to his transfer to a less hands-on position. He was a keen sportsman in his late forties and very down to earth.

  “Think of the other benefits,” Brenda chipped in. “Don’t get me wrong, darling, you are looking phenomenal already but this campaign will get you a complete free make over and beauty products and treatments you can only dream off. You will look like a film star when we are done with you!”

  “I had a taste of publicity this weekend. My phone rang off the hook and I worried that journalists would hold siege to my house. I know I don’t want that kind of life,” Hanna declared calmly to the other people in the room.

  “Darling, you can’t turn back time,” Brenda said imploringly. She put her arm around Hanna’s waist and pulled her closer to her in a half sided hug. “What is done is done. The press are going to be after you much more if you hide and try to keep quiet. On your own you don’t have what it takes to play them at their own game. If you are part of our team we can arrange press conferences and public statements for you. We will be beside you one hundred percent. If you give them a little on your own terms, then the journalists won’t be interested in catching you at home. They won’t have to,” Brenda promised

  “Thank you very much, but I can’t do it,” Hanna refused. “I don’t care about money or prestige. The journalists will calm down eventually. I cannot go on tour with a story like mine. If the death of that woman has proven anything to me it is that time is precious and I won’t waste mine with doing something I don’t believe in.”

  “Think about it,” Michelle said. “If you don’t speak up the guy gets all the publicity: silence can imply guilt. If you’re not careful, public opinion can turn against you. Sometimes you have to compromise your actions in order to achieve the effect that you want. You spoke about the moral aspect and by going public you are making a statement.”

  “Sweetheart!” Brenda tried again. “We are your family. We are looking out for you and we will help you through this. Together we can shake this off. We help you and you help us.”

  “As far as the legal battle is concerned, I am all up for that but I will not become an advertising tool with my personal life. I hope you will forgive me,” Hanna said assertively.

  After a pregnant pause, Thomas said. “If you are quite sure about this, I better be off,” he had been sitting on the edge of his seat and looking out of the window while the discussion was going on. “I am sorry but I have a rather important meeting later. If you change your mind it is never too late,” he shook her hand and rushed off without even properly looking at her.

  “I’d better be going then, too,” Michelle said. She collected her papers and files and left with a forced smile.

  Martin drew closer to Hanna and whispered: “I wish you would reconsider.”

  “The campaign is not as distasteful as you might think,” Brenda added. “Just like you said, if it were not properly done the effects would be adverse. We want to bring the concept of customer care back into our brand perception. Business is bad for all the airlines. We don’t offer the best or the cheapest. What we want to demonstrate to people is that we care. You did care, everyone knows that now.”

  Hanna kept still and remained untouched by these persuasions.

  “Think who you are up against, darling. You need the support of the company,” Brenda said with an intense look.

  “Are you saying that the airline is not going to help me, if I don’t accept the offer?” Hanna asked.

  “I don’t know what the managers at the top will decide, but with your current attitude they might just do the bare minimum for you” Martin admitted.

  “Is that a threat?” Hanna asked.

  “Of course not! I am telling you this as your friend. I know those guys and I have seen them in action. If you are not playing along then you are probably better off if you leave the airline,” he warned her.

  “I hear you. Now when would be the meeting with the lawyers?” Hanna asked,

  “Will you consider our offer?” Martin asked.

  “I promise I will think about it but I doubt that it will be for me,” Hanna replied.

  The meeting with the company lawyers was short. Richard went over Hanna’s official police statement and handed them photocopies of it. He expressed his concerns regarding the toilet checks and they were duly noted down on paper. She had expected Tony to stir things up but he only made notes and kept quiet. If Nicky had been here she would have dominated the discussion, not witnessed it as Tony did.

  Martin handed out a document with key points for the joint defence and repeated the company’s express wish for Hanna to hold no press conferences, without prior consent of the press office. The entire affair was over in not more than twenty minutes.

  Hanna thanked Richard and promised to be in touch.

  “It would be hard for the airline to get rid of you,” he reassured her. “You have a very high profile now. Those threats were less of a serious blackmail, but more of a tactic to persuade you. Keep that in mind!”

  As she drove on the motorway she kept trying to picture herself in airports all over the world talking about new exciting offers and the great service customers could expect on board. She just could not see it: she was more of a doer than a talker.

  Come to think of it she found it equally hard to imagine being on a plane again, and work as if nothing had ever happened. She would never be able to open a toilet door on an aircraft and not think of Mrs White. Did she really want to carry on with this life? Continuously going from A to B to Z? Maybe the incident had been the wake-up call she had needed to take a closer look at her priorities. Wouldn’t it be nice if she could take care of someone whom she liked and knew more personally than she did with her random colleagues and customers on every flight? Fariba’s offer suddenly had a lot more appeal than that of the airline and it would solve a lot of issues in one go. At least it would buy her time.

  She left more messages for Patrick on his voice mail, tried two of his musician friends and one of his business partners in the hope that word would reach him. With that she had exhausted all of her avenues to reach her brother.

  Inside the flat, Walter was working on his family chronicle and Biddy was fast asleep.

 
; “Pumpkin, how was your day?” her father said without really looking up from his paperwork. He was so entranced in his chronicle work that he didn’t even ask about her meetings.

  “All fine, thanks Dad,” Hanna said quickly, relieved not having to go over everything again and possibly face yet more harsh criticism and ‘constructive’ help from her father.

  “Good. You know you can talk to me any time you need to,” he said, then carried on writing.

  “Thank you!”

  “Oh, Henrik called earlier. Could you please ring him back?”

  “Any idea what it was about?”

  “Of course not. He never tells me anything,” Walter said. “Nobody ever does.”

  Hanna left the room and rang Henrik.

  “Sis, I had a call from Patrick,” he said, overly cheerful.

  “Great. How is he?”

  “No idea, he was busy. He told me that he got all your messages about wanting to talk and needing his help,” Henrik said pointedly. “He would love to speak with you but is very busy. He gave me the number of his current secretary, Hilary. She has his schedule and can make an appointment with you for him.”

  “Excellent,” Hanna said excitedly, deciding to ignore his jealousy. “Why did he call you and not me directly?”

  “You have not answered any of Hilary’s voicemails, so they had to go through me.”

  “Well, if I don’t recognise the number I assume it is the press.”

  “Never mind, the main thing is he got through to you. I, however, have much bigger news than that,” Henrik announced. “Are you sitting down?”

  “Sunita is pregnant!” Hanna guessed.

  “No. I have news regarding you. I had another phone call.”

  “And…?” Hanna said impatiently. She hated those all important moments her brother seemed to enjoy beyond necessity.

  “I hope you are sitting. I had a call from nobody other than Mr White’s personal assistant. The man wants to meet you.”

  “What? Me, meeting Mr White? I don’t think so,” Hanna said. She had to sit down though and steady her suddenly very rapid heart rate. “Did they say what he wants?”