Spoiled Fun part 2
Four months later, Jonathan was taking Daffodil to New York International Airport. Her parents had moved from their New York City suburb to Albany, and they'd paid for Jonathan to accompany Daffodil on a flight to visit her grandparents.
As Jonathan took Daffodil's hand to board the plane, he noticed four flight attendants—two women and two men, all white—watching them with unwarranted intensity. They found their seats, but just as Jonathan settled in, a voice interrupted them.
"Sir, you need to come with us," said a tall blonde flight attendant whose name tag read "Cheryl."
Jonathan stood up, his presence suddenly imposing. The flight attendants recoiled slightly, as if he were a monster for merely asserting himself.
"And why would I do that?" Jonathan asked, his voice low.
Another attendant, a burly man named Mark, stepped forward. "Sir, if you don't step out of the plane, we will have to use force to make you comply."
Jonathan's eyes narrowed. "If you touch me, you're going to be on the floor. Now tell me why you want me off this plane."
The cabin had fallen silent, passengers watching the confrontation unfold. The flight attendants, looking intimidated, scurried back toward the front of the plane. Jonathan could hear them clearly in the quiet cabin.
"Sir, the passenger is not cooperating," one of them told the pilot. "What should we do?"
"You're damn right I'm not cooperating with racial profiling!" Jonathan shouted, ensuring everyone on the plane heard him.
From the cockpit, the pilot's voice came back: "Call airport police."
A few minutes later, four airport police officers—two male, two female—approached their row. The flight attendants positioned themselves behind the officers like cowards.
"Sir, could you please step off the plane?" asked one of the male officers.
"I'm not going anywhere," Jonathan said calmly. "I've done nothing wrong."
"Sir, if you don't comply, we will have to use force," the officer said, his hand resting on his baton. The female officer beside him had her hand on her taser.
Jonathan pulled out his phone, hitting record. "This is being documented," he said, pointing the camera at them. "I have those flight attendants on tape harassing me for no reason."
The officers exchanged uneasy glances. The female officer spoke first. "Sir, we received a report of a possible kidnapping. A passenger was concerned."
"And what exactly did this passenger see that was concerning?" Jonathan asked. "Did they see Daffodil crying? Bruised? Cut? Acting scared? Looking down? Avoiding eye contact? Trying to pull away from me? Asking for help? Or did they just notice our different skin colors?"
The male officer shifted uncomfortably. "We can't give out witness information."
"Oh, but it's okay to harass me because I'm Black?" Jonathan shot back.
"We're not harassing you," the female officer corrected. "We just want to question you."
"Fine," Jonathan said, his voice tight with anger. "I'll go, but don't expect me to be polite about it."
He grabbed Daffodil's hand, and they both got out of their seats and stepped into the walkway. As they stood in the aisle, Daffodil looked at the officers and hid behind Jonathan's leg, clutching it tightly.
The other female officer stepped forward. "Sir, just so you know, for her safety, we'll need to separate you from the little girl during questioning."
"Like hell you are!" Jonathan said. "Her mother hired me to keep her safe, and I'm not giving her to strangers."
"We just need to ensure she hasn't been coached," the officer explained. "Kidnappers sometimes manipulate victims."
"You don't give a damn about her safety," Jonathan said. "If you did, you would've asked your 'witness' if there were any signs she was in distress. You're all racist trash, just like those flight attendants."
The male officer's face hardened. "Sir, if you don't comply, you'll be arrested for resisting detainment. I'm sure you don't want Daffodil to see you tased."
"Go ahead then," Jonathan said, holding up his phone. "This will make an excellent lawsuit video."
"I'll call her mother," Jonathan said, dialing Griselda's number. "She'll chew you out for being racist pigs."
One of the officers nodded. "That's reasonable. Let's talk to the mother."
When Griselda answered, Jonathan quickly explained the situation. As he spoke, Cheryl—the first flight attendant—circled around and attempted to snatch Daffodil from behind Jonathan's leg.
Jonathan reacted instantly, kicking Cheryl in the stomach. She collapsed to the floor, gasping.
"He assaulted me!" Cheryl wheezed. "Arrest him!"
"You tried to kidnap the girl!" Jonathan shouted.
From the phone, Griselda's voice exploded. "Who the hell told you to put your hands on my baby, you heifer?"
The other male flight attendant stammered, "Ma'am, none of us knew she was your daughter! We just wanted to question him for her safety!"
"No, you weren't," Griselda shot back. "Jonathan told me none of you bothered to check if my daughter was actually in danger. You just believed some racist passenger who saw a Black man with a white child. You all make me sick."
Griselda continued, "Officers, you need to arrest those flight attendants. They had no right to detain my babysitter or threaten him."
One of the officers sighed. "Ma'am, airline personnel have a duty of care to intervene if they suspect someone's in danger, though their authority is limited."
"I don't care about your legal excuses," Griselda said. "You don't get to violate someone's civil rights. Give me the airport manager's number. I'm getting all of you fired, and if the manager won't do it, I'm filing a civil lawsuit."
The officer reluctantly provided the name. "Griselda continued, "For the rest of this flight, you—all of you—stay away from Jonathan Eagan and keep your hands off my daughter!"
"Yes, ma'am," the female officer replied.
Jonathan hung up and looked at the officers. One of the female officers stepped forward. "Sir, we're sorry about the misunderstanding and inconvenience we've caused you."
"There was no misunderstanding," Jonathan said, his voice cold. "You were being racist and you won't even admit it. Get out of my sight and take that kidnapping bitch with you!"
The two male flight attendants helped Cheryl off the plane as the police retreated. Jonathan glanced around the cabin and noticed several other passengers had been recording the incident too. A small smile touched his lips. This racial incident was about to go viral, especially when he uploaded his own video to the internet. The truth would be shared far and wide.
As Jonathan took Daffodil's hand to board the plane, he noticed four flight attendants—two women and two men, all white—watching them with unwarranted intensity. They found their seats, but just as Jonathan settled in, a voice interrupted them.
"Sir, you need to come with us," said a tall blonde flight attendant whose name tag read "Cheryl."
Jonathan stood up, his presence suddenly imposing. The flight attendants recoiled slightly, as if he were a monster for merely asserting himself.
"And why would I do that?" Jonathan asked, his voice low.
Another attendant, a burly man named Mark, stepped forward. "Sir, if you don't step out of the plane, we will have to use force to make you comply."
Jonathan's eyes narrowed. "If you touch me, you're going to be on the floor. Now tell me why you want me off this plane."
The cabin had fallen silent, passengers watching the confrontation unfold. The flight attendants, looking intimidated, scurried back toward the front of the plane. Jonathan could hear them clearly in the quiet cabin.
"Sir, the passenger is not cooperating," one of them told the pilot. "What should we do?"
"You're damn right I'm not cooperating with racial profiling!" Jonathan shouted, ensuring everyone on the plane heard him.
From the cockpit, the pilot's voice came back: "Call airport police."
A few minutes later, four airport police officers—two male, two female—approached their row. The flight attendants positioned themselves behind the officers like cowards.
"Sir, could you please step off the plane?" asked one of the male officers.
"I'm not going anywhere," Jonathan said calmly. "I've done nothing wrong."
"Sir, if you don't comply, we will have to use force," the officer said, his hand resting on his baton. The female officer beside him had her hand on her taser.
Jonathan pulled out his phone, hitting record. "This is being documented," he said, pointing the camera at them. "I have those flight attendants on tape harassing me for no reason."
The officers exchanged uneasy glances. The female officer spoke first. "Sir, we received a report of a possible kidnapping. A passenger was concerned."
"And what exactly did this passenger see that was concerning?" Jonathan asked. "Did they see Daffodil crying? Bruised? Cut? Acting scared? Looking down? Avoiding eye contact? Trying to pull away from me? Asking for help? Or did they just notice our different skin colors?"
The male officer shifted uncomfortably. "We can't give out witness information."
"Oh, but it's okay to harass me because I'm Black?" Jonathan shot back.
"We're not harassing you," the female officer corrected. "We just want to question you."
"Fine," Jonathan said, his voice tight with anger. "I'll go, but don't expect me to be polite about it."
He grabbed Daffodil's hand, and they both got out of their seats and stepped into the walkway. As they stood in the aisle, Daffodil looked at the officers and hid behind Jonathan's leg, clutching it tightly.
The other female officer stepped forward. "Sir, just so you know, for her safety, we'll need to separate you from the little girl during questioning."
"Like hell you are!" Jonathan said. "Her mother hired me to keep her safe, and I'm not giving her to strangers."
"We just need to ensure she hasn't been coached," the officer explained. "Kidnappers sometimes manipulate victims."
"You don't give a damn about her safety," Jonathan said. "If you did, you would've asked your 'witness' if there were any signs she was in distress. You're all racist trash, just like those flight attendants."
The male officer's face hardened. "Sir, if you don't comply, you'll be arrested for resisting detainment. I'm sure you don't want Daffodil to see you tased."
"Go ahead then," Jonathan said, holding up his phone. "This will make an excellent lawsuit video."
"I'll call her mother," Jonathan said, dialing Griselda's number. "She'll chew you out for being racist pigs."
One of the officers nodded. "That's reasonable. Let's talk to the mother."
When Griselda answered, Jonathan quickly explained the situation. As he spoke, Cheryl—the first flight attendant—circled around and attempted to snatch Daffodil from behind Jonathan's leg.
Jonathan reacted instantly, kicking Cheryl in the stomach. She collapsed to the floor, gasping.
"He assaulted me!" Cheryl wheezed. "Arrest him!"
"You tried to kidnap the girl!" Jonathan shouted.
From the phone, Griselda's voice exploded. "Who the hell told you to put your hands on my baby, you heifer?"
The other male flight attendant stammered, "Ma'am, none of us knew she was your daughter! We just wanted to question him for her safety!"
"No, you weren't," Griselda shot back. "Jonathan told me none of you bothered to check if my daughter was actually in danger. You just believed some racist passenger who saw a Black man with a white child. You all make me sick."
Griselda continued, "Officers, you need to arrest those flight attendants. They had no right to detain my babysitter or threaten him."
One of the officers sighed. "Ma'am, airline personnel have a duty of care to intervene if they suspect someone's in danger, though their authority is limited."
"I don't care about your legal excuses," Griselda said. "You don't get to violate someone's civil rights. Give me the airport manager's number. I'm getting all of you fired, and if the manager won't do it, I'm filing a civil lawsuit."
The officer reluctantly provided the name. "Griselda continued, "For the rest of this flight, you—all of you—stay away from Jonathan Eagan and keep your hands off my daughter!"
"Yes, ma'am," the female officer replied.
Jonathan hung up and looked at the officers. One of the female officers stepped forward. "Sir, we're sorry about the misunderstanding and inconvenience we've caused you."
"There was no misunderstanding," Jonathan said, his voice cold. "You were being racist and you won't even admit it. Get out of my sight and take that kidnapping bitch with you!"
The two male flight attendants helped Cheryl off the plane as the police retreated. Jonathan glanced around the cabin and noticed several other passengers had been recording the incident too. A small smile touched his lips. This racial incident was about to go viral, especially when he uploaded his own video to the internet. The truth would be shared far and wide.
31-35, M