Flight attendant Hears Crying from Restroom, Discovers Child Not on Passenger Manifest

A peculiar noise from the bathroom during a cross-country flight sends flight attendant Leslie into a panic. Unbeknownst to her, the child inside will significantly alter her life forever.

Leslie rubbed her temple with one hand as she made her way to the plane. A pounding headache served as a reminder of the night she had spent reveling at one of Atlanta's most popular clubs.

“Amy!” Leslie called out upon spotting her fellow flight attendant. “Please tell me you have some headache medication?”

Amy looked at Leslie and rolled her eyes. “Of course I do, but you should really know better than to party the night before a long flight.”

“What else am I supposed to do, visit museums?” Leslie sighed. “At least partying keeps me occupied.”

Amy gave Leslie a light nudge, and the two women boarded the aircraft together.

“One day, everything will fall into place for you, Leslie,” Amy said. “Just have faith.”

Leslie and Amy quickly began preparing for the passengers to board, conducting the safety demonstration, and making sure everyone was settled. Eventually, Leslie slipped into the galley and took her headache pills.

“I wonder if Amy would mind if I lay down in the crew quarters for a bit,” Leslie thought. She was on her way to talk to her colleague when an unusual sound halted her.

Leslie paused, straining to listen. A moment later, she concluded she must have imagined it. Perhaps Amy was right about her partying too much. She had already planned to visit several clubs once they landed in L.A., but maybe she would take it easy and skip a few.

As Leslie walked by the bathroom door, she heard a high-pitched mewing sound again. There was no chance a cat could be on the plane, so it had to be a child crying.

Amy knocked on the bathroom door. When no one responded, she opened it and peeked inside. A second later, she screamed.

In an instant, Leslie realized that the quivering bundle that had startled her was a young boy. He was crying and looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.

“Don’t do that!” Leslie exclaimed to the boy who had caught her off guard.

“What are you doing in here?”

The boy wrapped his arms around his knees and began to cry again. Now that her shock had worn off, Leslie felt pity for him. She crouched down in front of him.

“I’m sorry I shouted,” Leslie said. “You startled me. I’m Leslie; what’s your name?”

The boy sniffled. “My name’s Ben.”

Leslie helped the boy to his feet. She let him sit in one of the crew jump seats as she searched the passenger list for his name. It was likely his first flight, and he didn’t seem to be enjoying it.

Leslie frowned. She checked the passenger list again but still couldn’t find the boy’s name!

It had been far too long since Leslie last comforted a child. The thought filled her with a longing for home, but now was not the time to dwell on that. She sat next to Ben and placed her hand on his arm.

“Ben, sweetie, are you lost? I can help you if you tell me where to find your family.”

Ben let out a sob. He was clutching a paper bag to his chest, which made Leslie uneasy because of all the horror stories she had heard about items brought onto flights.

“What’s in the bag, Ben?” Leslie asked.

“It’s Granny’s medicine,” the boy replied. “She’s going to die without this medicine, and it will be all my fault!”

Over the next few hours, Leslie managed to extract the entire story from Ben. He was the youngest in a large family. While his older brothers spent most of their time playing sports and getting into trouble, Ben dreamed of becoming a scientist.

His mother hadn’t appreciated the explosive side effects of Ben’s pursuit to discover a cure for all diseases. He had sincerely hoped to make her proud and earn a hug from her, but instead, she had made him sit in the corner.

“I just want her to look at me with the same love and pride she gives my older brothers when they succeed.”

Ben sobbed. “That’s why I took Granny’s medicine.”

When Ben’s grandmother fell ill, the family decided to visit her in Seattle and bring her medicine. Ben had gotten separated from his family at the airport. He eventually spotted his mother again and followed her onto the plane.

“But she wasn’t my mom,” Ben wailed. “And now I’m on the wrong plane. I wanted to be the hero who delivered Granny her medicine, but now I’m the villain. She’s going to die because of me.”

Leslie notified the relevant authorities once the plane landed in Los Angeles. She felt terrible for Ben but was ready to move on from the situation. So when she learned about the arrangements the airline made for Ben, she was taken aback.

She stared at the boy she was now obligated to look after and share her hotel room with. This wasn’t fair. She had made a list of clubs to explore in L.A., but now she had to babysit instead.

“This is the greatest gift I’ve ever received. I just hope it’s enough.” Several times, she texted Amy and her other colleague, Brandon, but neither was willing to watch Ben for her. She even considered looking for a local babysitter but realized she couldn’t afford it. She needed to save as much as possible to send home.

The two were quietly eating a pizza Leslie ordered for dinner when her phone rang. She answered it, and her stomach sank when she heard what the caller said.

“My baby is sick?” Leslie asked. “What happened, Mom? Joe was doing well the last time we spoke. Have you taken him to a doctor?”

“Yes,” Leslie’s mom replied.

“And she referred us to a specialist. We have an appointment later this week. They mentioned a genetic disease, and they might need you to come in for tests too since you’re his mother.”

“Whatever it takes, as long as my Joe gets better,” Leslie responded.

When she hung up, Leslie curled into a ball and cried. She wished with all her heart she could hold her son, smell his soft, curly hair, and tell him everything would be alright.

Unfortunately, Joe was far out of her reach. Her flight schedule hadn’t taken her home in over a month. No matter how much she tried to distract herself from missing her son by partying and drinking, nothing could prevent her heart from aching.

“Miss Leslie?” Ben approached and placed his hand on her arm. “I think you should have these for your Joe.”

Leslie felt another wave of tears coming as she looked at the bag of medicine Ben offered her.

“If I can’t save my granny, at least I can help you,” Ben said. “Take them for Joe so he can be healthy again.”

“I have a better idea.” Leslie began typing on her phone. “I’m going to get you to your granny in Seattle, Ben. After that, I’m going home to Missoula to see my son.”

Leslie booked a plane ticket for Ben at her own expense. She then arranged leave and planned to accompany Ben on his flight while heading home.

“I’m scared,” Ben said as he and Leslie boarded their flight. “What if Granny is already dead because of my mistake? Mom will never love me then.”

Leslie ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Your mom has always loved you, Ben, and she always will. That’s what parents do. I’m sure she’s been very worried and will be thrilled to see you safe.”

Ben didn’t seem to believe Leslie, even when his entire family rushed forward to hug him when they arrived in Seattle. Leslie watched as Ben’s mom showered him with kisses and vowed never to ignore him again.

Sadly, Leslie’s reunion with her family was less joyful. She was shocked to see how pale and thin Joe had become since she last saw him. He felt incredibly fragile in her arms.

Leslie stayed up late that night discussing with her mom the various tests the doctors had conducted on Joe. She felt overwhelmed, helpless, and profoundly guilty.

When she finally retired for the night, Leslie tiptoed into Joe’s room and curled up next to him. She buried her face in his soft, coconut-scented hair, promising him, herself, and God that she would do whatever it took to see her son healthy and happy again.

As the days passed, Joe’s condition did not improve. The specialist couldn’t determine what was wrong with the boy. Meanwhile, he seemed to grow weaker each day.

Leslie requested additional days off, but the airline was not very accommodating. They refused to pay her for the time off, even though Joe was ill.

After another week of caring for Joe and covering doctor’s visits, finances were getting tight. Leslie’s mom was on a pension and had always relied on Leslie to cover Joe’s needs while she cared for him. Now, the women needed to strategize on how to move forward.

“Maybe I can get a job here,” Leslie suggested. “Perhaps something that pays better.”

“It’s worth considering at least,” Leslie’s mom shrugged. “If it comes to that, I can sell the house.”

Just then, a knock at the door changed everything.

Leslie opened the door to find a familiar face looking up at her.

“Ben?” She then noticed the family she recognized from the airport standing with him. “What’s going on?”

“I have something for you and Joe.” Ben handed Leslie an envelope.

Leslie opened the envelope. Inside was a check. When she saw the amount, her jaw dropped.

“What is this? I can’t accept it,” she stammered.

“It’s over a hundred thousand dollars!”

“We want you to have it,” Ben’s mother stepped forward. “We started a crowdfunding campaign for my mother’s treatment, but she…” the woman covered her mouth. “She passed away a few days ago.”

Ben’s father stepped forward and embraced his wife as she broke down in tears.

“We decided together that we should give you the money, for Joe,” Ben continued.

“We also announced what we planned to do on the crowdfunding campaign,” Ben’s dad added, “so everything is above board.”

Leslie pressed the check to her chest as tears filled her eyes. “Thank you all so much,” she sobbed. “This is the greatest gift I’ve ever received. I just hope it’s enough.”

Ben lunged forward and hugged Leslie’s legs. “It will be enough, I’m sure of it! And when Joe gets better one day, I’m going to come back here to play with him.”

Leslie smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “You’ll always be welcome to visit here, Ben.”

The check was nearly the exact amount Leslie needed. After numerous doctors and treatments, Joe returned to his old self a month later.

As Leslie watched him playing with the neighbor’s dog on the front lawn, it was hard to imagine a time when he hadn’t been strong and full of laughter.

“And it’s all thanks to Ben,” she murmured.

The familiar sound of a plane flying overhead caught Leslie’s attention. She would soon be returning to work. She had also just thought of the perfect way to repay Ben’s family for their kindness.

She pulled out her phone and began making calls. The next day, she contacted Ben’s mom to inform her that the airline offered her family a generous discount on all flights for the rest of their lives.

What can we learn from this story?

All children need attention. Ben was desperate to gain his mother’s affection, which led him to act foolishly. If she had recognized her son felt neglected, she could have acted sooner to ensure he always felt loved.
You can only avoid emotional pain for so long. Instead of distracting herself from the pain of missing her family with partying and destructive habits, Leslie could have found a healthier way to cope.