Hi, I am Oluwatosin Olajumoke and I am claustrophobic. I hate anything that has to do with being locked up in a space, I hate anything that looks like a clutter. I can’t sleep in a cluttered room, or else I will itch and perspire all through( this has gotten better now because I am a mom and you can’t avoid clutter when you have a toddler). I hate being in any situation that looks like being in a bondage or being in a cage, it simply drives me crazy. Overall I hate having to travel in  a plane. If there is any way I can avoid flying I would. The fact that one enters that huge birdy like looking thing, with it cramped space ( maybe when I have money I could fly first class because of space hahaha, I doubt if that would help anyway) drives me crazy.

My experiences with flying has not been a pleasant one at all. It is almost like claustrophobia goes there to wait for me and torment me hahahaha. Sometimes I would have made up my mind to enjoy the flight and act all chic in the plane, but claustrophobia rears up its ugly head and puts me in a fix.  My first flight was a local flight in Nigeria. I was travelling with my friend from Abuja to Asaba on a visit to her parents home.  My friend knew I was claustrophobic so she had warned me ahead of time.

We entered the flight, Arik airline, and I was amazed at its posh and neat interior. But the cramped space was beginning to make me perspire, she told me Tosin no worry abeg na just 30 minutes for us to land in Benin( Tosin don’t worry we would land in Benin in 30minutes)  because there was no direct flight to Asaba, so be calm. The plane took off and I held the hand of the woman that sat beside me, my friend was smiling from where she sat when I looked at her. She told me to calm down, I did but hysteria was at the tip of my tongue.

The woman beside me told me to not to worry that with time flying would get better for me. I listened to her, and tried to loosen up my inside, then the pilot went and landed in a very scary way. He landed at a long distance from the tarmac and everyone was jolted and made a sound or the other. Trust me I screamed blood of Jesus and everyone smiled and used me to regain their composure, even though they were also jolted lol.

There was another time, I was flying from Abuja to lagos, and I sat calmly on my own. I had already flown a couple of times after this and I was trying to adjust to flying because I must fly,  and the situation while in the plane is out of my control, so I had resigned to fate as regards flying. This brother, immediately I saw he was seating beside me I became so uneasy. He had this look on him like he had been flying for ages and like the plane was his home. He greeted me in this loud voice and I knew I was in for it.

Now, one way I had learnt to cope with flying was to be quiet, close my eyes, clutch my seat and focus till we landed. But this man would not let me focus, he started a conversation in this loud voice that distracted me from managing the turbulence that hit the plane. He started toasting me and even though he looked suave and cool, I was not interested in having a conversation with him.

The turbulence kept on and this oga( man) kept on toasting. He was not concerned about the turbulence, whenever he said something that required an answer from me I looked at him with a pleading eyes that says can’t you leave me alone,  with hysteria at the tip of my tongue and shook my head or nodded. At a point he thought I was deaf until I told him to shut it damn it! Can’t you see I am trying to pilot the plane from here by being focused?

He laughed out loud and said then I should be in the cockpit with the  pilot. He pacified and encouraged me. He said why don’t I travel by road instead of putting myself through this torture, told him the roads are also a death trap, they are terrible and most drivers are arrogant and don’t listen to the entreaties of the passengers to drive carefully.

We landed and I breathed a huge sigh of relief, obviously not looking forward to my next flight……………..

I would bring you the continuation of my ordeal with flying and it’s climax next week.

Till then, have a lovely week ahead.

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