His hope, however, was short-lived. The kicking resumed, each thud against his seat feeling more deliberate than before. Exasperated, Carl turned around again, this time directing his plea towards the boy’s mother with a firmness tinted by his growing anger. “Excuse me, could you please get your son to stop kicking my seat? It’s very disturbing.”
The woman finally looked up from her magazine, her expression one of mild annoyance. “Oh, kids will be kids,” she shrugged, her voice dismissive. “He’s just trying to keep himself occupied on a long flight.”