“Let’s head to the back galley,” I suggest, keeping my voice light. “We can talk in private. Maybe I can find you a blanket or some juice?” Ben nods, still blinking away tears, and follows me.
Carmen meets us in the back, and I quietly explain what’s going on. She’s as baffled as I am. “Should we alert the captain?” she whispers. I nod. “But first, let’s see if we can calm him down, get some details.”
We settle Ben in one of the empty seats near the back. Carmen pulls out some crackers and juice from the service cart. “Would you like some?” she asks him softly. Ben nods, but he’s hesitant, like he’s not used to people offering him food. He takes a cracker and sips the juice.
“Ben,” I try again. “Can you tell us about your parents or anyone who brought you to the airport?” He frowns, his small hands gripping the bag. It’s crumpled and torn at the edges, like it’s been through a storm. He glances at it, then turns away, as if the memory is too painful.
After a few minutes, he finally spoke. His voice is so soft that I have to lean in to catch every word. “Mama told me to go,” he says. “She put me on the plane so I could find my aunt. Aunt Margo.”
Carmen and I exchange a look. We don’t have an Aunt Margo on the manifest either. “Do you know your aunt’s last name?” Carmen asks gently. Ben shakes his head. “We just call her Aunt Margo,” he murmurs. Then he squeezes his eyes shut like he’s trying hard not to cry.
I place a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll figure it out, alright? Let’s start with your last name. What’s your full name?”
He sniffles. “Ben Evers.”
Carmen nods, stepping away discreetly to check the passenger list on her tablet once more. We’ve already established that he’s not listed. But maybe there’s a Margo Evers on board. My mind is spinning with a dozen scenarios, each more bizarre than the last. Did someone smuggle him onto the plane? Did he run away from home? Was this some desperate act by a mother who felt she had no other choice?