Owning the secret of happiness

About the book I love to tell this story for its strangeness. I was with the director Pratiba Palmer on a plane taking us from Tamil to Accra in Ghana, West Africa, and it was the only plane, and the alternative was driving for seven hours on a rough road we had previously tested a few days ago, where we endured all imaginable inconveniences. When we arrived at our destination, we were exhausted from hunger and heat, and covered in red dust. It was an old military transport plane, painted in brown and green for camouflage. Pratiba said it was like tin cans. The plane was without seats, and we found a place designated for our luggage and Pratiba’s many cameras. The travelers on board surrounded us with their children, chickens, and livestock. The feeling was that a village flying in the air was actually reassuring. We were stunned upon takeoff to discover that it had no windows, only openings without glass or plastic, framed with rubber that usually holds the glass. We pressed the openings with our hands, then noticed it was flying at a low altitude, a few hundred feet above the treetops. We dared not look at the front of the plane to identify the pilot, while we heard his laughter and joking with someone behind him. I believe we prayed. We stared at each other as the plane grew heavier. One of those with us said: Well, here we are on the last journey, alone or in groups. Another asked without hesitation: Isn’t this worth the trouble? Yes, he answered, because we are dealing with matters related to the mother. If we stand, she will support us, and if we fall, she will catch us. We saw those around us exchanging congratulations and smiles, and passing around the film strips that Pratiba had taken, along with almonds, bananas, and peanuts. It was a short trip. The author’s name Alice Walker. Number of pages 217. Year of publication 2018. Publisher Dar Al-Mada for Printing, Publishing, and Distribution. The cover of the book is paperback.