Omar's father is raising him by himself with great difficulty while working two jobs, and reluctantly agrees to let him move 3,000 miles away to a prestigious school when offered a full scholarship including room & board. He puts him on a plane where Montine, a flight attendant, is responsible for him. Then he goes to work at the top of WTC on Sept 11, 2001. Omar's flight is forced to land as all U.S. flights are grounded. Montine is stuck with him and the two head on a long trek trying to get him back home. Her mother dies so they detour briefly to visit her brother. We then learn more of why Montine is such a miserable person. Eventually they get Omar home where Montine finds that Omar's father was killed on the 11th. She gets fired by the airline for making this unauthorized trek, but then Omar refuses to fly to California unless she is allowed to put him back on the plane to L.A. The story begins with Montine being annoyed with Omar and he is not very fond of her either. By the end, they have grown close and each learns something from the other about dealing with tragic loss of a loved one, and moving on with their lives.
Why is Omar allowed to move awa
He has a scholarship at a great school