walking, alone and frightened by the prospect of people appearing smaller than insects and fields becoming tiny squares, i clutched my purse, and made my way slowly through the terminal hallways towards gate "t". i have never been filled with such an
overwhelming uncertainty, i half expected some sort of eerie twilight zone sort of music to start playing quietly from behind me. footsteps, approaching, soft but steady,
i did not turn around. i always seem to display fear in wide eyes, and so i lowered my head and prepared for the nothingness i was anticipating, slowed my own pace slightly as to leave myself behind the little human approaching, whoever they might have been. she slowed, as well. she walked up beside me with her large duffle bag and friendly smile, and she commented on the length of the corridor. i nodded and smiled a bit, and assumed that to be it, but she asked which gate i was headed to, and from there, the conversation picked up.
we walked down past gate t, i noted its location as we passed. we exchanged
little bits of life information, i followed her to her gate and we sat, tossing words around for half an hour.
she was from
orlando. she had been visiting some relatives, trying to play the neutral party between a quarreling couple. she said she thought she'd helped, but was not so sure it would last for too long. she seemed disappointed, but i could tell she was glad that she had at least tried.
we exchanged personal life details, but never names, never ages or any of the minor
formalities i've never much cared for anyway. we talked about the american thanksgiving i'd be attending, she told me she loved it because it was the only time of year she felt like she was actually really taking the time to appreciate everything she has in her life. she made me smile, we laughed a little, she talked about flying and how neat little parts of it were. i showed her my tickets and she informed me that i had a
window seat, and that flying at night is so nice if you can see to the ground and watch all the leetle lights fading.
there was a brief interlude. a man sitting in the corner of the waiting area was talking on a cell, his voice sounded nervous and louder than most would have been in a public area. i made out only a few word strings, including "if he is trying to kidnap you, call the police!", and "i am rescheduling my flight, i'll be there as soon as i can." drama in the airport. it was surreal. he grabbed his things and ran out of the place in a hurry.
i would have wondered at the entire situation a little more, but i had to head off to my gate then. we said goodbye, expressed pleasure in having met at all, and then we went our separate ways. i walked away, reeling at the fact that this random person now knows more about me than most of my
immediate family. at the fact that i'd managed to drop so many barriers, to open up as much as i did. i was so caught up in the tiny pieces of someone else's world that i pulled myself out of fear, and found that i was left excited at the opportunity to travel, to meet new people.. but especially to watch the ground slip farther away from me, to watch the lights..
and she was right, they were lovely.