Quickies

boarding gate

she opens her eyes and looks around her, at first unsure where she is, and then it comes back to her. she sees the ground crew by the gate, smiling at each passenger as they hand her their boarding pass. she taps it on a machine, waits for it to light and make a slight beep before giving it back to the passenger and telling them 'thank you, enjoy your flight!' 

the passengers, depending on whether they are actually pleased at her greeting or just relieved to finally be leaving the departure area, either smile at her, nod, or say 'thank you' back at her. most of them don't respond at all. a grunt perhaps, maybe a frown. all of this the pretty lady in crisp airline uniform and beautifully combed and pony-tailed hair takes in, because she's used to all of it. departure areas are just temporary holding cells, anyway. nothing personal, just another day of people passing by after hours of waiting until the announcement for their flight comes up. hers is just another face that these passengers see, nothing more than that.

'calling all remaining passengers on flight TP 716, please board the aircraft now through gate 24.'

she looks at the boarding pass in her hand and looks around again. there were only a few of them left, some already making their way towards the gate. she can't see him anywhere. she was starting to panic. they agreed to meet at the gate, to avoid any suspicion that they are leaving together. after many months of evading all the paparazzi and journalists, they decided to just do it. they will secretly leave the country, with only a few of their most trusted friends in the know. they will arrive separately at the airport, each taking a different connecting flight, just so they can lose the prying eyes and ears and cameras of the media and their fans. they have planned this for so long and they were confident that they will pull this off.

the day they have been waiting for has arrived.

'calling all remaining passengers on flight TP 716, please board the aircraft now through gate 24. all aboard please.'

she was the last one at the departure area. she was beginning to get anxious. she wanted to tell the pretty lady to wait for a few more minutes, because she knows that he is coming.

where is he?

she then saw his form, running towards her, lugging a backpack on one hand, his passport and boarding pass on the other. her heart was overjoyed. he's here.

and just as she opened her arms for an embrace... he went past her.

no.

he went THROUGH her.

'miss, sorry...am i the last one?'

'don't worry mr. faulkerson, five more minutes before we close the gate.'

'oh, thank you.'

he scans the departure area, a look of longing in his eyes. she looks back at him. devastated. shocked. confused.

'did you leave anything behind, sir?'

he looks back at the ground crew.

'ah, no. nothing.'

'you may proceed to the connecting bridge on your left for business class, sir. enjoy your flight.'

he walked on to the connecting bridge to the aircraft. he never heard the whispers of the crew as he left, but she heard them clearly.

'he always boards last.'

'yeah. ever since that day when they were supposed to elope. he kept lingering, always waiting for the last call, still hoping she'd miraculously show up.'

'that was really tragic. but...she's gone now, right?'

'yeah. he knows that. the whole airport knows that. but that doesn't stop him from waiting for her, for them to finally be together.'

***

it's been a while. i miss this. i hope to do more of this soon. 

this is my contribution to the Tamang Panahon challenge of @ADNBookClub by the way. 

and happy #ALDUBxADN224thWeeksary. still here. always.

hanggang sa dulo.