Whirlwind

26

[Melanie – August 2011]

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Chicago Midway International Airport! The local time is eleven thirty-seven a.m. and the temperature seems to be a seventy-two degrees, joined with some sunshine and a slight chance of rain. For your safety and comfort please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the captain turns off that little bitty fastened seat belt sign above you. Please check around your seat for any personal belongings you may have brought on board with you and please use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight.

"On behalf of Delta Air Lines and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a nice stay and enjoy the Windy City!" I repeated the flight attendant's landing announcement word for word as if I had wrote the welcoming phrases myself. This was physical evidence of the numerous times I had soared across the sometimes luminous, other times hazy skies of both cities; that and the carry-on I seemed to never unpack of my occupational necessities. The leather duffle held everything including a hoard of headache inducing manilla folders that were decorated with post it notes and permanently stained with last minute annotations from meetings. Those rested aside my business only laptop that remained fully charged at all times, and an endless list of other important charms that helped me make or break my father's precious deals. That expensive ass Guccissima carry-on duffle held the source of all my stress, the unit alone was a reward of my hard work but was also a symbol of my failures.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that my relationship with Lamarr was encountering some rough patches. Every time I boarded a plane or rested aside my phone as he boarded his own, I could feel the distance. It was no longer in the flesh but an alter in our connection, the way we bonded and spoke to each other. The closeness between us was slowly diminishing into an air of uncertainty that had created itself throughout all of our lack of. It was the uncertainty of what was next if neither of us found a way to work around our schedules and find time for each other. We needed to make us a priority again and rekindle the love that had manifested in our relationship when we were both young and naïve. Those years didn't seem too long gone which gave me hope that the launch of our careers was just a test, something that was a minor and temporary setback. I had faith we would be just fine.

As the plane finally settled onto the runway and edged closer to the entrance of the gate, positivity was the only thing that I allowed to reign over me. That was toward the thoughts of Lamarr, this visit I was dreading and every other worry that nested in my head. Once the plane froze in motion and the doors were unlocked for us all to leave, that's when I took in a deep breath and gathered myself for what I felt in the pit of my stomach to be a long week ahead of me. 

"When is your departure flight, Mellie?" My eyes fluttered open hearing the heavy accent of my favorite attendant Joselyn, a pleasant middle aged woman who befriended me after taking note of my frequent appearances. Each time we crossed paths she'd ask how long my stay was and what was on my agenda this time around; that was her way of digging deeper into my life that I would subtly disclose to her some days. Other days she'd share with me, the woman was an open book whose presence made my experiences back and forth worthwhile. She was Delta Air Lines angel in the sky, and quite literally.

"I was able to get a ticket for Thursday morning," I answered back as she opened the overhead to retract my bag. "I could've got that Josie."

"But I got it instead. You always look exhausted when I see you. Mellie just spend one of your days resting and enjoying the scenery, why don't you?" Joselyn chided, placing my bag down into the aisle as I got up and stretched my arms, giving her a dismissive shake of the head.