Short Story - The Airport - Grant Eagar

To order my books:

 Angelica: The Princess and the Pig  

Henry and Sophie: A Steampunk Adventure 

Sheila the Vampire: Dancing with the Enemy

 

The Airport

Prompt: Have you forgotten

By Grant Eagar  ® 2011  

         

           

            There Janice was, chasing a toddler around the airport terminal. She hadn't changed much, except for a few laugh lines around her eyes. She wore a white top with jeans. It had been twelve years since college, but now it felt like a lifetime. Richard came close and watched her pick the baby up and lift him high above her head. The child was busy, forcing her to pursue him all over the terminal with little shrieks of laughter. She seemed under a spell of happiness: a spell that Richard did not want to break.

            Later he walked to a drinking fountain close to where she sat with the baby. He smiled at her and she looked away. He went back and sat down to wait, she glanced his way several times, but didn't recognize him or chose not to acknowledge him. Have you forgotten me? She was awaiting a flight to Boise, and his flight was to New York. She looked beyond happy; did he want to interrupt this joy? Maybe he should leave well enough alone.

He watched her run back and forth: here was a life that he was not part of, could not be part of. Finally, he felt he needed to get away, so he walked into a restaurant to buy a sandwich. Later when he emerged the terminal was empty. She and the baby were gone.

            Richard looked at the carpet where she had rolled and played with the child; it was now empty, along with the seats for the flight to Boise. The pain of watching her and not being able to say or do anything was nothing compared to the anguish of gazing at the empty chairs.

            The flame still burned, should he have said something? Would he ever see her again?  Was his silence a gift of his love for her, or was he simply a coward. He would now have a lifetime to decide. 

            He sat in the chair next to where she had sat with the child and was startled when a booking agent touched him on the shoulder. “Excuse me, sir, the flight to Boise has been moved from gate C12 to B17. The plane was delayed because of fog at the airport.” Picking up his bag, he stood and looked down the long deserted terminal. 





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