JFK Terminal 5
She sat down on a vacant seat at Gate 23 with a Starbucks chai latte with full fat milk in her hand. In her handbag was a paper bag holding a Dunkin Donuts chocolate covered donut with sprinkles. Her vacation had started as far as she was concerned, and that meant treating herself. She thought about how she would take up running in Central Park when she returned from her short trip and immediately scoffed at herself for she knew it was an outrageous statement to make. Instead, she vowed she would get off the subway at least two stops prior to her own to get some extra steps in.
Her alarm had roused her at 3.15AM. A siren screamed from a distance and she heard muffled voices of early morning revelers making their way home from the local bars that lined First and Second Avenues in the Midtown East neighborhood she lived in. She herself had met a friend at Wild Card, a Japanese-inspired speakeasy that was hidden on the second floor of a townhouse, after work the night before. She had stayed for only one cocktail that became two, but was home by 10PM as she knew she was in no shape to attempt to stay awake all night to make the early morning JFK journey. Four hours of restless sleep meant she would sleep soundly on the plane very quickly after take off. She could have opted for a cab but she rarely allowed herself the luxury of a fare that came close to $90 with tolls and tip these days. Instead, she splashed cold water on her face, walked two blocks to the E at Lex and 53rd that would take her to the AirTrain for just $2.90. She wasn’t impressed that the airport train fare had been hiked up to $8.25 considering other major cities charged for less, but overall, $11.15 and an hour of her time didn’t call for complaint.
Check in had been far less painful than anticipated and the line for security had moved efficiently this morning. While the Starbucks line was fast, the Dunkin line took much longer, but she had nowhere else to be and there was a donut with her name on it waiting for her. Her gate wasn’t far and she had arrived early enough that there were plenty of seats to choose from. She had positioned herself beside a window that to her left took in the runway activity and straight ahead and to her right, she could people-watch in fascination. One of her favorite pastimes.
She took the donut from her bag and took a bite, occupying herself with her fellow passengers. “Cup of coffee and a muffin, $14.44.,” said a man in disbelief. He was sitting opposite her and was wearing a Hard Rock Punta Cana shirt. He appeared to be taking a vacation with his wife, daughter and grandson in his early twenties. She heard the grandson reply in a tone that suggested he had read an article online recently, “You know, cash has no value these days”. She rolled her eyes as she turned away to scan the rest of the passengers patiently waiting for their 7AM flight to Aruba. As she did, his mom merely responded with a look that dismissed his comment like a woman who had no time for conspiracy theories.
She watched the group of four sitting opposite her. Two couples who were in their late fifties were smiling and laughing, seemingly used to early morning starts. The two men were wearing shirts emblazoned with ‘Celebrating my wife’s birthday in Aruba’. They were in good spirits, talking about their last trip to an island destination that left one of them sunburnt and with heat stroke.
There was a couple in their forties who were incredibly affectionate. They wore no wedding bands and her mind wandered as to the status of their relationship. Were they a new couple, in the throes of passion where they could do no wrong, or had they been together for a long time and never felt the need to marry, and now they were excited about getting away from the kids for some alone time on an island? Maybe they were cheating on their respective spouses and this animated display of love was nothing more than a dirty secret they thought they could get away with out of country.
There was a mother and her two daughters who were all busy on their individual devices. Two friends who for some reason both decided to wear their pink crocs (a fashion trend she had never been able to get on board with). A couple who sat with their yeti cups in hand and she wondered if they were full of hot beverages or cocktails. After all, it’s midday somewhere! There was a solo traveler wearing a Yin and Yang shirt that read ‘More love. Less hate.’ She pondered on whether it should have read ‘More love. Less love’ to reflect the meaning of Yin and Yang; a Chinese philosophy describing opposite but interconnected perpetuating forces.
For the third time, someone came by and tried to get past the bag the man had left in everyone’s way. She watched as they awkwardly stepped over his carry-on, lifting their own that they were pulling on wheels, which could have been placed closer to its owners feet and provided the common courtesy that is expected at airports. This person was either oblivious to their faux pas, ignorant, or worse, arrogant.
She scanned the crowd. It was a truly diverse mix of people. Couples, families with older or grown children, groups of friends, and people on their own, just like her. She noticed there were not many kids - out of the passengers currently waiting to board she only spotted one family with young children and they were still old enough to behave on command. She surmised Aruba wasn’t a destination for families with small children. For what reason, she didn’t know. As a single woman without children, these were not the types of questions she needed answers for. For that, she was grateful.
Summer was becoming a distant memory in New York City, but the weather in Aruba could hit as high as 90F while she was there. She looked around and saw people already dressed for the beach. Sunglasses at the ready, large hats hanging off hand luggage - some of which looked suspiciously too big for carry-on. Most people wore zipped hoodies, some folks were even wise enough to bring light blankets to keep the customary airplane chill at bay. She herself had opted for her Loft pants that became too baggy after too much wear, but were too comfy for her to care. Plus a woolen wrap she had purchased for around $100 many years ago, which at the time was way out of her budget, however it had survived all this time and was now a travel staple.
They sounded the sound that alerted them all of an impending announcement. Passengers collectively lifted their faces to the ceiling to listen, as if their ears were only activated by the tilt of their heads. “Flight 1057 service to Aruba is about to commence boarding”, they said.
People had already started lining up to be the first on board. This was a practice she wasn’t terribly fond of and normally she did not participate in - she had a seat and it wasn’t going to be taken away. But this time she rose and joined the lineup. She had a carry-on and didn’t want to be forced to check it should the overhead bins get full.
After those who paid more for their first class seats, those who had earned enough air miles to become special members with privileges, those with small children, and those who needed assistance had boarded, she smiled at the attendant scanning boarding passes and made her way onto the plane. As she walked down the aisle, she was surprised to notice there were not many carry-on bags overhead. This was a rare sight these days when the cost of checked luggage felt like a house deposit. Her guess was that most people were going for longer than her 4 days and a carry-on would not suffice.
She easily lifted her small bag on wheels to the empty overhead compartment and took her window seat. Looking out the window, she watched the small trucks criss-crossing along the tarmac, terminal workers hurrying with their final steps before take off. The unsung heroes. Without them, they’d be going nowhere.
The sunseekers had been orderly and polite, everyone keen to get on their way. They were seated and ready for take off. An announcement was made over the speaker, introducing the friendly cabin crew, and as they pulled away from the gate, the voice over the speaker asked, “Can everyone tell me where we are going?”. Everyone called out “Aruba!”. You could hear the smile in her voice as she said, “Excellent - everyone is lit and ready to go.” A laugh cascaded through the plane. It was a perfect way to set the mood.
As the plane made its way along the runway and the attendants did one final check to ensure we were sitting with our seats and tray tables up, armrests down, and seatbelts fastened, the TV screens played the safety instructions.
Right before take off, one last announcement was made. “Thank you for choosing to fly with us. If there is anything we can do, please let us know.” She overheard the gentleman sitting in the aisle seat turn to his wife and joke, “Move us to first class.” She laughed a genuine laugh and leaned in for a kiss. She took them in for a moment, they looked very happy.
The plane lifted and the wheels came off the ground. She felt a wave of emotions as the couple next to her held hands. She plugged in her headphones she had saved from her last flight and found a music channel on the inflight entertainment system. She closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and was asleep within minutes.
The End.
