Her destiny

The rush to the airport

I have always thought of myself as an ordinary person doing ordinary things. I am no supermodel with my 5’9 height, light brown long hair and brown eyes. Yes, I’ve got long legs but they come in handy with my profession which is riding young horses. I’m a young woman of 23 years of age and just trying to earn my money to one day have a decent life.

Looking in the reflection of a shopping mall window in London, I always thought of myself of a normal person. Holding a light blue umbrella because when doesn’t it rain in London? Wearing a dark brown light jacket that reaches to my mid thighs, with a long white sleeves shirt that is like a second skin, my favorite high wastes dark blue skinny jeans and my trustworthy light brown boots and next to me my lime green small suitcase.

Yeah, I looked like a every day normal woman who has nothing significant about her and just does her daily things.

I sigh escaped my lips and I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and walked towards the subway station to head towards the airport. Doing my job was easy. Riding young horses every day and never knowing if I might break a bone or two is easy. But doing this? That’s not so easy.

I looked around the faces of the people when I was descending on the escalator to the underground, how similar and ordinary everyone looked. Most of the faces where just looking down on their phones. Some smiling because of a funny video or a text that they just got but most of them just looking like they had nothing exiting or happy going on in their lives and were just dead serious. Before I reached the bottom of the escalator I heard some yelling.

“If you don’t quit acting like a spoiled brat then I will go and never look back” a guys voice was heard talking low.

“Yeah, well, it’s not my fault that they put a whole milk instead of a low fat like I asked in my coffee!” a blond skinny girl with a pink jacket seethed and held the coffee in front of his face while they were walking from behind the corner to the escalator to go up.

The guy was in his twenties and with a sandy short hair with a black long sleeved shirt and baggy jeans.

I noticed that the girl had on white high heeled shoes in the last minute before I passed them and they stepped on the escalator.

‘Mhh, interesting choice’ I thought to myself.

“If you don’t like it then throw it. Don’t keep drinking and whining about it afterwards,” the guy pushed the coffee from in front of his face to the girls chest and started walking faster up the escalator.

I turned my head back from looking forward to where I was walking because I thought that their problems seemed quite boring. ‘It’s just milk’ I thought. But maybe not? Maybe for her it really was the end of the world and god forbid if she gets a few healthy calories along the way to maybe give her some oh so needed body fat that she didn’t have right now.

“Then it’s a waist...” I heard the last word of the girl after I turned the corner to go on the subway.

While waiting for the subway to arrive and hearing a few people quietly talking with each other, I thought to myself about my life until now.

I have worked hard to where I have become and yet I still felt like I wanted to be more. I had a cute little house provided by the work place with 2 bedrooms and a small terrace where I like to take my morning coffees before a busy day at work. I liked my list of horses that I was currently riding and that were under my care right now. And I had a good family who supported me and my dreams and who I was going to visit in Italy because they have been traveling for the past 8 months and that is where they were taking their time right now apparently. So Italy it is.. ahh, I love my family but for some reason I hate traveling. I don’t know if it is the change of scenery that I don’t like or it’s the cultural difference, but I never could put my finger on it what exactly I didn’t like. Still, I loved my parents and I would do anything for them.

But looking back a bit on my achievements so far and where I have become I still felt like something was missing. Or someone? Well, now I’m just crazy and thinking stupid things.

I don’t go out much with guys, not because I am a prude or playing hard to get, but because I’m just not interested. Yes, I have kissed a few men in my life but nothing really gave me that spark, that excitement. So maybe that’s why I am still a virgin. That, or I’m just incredibly picky and I just don’t want to admit it. Or maybe I like women instead? No, definitely not.

I snorted to that idea out loud and an older man that was waiting next to me for the coming subway to stop looked me from the corner of the eye like I was weird.

I blushed and put my head down, hiding my face with my hair.

Holding with one hand my umbrella and with the other from the suitcase I stepped on the subway. As soon as I stepped on the train my nose is hit with mixture of perfume and sweat which is not a nice combination. It’s just a few stops so I’m not even looking for a place to sit. Besides I’ve been sitting on horses the whole day so it’s good to just stand on my own two legs a bit for a change.

Second stop and I grab my things again to step off, already in my mind looking for my next platform where to go. I splurged a little and took the Gatewick airport express train which is just a 30 minute ride, rather then the 90 minute one with the one that stops in every stop.

I passed and glided between people to reach my destination because my train also went in 5 minutes so I fastened my pace.

“Mom, is it this one?” a little girl in front of me in a yellow jacket and pants asked while holding the hand of her mother.

“No, not this one honey,” answered a beautiful olives skinned woman while I passed them. She had the most amazing shoulder length shiny hair while looking down to her little girl.

“Is it that one?” the little one asked again and then I lost them.

I spotted my train platform and quickened my pace. On the way bumping with strangers and mumbling to them “Sorry,” and “Excuse me,” when I was a bit more stronger on passing someone.

On the train window was an electronic sign that said Gatwick airport express and I looked for the a wagon where were not that many people on and stepped on the grey train with a red roof on it.

I scanned the wagon to my right and noticed only several people sitting there so I chose to find a seat there for me as well. I took the 6th row where in front of me was sitting an old couple who seemed to just gaze outside the window and enjoy the quiet between them and yet all the rushing outside just.

Behind me two rows was a family with 2 kids. And they seemed especially giddy about the fact that the train was starting to move. There was a quick announcement from the automated voice of our journey ahead read by a woman and so I pushed my suitcase up on the metal rails and took my umbrella in my hand and sat alone in the 3 seat row by the window.

I checked my phone quickly from my back pocket of my jeans. It was an IPhone 7 with a few cracks along the screen with a golden back. 9:55. ‘Good’ I thought. Because the flight will go in about 2 hours and I have plenty of time to do my check-in and to grab a bite.

30 minutes later when the automated announcement of our arrival was heard I stood up, picked my suitcase and took my umbrella in my left hand and made my way off of the train, passing the older couple and a few other young people.

I walked a few minutes through big hallways and automated doors when I arrived finally to the big arena where were the check-in stations. I saw that Italy-Rome with American Airlines was in desk 78 and after a few minutes of searching I located the desk and stood in line after a few other travellers.

All around me where people running or looking frantically around. There were many different dialogues passing by held by various people and some laughter mixed as well.

I was next in line and I took my printed out booking from my e-mail address earlier from the back of the suitcase along side with my passport.

Behind me rushed a young couple laughing and holding hands with the man holding a duffel bag over his shoulder.

“Aah, we made it,” said the brown haired man.

“It can now begin. I’m so exited!” Gushed the lovely brunette. She had shoulder length hair and a lovely sun hat on, ready for the vacation I thought.

“Next, please!” Said the customer service woman with a nasal voice from behind the counter.

I stepped forward, smiled politely and handed my booking letter and my passport to her while trying to tune out couple behind me.

“I can’t believe we just got married,” the woman said again very lovingly.

I peeked behind me a saw the man murmur something in the woman’s ear making her giggle and blush. She also smacked his his hand away from behind her “Stop” saying playfully.

Obviously this was a newlywed moment so I turned my attention fully to the woman behind the counter.

“Have a nice flight.” She handed me my boarding pass with my passport and yelled “ Next, please!”

I put my boarding pass between my passport and glanced at it briefly. Laura Michelson, seat 26A.

“Yeah, that’s me.” and grabbed quickly my belongings and headed to the departure area. Passed the metal detectors with flying colors because I always carry minimal electronic things, just my phone and the headphones to sometimes listen to some music, but other then that I don’t carry any shampoos or cosmetics really because I just don’t have time to put any makeup on. Only if I go meet someone or go to a wedding, sure I’ll throw on some lipgloss and mascara but that’s about it and I believe Italy has shampoos that I can buy from there so why bother to take mine.

I searched which gate I needed to be in 45 minutes because that’s when the boarding started and headed to the food section.

“Mhh, what do I want to eat?” I asked myself.

I scrunched a little bit my nose to select between pizza, burgers or some salad bar and I chose the pizza place. From the cashier I asked 2 slices of 4 cheese pizza because who doesn’t like cheese and a sprite to drink and headed to a empty table near the windows.

I put my suitcase close to the window and my umbrella on top of another chair and ate my food in silence.

Suddenly my phone rang.

I saw from the screen that it was my mom calling.

I picked up with a smile.

“Hey mom!”

“Hey honey, are you already at the airport?” She asked with happy tone.

I could basically hear her smiling because of how happy she sounded. There were also some seagulls in the background screaming.

“ Yeah, I’m just about to finish my food and then in 15 minutes they start boarding the people in. Are you at the beach, mom?”

She sighed “ yes honey. Your father just went for a swim now.”

“ I’m so exited to see you soon!” She hurriedly said.

My mom was a warm person. Always made everyone feeling welcome and happy. I could almost imagine her in a full swim suit, because she didn’t do bikinis and a sun hat to cover her face from burning under the sun. She had short dark brown hair and grey eyes.

My dad was the same height as her, but just a tad shorter then me. Buzz cut and getting grey hair slowly. He was never with a bear belly or fat, so he looked younger with my mom together then they really were. He had brown eyes and a character full of life. There was never a dull moment when he was around. And yet if the situation required then he could be down to business and very level headed.

They traveled so much because my father took pictures for a traveling magazine and my mom gave reviews of the hotels that they stayed.

In a way they had the perfect couples life I would say. Balancing each other out. They had been married for 25 years, met when they were young and had me.

Maybe that’s why it’s so hard for me to find someone because I want what they have. I want that happiness.

“I’m exited also, mom. Say hi to dad and I will see you soon!” I answered with the same enthusiasm.

“ Be safe and love you honey.” She said before hanging up.

I put my phone back on the table and sighed. She really sounded happy to see me soon. But little did I know that phone call would be the last time I spoke with my mom for a very long time.