THE SEASON I NEVER LOVED

The Trip

Sunday morning had me packing my bags and getting into a taxi headed for the airport. Never would I have imagined that I would feel this much joy getting away from my noisy neighbor and boring job. I had done my own little research on Kemi, where Racheal hailed. It was a small coastal town, and most importantly, it wasn’t as noisy as Rovaniemi when it came to the festivity of Christmas.

As for leaving my job behind, I didn’t feel much burden. I always thought I loved my job; those long, boring hours I spent seated behind the blue screen, sorting out patient files. Sitting there all day with no angry supervisor barking orders behind my back made me quite satisfied. I have never thought of it as a hard and boring job; if I did, would I increase my work hours, planning to spend the entire festive season there? No, I wouldn't.

But now, calling my boss and informing him of the change of plans, I didn’t feel any guilt at all. Not that I was excited about the trip or anything. I am just…, I don’t know, maybe so tired of this shiny and happy town that I just want to get out until everything is back to normal.

I stepped out of the taxi at the airport after paying my fare, wheeled my light luggage into the departure hall, and took a seat in the waiting area before I pulled out my phone to call Racheal.

“Hello, Carli?! I’m so sorry. I haven’t called yet. I just got a call from Adam, he said he wouldn’t be able to make it today.” She told me the moment the call connected.

Her initial plan had changed after she promised to send me my flight ticket the day after our conversation because Adam had offered to come over in his family’s private jet. So the new plan was for me to meet up with Adam at the airport and tag along with him on his flight to Kemi.

Yeah, you got that right. The rich always get to date the rich. Poor girls like us…. Well, only God knows what is in store for us.

Maybe it was my fault. I suggested the meeting here instead of having Adam’s family butler come pick me up, and the reason is that I try to stay away from my friend’s boyfriend as much as possible.

I’m not one of those girls who like those best friends entanglement with one man drama.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not implying Adam is a cheat or anything, but life can be funny sometimes, you never know what can happen. And I’m not one to take risks, especially when there is an example in my family.

“Okay, so what do we do? I’m already at the airport. When will he be traveling?” I asked

“Tomorrow, he’s rescheduling his flight for tomorrow.”

“Okay? Should I come back to the airport tomorrow?” I asked her, not entirely sure what I should do because the last thing I wanted was having to sneak back into my home carrying this luggage.

“No. No. Remember, I booked a flight for you the night when I asked you to come over?”

“You didn’t cancel?”

“I didn’t.”

Of course, she didn’t. The rich have no use for that spare cash.

“What time is it?”

“Hold on, I will check.” She said, then paused on the other side of the phone for a few seconds, “It's for… 4:30 pm.”

“4.30?” I checked my wrist watch. About forty minutes. Not too late. “I’d rush over now.”

“Tell me what time your flight would land so I can come pick you up when you do.” Racheal reminded me.

“Ah, no need for that. Just give me the address to your home and directions. I’d find my way there.” I told her hurriedly.

I don’t want any situation of getting off the plane and being stranded because she could not make it.

“Carli, I don’t think that is a very good idea. My home is kind of hard to describe, and the town is about a hundred kilometers away from the airport. So it’s better you have someone pick you.” She tried to explain, but I shook my head in disagreement, as I headed for the waiting area for my flight, even though she couldn’t see that.

“Come on, Racheal, you and I know that you have to prepare for Adam’s arrival tomorrow, and you don’t have that much time for preparation and all. Do you really want to spend all that time on the road coming to pick me up?”

“I could send a driver?”

“Come on, Racheal. No need for that. If it’s so hard to describe, share me a Google description, and I’d find my way there.”

“You sure?” She asked with uncertainty.

“Yeah. Don’t worry, to ease your worries. I’d book a ride to your home before I get on board.”

“Carli, I’m really worried.” She told me softly

“Oh, come on. What could go wrong? Even if I get lost, I’d send you the location and have you pick me up.” I convinced her.

“Yeah, that’s true. Okay. I’d send it to you. Just call me if anything goes wrong.” Racheal told me, and I nodded before hanging up

I would have been denied the flight if Racheal had informed me a few minutes later, but thank God, I wasn’t, because it was an amazing experience sitting in first-class for the first time in my life. Enjoying the quiet, elegant feeling of the environment, the meticulous care of the air attendants, and the privacy of my seat. Was amazing.

If it wasn’t for the fact that this visit was for Christmas, I would have chosen to visit Racheal every year. After all, who wouldn’t like to enjoy such luxury when traveling?

I took a ‘short nap’ after lunch and didn’t wake up until the plane landed.

“Ma’am. It is time to get off board.” The kind air hostess, who woke me up, told me as she tapped me awake.

I stretched my cramped bones, not that the space was cramped, just staying in that position for over two hours made me feel a little stiff. I didn’t forget to take a sip of the remaining fruit wine I had been served before getting off the plane with my bag.

It was a jolly ride. Which was why I only discovered that my phone’s battery was flat by the time I walked out of the airport.

I stared at my phone as it shut down, as I stood in a strange land and knew that this Christmas wasn’t going to be any less annoying than the others, but I had nothing to worry about as my ride was here, a hairy man with a smiley face.

“Good day, ma’am. I am Lucas. You booked a ride?” He greeted me as he stretched out his hand to give me a handshake.

“Yes, hello, Lucas.” I greeted in reply, impressed at his hospitality while eyeing his rickety car with worry, but I soon tossed that aside as I valued hospitality more.

“I’d help you take your luggage into the boot.” He said as he collected my luggage from me.

“Oh, thanks,” I said as I let him and took the front seat. He got in shortly after I did.

“Is it your first time coming to Kemi, ma’am?” He asked as he finally started the car after two trials. An action, I pretended not to notice.

“Yes, I’m spending the holiday with a friend.”

“Oh, that’s nice. Nothing is more complete than a holiday spent with loved ones, he said in reply, to which I gave a tight smile.

“Do you have a car charger? My phone’s battery is flat.”

“No, I don’t. So sorry about that, ma’am. But not to worry, we’ll be in town soon.” He replied, and I sighed.

I wasn’t actually surprised that he didn’t have one. The car was pretty old, and if not for the fact that he had a smiling face and the ride being relatively cheap compared to the others, which by now I already figured why it was, I would have refused to get on.

But he was right, we would be in town soon and it was not like I had other choices with my dead phone, so I just sat down relaxed in the passenger’s seat, resting my elbow against the open windshield, after all. There was no air conditioning, and the only way to keep the car from being stuffy was to let the mildly cool afternoon wind blow into the car.

Maybe I should have just let Racheal pick me up, but having her pay for my ticket and coming to pick me up, too, made me feel really uncomfortable. I have never been one to depend on others. I have been working hard to see myself through school ever since my grandma died. So it was pretty hard for me to depend on others now, no matter how close we were.

Looking at the difference in experience between the first-class flight here and this rickety car ride was an eye-opener. At least I could tell the difference between heaven and hell, or so I thought, because that rickety car that rode at thirty miles per hour and shook as it did wasn’t hell. I really experienced hell twenty minutes later when Lucas’ car broke down in the middle of the road for apparently no reason.

What do I even mean, no reason? It probably broke down due to old age and tiredness, and it chose today of all days. The very day when I was riding in it, with a flat phone battery.

How convenient.

When I said I hated this holiday, everyone thought I was the one who had the problem. Nothing ever goes right during this holiday. It was even a miracle if things didn’t fall apart.

“So what is wrong with the car?” I finally asked Lucas as I stepped out of the car myself after watching him tinker with the engine for about thirty minutes.

“I really don’t know, ma’am. The tank is full, the carburetor is fine. I don’t know what is wrong. I just had it serviced yesterday.” He complained in frustration.

Do they even still service a car like this? I wondered as I looked him up and down and sighed. “Do you want to call a tolling company?” I asked.

“Ma’am, it’s very hard to convince the towing company to come help move the car from here. Even if we do, it would take a few hours.” He explained while scratching his head.

I looked him up and down again and understood that this man had been left stranded like this by this car more than once, and he still put it on the road. Was this not just him targeting unsuspecting visitors like me?

“So what do you plan to do? We can’t just sit here all day doing nothing. My phone’s battery is dead, and my friend would be worried sick by now. Do you want to call a mechanic or something?” I suggested feeling angry.

He scratched his head nervously again, but didn’t reply, and I also knew that might not work either.

“How long do you think it would take for you to fix it?” I asked again after taking a deep breath.

“Ma’am, I think I should help you get a ride to town.”

“I can’t! I don’t even know where I’m going, that was why I booked a ride in the first place!”

“Could you try turning your phone on again so you can call your friend when you get to town?” He asked nervously.

“I thought I already told you my phone was dead?” I told him with a frown.

He began to pace, obviously feeling panicked, while I stared at him with a frown. It seemed like I was going to be stranded here with this stranger, or was this some preplanned work? Was this one of those moments in thriller movies where the unfortunate woman gets deceived and murdered?

I looked at the man, who said his man was Lucas, closely for anything suspicious, but found nothing and felt regretful.

Why exactly did I refuse to have Racheal’s suggestion to come pick me up again? I wondered.

“Ma’am,” he called. This time, I was startled and took a few steps backward. He noticed my agitation but only stepped back himself, his face showing his own frustration.

“I think I should help you get a ride to the town first. When you get to town, you can get somewhere to charge your phone quickly and then call your friend to come pick you up. It’s better than staying here.” He rushed his words in one breath, and I also nodded in agreement.

I walked back to the passenger’s seat vigilantly to pick up my bag. He also went to pick up my luggage from the back, and a few minutes later, I was standing by the roadside with him, hailing moving vehicles, hoping for a Good Samaritan to give me a ride to the town, which was still about a hundred kilometers away.