Summer Vacay, 2021. Day 3
Flying to Barcelona
July 28, 2021
It’s a funny thing when someone keeps catching your eye. I have a theory. It’s not a one way street: you are also in the eye of the beholden.
A woman traveling alone in the Santiago airport terminal stood out of the crowd due to her notable COVID wear. She had a mask AND a plastic face shield on for protection. I make a mental note: This Nervous Nelly wants no one near her. I’ll do my best.
Half an hour later we spot the only seats available at our gate. As we round the cement support structure it’s in the same row as Nelly. All seats in airports are taped off in an every other fashion to maintain social distancing. Without much choice I take the seat near Nel, pointing out the seat opposite for Sandy. In the split second between sitting and pointing, Nelly jumps the gun intoning “excuse me . . !” thinking Sandy is going to sit next to me, which means right next to her, but then trails off as she realizes we’re not running afoul of protocols. Eye contact is never made.
Waiting for the “All aboard!” my attention kept being drawn to Nelly. Is she side-eyeing me? Psychically vibing me? I know now I am on her radar just as she has been on mine.
Boarding eventually begins and I’m happy to leave Nelly and her vibes behind. 30 minutes later while in my seat I look up to see none other than Nelly, face shield and mask firmly in place, taking her seat directly in front of us.
Seriously? Why are we in each other’s orbits? Do we have some sort of unfinished business? All sorts of annoying New Age explanations start romping through my head.
I’m pondering this when both Sandy and I stand to let another passenger through to the window seat. I’m clumsily standing in the aisle balancing my iPad in my hand when it is suddenly sent flying by a hand that was not my own.
I’d love to tell you it was one of those slow motion scenes where against all odds, my softball skills developed as a kid came back and did me proud, and I reached out to catch the catapulted iPad before it shattered onto the floor. But this was not the case.
Instead, I watched horrified as it’s fall was broken by the interceding hand of fate that directed my very light iPad onto the top of the head of my new “best friend,” Nervous Nelly, whereupon it plopped, intact, to the carpeted floor below.
Now, rightly so, Nelly had no idea what beaned her. I felt sorry to startle this woman who subsequently stayed hunkered down with her hands over her head for several minutes afterwards, not responding to any entreaties, mine or the couple sitting next to her, as to the state of her noggin.
I waited for the backlash. I waited for the threat of a lawsuit. But, as they say, crickets. Nelly eventually sat up as if nothing happened. Not a word. Nary a glance.
I sat back down, and try as I might to not create meaning where there is none, the thundering hooves of bullshit came marauding my way in the best, worst new-age explanation for the whole affair: She must have owed me one from a past life time! Thanks for saving my iPad with your head, Nel! I’ll hit you back next time around!
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