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How about now.

penderisPosted for apostrophe Pod Members to comment on, 4 years ago8 min read

It is 9 am and still 3 hours until His flight, He arrived at the airport the previous evening at 11pm, and decided to just wait around. Having short naps on the benches, browsing the internet and checking in on all the apps.

As it is when a person is excited, time went slower.

At half-past 9 the phone rings, as He expected. "Where are you?" His boss asks. "I am at the airport. I received my visa yesterday and will be away for a bit." He answers matter of factly then waits for the outburst.
"Why the fuck are you there and where the fuck are you going? You have to be at work, why did you not arrange this beforehand? You know you get leave." His boss drones through the phone clearly angry but also at a loss.
"I did not know when I would receive my visa, and I have to go now that I have it." He states calmly and ends the call. He then places a block on all further calls and messaging. Now that He answered that call there were no others He was expecting.



He has saved for close to two years to pay for the Visa and resulting flight tickets. Not knowing when He will need the tickets He knew that it was going to cost Him considerably more and was happy to find that He has saved enough and then some.

1 hour until His flight boarded, and then it would still be at least a 20-hour flight. He has made sure the napping is only to keep Him alert and was pretty confident that He would sleep for most of that time. The goal right now was just to get on that plane.

He replayed His hopes and expectations in His mind over and over, rewind and play. Tweak, rewind and play.

Not being someone who travels not or likes to do things without having thought through every detail even though He knows no matter what plan He comes up with it will be cast aside in the moment. He still liked making plans, it was the following them part that He had trouble with.

He could have given enough warning about needing leave from work, but that would mean He had trust that things would work out. It would also mean sharing information which He did not like to do unless the information was a certainty. So really there was no choice.

He has always made big decisions this way, thinking about it He realizes just how spontaneous and reckless He can be. People would never guess that about Him, the guy so in control and habitual.

Boarding.

Flying.

Sleeping while flying.

Landing.

Fortunately, the airport is not far from His destination, but unfortunately, it is late afternoon. He decided that won't work and He will need to find a hotel for the evening.

That evening He went out for a bit, found a local bar and just spent it enjoying the familiar differences of the place. He was a whole continent removed, sure they still spoke English but the accents, manners everything even the decor although familiar was amazingly different. Although He never travels He can see how people who are able to would swear by it. Change is as good as a vacation they say. He figures that travelling and being on vacation then surely is overkill. How could a person ever want to go back to normal life?

He quickly reminds himself that it could be that He is not sentimental or emotionally attached to His world and that might be the difference. If He thinks about the people who travel, He pictures someone who obnoxiously says rubbish like "There is nothing like home." People are weird He thinks to himself as He drinks His beer unobtrusively observing everything around Him with childlike wonder but like a child that has grown cynical before their time. An 80-year-old Child on a porch so to speak.

Back to the Hotel.

Sleep.

Wake up.

Think.

Sitting on the edge of His bed He stares at the clock as though to argue that time itself is wrong. He stares. Then He gets up, gets dressed and goes back to bed.

Nap.

An hour later.

Stares at clock.

9 am.

He gets up from the bed cursing how time seems to be fucking with Him. Nothing is on time, then thinks He reminds himself that technically He has nothing but time.

No He has to do this He thinks and goes downstairs to find someone that can help Him with going about transport in the city. After talking with the front desk He now has gone to get an appropriate sim card and has called a "taxi" in quick succession.

Waiting on the sidewalk.

Disappointed that the concrete looks no different than back home.

Gets into "Taxi".

Arrives.
"Could you wait here and I will just say if you need to leave?" He asks the driver. He is not sure how long He will be allowed to stay. He quickly replays the scene in His mind. "Sure. No problem." The driver responds.

He pays for the fair till that point and gets out. Takes a deep breath and walks up to the houses side door to knock. He did this purposefully because it should indicate some form of familiarity.

He turns away from the door to look around, the strangest thing about the place is the lack of walls and fencing the people have around their properties. Where He comes from you have a wall or fence to keep people out and damn anyone that might try to get in. Here it seemed more like they merely have them as decorations to indicate a border but not to deter any attackers.

He turns back to knock again. "Coming!" He hears the exclamation. He chose this time because it is in the week and She would be alone at home. That is why He did not want to come the day before in the late afternoon or evening. People always have pesky family or friends around then.

She opens the door, He stands with His back to her. Then with a final breath turns around and steps back a bit. "Hi." He says smiling, unable to take his eyes off hers although He really wants to look away. "Hi..." She says and before saying anything else places Her hand to her mouth as to keep from screaming, squealing or to stop Herself from just speaking. He did not know which but could see the tears forming in her eyes.

He was shaking. He realised then that the movie He was playing in his mind was just that. Fiction. It was no more. "I am glad to see you are well." He says his eyes still locked to Hers, yet observing everything. From the way she is standing and teetering on the edge of rushing over to Him, fidgeting with the door uncertain, to her hand being lowered from Her mouth, lips quivering and eyes wet but not tearful.
"I am...Sor..." Not letting Her finish He quickly interrupts Her taking a step forward and starting to speak, "I am just glad that you are ok." He says with a smile and strokes her hair before backing away. "Goodbye, pretty."

Walking back to the car unwillingly He knows He might regret it. Leaving now. He will regret not asking all He wanted to know, He will regret not listening to Her. He just could not stand the uncertainty, so had to make things certain.

If He leaves now then He has made it certain. Getting into the car He glances over to Her still standing in the door, He knows she is also uncertain. He did come halfway around the world and suprise Her after years of no contact.

Drives away.

Turns on apps.

Gets to hotel.

Sits on bed.

He stares at the clock almost confused as to what it is, He can't recollect why He cared so much about the time earlier. It is pointless, caring about the time He surmises is a waste of time.

His phone rings, and He answers it without checking. There is only one person He has allowed through on every app. "Hi" she says.

He looks at the clock and replies "Two years late but still in time. Hi, I have missed you."





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