This is the tale of woe of two travelers traveling to a family reunion to celebrate the eightieth birthday of a very special lady.
Elaborate plans had been underway for months to make sure the new octogenarian would have a day she would never forget. The day would be memorable because of the specially prepared food, a thoughtfully designed cake, the Wizard of OZ party theme, and family well-wishers coming in from all over the country.
Her special day would also be memorable to our two travelers, her daughter and son-in-law. Not because they too enjoyed the festivities of that marvelous day, but because they didn’t. For them the entire day was occupied by another (hopefully) once in a lifetime event — Airport Terminal Turbulence.
Having received a cautionary notification from the air carrier the night before about impending severe weather, our two travelers arrived at the airport three hours early. Unlike the usual long wait time, they whisked through security check in less than 20 minutes.
With over two and a half hours before departure, they had plenty of time to enjoy each other’s company over a leisurely breakfast before boarding.
Sitting adjacent to a glass wall, they both noticed the thunderheads gathering and banking into grotesque forms as they ordered their food. When their food arrived, so did the rain.
By the time the check was presented and paid, the wind was whipping rain sideways into sheets of water that relentlessly pounded the glass wall, almost obscuring what was happening outside.
The tarmac was beginning to flood. High winds and puddles of standing water had brought planes taxiing for takeoff to a standstill. But the real turbulence was yet to begin.
The two travelers reached their gate just as the first lightning flash illuminated Concourse A. The boom of thunder instantly followed, shaking the entire building.
Immediately throughout the entire airport, large overhead arrival/departure screens flickered as flight times turned from emerald green to crimson red. The first wave of delays had begun.
The flight of our two travelers was one of the first caught up in that wave. But they thought they could still make it out if they ran to Concourse C for a flight about to leave.
Out of breath, they reached Concourse C and had the departure gate in sight. Another round of lightning and thunder punctuated their disappointment as they witnessed the boarding door closing. Once closed, even the mightiest bolt of lightning thrown from the heavens couldn’t open the door.
Now not worried about making the birthday party, our two travelers decided to have romantic lunch while waiting through yet another delayed flight. Afterwards they watched with cautious eyes as sheets of rain continued to fall and flashes of light reflected off lakes of water on the tarmac.
A ground stop had been issued for all outbound traffic. Dragging their carry-on luggage to yet another gate and concourse due to another flight delay they both wondered, if they would make the party at all.
That day there were 49 flights rerouted as 12.3 inches of rain pounded the Atlanta airport. Our two beleaguered travelers spent over 11 hours on the ground with eight flight delays spread over three different concourses.
Finally arriving at their destination, they went straight to their hotel. Thirteen hours after their trip began, they both retired to their room and fell quickly asleep, totally exhausted by the day’s events. They had missed the party completely … and it was the best thing that could’ve happened.
The two travelers had shared a romantic lunch and dinner and had plenty of time to take a pause from their busy lives. The next day they spent eight hours alone with the octogenarian and her husband. Had they made the party the day before they would’ve had to share time with her between all the other family members and well-wishers.
Things often don’t work out as we plan in life. Even in the middle of the worst storm to hit the Atlanta Airport in years, there was still a good side. We just had to look for it.
So maybe sometimes in the middle of your Turbulence of Life, you might also find things you can appreciate. And find that, after the passing storm, things will actually work out.
[Rick Ryckeley has been writing stories since 2001. To read more of Rick’s stories, visit his blog: storiesbyrick.wordpress.com.]
