AJ

 AJ's Story

"Sorry sir, there are no more seats on this flight. We'll put you on the next one," explained the beautiful attendant behind the Lufthansa counter. He glanced at his right wrist as the golden arms of his Rolex ticked to show 2:25 pm. Sigh. "5 more hours till the next flight," thought AJ. The incidents on his way to the airport took a bigger toll on him  than expected. As he stared at the watch a bead of sweat dropped from his brow, refracting light from the faceplate. He snapped back to the moment, feeling as distorted as the spectrum of light emanating from the sweat droplet.  He looked at the attendant across the counter.  “Sir, are you alright?,” she asked with concern.  “Can you point me in the direction of the men’s room?,”.  The attendant mouthed something or another but AJ couldn’t hear.  He only followed the direction of her finger. 

As he pulled down his zipper, his peripheral vision caught the sight of the man next to him. The 6 foot tall muscular man with a ponytail was wearing a huge smile on his face while taking a leak, a smile so wide that he looked like he just hit the lottery jackpot. AJ frowned and a sudden anger came over him. He grabbed the ponytail, and yanked the man to the ground. He mounted his chest and threw punch after punch at the man's face. The whole time the man's face was distorted, smiling ever so widely beneath the rain of blows.

A sudden wetness on his left thigh snapped AJ back to reality. "Great," he thought. With his zipper still down, he surveyed the whole area to find that the ponytail man had already left. Cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, he finished up his business and went to the mirror to assess the damage on his grey slacks. Some wet towels combined with the hand dryer almost removed the spot. He washed his face and stared hard at his reflection in the smudged restroom mirror. Besides the barely visible spot on his pants, the dress shirt was neatly tucked in and his navy blue blazer looked perfect with the cuffs exactly an inch above his wrists. He combed over his hair until he was satisfied then strolled out of the washroom.

The day did not have the perfect start. The sign for the day is Pisces, not that he was superstitious. He was rudely awakened by the sound of his neighbor's dog incessantly barking at passersby.  The antique clock opposite of his bed smugly told him the time is 10:00 am in the morning, seconds still ticking by as he tried to make sense of the time. His face grimaced as he recollected his impending flight that day. "I'm late!" he exclaimed. He was having a pleasant dream, at a time of preserved innocence and abundant friendship. But somewhere in the back of his mind it was never enough, despite being surrounded by people who loved him, he always wanted to converse with people from all walks of life, even strangers. And he did. He couldn't quite recall what the conversation was about, only that he kept nodding while the smiling man moved his lips with a mechanical rhythm.

"Woof!" Just when he was able to make out the words, the bark bought him back into his room. His walls covered with posters of Britney Spears, monuments from Europe, sports cars, and of his desires. It was a mantra that had served him well. The power of visualization. Still feeling groggy, he got off the right side of his bed towards his closet. Luckily he had the mindfulness to pack his luggage the night before, so he only had get ready. He quickly showered and put on his best looking suit, with his usual deftness he fixed his hair and got into his car. He turned on the radio and Carry On by Fun was playing. His favorite. Maneuvering through traffic, he sped to the airport and oddly enough all the lights turned green each time he had to go through one.

~But I like to think

I can cheat it all

To make up for the times I've been cheated on ~

The song went on playing. Feeling the adrenaline, he pushed on the pedal. Alas, the stars might align but accidents do happen. A large dump truck had collided with a dark blue Toyota minivan. Trash was spilled and liquid from some god forsaken land was oozing everywhere. The heat definitely did not help with the smell, but it definitely brought him back from the speed euphoria he was experiencing. He had dealt with these situations before and was confident of his car that is always kept in perfect condition He hit his brake calmly and true to his experience, the car stopped with mechanical accuracy. “At least something is going well,” he thought. Fortunately, nobody was injured in the accident.  However, unfortunately, AJ’s chances of making it on time were close to zero. The hairs within his nostrils seemed to painfully protest as the smell was amplified seven-fold in the heat. Keep calm and visualize, he told himself as he closed his eyelids. At that instant, he became a sea eagle. The majestic bird of prey hovered the present scene airborne, free from the confines of gravity. The airport was just minutes away, he told himself as he flapped his wings in the wind. He'd be soon on a plane to South Africa, a place he had always yearned to visit.  The upcoming trip was purely business but he'd have time to go on a safari trip, play with penguins, and with good fortune may even swim with the great white. He was building castles in the air for a good hour until his wings brought him to the sign reading John F. Kennedy Airport.He had little remembrance of how he got to the airport. For a little while he thought the accident was a dream, but the lingering “aroma”reminded him otherwise.  

....

Coming out of the washroom he sat himself down at the lounge. Glancing at his watch, "Two hours to go," he sighed. A cute waitress came by and he promptly ordered himself glass of Cutty Sark to calm himself. He felt an utter sense of helplessness and discomfort. It has been forever since he felt this way, not since his solo trip to Europe. Although he had learned a lot, being thrown into an unplanned situation still irritates him. He began to think about his success as he closed his eyes in relaxation. The thought of the words of encouragement of his aunt whispered in his ear.  During a time of great self-doubt brought upon by poor exam performance, the words had changed his life. The waitress came back with his drink, which he gladly sipped. He continued to rest until the clink of the ice brought his gaze upon the entrance of the lounge where he saw a burly man with pony tail pass by. AJ frantically gave chase and before he could say anything, the man gave him a huge smile and sped away. Screaming on top of his lungs, AJ ran after the man but to where and to what end?


 Edited by: Kyle Vaughn Laster 

Thanks for reading!!