NoI’m sorry.No nothing.
As I stood there, frozen like a deer in headlights, a distant memory of reading about a possible strike drifted through my brain.I hadn’t realized it was today, or that no one would’ve mentioned it.Honestly, I really needed to keep up with current events, even if it was constantly filled with doom and gloom.
Dragging my bag toward the exit, I sighed and made my way down the escalator to the arrivals level, knowing full well there was no one waiting for me on the other side of the doors.Shoulders rolled inward, I took the escalator to the departure zone of the airport.
The rising volume of noise should’ve been my first clue that the departure level wasn’t a happy place.
Naturally, people with much more travel smarts than me had already formed a long line at the airline check-in counters, snaking through the concourse and blocking any view of the ticketing agents.The displeased expressions and angry tapping of feet were a strong indicator that things weren’t going to go well.
While feverishly checking the airline’s website, in hopes of answers and the opportunity to rebook a flight myself, I scanned the boards noting several abrupt cancellations, and—gasp—all from the same airline.
For now.
Would others follow?Clearly, as nice as it was to escape into myFringeDVD collection, I needed to watch the news more as I should’ve been more in tune with an airline issue than I had been.
When I was finally motioned to the next available—and way beyond frazzled—attendant, I marched over with my shoulders back and my head held high.I set my phone with the boarding pass showing on the counter.“Hey, how’s it going?”
She didn’t answer.Alrighty, killing her with kindness wasn’t going to work like I’d hoped.
“Can I see your I.D.?”
Having had it ready, I set it on the counter.
After a quick glance, she made eye contact with me.“Hello, Anna, how can I help you?”
“I just need to rebook the next available flight to Victoria.Or Vancouver.Or...whatever city’s closest to ‘not here.’I’ll get the rest of the way myself.”
The agent tapped feverishly on her keyboard.“The earliest we can do is tomorrow morning at 10:17 with a different airline.”
“Tomorrow?”I leaned forward, trying to look at the screen, not that I understood any of what I saw.“My best friend is on the verge of falling apart because her husband left her on their fifth wedding anniversary vacation, and I have the countermeasures.They’re time sensitive.”
She typed again but failed to make eye contact.“Well, in that case.”Her tone was so flat, it could’ve been used as a level.“I can route you through Calgary, then Vancouver, and you’ll land in Victoria tomorrow at 10:47 their time.”
Was she serious?That wasn’t faster.It was thirty minutes later.
“Sheesh, you don’t have anything that connects in Toronto?”
She failed to catch my humour; my eye rolling likely didn’t help.
“You don’t understand.Please.I have a paper bag full of gift-shop impulse buys: maple leaf socks, a tin of ‘emergency’ shortbread cookies, and a plush moose that says, ‘Don’t Moose With Me’across its belly.”
“Ma’am, as you can see, we are desperately trying to accommodate everyone.”She turned to the long, unhappy line still branched out in waves behind me.“The fastest I can get you there is an arrival tomorrow morning.Shall I rebook you into that?”If deadpan were an Olympic sport, she’d medal in gold.
“What am I going to do for a night?”The words came out as a whisper, not meant for any answer.Tucking my chin to my chest, I sighed and nodded, my heart dropping into my stomach.“Sure, book that please.”
With my multi-connection not-so-magical mystery tour booked—assuming another strike or natural disaster didn’t wipe that out too—I wandered over to the Tim Horton’s kiosk.I was desperate for a dark roast and a semi-private corner to panic in.
Did I call Josh to come and get me?Find a hotel?Curl up behind a potted plant and declare medical leave?
Instead, I pulled out my phone and opened the voice memo app.After three back-to-back night shifts and zero brain cells to spare, if I didn’t say things out loud, they ceased to exist.
I hit record.
“Okay,” I muttered, not bothering to lower my voice, “flight to Victoria is cancelled, rerouted for tomorrow morning—which means the surprise rescue mission for Tina is officially derailed.I was supposed to show up this afternoon, bang on her door with pajamas, emotional support carbs, and sarcasm.”
I took a breath and kept going, talking with my hands like I was giving discharge instructions to the universe.
“And the grocery delivery with her favorite foods is still scheduled for five, which I’m going to have to reschedule.”A world-weary sigh flattened my shoulders.“Otherwise she’s going to open the door to a form of grief groceries, complete with chocolate mint ice cream and maple cream cookies.There will be no context and no me.”
