Writers Cramp Entry 1-21-25

A travelers worst nightmare,

Jillian, moved from the baggage area with a thrumming stride. A shrieking panic stricken voice of a woman echoed from somewhere behind him; paying no attention he quickened his pace Into a batter ram forceful stride as if to intentionally force people in front of him out of the way. His direct flight had been delayed twice as they followed a major snow storm across the country that had closed every major airport across the Midwest and east coast. He grew more nervous and anxious as the day past. When he left California that morning it was a warm, tee-shirt and shorts day with clear sunny skies.
Shortly into the flight the pilot informed the passengers their direct flight would be landing and holding over in Denver due the storm increasing in strength. The news brought on an unnerving intense anxiety that seemed to grow throughout the day. The hope of his arriving back in Boston before his wife gave birth to their first child diminished with each hour that passed. The following morning after arriving in California he received a phone call from one of his tenants informing him Carol his wife had gone into premature labor. It was six weeks before her expected due date. His one week long business trip suddenly became a two day trip.
Once on the ground in Denver he tried calling home, then some family members back east but could not get through. The minutes turned to hours it seemed, each hour Jillian’s worry and anxiety grew. He spent most of the day wondering and pacing around the airport. It was sometime around the dinner hour that word come through airport loud speaker that the Newark airport had reopened. Jillian boarded the next available flight to Newark hoping to catch a transfer to Logan Airport in Boston. Once landing in Newark, more bad news followed. Logan was still closed.
More waiting, more worrying, more anxiety overcame him. The pains in his stomach grew also, he hadn’t eaten anything sense breakfast that morning before leaving Morgan Hill to catch his flight back east. The vending machines were empty, he settled for a soda. It was getting late, approaching ten PM when word came through the airports intercom system that Logan had finally reopened. Another three hours or so passed before the planes wheels touched down on the snowy runway in Boston.
Waiting impatiently in the baggage area for his luggage to come down the conveyer belt he habitually glanced down at his shiny blue, silver and gold watch. The watch was a gift from carol the year before for his twenty-sixth birthday. It was 12:40 AM EST. His six hour direct flight had turned into a fifteen hour torturous emotional nightmare. He gently pushed and wiggled his way through the crowd people in front of him waiting at the carousel when he spotted the suitcase drop out of the opening in the wall onto the conveyer belt. He muscled and wiggled his way closer into a spot in front of the large stainless steel baggage carousel the luggage landed on after dropping off the conveyer belt coming through the opening in the wall.
With no thoughts of checking the tag he quickly snatched it off the carousel assuming it was his and again wiggled his way through the crowd still waiting for their luggage and quickly headed for the terminal’s front entrance.
On the escalator ascending up to the street level where the main terminal entrance was located Jillian got lost in thought worrying and fearing the worst. It was a trance like state. Nothing around him penetrated or interrupted his trance like state of mind. Nothing, not even the loud almost hysterical woman’s voice and the steady quick sound of click-clacking shoes that seemed to be following him from behind somewhere yelling
“Sir, Sir.. Mr. you have my case”.
He quickened his pace. He was on a mission. Exit the terminal and grab a cab for a ride to the hospital and wife.
Exiting the terminal a blast of a bitter cold wind and a chill that penetrated deep into his bones hit him which he did his best to ignore.
The sidewalk outside the terminal housed a long line of people patiently standing around in the cold wet windy snowy weather, some silent, some engaging in small talk. Further down a long caravan of taxies sat idling with their lights on one by one rolling up to the front doors of the terminal. Jillian walked to the curb, then stepped into the street and began waving for a cab to pull up. The crowd erupted in loud angry shouting, some waving arms and point at him. Unaware he was cutting the line He didn’t understand why the commotion. A few stepped out of line and began approaching him yelling and screaming obscenities as if they wanted a fist fight. Realizing what he had done to enrage dozens of angry, frustrated stranded travelers to the point they were ready to kill him. He quickly apologized and began walking away toward the airports exit, figuring he had a better chance of grabbing taxi quicker outside the airport than waiting in line. Moments later a woman exiting the terminal caught his attention. The same screechy voice he ignored inside the terminal. She was waving and yelling at him. His first thoughts were Run Jillian Run. Run for your dear life. He stood silent to hear what she was saying.
“Sir, please wait a minute. You picked up the wrong suitcase after your flight.
The suitcases were Identical. They switched and Jillian continued on.
Twenty yards down the road a passing taxi pulled over and Jillian was off to the hospital in a warm taxi where he met his adorable little awaiting angel, Jennifer Lee,


Note: Based on a true story and actual events (with the exception of the Prompt: You picked up the wrong suitcase after your flight )
Word Count 970)