A Drop in the Ocean

Chapter 16

Stepping off the plane at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City caused my head to instantly begin throbbing.  The cold winter air hit me like a brick wall, and I quickly threw on my hat and scarf before swinging the backpack on and stuffing my hands in my pockets.  I trekked through the flurry of snow until I reached the gate and wiped my already wet shoes on the rug.  I bee-lined my way to baggage claim in hopes of getting out of here soon.  I knew I was going to be renting a car, but I couldn’t wait to get on the road.  I decided that I didn’t care if I drove.  The “you-probably-shouldn’t-drive” warning was merely a suggestion. 

I found my green Samsonite suitcase fairly easily before trying to make my way through the crowds to get to the vehicle rental.  I was hoping for a nice SUV crossover since I knew the drive to Saranac Lake would be icy and awful.  I sat at the rental desk for about ten minutes, waiting for someone to help me.  I looked at my watch and realized that it was a little after 4:00 AM.  I decided it would be best to text Nora and James and let them know that I was okay.  I also texted Brian letting him know that I was in New York.  Finally, a young woman came to the counter.

“Hello!” she cheered.  I looked up at her.

“Hi, I just need to rent a car,” I replied flatly.

"Oh, well, we do that here," she said, her voice high pitched and overly happy.

"I am aware," I told her, not trying to hide the irritation and sarcasm in my voice. 

"Any car in particular?" she asked, putting her hand on the mouse of the computer in front of her.

"A SUV crossover or sport vehicle of some sort," I replied.  She began clicking and typing rapidly.  I tapped my fingers on the desk in impatience.  I was eager to get to a hotel and sleep until about eight tomorrow.  Four hours was all I'd need.

"How about a Ford Explorer?  We've got one outside right now," she finally suggested.  I nodded.  

"Are the tires good?" I asked, although I knew that the answer would be yes.

"Yep, just got the snow tires on a few weeks ago," she answered.  I nodded again with a thoughtful face.

"Sounds good to me," I said and handed her my debit card.  She swiped the car and handed me paper that I quickly filled out.  She then handed me the keys and told me which number it was.  I waved to her and went out the doors into the cold.

I quickly found the car and hopped in before starting it to warm it up.  While it was warming up, I typed "hotel" into the GPS.  One that popped up with four stars was the Hampton Inn.  I checked prices, and $209 was pretty steep, but do I care?  No.  It's my first day back in the U.S.  I will enjoy it while it lasts.  I pulled out of the lot and onto the street.  It'd been a while since I'd driven in traffic at all, let alone Queens traffic, and I was a bit rusty.  True, it's 4:00 AM, but this is the city that never sleeps so traffic was fairly heavy.  It took me a few minutes to get to the hotel and check in.  I hauled my bag up a flight of stairs since I'd decided to let a Cuban family take the elevator and plopped down on the fluffy king bed, falling asleep instantly.

******

I jerked awake at promptly 8:00 AM trying to gather my surroundings.  My bag was still sitting on the floor next to the door, and my backpack was thrown haphazardly on the desk.  I walked over to the sink after turning on a light and splashed water on my face, helping to wake me up.  I grabbed my suitcase, backpack, and keys before shutting of the light and going down to the lobby.  I quickly checked out and rapidly walked to the car so I could warm it up.  I drove to a Starbucks a few miles away to get a peppermint mocha and a scone to keep me going until I was forced to suffice with gas station coffee and random snacks.