Escaping to Ireland

Vinessa

Vinessa:

The plane had started to ascend for our lengthy twelve-hour flight bringing me closer to my real home, Ireland.

Since leaving Ireland, I had left and visited home only once since leaving. I would have stayed last time if circumstances were different, then.

Goodbye Chicago.

It sunk in, the knot in my stomach tightening; I was flying away from my friends, friends that I didn't say proper goodbyes to. There was Cole and Susan; I was a horrible person.

Getting ready this morning was a challenge as I tiptoed around the apartment, not wanting to wake Susan, my intense black-haired roommate. Her emotions could drain me at times; I didn't want my last farewell of her standing in the doorway sobbing as she watched me stroll my three bags out to the elevator.

It was too much to handle with the week I had; if I didn't cry once, then she did not have a right to.

Her mood had been somber all week while I kept reassuring her it was only an extended trip, that I would be back, but since it was Susan, not once did she believe me; I didn't really believe myself either.

In her delusional mind, I had been gone for a decade and had long forgotten about her by now.

"You are leaving me for good," Susan had pouted the night before, twirling her noodles around on her fork, not eating any of them, our last dinner together. I watched as each one slid back down onto her plate. Spaghetti was my favorite meal; she had made it to guilt-trip me into staying.

Afterward, she had thrown in Season one of the sitcom Friends and let it play through while we ate.

It had been our first marathon together; we had ordered food during the extended three-day weekend, pushing our college load to the side, and just watched as many episodes back to back to back; I can't remember if we even showered during those days.

She was trying to show me all that I would be leaving behind. I could see the plans brewing in her mind as she thought of ways to make me stay.

All morning I had been waiting for a text from her saying: I will not eat again until you return or Fido has gone missing, I need help. Susan was a little extreme, actually a lot of extremes, but that is what made her Susan and what made her my best friend.

Two opposites really did attract. 

The properly dressed Irish man next to me kept staring after we had quit talking.

Why did he have to wear a suit, my one kryptonite? At least he was just in the dress pants and light blue dress shirt. Shawn had worn suits...

Glancing down, I am pleased that I had dressed down this morning instead of dressing up like I usually would have. Jeans and my Clover shirt were the way to go. The twelve hours on the plane had me floating toward comfortable, instead of the: these shoes are killing me option.  The simple green Ireland shirt that I was wearing must have helped the Irish man next to me think I was not a native of his home. But a tourist invading it.  

I grabbed my tablet when they are safe to use. My seat buddy is staring at me out of the corner of his eyes; he was very distracting. I needed to be able to relax after the last week I had.

When my boss, Karen, found out I was resigning, and with only a week's notice, she acted like she would have a nervous breakdown; this was normal Karen behavior.

I shuddered when I would think about if Susan and her would ever meet.

I had started as an intern my sophomore year of college under her. I was used to her tactics; she was trying to make me stay, same as Susan. Guilt trips never worked on me. She flew around her office, grabbing at different resumes; her hair, instead of parted and straightened, was pulled back at the back of her neck. I knew she was trying to act panicked; I had been her longest assistant before me; she had gone through three in the same month.