The Airport Encounter

The goodbye...

I heard the boarding flight announcement for my flight back to JFK. I didn't know what I felt that time. I felt like I am losing something great that I never thought I needed or wanted in my life. A man so different from me, a man who is exciting with his principles, visions, dreams... I have to say goodbye now but a big part of me wishes for flight delays but, guess it's best there isn't any delay or else I might fall deeper for this man. Wait... Did I just say I might fall deeper for this man? Am I falling? Have I fallen in love with Eric? This quick?!!
"Susan, just a question... If you don't mind." He asked.
"What is it, Eric? Please be quick. I need to board the plane now..."
"What if you aren't engaged... How do you think we'd be saying goodbye right now?" He asked.
"I'd give you my number and my last name." I answered, looked at him in his eyes and saw pain... Pain of what could be that never will. Circumstance just isn't right for this love. This love at first meeting is simply wrong in so many ways. "Goodbye, Eric. Thanks for the coffee."
As I stood up and shook his hand, I felt the gush of blood going up to my brain and my heart just palpitated. I held hands with him for what seemed like forever. I then bade him goodbye again, picked up my hand bag and walked to the plane.
It felt strange. Bizarre even. What was that? What just happened? Snap out of it, Susan. Snap out of it.
Flight to JFK was on time. We landed just as the sun was about to set. I watched the sunset from the window and breathe in deeply as I closed my eyes. As I opened my eyes the sunset felt a lot more beautiful. The hues of the sky don't feel sad anymore. It felt wonderful. The sky, the sun, everything around me looked wonderful. I smiled. In fact I started to laugh. Oh such beauty of this world. I have now seen it. I've been travelling around not knowing I was searching for something. I was searching for the beauty of the world around me. I looked everywhere. Enjoyed every sight. But not a sight like this. The sunset is for all of us to enjoy and here I am, with the first time ever, I saw it and saw the majestic beauty I've never seen before. Now, I get what Eric means. Now I get why he was so full of life despite his, what seemed to me, such a boring life. I get it. I get it! I laughed again tears fell from my eyes as I walked towards the exit of the plane.
Outside I was welcomed by the most loving arms of my fiance'. At the back of my head, I thought of Eric, I thought of our short moment together. I think I loved him and I believe he felt the same. It may have been short but it really changed me.
I don't know Eric's last name. All I know is he lives in Australia and works in a manufacturing company. He may be travelling around again looking for textiles. I don't know where he is but I know when the sun sets, he is out there sitting somewhere looking at the sun and breathing in with his eyes closed and breathing out with a smile on his face.