Summer

Compass

"Attention ladies and gentlemen, we have now arrived at PXR Surin Airport, Thailand. Thank you for flying with us today, we hope you had a pleasant and enjoyable flight. Enjoy your stay!" The air hostess trilled over the microphone on board the airplane. Summer rubbed at her eyes blearily, smearing her mascara slightly below her lower lashes. The air hostess went on to describe the local weather conditions, proper way to exit the plane and benefits of flying with her company again. At that present moment in time Summer really didn't care if she had to parachute out of the plane in to six feet of snow, all she wanted was to get off of suffocatingly narrow confines of the plane after the gruelling long haul flight. She got up, stretched her slim arms high above her head and rubbed her neck, wincing slightly at the stiffness in her body from sitting down for so long, aside from the occasional bathroom break. She grabbed her small bag from the compartment above her head where the air hostess had stored it for safekeeping and practically ran off of the aircraft, saying a hurried thanks to the people in uniform standing stiffly by the door, and deeply breathed in the fresh new air of a foreign land.

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The rough ground beneath Summer's feet crunched as she strode forward, eager to get away from the airport and the hoards of irritating tourists who had drawled on and on about their pitiful lives throughout the entire flight, leaving Summer gritting her teeth and covering her ears pointedly with her hands, wishing the flight would just be over already. The best thing about her hurried and unplanned departure was that she had no time to pack luggage, therefore she was free to walk straight off of the stupid airplane and out into the big bad world without having to stare at the luggage carousel for the next two hours.

The further from the airport Summer got, the clearer her head became. Her footsteps faltered, slowed and then stopped completely as she realised how utterly lost she was. No, not lost, she reprimanded herself, just free. Free to go wherever she wanted, do whatever she wanted, be who she wanted to be. She smiled, climbing into a taxi that sat amidst a sea of fellow taxis in a row at the side of the gravelly road and pointing to the sign that said "City Centre" in English after a stream of words in an unfamiliar language. She sank back into the soft, worn leather seat, warm from the 30 degree dead heat outside and watched, awestruck, as the scenery of a new land passed her by.

Four hours later she was sitting in a surf cafe in the heart of the city, nursing a spicy chilled native Thai drink. She had walked around the city for a few hours, taking it all in and trying to accustomise herself to the totally unfamiliar surroundings. She had stopped off in a hypermarket and purchased a thin white sundress, sunglasses, Thai-English dictionary and adapter. She had quickly changed out of her clothes from home, tucking them into her hand luggage. She spotted the bar while strolling down a side street, and gratefully flopped onto a bar stool, rubbing her aching feet while absentmindedly pointing randomly at something halfway down the menu in front of her, just so she could stay there a little while and catch her breath briefly. And maybe figure out what to do next? Yeah, that too.

She sipped at her drink, silently congratulating herself on managing to order something edible instead of some strange local Thai fish served raw or something. She was gazing pensively at a colourful surfboard that hung from the roof a few feet in front of her when a deep voice interrupted her thoughts. "Something on your mind?" The bartender stood behind her, leaning against a wall with his arms folded across his chest, smiling softly at her. He was tall, with sandy brown hair and blue eyes wearing brown cutoffs with a faded blue shirt with a white design on it that reminded her of a wave cresting. A shell necklace hung loosely around his neck and he spoke with a faded American accent. She began to speak, then hesitated, unsure of what exactly she should say. "You know not to brag or anything but I've been told I'm an excellent listener. Really, if you need someone to talk to, cos you sure look like you do." His voice was soft, almost caring. Summer looked up at him, feeling suddenly vulnerable and making a split second decision. She told him everything.

He listened without interrupting even once as she poured my heart out to him, this complete stranger who she felt an unexplained connection to. His eyes were bright and understanding, never once showing even a slight shadow of judgement. "And I just don't know what to do now. I'm in a foreign country with limited money, no aspirations to speak of and no clue where to go next. I want to make up for my past, but I have no idea where to even start. I've been convincing myself that everything was fine, but really I think I may have made a huge mistake in even come here and leaving home I the first place," She finished miserably.

He eyed me curiously. "You haven't mentioned exactly what it is you need to make up for in your past, but if you really want to right your wrongs, I may be able to help." Summer looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, not believing this stranger could solve her life's problems just like that. "I don't even know your name," she blurted out.

He grinned at her, holding out his hand and grasping hers in a warm, steady handshake. She fought the urge to laugh at the solemn gesture. "My name is Kyle. And if you really mean what you say about helping others, about making a real difference in the world, then I know just where to bring you. We leave tomorrow."

Summer looked at him in disbelief, shaking her head. Who did this guy think he was? Oh dear god please don't tell me I just blurted out my life's woes to a crazed lunatic, she thought. That would be so awkward. "Where exactly are you planning on taking me, Kyle?" She questioned him. He smiled at me again, the laugh lines around his eyes crinkling. "Haiti," he answered simply.

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