I make my way through the crowd of the airport, missing several slaps by inches. I remember telling my dad a million times about the terrible amount of human presence at the airport around holiday time. But he, as usual just pretended to forget about it and booked a ticket just a few days before Christmas. I lightly massage my aching head with my free hand and look at the ice cream store I was headed too.
A vacation, that's all I needed. Just to relax and chill with no one in particular and focus on my artwork. College wasn't going to start until four more months, and I wasn't letting all that free time go to waste. Besides the place I was headed to was known for its scenic beauty, Its lake. The lake was a little polluted but was better hope for ideas than the city anyway.
Suddenly, I felt my bag getting somewhat heavier with each step I took. My bag becomes too heavy for me to move at all. I tugged on it harder but in vain. I finally decided to look back at my bag which I probably should have done first. A huge hand is firmly holding the handle of my bag. I look up to see the person to whom this hand belonged to, only to see him staring at his phone screen on his other hand while just casually holding my bag.
I was not prepared for this kind of drama. I had about ten minutes to board my flight, so that meant seven minutes for buying and eating the ice-cream and two minutes for rushing into the plane.
"Hey! That's my bag! Let go!" I yell, shaking the bag vigorously. I wished that he would let go if I shook my bag harder and then I could make a run for the ice cream shop.
"Yeah I don't think so. That clearly is my bag" He looks up and tightens his grip on the bag, mybag. The boredom in his voice, skyrocketed my anger furthermore. Tick tock.
"What proof do you have that this is your bag? NONE! This is my bag, and that's final! You probably don't even have to go anywhere, for all I care, you might be just living in this airport! But me? I have places to go, things to do, I don't stand around and bloody annoy the shit out of people! You want proof? I'll give you proof!" I fumbled at the zip of the bag and opened it. I began digging out random objects from inside. But what use will it do I wasn't carrying fancy frocks or skirts in this bag, I had a large men's T-shirt and some trousers and a hoodie which probably looked like something he would wear. I also had unmentionables which I wouldn't dare show it to him! I suddenly realize that I had put in my favourite blue scarf inside my bag in case I felt cold, it would clearly proof that this bag is mine. I reach down further into the bag and pull out something soft.
"I bet you don't have this- What ew!"I grab a pair of boxers and throw them away immediately.
"Hey, hey that's brand-new underwear!" He said picking it up before it got trampled by hundreds of people at once. He looks at me and smiles, the sly kind. "I told you, that was my bag."
But my mind wasn't listening to him anymore, my heart began beating faster. I had money and spare clothes for my hotel stay in that bag! There was no way that I could get to my other suitcase which had the things for my stay. That bag was going to be sent directly to my aunt's house. I felt my blood go cold and began thinking of the places I could have misplaced my bag at, I remembered carrying it from home. I thought of going back home, cancelling my trip even though I would spend only five days at the hotel.
"Look down, hey! Yeah, I'm talking to you. Look down." I snap out of my daze and look in the direction of his pointed finger. My eyes lit up with joy when I see the same black leather bag sprawled next to my leg, my bag! I picked it up immediately and brushed the dust off. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Wait how did this get here? Did you bring it? Our bags look really similar I guess we must have exchanged it somehow."
"No, I didn't bring it, you did. In the sense that you were carrying two bags. You dropped it here just a few minutes ago." He explains.
"I would know I'm carrying two bags. I don't recall taking your bag!"
"You were walking by the cafeteria, you just came by and took off with my bag!"
"Oh shit! Okay, I do remember, I thought it was my bag. Ugh! This is why I hate crowds! Too much confusion!" The ice cream store was at the other end of the cafeteria. I did remember seeing the bag on my way kept on a chair, and I also did remember wondering on how my bag got there. At that time, I had simply not put much thought in it, just picked it up and proceeded to the ice cream store. I had completely forgotten about the bag I was already carrying on my other shoulder.
I hung my bag on my shoulder and walked out as fast as I could. I looked back once more to see if he followed me. He was still sitting there, however, his eyes were still on me. Pervert.
We didn't know each other, thankfully because after what I told him I wasn't planning on to seeing him again.
I got into the first free taxi I saw and blurted out the address that I had been silently repeating in my head over and over again. The Grand Pine Hotel, where I was staying till my house was clean and ready for me to live in. The house that I would be moving into was bought by my father ten years ago and hasn't been used till now. My aunt who lived here with her husband refused to let me get there and clean it up on my own. They wanted to do it for me. I took my phone out typed out a quick message of my arrival to my Mom. I opened my messages and see that my aunt has sent the hotel room number that she had booked for me.
"Hello! Miss pretty, pretty girl!" The driver smiled showing his crooked teeth. His fingers trembled due to age when he momentarily waved at me. I managed smiled back.
"Hello to you too, Sir." I mentally slapped myself for my sudden cheeriness.
"Your first time here, is it?" He asked, this time keeping his eyes completely focused on the road.
"Yes, it is." I slumped back into the seat comfortably. I tried closing my eyes in the hopes of eliminating the rest of my tiredness, but the drivers sudden and reckless driving wasn't of any help.
"How much longer will it take? It's been forty-five minutes already." I said easily hiding the impatience I was feeling.
"Well somebody is impatient! We will be there in exactly thirty-nine seconds."
"Oh okay- wait what? Did you say seconds? Wow. How long have you been doing this job! you seem to have a lot of experience."
"Alright. We're here!" He replied in a sing-song manner, completely ignoring my question.
"Oh shoot! We got here in forty seconds! I had a timer on, if you were wondering. Oh man! I'll make sure I get the next person here in exactly that time limit!" I paid him and turned around and made a face mocking his worried expression. He was a sweet person but way to competitive for even me.
I entered the hotel and went up to the receptionist. She smiled at me, an annoyed get out of my face kind of smile.
"Uh Hi, I have a room booked under the name Ivy -------" I asked politely.
"Room number." She said looking not at me but behind me. She waved her hand to someone standing at the entrance. She immediately looked at me at shot me a look of fury.
"Room 209!" I replied hurriedly. She snatched they keys and threw them at me and for the first time in my life or may be the hundred and eighth time did I wish that I had super catching abilities. I was never a sports person, I could throw stuff, yeah, but I couldn't catch anything. The keys descended right for me and hit my head. I quickly picked them up from where they had fallen and ran to my room to get some rest.
I went past my room by ten doors before realizing what I was doing. I turned around and went back to my room.
The minute my gaze fell on the bed, I didn't think twice before I leaped into the bed and though I fell face first, I just instantly fell asleep.
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After a complete three hours of sleep, I walked around the hotel room looking for something to eat. I finally decided to go to the nearby grocery shop and buy something. I grabbed my purse, looked at myself once in the mirror and got out.
I looked at all the food items, nothing seeming to interest me. Fruits, vegetable, curd and a sock. A sock? Someone had left their sock among the oranges! I find myself going back to the junk food section at the beginning of the shop.
"What are the odds! Looks like we meet again!" Oh why!! Why did I have to come here today! I turned around slowly to face him. I pressed my lips into a thin smile, which soon turned into annoyance really fast.
"Are you following me! You maniac! First you take hours in explaining that I took your bag and I almost miss getting my favourite ice cream and now you're here!"
"Hey, it's not my fault you wouldn't let go of my bag!"
"Whatever! Well I didn't expect to see you here" I said trying to calm myself down.
"Well I didn't expect to see you here or at the airport either. So, what are you doing here?"
"At the grocery store? Just talking to animals, you know the general." I continue to glare at him.
He laughs. "Good one! You're obviously here to buy food. So, what brings you here to this city?"
"Just here for the holidays and you?"
"I live here, well not in the store that is. I live in this city, it's my hometown. I had gone to visit my Grandma. Right now, I'm staying at one of these hotels till my house gets completely white washed. I have a younger sister so there's a lot of drawing all over the walls. Like a LOT!"
I let out a laugh, a small laugh, I was still mad about how stupid I had felt because of him.
"So, you're here for how long?"
"So eager for me to go? I'll be here just for one more day, my parents are here with me we'll move there together. I have to go, my mom will start fuming if I don't get there now."
I gave out a breath of relief as he turned and left, and I quickly bought a few packets of chips and got out as soon as possible. I couldn't believe that things had again gone against my will, things however never went as I wanted it to be, not one. And I very strongly believed that no matter how hard I prayed on to avoiding meeting him, it'll probably happen anyway.
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