Do you ever wonder who you might meet on an airplane?
Last week passengers and luggage packed my flight from Atlanta to San Antonio. I buckled up in my window seat, waiting, as one by one the crowd passed my row.
Then an elderly woman, as thin and fragile as a curled leaf, shuffled one step and another along the aisle. I watched as a younger woman supported and lifted the tiny woman into the aisle seat; the younger woman sighed and settled into the seat between us.
We exchanged friendly nods, Hello. . .Hola
They chatted together in Spanish and after awhile I nudged in.. ."Are you going home to San Antonio?"
"No, we're from Venezuela," replied the younger woman kindly. "This is my mother-in-law; we're traveling to San Antonio to visit her daughter."
"I am Carbina!" the elderly woman called to me from her aisle seat. We chatted easily, sometimes I strained to hear Carbina's raspy words over the engine buzz. She dozed and startled awake; impatiently she wiped a string of saliva from the corner of her mouth.
I learned that 50 years ago Carbina and her husband had moved from Spain to Venezuela seeking a better life- and now in her frail old age she ventured to Texas- to visit her daughter.
Once she was regal . . .now she is brave, I thought.
Then our plane was landing and Carbina insistently spoke to her daughter-in-law, "The Senora (me) must come with us into the airport, who will be there to pick her up, who will care for her?"
"My husband will pick me up. " I assured her, "but I will come with you!"
The entire plane emptied- passengers, a load of baggage, and then I followed my companions as Carbina shuffled, shuffled. . .
Safe in her wheel chair, I scurried alongside Carbina, through the terminal to the baggage pick-up. I stood close, beside the wheelchair and Carbina squeezed my hand. John called my cell, "I'm here, almost at the curb!"
"Well, I'm here too. . .but Senora Carbina, I'm holding her hand."
Then a slender, regal looking woman approached us, "Ahh, it's your daughter, Carbina, you are alike!"
The daughter greeted me graciously. "Goodbye, Carbina!" and I kissed her wrinkled cheeks.
2 comments:
I loved this account of your travels, Darcie! Your friendliness and sweet spirit are so evident and an emboldening example. I'm so self conscious, I have the worst time talking to strangers!
my last flight to Austin, I met an elderly woman from Africa. We talked for two hours. She was so beautiful and made me miss and reminisce of my times in Africa. We exchanged letters and she hand wrote me a recipe. (: I also went with her to baggage claim and helped her with her three huge bags and waited for 45 mins until her Son picked her up. I couldn't leave her there and she was so gracious and so sweet. It made my trip so wonderful. (: I rarely have interesting flying experiences like that!
Post a Comment