The Sixth Legion

Chapter 9 - Falco Airport

Bocca Di Falco airport was a small operation nestled in the foothills above Palermo. Sicily was still considered a remote island region; very much off the beaten path, so it didn't rate a full service airport. That meant few air-conditioned jet ways and many flights just taxied up to the terminal and rolled up the stairs leaving passengers to hoof it to the terminal with their carry-ons. Don and Les weren't surprised as they had already checked the place out using Google Earth on the web. Lesliea wasn't aware of the various web programs that display the world using satellite technology, and was amazed when Don showed her how she could fly anywhere in the world and zoom around buildings using the 3D software. They had looked at their house and some of the places they wanted to see when they stopped in to see family in New York on the way home. Then they flew over to Sicily tracing the entire route from the airport to the hotel so they would know if the cabbie was taking them for a ride or not...

When the gong rang, Donny jumped up and wrestled down their carry-ons. It took a few minutes, but eventually they were able to ease out into the aisle and shuffle towards the front exit. Their seats were towards the back of the plane and by the time they were amidships (half way up the aisle) the heat hit them. Sicily was one of the most arid islands in the Mediterranean, and it was a scorching hot July. Neither of them was prepared for it, as up to that moment their entire journey was cool or temperate at worst. They had a brief layover at Heathrow/London which was a beautifully air-conditioned. They made another connection in Milan that involved a two hour layover before they could catch the final flight to Palermo, and when they stepped out of the terminal there for some fresh air it was very cool; chilly in fact, so they may have had a false sense of security (climatically speaking) before Palermo. Of course, Vincent and their travel agent had warned them about the heat that time of the year, but it wasn't until the 110 degrees and 90 percent humidity hit them in the aisle that they got a true sense of Sicily in mid-July.

They were both ready to pass out before even getting to the door. Les put a hand on Don's shoulder and whimpered, "Oh my God Donny, this is like a blast furnace. I think I'm going to be sick!" "Just hang in there honey. We'll be in the terminal before you know it," and then he added, "we're definitely hitting the pool tonight." Don always equated things to work, and he muttered, "How the hell does anything get done here in this kind of heat?" Les whispered back, "I don't think it does; can you say, 'siesta'?," and she motioned to one of the portholes. Except for the two guys pushing the stairs up to the plane the entire tarmac looked deserted. "Now you know why I made such a stink about finding a hotel with air conditioning." They kept shuffling forward, and as they approached the door she hissed, "Yeah Don, but what are we going to do at your uncle's place in the interior where it's even hotter." Now he was getting cranky too and snapped back, "We'll be okay honey, and if not, we're just going to have to rough it. It's called world travel okay?" Realizing she pissed him off, Les was always the one to offer the olive branch, "I'm sorry Donny. I just feel like lead weights in this heat." "It's okay sweetie, let's just get to the terminal okay?" "Gotcha." Eventually they were at the stairway, and as they moved out of the plane it was like stepping into a preheated oven. Don nearly stumbled going down the stairs and at the bottom the asphalt felt soft under his feet. He could even smell it, and by the time they closed half the distance to the terminal they were both soaked.

After dragging themselves into the terminal, Don got Les situated at a row of chairs with their carry-ons, and gallantly charged off to retrieve their luggage and hire a car.

She literally collapsed in her chair and began vigorously fanning herself to cool down. The heat had nearly overtaken her, and on top of that she was saddle soar and exhausted from hours of flying. She held the back of her hand to her forehead and guessed she was dehydrated as well. About 35 minutes later Donny returned with their luggage. He was looking pretty peaked, and because she was feeling a little more energized, she said, "Why don't you take a load off for a minute honey, and I'll go to the little girl's room and checkout the cab situation." Don collapsed in a chair, and replied, "You're an angel of mercy, baby..." Les stood and collected her purse, and said, "I'll be right back." He blew her a kiss and she was gone before he could think to ask her to get them something to drink. His throat was so parched he could barely speak. He found himself gazing longingly at a concession stand about a hundred feet to his left, but it was too far to risk leaving the luggage unattended. Peering in the other direction he didn't see anything close.

All of a sudden, he was startled by the touch of a little hand on his arm and nearly jumped out of his seat. There before him was the cutest little Sicilian boy just standing there and smiling with one hand on his arm and the other holding up a bottle of water. Then a pallor of fear came over the little guy, but he recovered, and smiling again, said, "Acqua, acqua signora," and thrust the ice cold Italian Suio towards him. It looked so inviting, the bottle obviously ice-chilled and dripping with condensation, and he just wanted to take it; rip off the cap; and chug it; but something just didn't seem right.

He looked up and behind the little boy was an old woman with one hand on a push cart and the other holding the cutest little girl he had ever seen. It was almost as if a halo surrounded them, and their clothes and cart seemed a tad too dated, but the good nature of all three overrode Donny's common sense and he smiled at the grandmother. There was deep goodness in her aged eyes, and the boy and girl had angelic qualities. No, it didn't seem right but Don's father had told him that in many ways going to Sicily was like entering the 18th century and they would see a lot of contrasts.

He shifted his gaze to the boy and clutched his throat, "Io avere grande assetato" (I have great thirst) and the old women laughed and opened the bin on the cart, reached in and pulled up a handful of ice exclaiming, "bere e sua gremito," (drink and be filled). The two children begin to giggle as the boy thrust the bottle at Donny who tore off the cap and chugged half of it while the children and their grandmother (or whoever) watched on smiling.

Hearing Lesliea's voice, he turned as she bustled up, "I went through three drivers before I found one with air conditioning, and this guy's great. He speaks English and has a Mercedes. Get this honey, he looks at me and clicks his heels and says, "Air conditioning, no problem! I take a you to Palermo in a style, eh?" "He's waiting out there for us so let's go. I don't want to lose him. I don't think AC in cars is big around here." "Okay honey, just let me pay for my water," but turning back there was no sign of his new friends. No little boy, no children, no cart, and no old lady.

He jumped to his feet and looked up and down the terminal but there was no sign of them. They had just vanished. "Where did they go?" Les stood akimbo, and asked, "Who?" And he repeated himself, "Where did they freaken go?" "Who Donny?" "The water boy!" "What are you talking about?" He stood there perplexed peering up and down the terminal again, but there was no sign of them. Lesliea was beginning to think he was heat stroked... "Honey what water?..." Don replied, "I can't believe you didn't see them. I just bought this bottle of water from..." He looked down and the bottle he had just capped had vanished too. Sounding exasperated, Lesliea urged him, "Honey, we've got to get out there... the driver is waiting. Maybe they saw you were thirsty and gave you a gift. You know, Italian's are like that..." Looking very bewildered, she replied, "Maybe they did," but as they dragged their belongings out to the car, she turned repeatedly looking for them...