Keys of Life

Chapter Thirteen: Autumn

Chapter Thirteen: Autumn

   The airport was filled with people; everywhere I turned a queue or baggage chart appeared as if out of thin air. The writhing mass jostled and shoved, stampeding for the gates as soon as an announcement blared over the speakers. I was struggling against the tide that had suddenly swept me out to sea, swimming through a wave of people. Eventually, I managed to surface at the check-in desk, confronted by a painfully tight smile and words spoken through gritted teeth.

   I went through the motions of going through security, my eye lids heavy and half-closed, the energy needed to even appear fully awake too much. I'd had three hours sleep.

   I finally reached the departure gate, my only thought a prayer for a smooth flight and a comfortable seat. I was jetting off to the Caribbean island of Tenerife, not much more than a smudge of yellow on the smooth blue of the sea. More importantly than its size, it boasted the virtues of sun, sea and sand, as well as sprawling commercial hotels. All I could do for the moment, though, was stand waiting to get onto the metal bird that would take me from earth to the skies, only a stone's throw away from the great expanse of space.

   There was something magical about the design of an aeroplane. The giant crafted wings shooting out from the main body, gliding into the clouds like a swan into water. The flashing lights at the tip of the tail created a pulsing bubble of red that flickered from afar, a tiny beacon of scarlet. The pointed beak at the front tapered to a rounded tip, somehow maintaining its finesse in spite of the sheer size. The most incredible thing about it though, wasn't the metal cage for people and engines, or the speed, but the fact that someone had come up with the idea of how to fly. In a time when being airborne it was as impossible as walking on the moon, someone managed to dream of the merest possibility of being able to fly above the clouds and started the process of creating the technology, coming up with a primitive airplane.        

   The rest of the wait passed in a daze. I barely noticed the roar of other passengers, or even boarding the plane. The last thing I remembered was the hard seat underneath me as I got onto the aircraft several hours later, and the metallic buzz of announcements coming over the speakers.

***

   I woke up to yet another declaration from the pilot, proclaiming that something was happening. Thankfully, this one was stated that we would land in approximately five minutes.

   I stretched; the air stale and stuffy. I could barely remember the last time I'd been on holiday, only that I had been contemplating university and alcohol. I had been eighteen, desperate to prove how grown-up I was with my very own trip abroad. I felt ancient now, older than the most elderly of passengers on the plane. When had I become so middle aged and sober? A little voice in my head whispered that it just might have been around the time my boyfriend died. It was only a suggestion.

   I stepped off the plane, my lungs filling with a scent of warmth and a salty tang from the nearby sea. The setting sun stretched across the horizon, turning the normal shades into a multitude of deep blues and majestic purples, burnt oranges and fiery reds. The scoop of lazy, liquid heat in the hazy distance held on to the day as if there would never be another one, as if it was savouring its last few moments of existence. This is what the Caribbean could offer. Not the meagre pleasures of booze and bronzed skin, but the endless sense of eternity, of having possibilities laid at your feet, a red carpet of dreams. Nothing seemed too wild, except the truth that it wouldn't last forever, the thought that eventually you would be on your way home. 

   After taking a taxi to the hotel, I almost gasped when I saw it. It-the hotel. The last few drops of sun sparkled on the clear glass, the ocean breathtakingly visible in the distance. The paved pathway led my feet to the double doors, my head nodding of its own accord at the black suit and tie of the security men. The lobby was exquisitely presented, looking as if someone had spent a million dollars just so they could bring this sense of exultation to one person on an island. I giggled, a small bubble of laughter and mirth escaping from my lips. I was living only in the present, escaping thoughts of tomorrow or yesterday, running from a persisting sense of responsibility. I didn't have a husband, or even a boyfriend, or a house in the suburbs with a dog. I had two weeks of forever.

***

   I woke up to the feel of cool sheets and warm air, and that crisp scent of freshly cleaned hotel rooms. I stretched, curling my toes with a sigh of contentment. The sun lazily lapped at my face, the glass of the French doors allowing the iridescent drops of light yellow to slink through the light blinds. Everything was a blend of cream, brown and gold, the colours of holidays and lazy Sundays. Little particles of dust swirled sluggishly around the room, illuminated by the brightness.

   I slowly slipped out from beneath the covers, my breath quietly parting my lips as my hand flew to my mouth. Ireland seemed so deliciously far away. Grabbing my wash-bag from the top of my open suitcase, I scampered into the bathroom, eager to be on my way despite the serenity in the room. My hair was still damp from my shower when I closed the door, throwing my key into the little shoulder bag I had brought with me.

   Breakfast was an exercise in exquisite tastes and mouth-watering aromas, the simplest of food tantalising to the tongue. Reminding myself that everything would be here when I got back, I nearly ran to the pool, my skin soaking up the rays of sun that lightly brushed my skin. I eased out of my dress, revealing my bikini with a rolling shrug. I wandered towards the bar, picking up a slush-puppy. The coloured ice slapping merrily against the sides, trickles of condensation touching my hand with a sharp stroke.

   Eventually I gravitated towards the sun lounger I had dumped my stuff on, my hands brushing the warm plastic. The rich scent of sun cream lingered in a haze around me. Stretching out; one thought crossed my mind, just like it had millions of other people who had found themselves in the company of sun, sea and sand.

This is the life.