A Random Memory

Some years ago, when I still lived in England, I flew over to San Francisco to visit a friend for a few days.  I went from Heathrow to SF on one of those ten-hour jaunts that are only bearable if you have an aisle seat and are situated nowhere near any small children.

As it happened, even though we boarded on time, the flight was slightly delayed.  They made a cabin announcement after we had all settled down and strapped ourselves in.  I wasn’t too surprised, and went back to my newspaper, but the passenger next to me, a very pretty blonde lady in her early twenties, said something in a foreign accent about there always being delays.  I agreed with her that, yes, air journeys always do seem to be delayed.  She went on to tell me that she was from Denmark and had just flown in from Copenhagen to Heathrow earlier that day and that that flight too had been delayed.

The thing was, though – and this is what makes it stick in my memory – is that she told me that her Danish boyfriend was an exchange student at Berkeley, where he was spending a year, and that she was flying out to see him as a surprise.  As a surprise!  In other words, he had no idea she was on her way.  I wanted to say: No, that’s a bad move!  Go home and wait till the year is over and he comes home and then pick up from where you left off.  Of course I didn’t.  I nodded and said something like How very nice.   But ever since then I have wondered how he reacted when she showed up at his door. And how she reacted when she found out, as I am positive she did, about his American girlfriend.  It is a dead certainty that the boyfriend had found someone to keep him company during his long year away from home.  It is a fact of  life that activities at home and abroad seldom bear any relation to each other and should always be kept separate. 

For a few moments I considered giving her the phone number of where I was staying, and telling her that if things didn’t go exactly the way she was hoping, to give me a call, but I could tell from her beatific smile that she would not have known what I was talking about, and I had no wish to rain on her parade even though I was sure that in just over ten hours it was about to get soaked. 
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Comments

[Wylie Kinson]

For her sake, I hope it worked out, but I'm afraid I agree with your instincts.

[feefifoto]

What a sad and poignant story. I suppose you were right -- it just seems inevitable.

[J]

How very pessimistic of you. Hope you were wrong. And if you were right, then I'm sure she found someone to comfort her quite quickly. ;)

[Carol]

Nick! Write the book. It's a great beginning to a story.

"But ever since then I have wondered how he reacted when she showed up at his door."

Write the book.

[Emma]

So Dad, are you insinuating with the comment 'It is a fact of life that activities at home and abroad seldom bear any relation to each other and should always be kept separate.' that it's ok to cheat, as long as you're in different post codes??

I hope you were wrong with your pessimistic view and then when she showed up at his door, he swept her up in his arms and showered her with kisses. Maybe that's just the romantic in me!