The story
you are about to hear is factual. The names have been changed to protect the
innocent~ I hope you can relate to this true tale.
I, Annie,
just returned from a trip out west. Fred stayed home and tended the fire. It
was a good time for Annie.
When I
first left Kansas, I was totally organized. The items in the suitcase were all
packed in little plastic bags; the shoes were in the side pockets; my book and
boarding passes were in my purse, and the keys to the car were in my make up
bag!
It was the trip
home that was THE trip to never forget.
It was on
the first flight back that I first missed them. Where were my car keys? I searched every
compartment in my purse. The guy next to me wondered what I was doing. I kept
picking up my purse and raking through it. No keys.
The man in
the next seat just stared straight ahead. But I could see his “wheels” turning!
He was thinking, “What kind of nut am I sitting next to?”
I remembered
I had put some of my make up bags in the suitcase some time during the travels.
But my luggage was checked, so I would have to wait to search the suitcase.
I also had
packed my light coat in my “checked” suitcase. Mistake number two.
We landed
in Denver. The “cold weather” shock was undeniable.
I hurried
to the other end of the terminal to connect with the flight from Denver to
Hays.
The gate
was located at the end of B terminal, downstairs. That area was freezing cold.
The passengers arriving from their smaller planes had to de-plane outside. There
was a constant cold draft coming in the doors. I had no coat, and no way to get
warm.
Passengers
waited in the padded chairs, wrapped in their winter coats. I hid next to the
Starbuck’s booth just around the corner, furtively watching the gate to see
when I could escape to the plane.
When we
landed at Hays, it was 10:15 p.m. We were the last flight. There was one employee
at the airport. Most of the passengers headed for their cars. The rest of us
waited for our checked bags. I was never so glad to see a suitcase! I dragged it
to the lounge and opened it to search for the dang keys.
I was
greeted with bags full of exploded make-up. What a mess. I searched through
those bags carefully, but found NO keys. However, I retrieved my coat from the
bag!
Now I was
faced with a choice.
Would I
stay at the dark, deserted airport and continue to search for the keys, or
would I catch a cab with the three remaining passengers outside. Even the crew
had left!
I made the
only decision I could. I would take the cab and stay overnight in a hotel in
Hays.
The van
driver told the three of us that the cost would be $15 EACH to take us to the
Hotel. He asked if we were all prepared to pay that. NOOOOO!!
Upon arriving at the hotel, I forked over the
$15 and at that point felt like someone being interrogated must feel after
sitting on a wooden chair under a harsh light bulb with water dripping on his
nose all night.
The clerk had
a room but said there were no floor level rooms left. Without checking the room
number, I grabbed the room keys and pulled the 45 pounds of suitcase up the
OUTSIDE metal stairs to the next level. I searched for my room. I then looked
at my key. She had indeed given me a floor level room. So I bumped de bump
bumped the suitcase down the metal stairs again. And it was freezing cold! I
didn’t care any more. I would have confessed to ANYTHING!
Of course, my room was on the very
end, and I couldn’t open the door. It
was late, freezing cold, and my nose was running. Another choice again. It was
either sit down in the cold and cry or pull the luggage, purse, and bag of
books and junk all the way back to the main desk to ask for help.
“Oh sometimes those keys don’t work
the first time. I’ll swipe again”! she responded.
Did I
finally get inside? Yes. But here’s the BEST
news. I found the car keys!
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