In Which Our Ringmaster Waits

Sitting at a table at the Tri-Cities Airport. Giving Lynn a ride home.

This Blackberry IS pretty handy...

The place seems pretty deserted at 10pm on a Wednesday.

When I arrived, a middle-aged couple were standing with some younger folks. The lady carried a stuffed bear and the man held a half dozen Kroger-quality roses. They looked excited and expectant as people began to emerge from the ramp, then, once the crowd slowed to a trickle they began to look less happy and more frustrated that their passengers had not yet emerged.

What began as a happy posed greeting finally, in the span of 10 minutes became foot-tapping "where are they?". The older man checked the arrival time again, carrying the roses upside down like a newspaper. The lady crushed the bear under her arm as she asked someone about the delay. They met back at the site of their practiced greeting, puzzled, irritated, roses and bear an afterthought, useless now. Sour expressions all around.

That is the pose they held when the passengers they had been waiting for entered the terminal.

I wish I'd had a camera. In a moment, they went from confused to foolish, then the foolishness melted away like the fog before the sunny day.

They hugged, squeeled in delight, patted backs and began their local journey. The roses and the stuffed bear were big hits!