C'est La Vie....

“Nice car!”, Jennifer exclaimed. They were on their way to the airport and her first comment made Michael turn and look at her with a smile. All the while he was wondering as to whether he should break the ice, but he knew that a 15 minute journey wasn’t enough. His heart though was conveying other plans to his mind.

He suddenly realized that he hadn’t spoken a word since she’d got into his car and knew that she’d find it weird. She would soon start asking questions. He didn’t want that.

“Jennifer, mail me once you reach there, okay.”, he couldn’t believe that he had a tongue after all.
“I will Michael – and, you too,…..”, she said. She glanced at him and then looked out of the window.

Michael could feel a lump in his throat. “Oh God!”, he thought, “Why can’t you do something?? 5 more minutes and she’s gone from my world, my life…..”

The sudden screeching of tyres startled him. He saw that a limo ahead of his car had applied brakes and reacted instantly.

The traffic had suddenly come to a grinding halt. There was some commotion up front and he could sense the confusion sitting in his car. Other car and vehicle drivers were getting out of their automobiles. Horns blared as some people started getting impatient.

“What has happened Michael?”, Jennifer was concerned.
“I dunno.”, Michael said as he opened his seat belt and started to open the car door. “Jennifer just wait in the car, will you?”

He proceeded and paced towards a group of men who looked like truck drivers. He heard some sirens as cop vehicles rushed past them in another lane.

“Excuse me guys, can I know what is this confusion all about….?”, he asked one of them. An old man was quick to answer.

“Hey Junior, can’t go up – it looks like a truck broke its axle, reeled diagonally and now the 30 meter monster is lying across 3 lanes and it’ll take at least an hour to tow the thing away….so, we’re stuck here for worse.”

“Jesus Christ!!!”, Michael couldn’t believe it.
“…That’s a nice day, eh boy?”, the man laughed as he turned back to the gang.

Jennifer listened expressionless as Michael explained the whole situation to her. Michael could feel a candle of hope being lighted in his heart as he recounted that her getting to the airport in all this mess was almost practically impossible.

“I can’t reroute Jenny – it’s not possible. See you’ve got to understand this okay – the subway is 20 kilometers from the bypass to the airport – even if we make it through the traffic, it’s gonna take more than 15 minutes….Sorry Jenny….I’m really sorry but I can’t do anything about it…so…”

“We are not going to make it!!”, Jennifer interrupted him. She was still blank as ever.

“We are not going to make it….even if we take a hike. All right….I can understand…All right then….”, Jennifer said assertively as she reached out for her cell phone.

She proceeded to dial a number as Michael watched with bated breath.

“Hello….yeah…could you please cancel the ticket for Jennifer Mason Biggs scheduled….yeah…and reserve a ticket for tomorrow, same time…yeah…yeah…thank you.”

Jennifer looked at Michael standing absolutely motionless.

“What…..?”, she asked him.

Michael answered with a smile.