Monday, August 6, 2012

It All Started With A Note...

On the kitchen counter asking her, “Please remember to go to the bank.” When had she forgotten to do anything?

Her frustration goes back quite a ways but not so far that she’s forgotten how happy she was not too long ago. She didn’t feel trapped by her life but devoid of choices. She only made those best for everyone. Everyone else.

Standing before him requesting a $10,000 cashier’s check, the teller failed to ask for identification. They knew her but usually did anyway. Instead of scolding the young man, she filed the information away.

Accompanying him to their security deposit box for the deed to the house, she grabbed it and her passport.

From that point forward, the decision had been made, in her mind. And a very short time spent on the phone determined which flight and when.

A word was never said to anyone (not true, except to her) although she had mentioned it in passing to him just one time before. She’d leave a note saying “Please don’t worry”.

A small bag was all she needed to grab when the taxi pulled into the driveway. It was the beginning of “her” life again for as short as that would be.

Pulling up curbside to the International Terminal, she sat frozen for what seemed like an hour until “Joe” startled her saying, “Mrs. F.?”

Next thing she really recalled was the family sitting down for dinner at 6:00 just as they always did. The only evidence, of anything, was her ripped up note deep in the bottom of a trashcan in the garage.

Calling her at dusk after the dishes, “Meet me in the street.” Where they always did.

The first words out of her friend’s mouth were, “You couldn’t do it.”

“Come with me.", she said.

“Where?”

“Paris.”

“I hate Paris.”

“Spain. But on the water.”

“Spain is perfect.”

Ten days later, they were sipping Rojo at a table in the Barri Gotic district of Barcelona.

Comfortably silent, happy, alone in their thoughts.

27 comments:

jamie said...

Wow! Truly engaging...

Anonymous said...

compelling story. Joe was her friend who wenty to spain with her right? or maybe not. good one.

lumdog2012 said...

Nice story. I'm glad she got away. Won't the person she left behind be worried?

Gina said...

She's glad she got away. She needed it badly. The person she left behind knew about this second trip and gave his blessing (he never knew about the first, aborted trip).

Gina said...

Nope! Joe was her taxi driver (always takes them to the airport so he knows her). That first trip, she was going solo. Caroline, her neighbor went with her to Spain.

MOV said...

Fun story! I guess there is a little bit of the escapist in all of us...........

best,
MOV

Gina said...

Thanks, MOV! I suppose there is. At one time or another.

Anonymous said...

A nice little vacation to Spain with this story. I love the last line! :D

Gina said...

She and her best girlfriend had a lovely time, no doubt, traveling up and down the coast of Spain. Love when you can have a comfortable silence with someone.

Faith Cohen said...

Leaves a lot for interpretation, which I love. I think anyone who has lived long enough can relate to this in some fashion.

Gina said...

Yes, that's what I thought...could have one a few ways.I certainly can relate to this ;-)

Thanks for visiting.

Anonymous said...

Very nice. Mine also involved 'escapism'.

Gina said...

Ooooh! I'm coming over right now to read it. I love to escape in a variety of forms. Thanks!

Whispering Thoughts said...

Nice response. bankable friend :)

Gina said...

Thanks, BA! Let me know how much you need. Apparently it's quite easy for me to get hooked up with more than a few C-Notes.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad she ended up on a trip finally. Sometimes we all need to get away. It may not be Spain, but a solo trip to the grocery store helps sometimes :)

Gina said...

I agree. Sometimes just walkingthe mall mindlessly does the trick. But sometimes you need to get a little bit further away and spread your cramped wings.

Jester Queen said...

I like her neighbor's name, and I LOVE that she wasn't running away from her life. (And I'm SO glad she was escaping for a little while.)

Gina said...

Of course you do :-)

She wasn't running from anything but looking for herself and knew how to find her. And escaping for even a moment, whether it's a trip or inside the pages of a book, is something I need sometimes, too.

dontpanic2011 said...

I have to admit - I was kinda cheering for her to go on that first trip. I am glad she went on the second. She seemed to need it and I can relate to that some days!

Tessa said...

I see we all had our own interpretations of the story. :-) Good job!

Gina said...

I was cheering for her to do that solo trip, too! She was going to Rome, her favorite city. She had been through some difficult family things that summer so she needed some time, or so the story goes.

Gina said...

That's what I love about the writing challenges. Everyone does something different! Thanks!

Trifecta said...

Ahhhh, escape! The idea of taking off to a foreign place and being alone with one's thoughts certainly is tempting, isn't it? Nice job with the prompt!

Gina said...

One of these days! Thanks.

Annabelle said...

There are people who hate Paris?? I love how much background of frustration this suggests.

Gina said...

Daily life can be frustrating and routine and monotonous. That's okay with me most of the time. But sometimes, you just have to get out of dodge to refresh and recharge!