Grounded

(J is for jowly, jasmine, and jiffy) – 439 words


Rena Todd checked her watch and pulled the strap of her carry-on bag higher onto her shoulder. Any minute now, the gate attendant would signal that she was on the next flight. She yawned. Her body ached from spending the night stretched out on an airport bench, her makeshift bed after the flight out of Salt Lake City was canceled because of a surprise snowfall.
“Excuse me, please.” A jowly woman pushed her way in front of Rena and planted herself at the counter. “I was told you have an extra seat on the nine-fifty to Denver.”
Exasperated, Rena quickly moved up beside the woman. “Look, I’ve been waiting standby all night for that flight. I’ve been stranded here since six o’clock yesterday. They told me there was one empty seat, and it’s mine.”
The woman frowned and shook her head. “No, no. They said they would plug in my name for that seat. I need to get home.” Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her chunky necklace and bracelets seemed to weigh her down.
The young man behind the counter nodded affably, calmly. “Ladies, let’s all take a deep breath and relax, and let me see where we stand. I’ll have the answer in a jiffy.” He studied his monitor, typing quickly.
Rena, on another day, would have walked away without a fight, but fifteen hours trapped at the airport and too much Starbucks coffee had left her cranky and mulish. “I don’t care where we ‘stand,’” she said. “You promised me that seat, and I’m holding you to it.”
He sighed, still looking at his screen. “The news isn’t good. We have exactly one empty seat on that flight. And on the twelve-fifty, only one. If you want to wait for the five-fifty tonight, I can guarantee you both a seat.”
“Jasmine, Jasmine Peabody is my name,” Rena’s seat rival said. “Please put me on this next flight.” She grabbed at Rena’s hand. “You’re a young thing. Let an old lady have first dibs.”
Rena shook her off. “You’re not so old,” she said. “And I’m not so young.”
With a flourish, the attendant held up a quarter. “Coin toss,” he said. “Heads for you, Miss Peabody; tails for you, Miss Todd.” He pitched the quarter up in the air, caught it, and slapped it on the counter. “Tails.” He paused. “It’s settled then. Miss Todd is on the flight.”
Jasmine sagged against the counter for a moment, then straightened up and turned away, avoiding Rena’s eye.
“Wait.” Rena reached out and touched the woman’s shoulder. The victory, the one she had wanted so badly, now seemed trivial.