Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fast.
☼ ☼ ☼
Even by tropical standards it was a doozy.
Vast sheets of water plummeted down from the heavens and pounded the airport roof.
The lights flickered. The jerry-built structure trembled and groaned.
Our scheduled departure time came and went and no one said a word. In fact it wasn't
entirely clear if anyone working at the airport had even noticed the apocalyptic deluge
wreaking havoc just outside the door.
Michael decided to find out. A bored-looking employee greeted him with a grunt at the
airline's shabby desk.
“Any word on the two forty-five to Vieques?” Michael asked.
The man glanced at his watch.
“It's delayed.” he said, with no obvious trace of irony.
Thanks for the update.
“Any idea when it might leave?” Michael continued, determined to wring a few drops
of blood from this human turnip.
The man swiveled in his chair and looked through the window towards the howling
storm.
“Soon,” he said. “Or tomorrow.”
And with that he turned back to his computer.
“Oh God, we might have to spend the night in San Juan,” Michael moaned as he re-
turned to his seat beside me.
“No, we won't,” said a red-haired woman sitting across from us. “I've been flying back
and forth from this airport for fifteen years and unless the propeller falls off—and I mean
that literally—we'll fly.”
I wasn't sure if this was comforting or not. Yes, I was anxious to get to Vieques, but
an overnight stay in San Juan seemed a small price to pay when the alternative was fiery
death.
As I was pondering our not-so-appealing options, the snack counter proprietor reap-
peared and removed the padlock from the door of his humble establishment. I darted inside
like a shot.
“Do you have any liquor?” I panted.
“No,” he replied, just as my eye settled on a dusty bottle of Beefeater's gin on the back
counter.
“I'll give you $10 for a short one,” I hazarded, slipping a crisp note across the counter.
Grudgingly he poured a miniscule drop of gin into a plastic cup. I nudged the bill back
towards my side of the counter.
“
Màs, por favor
.” (More please.)
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