The Airport Delay

Maria arrives at the airport early for her flight. She checks in her bag and walks to the gate. She looks at the screen and sees bad news. She wants to make sure she does not miss her flight.

Her flight is delayed. The screen says the new time is two hours later. Maria sighs and sits down on a hard plastic chair near the gate. She feels a bit annoyed about losing two extra hours of her day.

Next to her, a man reads a newspaper. He looks up and says, "Delayed too?" Maria nods and says, "Yes, two hours. That's a long time." At first, David is just a stranger sitting nearby, but he seems friendly.

The man's name is David. He is also waiting for a delayed flight. They start talking about their trips. David is going to visit his sister. He seems relaxed about the delay and does not appear worried at all.

Maria is traveling for a work meeting. She tells David about her job. David tells her funny stories about his last vacation. Maria finds herself enjoying the unexpected conversation more than she expected.

After thirty minutes, David opens his bag. He has a packet of cookies. "Would you like one?" he asks. Maria says yes, and they share the cookies. The cookies taste sweet, and they both enjoy the small treat.

Maria has a bottle of juice. She gives some to David too. They laugh and talk about their favorite places to travel. Time passes quickly. They discover they both love mountains and small seaside towns.

Finally, the airline announces that Maria's flight is ready. She stands up and smiles at David. "Thank you for the nice conversation," she says. "Have a safe flight!" replies David. Maria gathers her bag and prepares to walk toward the gate.

Maria walks to the plane. The two hours did not feel long at all. She thinks about David's stories and smiles during the whole flight. She feels grateful for the pleasant and unexpected company.