AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Once I’m in my seat and my luggage is stowed, I pull out my phone from my laptop bag to see Daniel's text.
Fiance: I’m proud of you. Just be safe and keep me in the loop about the weather.
Seeing his text resurges me with newfound courage to keep pushing through my fears.
Brynn: I will. I just boarded. I’ll talk to you soon.
I want to wait to put my phone on airplane mode until I get a last text from him but then the pilot comes over the speaker.
“Good afternoon, this is your pilot speaking. On behalf of our crew today, we want to thank you for flying with us. We have been advised that Cancun is shutting down its inbound and outbound flights due to the increased storm warning. We will likely be one of the last aircrafts making it in tonight. With that being said, please help the flight staff by stowing away all of your things and turning your cellphones to airplane mode so that we can get off the ground as quickly as possible. We don’t miss our window to land in Cancun. We are expecting a little turbulence once we get closer to our final destination, so please always be aware of the fasten seatbelt sign at all times. Thank you and we hope to make your flying experience with us as comfortable as possible.”
I do as the pilot says and turn my phone to airplane mode. Whatever Daniel's response is, it will have to wait until we touch down in Cancun.
Once I arrive, I’ll still have to get my rental car and drive another hour to the house.
Four and a half hours later and with half of it white knuckle turbulence, our aircraft finally lands safely on the ground.
The airport is packed with people everywhere I look. Babies are crying and people are building makeshift beds with their luggage as if preparing to sleep here all night.
The pilot mentioned that we would be the last flight allowed to land tonight and based on the way our aircraft rattled through the sky like a tin can being kicked down the street, I can see why the airport is shutting down flights in or out.
The moment I get my luggage, I head for the car rental desk. My heart sinks the second I see signs in front of every kiosk that says, “No Rentals Available”.
I look around only to find that not a single person is standing in at the customer's desk and all the lights are off behind the desks. All the employees must have left already.
“They gave away any car that was available because of the storm. If you had a reservation, you’d better call to get a refund.”
I look to find an airport security woman speaking over her shoulder at me as she walks past.
“Wait, they can just give my reservation away like that?” I huff.
“Have you seen it outside? Or even all the stranded passengers around the airport. It’s every man for himself tonight.”
How am I going to get to my rental house now?
“My rental house is an hour's drive from here? How am I supposed to get there without a rental car?” I ask quickly before she gets too far away.
“If I were you, I’d hurry out front and see if there are any taxis left willing to take you out that far. But I’d go now. Most everyone who can is headed home to get out of this storm.”
I don’t wait another second as I jog towards the glass double doors with my luggage in tow and out into the windy curbside of the terminal.
Frantically, I look for a taxi or rideshare of some sort. I’m relieved the moment I see a taxi van with its light still illuminated, showing that it’s vacant and taking fares.
I race up to the van as quickly as I can with my two bags wheeling behind me and my laptop bag, attempting to do everything in its power to trip me up, but I won’t be stopped.
“Can you take me here?” I ask, pushing my phone through his open window.
“That far, senorita?” he asks.
“Si, si. My rental car company gave away my reservation. I’ll pay whatever the fare is.”
I watch as he bends forward, attempting to look further into the dark night sky through his front windshield. Between the overcast clouds and the pouring rain, I can’t imagine he can see much, but it's obvious from the look on his face that he’s concerned about taking me that far in this weather.
He nods reluctantly and then turns to open his car door quickly, racing around the van to help me put my things in the back of his van.
“We need to hurry. I need to get home to my family,” he says.
I’m sure he did the quick math in his head and the amount of money for this fare isn’t something he could pass up.
