Just one of those things

Sara sat in her perforated steel chair and read Vogue. This in Macau where she had gone with office colleagues for a weekend of reward and celebrate and felt very exhausted. After all, it was not easy listening to elaborate presentations through the day and dressing up every evening for a fiesta that continued till the wee hours. But she had to be there till the party lasted; did not want to miss out on anything. She yawned.

Sara’s wide yawn was interrupted by a face thrust so close to hers that had her yawn been even a millimeter wider she could have swallowed it. “Hello” said the face, “remember me?”

Sara- “Well…… no….. not really? Have we met before?”  Aside, of course she didn’t even want to know.  

She was kind of getting back her composure waiting for her flight to be announced.

The face took on the perfect camera look  of a very fashionably dressed, fully made up girl, seemed same age as Sara, but very comfortable with her surroundings. She giggled at the slightest provocation and just didn’t care about who was watching her. “I am Gina”, she said, laughing with her mascaraed eyes and deep pink lips. “Now do you remember? We met when our moms were doing social work for the flood hit population and they needed extra hands so we had chipped in?

Sara- “ yeah, ok….. so how have you been?

Gina- “ good…. Real good. Have started working and  am loving it. What have you been doing? What brings you to Macau? Of course, how stupid of me to ask- we all come to Macau to have fun! Right?

Sara- “ Yes, I guess so..”

Gina- “ so where all did you go and what all did you do? Oh, look who’s here. Hey Kevin, good to see you! Imagine, meeting you here of all places! We stay in the same town but never seem to find time! And meet Sara, my friend – am meeting her after 5 yrs.

Kevin- “Ginaaaa!!!!! What a coincidence! Holidaying, I see. Lovely meeting you here. Wish I had known - we could have spent some time together. And of course, I know Sara the snob….we work together and are here for an official  jamboree.” He smiled good naturedly.

Gina-“ Snob? Why?” She caught Sara looking self conscious and tried to change tack. Just then the otherwise silent airport came alive with a burst of ‘ting ting’ and all ears were ears then.  

The PA system was desperately asking all pax to evacuate the terminal because someone had reported a bomb planted on the premise. There was bedlam. Sara was nervous. Gina was blabbering incoherently or so it seemed initially. Sara could only understand that they had to go back into town, away from the airport. Panic gripped her and she started feeling dizzy- in the far distance she could now hear Gina translating to all pax who could not understand English or the local language used for the announcement. She was collecting a group around her and then leading them to safety. Buses were plying carrying travellers to safety.

Sara was surprised to find herself uninterested…. “What the hell? Will anything ever excite me?”

Someone pushed her aside to reach Gina. Kevin was likewise busy. Her other colleagues were not to be seen- maybe already safe somewhere. Someone screamed and cursed. Someone’s baby was crying continuously. Sara walked around aimlessly, wondering how to make herself useful. She regretted her cocoon and badly wanted to reach out to the milling crowd. But her self imposed shell made her reluctant. Her fear of being misunderstood was bigger than her fear of death or her urge to help someone.

Prolly born out of schooling which often divided the right and the wrong into such watertight compartments that it took a lifetime to find a middle path that could take care of the emergent situations all through life. Life was not always black and white; and to be successful one could not stand there without reaching out…. And improvising…. And managing…. And winning.

“Gina! “ she called out tentatively and Gina instantly turned to her, arms wide open… “hey what are you doing there just hanging around? We need you here- come on Sara  help us out.”