A Bench And A Three Stripes Shoes

“Hi” …
“Allo” she said, with a French accent.
“Mind if I sit here?”
“No, go ahead” she said blowing her smoke.
We were both in a smoking section of an airport waiting for our flights. I noticed her shoes, nice Adidas. A pair of simple black shoes with three white stripes which she worn over ankle socks.

“Where are you flying to?” I tried to make small conversation as I lighted my cigarette.
“Back home to France” she said. “And you?”
“Kuala Lumpur” I said.
“Ah, we should be on the same flight, my flight stop over in Kuala Lumpur” she continued.
“Nice shoes, where did you get it?”
“In France” she replied shortly.
“Cool shoes, what series is that?” I continued asking her about the shoes.
“I really don’t know” she replied kind of apologetically.
“They look really nice, I like them” I said.
“Merci” she said with a smile.

It’s a simple conversation taken place while sharing a smoke on a bench waiting for a late night international flight. Neither one of us is likely to feel any kind of intimacy from that kind of an experience. It was an exchange between a genuine interest over a pair of sporty Adidas and a return of information which was not really helpful but at least was honest answers.

But what if the swing of event were different? What if faith has it that I was also flying to France instead of just getting off in Kuala Lumpur? The sharing of a bench could extend into a sharing of a long flight.

“So, what will you be doing in France?” she asked.
“Working, I come to see some shots of food ingredients for a TV commercial” said I.
“Hmm, that sounds like an interesting commercial. You work in advertising? She asked again.
“You look good in those shoes” I complemented her as I nodded my head to answer her last question.
“Me too, I work in a marketing field also, but mostly digital. I design web….. you really like these shoes?” she said as she lifted both her legs a little. I nodded my head again. She smiled and said "yes, they are actually my fave shoes too"
“Yes, its so you. So? I mean you work in digital marketing? I used to be involved in that too” I told her.
“What’s so me… my work?” she asked.
“No, the shoes” I said.
She laughed and said ”and just how would you know that, Mr. Ad Man?”.
I laughed too and shrugged my shoulders. “I have no idea why I said that. Just a silly hunch, I get them sometimes”. I said as I rose from the bench.
“We still have a long wait for our flight” I looked at my watch.
“Yes, it will still be for awhile, are you going in?” she asked me.
“No, I want to get some coffee, you want one?” I said.
“I would love some” she said.“Black?” I asked again.
“That’s another good hunch, yes. Thank you” she said.
“Be right back, then”. I walked towards a standing bar that still open along side a row of closed Duty Free Shops.

The cigarette has long gone but the conversation lingers on. This could be just another simple conversation over a mutual admiration over a pair of shoes between two people who happens to be involved in similar works. That and the coffee that would follow could create an innocent intimacy or at least comfort over the dreading wait for the two late night travelers.

“Here’s your coffee” I handed her a closely lid cup of coffee.
“and by the way, I’m Shai…Shai Bastara” I introduce myself.
“Merci, I’m Patna Jane” she said as she took the coffee and shakes my hand.
“Cool initial…PJ. Can I call you PJ?” I said grinning.
“PJ it is…and you’re Shai, right?” she grins back at me.
“Sometimes in some situation but right now I’m not shy with you” I winked as I sip my coffee. She laughed at the slipped of the tongue to my name.
“your coffee okay PJ?”
“you know what Shai, these shoes would look nice on you too….yes the coffee is fine. Funny, I am thinking a nice cold beer would also be good now”“I think they come in men’s sizes too, don’t they?
"cold beer definitely is good idea. We should've bought that instead of coffee” I said.
“maybe we’ll have one on board later?” she said.
“where are you sitting PJ?”
“should be around the second or third row…..I always like to seat as close to the front as I can” she explained.
“I’m around there too I think”. I remembered I asked for a front seat too when checking in tonight. I started to look at my boarding pass and the little sticker that says 7 C. An aisle seat.
“I think I’m going to get one too” I said as I showed her my boarding pass.
“what Shai? the beer?” she looks at my boarding pass and waves hers that has 6 D on it.
“ no PJ, the shoes…I have this funny feeling that I’m going to get one too”.
“yes get one, that way we’ll then have something in common” she said.
“that would be nice, wouldn’t it? I mumbled to myself not really knowing what I’m saying.

The boarding announcement came over the speakers. “That’s us Shai…let’s go”. We walked towards the gate with me helping her carry one of her bags. We stand on line with the other passengers entering the cabin. Our seat turns out to be one row apart on opposite side of the plane. It wasn’t a very full plane as we both have no one sitting next to us.

“hey you ” I came over to her seat after the seatbelt sign is off.
“hey you too” she look up from her seat.
“can I sit here with you?”
“yes I would love the company” she said.
” it’s going to be a long journey, isn’t it?” she said again as I sit next to her.
“Pfffff, very long PJ….maybe it would feel shorter if we both share some cold beers”
“yes let’s ask for some, Shai”

The pretty dyed blonde stewardess with dark sharp eyes typical of women from the Arabic Peninsula brought us two cold Heinekens.

“here’s to PJ and her nice Adidas” I toast to her.
“here’s to sharing our long journey together, Shai. And a safe flight”
”yes a safe flight PJ”“nothing can be predictable but yes Shai, a safe flight where everyone including you will arrive safely at your destination “
“you have a good heart PJ”
"Cheers" We both said it at the same time.

We talked about work and discussed some of the movies featured during the flight. Dinner was served and we had some more Heinekens afterwards. The cabin light is turned low and most of the passengers are asleep. I am reading my book while PJ is busy doing some sketches for a web layout.

“you want a blanket PJ?”
“yes, it’s getting a bit chilly”
“Yes I know. Here’s your blanket”
“I’m going to get some sleep Shai. You?”
“Maybe read a few more pages. Go ahead, I catch up later”
“Okay, be here when I wake up?” she grinned at me
“Yup, with another cold beer for you” I grinned back at her.
“ mmm….you have a good heart, Shai. See you later”

The plane is high above the Atlantic flying through dark night. It is a long journey to Paris with a stop over in Kuala Lumpur and Dubai. Sharing a journey could add more burdens with the excess luggage of your companion or for having to attend some silly needs for blanket or additional cold beers. Probably even an unintentionally slip of tongue on some wrong hunches which might cause minor irritation.

But the comfort of it all and the sharing of common interest between traveling partner beat the hell out of all that burdens. Especially if we are taking a long journey of life with its unknown destination. All we have is the sharing of something in common and faith in our traveling partner.

An open heart is a good heart…….it dances and travels.

Image taken by Yoodi