About those cookies

About those cookies…

Phwew! The woman was finally able to sit down and collect herself before her flight was to board. What a trip. The only parking place was out at the far edge of the parking lot, the shuttle bus ride seemed to take forever and security rummaged all through her suitcase. She wondered if she would even make it to the gate in time to board, but finally, here she was sitting down and planning her next steps.

Now, where was that bottle of water, check, and the gossipy magazine, check. Oh, and the bag of cookies, good. Brushing the hair from her eyes, she reached to get a cookie and was quite surprised that a young man sitting a chair over was reaching into the cookie bag at the same time. What was he doing!

She looked into his face with a slight glower on her own and was amazed to see him smiling at her as he popped the cookie into his mouth. What nerve! She grabbed a cookie and did the same, then pretended to be interested in reading her magazine. It was impossible not to notice that the man ate another cookie and then yet another.

The woman started eating faster, determined not to let him have more than she did. But eventually, there was only one little cookie left and he picked it up, smiling as he offered it to her. With absolutely no grace, she snatched it from him and glared at his smiling face, popping it into her mouth as she heard the gate agent announce that it was time to board her flight.

Her thoughts were a jumble as she angrily gathered her things, then with a backward glance at the offending person, the woman shuffled off to the boarding line. The entire incident was difficult for her to shake. The long hot jet way provided ample time for the woman to mull each tiny detail and at last she found and settled into her assigned seat.

Now, she thought to herself, she could start over, calm down and enjoy the flight. Again, the mental check, here is the bottle of water, here is the magazine and… wait a second! What is that? At the bottom of her tote she saw what looked like, oh no! It is! It was a new, unopened bag of cookies!

Now how…?! Oh, no. It was her bag of cookies! This could only mean that the cookies she was eating in the gate waiting area were not!! Her face grew hot as her conscience beat on her recent, crystal clear memory of each tiny detail, each glare she’d cast at the young man, each ugly thought against his character. Oh, how to make this right... what terrible discomfort… so painfully disappointed in her behavior, and the plane powered off the tarmac and was gone.