“I was supposed to go with you in the car next month. Why now? You know what happens when I fly.”
His mother stared at him. She smiled and reached for the handkerchief she always had tucked up her sleeve. Empty moments followed with no explanation as her spit infused handkerchief sought out and destroyed any grunge that dared to soil her son’s face. Mark squirmed, but stayed quiet.
“You’ll be fine Mark. ……. Now, I really have to go. I still have many tasks to finish before I can join you and your father in Tampa. You understand, don’t you?” She stroked his cheek and attempted an awkward hug. “Dad will be there to pick you up or I’ll kill him.”
She handed him a couple of barf bags, smoothed the hastily composed ID tag pinned to his suit lapel and rose to leave.
Mark was not convinced. His father was dependably unpredictable when it came to him. In that moment he wanted to rip that nametag off and run away as far as he could. He had twenty dollars. He could go far on twenty dollars.
Instead Mark sighed and resigned himself to his fate. He settled on the benches overlooking the tarmac. He still had an hour before the flight. He would watch all the busy airport workers and make up stories about them until it was time to board.
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Indies Unlimited - Flash Fiction writing Prompt - June 3, 2021
Due Thur, June 10 - 250 words
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