| Winter Dreamby Joy FilipovicGetting stuck up in the middle of a snowstorm in Europe was the last thing I had never expected. It was one Saturday in January 2007, when I was sent to Madrid by the company where I worked to close a deal with a top listed client based in Europe. I was so eager to rush back to Phoenix from Madrid Airport when unfortunately, a snowstorm hit Spain. It was all over CNN that all flights were cancelled due to this unexpected winter disaster.
Barajas Airport in Madrid was full of anxious and fidgety passengers waiting patiently for 11 pm flight back to the US. The long dreadful wait to go back to work to announce this unprecedented breakthrough that I had just nailed right on the head was killing me.
“I really can’t wait. My promotion depends on this deal. Gosh, I really want to go home now. Everybody here in Barajas Airport seems to be agitated and nervous. Gee, how could these Europeans live with the after effects of drinking espresso 5 times a day? They all easily get charged up and high strung especially when flights are suddenly cancelled. Thanks to daily dose of espresso for this extra kick of adrenalin.
Everywhere I look, I see panic stricken passengers walking back and forth at different airport gates like colony of ants finding their flights. Some are cursing, yelling and begging at ground flight attendants for the latest information about their flights. Oops wait, a light flashed on the flight board, flight 376 to Arizona cancelled. Damn! That’s my flight! Noooo way! I protested.
I nervously and frantically jostled among the people in the check- in- line to reach the ground attendant infront. I couldn’t believe that I just snapped at the poor lady when she said “I’m sorry mam, you will have to wait for further announcement. There‘s a snowstorm and inbound and outbound flights are suspended until further notice due to low visibility.” She nonchalantly explained.
What? Snow storm? I played deaf to what I ‘ve just heard. My flight is cancelled. What do I do now? I mumbled. Should I hit this lady with my one pair of boot or better yet, grab the coffee cup from the lady next to me and throw the coffee on her obnoxious face. Thank goodness, I didn’t do either. Staying in Madrid Airport overnight was much better than spending the night in jail for causing a commotion or for being mistaken for a terrorist. Ok I admit that I suddenly lost my cool and became worse than these high strung Europeans bustling nervously.
Ok I may have prejudged them too soon. Given how I acted infront of agitated crowd of stranded passengers, I was officially considered a fellow member of espresso anonymous, who needed a fix of double espresso in this kind of situation. I frustratingly thought.
Ok calm down I mumbled. Breathe slowly….inhale…exhale…this is just temporary until they figure out what to do. I consoled myself...
In dismay, I slumped myself on the chair across the ticket counter leaning my head against the wall fuming mad holding my plane ticket. A guy sitting on a chair next to me, looked cool and collected struck a conversation suddenly in English. “Excuse me, I’m sorry to disturb you. But are you also on flight 376?” he asked. I turned my head leaned on the wall to the right direction.
“ Why, are you also on the same flight? “ I asked back while looking at his beautiful blue eyes and well chiseled face.” “Yes, I guess, we both are stuck up here at the airport. I’m also rushing to go back home to Phoenix. Oh by the way, my name is Brock.” He proudly said like saying his name had the power to resume the flight back to the US.
He extended his hand as he introduced himself. With his charming smile, blue soulful eyes and well toned body- he looked like a dead ringer for Orlando Bloom. Didn’t they say that we should always find the good in bad situation? Uhmm this isn’t a bad idea. I thought.
Suddenly, my mind got distracted with my new found friend and who seemed to be a nice fellow and more likely my instant companion overnight at the airport. I forgot about the cancelled flight, snowstorm and the urgency to go back home to announce my newly closed deal with the company’s European partner.
“It’s Amberly here. I mean my name is Amberly” I proudly said. Brock and I exchanged casual pleasantries in the beginning. We talked about the coincidence of travelling to Spain for a business trip. We spent an hour and a half comparing notes about the interesting Spanish culture, food and bullfighting that I feigned was fun to watch. I nodded my head while he related the excitement of watching actual bullfights in the arena in a manner like he tells his best friend of his first bike ride. “It was amazing!” he beamingly said.
Ah –huh, nod, nod. Brock looked at his watch and glanced at the flight board to check if there were some changes. Disappointed, he uttered, “It did not look like we will be leaving in the next few hours.” Since I enjoyed every moment of our talk, his sense of humor, wit and not to mention his good looks can be rated as an A-lister at least in my standards. He again looked at the time. “I hope he would invite me for a cup of coffee.” I muttered. And thank God, he did!
While scouting for a non-crowded coffee shop, we talked some more. He was quite loquacious to reveal some personal information that he just broke up with his girlfriend of two years, his family in Phoenix, his work as a consultant of an IT company, his love for mountain climbing and his pet Australian Shepherd.
My turn came when I shared how I had been waiting for this possible promotion after this closed deal with Euromax Computer Company based in Spain. I told him about my circle of friends, my mom who drives me crazy for treating me like an 18 year old child; my retired father who spends most of his time fishing in Saguaro Lake, my penchant for blogging online and my new found hobby of designing exotic accessories. Other than that there was nothing much to say about my dating escapades that usually ended up with -I’ll -call -you don’t –call- me type of guys.
Of course I kept mum about my struggles with my search for Mr. Right- too much information could not be said with a total stranger. I thought. I have to keep a certain level of mystery. I mumbled.
We totally got engrossed with getting to know you stories that from Mirador coffee shop we stepped out and moved to El Matador Restaurant, one of the biggest restaurant at the airport.
He insisted that we go to dinner since the resumption of flight was not likely going to happen anytime soon. “hmm, instant date? I think I am getting to like this idea of being caught up in the middle of a snow storm.” I muttered. Who am I to complain about dating an Orlando Bloom look alike, after all, they say that when life gives you lemons, you might as well make lemonades, right?
Unconventional kind of date? Yes, but who cares! No matter how odd it may have appeared, it was still a date, you know. After three hours of seemingly endless exchange of stories and occasional blinking while my eyes were gazed at his well defined facial features, well toned body and admiring his mild manners, I felt that I was beginning to like him.
Oh what a sight to behold! And why was my female instinct telling me that it was not only me that got attracted to him, it looked like the feeling was mutual.
Was it because of his unobvious stare that I pretended I didn’t see? Or maybe, I was just giving a wrong meaning to his gaze on my tan complexion and brown eyes. I hoped it was not only my hormonal imbalance telling me that I was still saleable in the dating market.
But why did he appear like he was enjoying my company? Why all those questions about boyfriends or if I was dating someone? Aaah if anything else, at least I had got company while stranded in this torturous bitter snow storm. It was well worth it rather than spending the waiting time alone people watching before flight resumes.
A bottle of wine and scrumptious plates of lamb chops later, we decided to check if Continental Airlines have decided to resume our flight. The nearest flight schedule board flashed new schedule of flight 376. My eyes almost popped out when I saw a 6:00 am new flight schedule. I saw Brock’s astonished facial expression with his mouth gaped. Stupefied as I was, but it made me think “Hmmm, this means more time to be with Brock”. I reckoned. I suddenly caught myself having a mischievous smile on my face. Of course when Brock’s head turned to my direction, I immediately reverted back to the worrisome reaction.
We looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders and said “what can we do? Guess we just have to make the most out of this time.” he said. “I feigned that I didn’t like the idea of spending more time at the airport with Brock, but there was no choice left.
So, since it was impossible to go out of the airport to book in a hotel to lay our tired aching backs on decent beds- I mean in different rooms (at least for a start), So we figured that the most practical way not to miss our early morning flight was just to find a comfortable chairs located unobtrusively adjacent to gate no. 6 where we had to be queuing up early in the morning.
On the way to gate no. 6, we basked stopping by duty free shops. We checked out some books and magazines to keep us busy while passing time. I bought January edition of Vogue and he picked up Financial Times. It was half pass midnight, my legs were tired and a bit crampy to comb the next line up of duty free shops. So we decided to call it a night and headed up to gate 6’s array of waiting chairs.
Brock suggested finding a comfortable spot where we could literally spend the night together.
While seated next to each other, He loosened up his light blue printed necktie against a white shirt. Brock started to yawn and so did I. Yawning is a reflex that is contagious. I just remembered
I started flipping through the pages of Vogue to relax me a bit. And he skimmed through Financial Times front page news. I guess both our eyes became heavier and tired because of the day’s high tension. Without saying goodnight or see you tomorrow, I instantly dozed off. I was not sure if I did embarrass myself with my snoring- something that any woman wouldn’t like to admit even if she does. But one thing I was certain about was a tender touch of warm comforting arm wrapped around my shoulders and a soft fluffy jacket covering on top of me from the bitter winter coldness. It was a feeling that I had never ever felt before. With my eyes closed, I leaned my head on his left shoulder sleeping lightly; I could feel the rhythm of his heart beat. His manly scent of Gucci Por Homme assured me of a safe shield and protection that truly drifted me off to sleep.” If this is a dream, then I do not want to wake up,” I mumbled while asleep.
While leaned on his chest, I noticed the sound of heavy warm breaths that made looked up to take a glance at him until he reached down and suddenly placed a long warm kiss on my lips as his eyes gazed on mine. I got swayed with the passion of our long kisses like we were a newly wed couple waiting for our flight to our honeymoon destination. His firm muscle toned arms slowly moved from my shoulders caressed my tired back.
The soft comfort intimate feeling while asleep snuggled to Brock made me forget that we were once strangers that just met in Madrid Airport in the middle of a snowstorm. It felt like we were long lost soul mates that by some sheer serendipity crossed paths together. It was like a plot beautifully designed by someone up there. If someone had made a film out this unbelievable story, it would have been either“Sleepless in Seattle” or “Before Sunrise”, I groaned. My half- asleep- half- awake- state- of -mind imagined more romantic scenes between me and Brock until a loud amplified voice from a P.A. system announced “flight 376 to Phoenix, Arizona is now boarding.” The noise from people bustling towards gate 6 and the repeated announcements by the ground flight attendant suddenly startled me and served as a 6 am reveille.
Still dazed and confused with what was going on, I turned my head around to find Brock. I turned to the left side then to the right direction but I couldn’t see him nor couldn’t find the jacket that had given me comfort during the night-a proof that Brock was real and not just an imaginary dream. I stood up and fixed my disheveled hair, tidied up my semi-wrinkled shirt and took out a bottle of mineral water and swigged few gulps. I took my time before I joined the queue at gate 6 still hoping that Brock would suddenly surprise me with a cup of hot cappuccino. I waited on the line for 10 minutes more together with anxious passengers. My eyes carefully scanned both left and right side of gate 6- Still no Brock appeared.
Before I finally handed in my boarding pass to the flight attendant, I craned my neck and looked towards the center as far as I could like I lost a valuable personal item as important as my passport that I needed to find before the plane leaves. I hesitantly showed my boarding pass to the flight attendant and wanted to ask her if he has seen Brock by any chance who might have queued up earlier. “Huh? Brock who?” I was afraid that she might irritatingly ask, I thought. And what surname shall I say after the name Brock? I did not even get his family name, for the life of me! I grumbled.
I felt that hands were a little bit trembling out of nervousness. Little by little I was slowly convinced that Brock disappeared. But why? I was left with a faintest idea. More than his whereabouts, I was more afraid that the intimacy and sweet camaraderie we spent in last couple of hours were the beginning and the end of the shortest love story ever told.
The queue entering the plane was moving in a slow but steady pace. Tirelessly, I gazed again for the umpteenth time towards the right direction for the last time where I could see some late passengers catching up with the late call for flight 376. But there was still no Brock and I was afraid that there was never a Brock or will never see a Brock again. I dragged my legs walking towards the aisle of the plane and as soon as I found seat no. 28C I absentmindedly plonked myself astounded how in the world did Brock just disappear without saying a word of goodbye at least. “Where could he be? He said that we are in the same flight? Was he forced by some suspected terrorist at gunpoint? Did he change his flight? Did he by any chance see his former girlfriend and took off with her? This is odd.“ I silently asked myself. “But this couldn’t be happening. He’s real. I know. “I added.
The excitement of going back home to Phoenix after this heavy winter storm in Spain dissipated totally. I thought that beyond the winter storm I had seen rays of sunlight with Brock. I had begun missing him terribly. It was preposterous to feel this way as we were both perfect strangers who accidentally crossed each other’s path by divine guidance like we meant to be together.
All through out the seven hour bumpy flight back home, there was nothing in my mind except my meeting with Brock, how we spent talking for hours, snuggling up overnight and his sudden disappearance. I even forgot about the success of my business deal and the beckoning promotion that was about to happen in a matter of weeks. Thankfully, the plane arrived safely. I picked all my luggage at the luggage carousel missing two of my suitcases since my distracted eyes kept agazed on every person next to me and towards the adjacent carousel hoping against hope that Brock might show up for the last time. But he didn’t.
Taking a cab at Phoenix Harbor International Airport wasn’t as hard as I imagined during weekends. When I reached my apartment, I phoned my mom to let her know that I closed the deal with our company client in Madrid. Mom was so proud of me and wanted to know more details how I closed the deal successfully. I wanted to tell her about Brock but I decided to keep my mouth shut for now. Instead, I excitingly called my best friend, Bridget and told her every details of my recent amazing experience. “ Amberly, sweetie, are you sure that he was with you all those time? You know sweetie that getting stuck up in a winter storm in a foreign land must really be difficult for you. I mean, you must really be dead tired and ….” Bridget said incredulously. I gaped at my best friend’s remarks and said “ And what? That I’m hallucinating and creating a make believe mystery guy?? I can’t believe you’d say that Bridge. I know what I ‘m talking about. He’s real and we were together but he just disappeared for some unknown reason.” I exclaimed.
“Ok…ok he’s real…he was there. You had a great time together. I believe you. Now, you need to take some rest. And we’ll talk about it this week ok? Goodnight Amber and congratulations!” she said then hung up the phone.
Gosh, what’s wrong with her? How could she doubt on my story? I muttered. On hindsight, how could I really make her believe me when I did not even know the guy’s family name or gave her any plausible reason why Brock suddenly disappeared. I wished it was as easy as telling them that he was suddenly taken by an alien or teleported himself from Madrid Airport to Phoenix. With these thoughts in my mind, I drifted to sleep and hoped that Brock could
reappear in my dreams to give me the real reason why he just vanished.
At work the next day, everyone congratulated me about this huge account that had brought a considerable amount of money to the company. Rumors spread at work that promotion as a Marketing Director was in the offing. How ever exciting that sounded, this was the first time that I did not care about it...not as much as I cared about where Brock was and what happened to him.
Five weeks after the new promotion, I got myself loaded with work up to my neck with thirty employees under my department to oversee every single day-no more time to blog or to create designs for exotic accessories. Though I was still able to squeeze in time to meet my online dates eyeball to eyeball, occasional group dates – and few male colleagues at work who were ballsy enough to ask me out, yes, I should have felt flattered that I was still the most popular eligible bachelorette at work. Thanks but no thanks! I wished I could say that I had gotten over my Brock experience but I had lied if I had said so.
His memories still brings a smile to my face and yet somehow a dash of reality is telling me that he was just a dream that happened in one cold winter storm. Whether he was real or not, it didn’t matter anymore for as long as something magical changed my life on one fateful night at Madrid Airport.
Staff meetings in my department were usually as noisy and chaotic as a cockfighting derby with smart marketing people bringing avalanche of ideas on the table. One Tuesday afternoon, while in a meeting with my staff, my cell phone vibrated incessantly. I didn’t want to pick up the call initially as I was in the midst of my last minute briefing before sales presentation.
My phone on its vibra mode continued to shake the table for 2 minutes which distracted listeners until I had no choice but to take the call. A familiar male voice said, “ Hi, Amberly? I hope you still remember me, it’s me Brock.” A moment of dead silence filled the air. I felt my heart stopped beating. I couldn’t say a word. “hello? Is this Amberly Jones?” He asked.
After seven seconds, I finally managed to say a word or two. “ Brock who?” I inquired curiously incase it was a client whose name is Brock- Though the name raised my blood pressure instantly with high hopes that it was the Brock that I had been waiting to call.
“Yes, it’s me, Brock from Madrid Airport, remember?” He sounded smiling on the other line. “Oh, Brock? You mean the one who made a disappearing act at the airport?” I sarcastically said. “Listen, I know I suddenly took off without saying goodbye. But please hear me out. I can explain everything. Are you free for dinner tonight?” He said.
I stifled a smile and silently thought that in as much as I wanted to give him a hard time for making me worried sick about him but I was afraid to lose him again.
His attempt to reach me aroused my curiosity given the fact that I did not remember handing him my business card when we met. But hey, he made efforts to contact me. That was a big step. I reasoned out to myself.
“Well, ok Brock, I’m in a meeting right now. I’m free tonight at 8.” I acquiesced. “Great, meet me at Bistro 24 at the Ritz-Carlton ok?” he said excitingly. “ Just make sure that you will not disappear again ok? Otherwise, I will post your name on the missing persons list.” I said nonchalantly pretending that his call didn’t mean anything to me. After I hung up the phone, I gave a big sigh of relief. To be honest, I toyed on the idea of not showing up to get back at him. But that would be mean of me and a stupid move to boot. I thought who knows he may have had a valid reason for just taking off without saying a word.
The meeting at the plush Ritz-Carlton was such a short notice invitation but certainly a pleasant surprise-something I looked forward to during the whole afternoon than my meeting with clients, of course.
I wore my recently bought $746 Vera Wang light blue colored tank dress with U neck and pleated yoke infront and back plus my Manolo Blahnik leather black high heel halter shoes which I reserved for the company’s product launching party. Though it was a daring attempt but at least that made me look different from my haggard disheveled appearance at the airport. The moment I saw Brock, he gave me a light peck on my right cheek and said “You look gorgeous, Amberly.” “Why, thank you, Brock”. I replied confidently. He escorted me at a table located at the far right side of the bistro where we had some privacy to talk about Brock’s mind boggling disappearance. Brock and I caught up with the lost time we had. He was still the same good looking guy who once approached me at Madrid Airport during a snowstorm. Brock apologized profusely about how the end of our meeting turned out to be. He continued to explain that while I was asleep, he left to look for an open internet café to check his email at the wee hours of the morning. He unfortunately put his Blackberry in his luggage which he checked in at the counter by mistake. Thankfully, there was an internet café opened at that time. Surprisingly, he got a disturbing and urgent message to go back home to Phoenix due some family emergency.
As soon as he arrived home, he found out that his father was rushed to the hospital because of a heart attack. From the internet café, he suddenly panicked and mindlessly went to the 24 hour ticketing office across the internet café and frantically booked a new flight leaving at 5 am to Philadelphia, the only available flight at that time. .
He decided that from Philly, he would get a connecting flight directly to Phoenix. Distraught, he grabbed his bag and flew off to Philadelphia International Airport. He didn’t have the time to go back to gate 6 to say goodbye to me as he didn’t want to risk missing this early morning flight to rush to the hospital and check on his father’s critical condition.
When I asked about where he got my phone number, he defensively explained that my business card slipped out from my jacket pocket while I was asleep which he immediately picked up from the floor. I was awestricken with his explanation while he added that blessedly, his father was now out of ICU. “Uhmm so that accounted for the unexplained disappearing act of Brock” I murmured. At least, I got relieved that he did not get turn off by my loud snoring which could be the possible reason why he ran away.
Our dinner date turned out to be a continuation of where we left off. There were no awkward moments between us. We seemed to be more comfortable with each other. We had moments of laughter and endless stories of what was going on with our lives after that serendipitous meeting in January. Few months later, there were more dinner dates, picnics, concert dates, thanksgiving-meet-my-parents visits and tons of emails that followed after. And in January of 2008, the year after, the most pleasant surprise of my life came- a marriage proposal from Brock. Then three months after, we finally got married and exchanged our vows and commitment to love each other for rest of our lives in a beautiful garden wedding. Honeymoon was of course was no where else but in Spain where we first met.
It was unfathomable to think that two souls were led to cross paths coincidentally. I know that things happen for a reason. The beauty of blossoming flowers makes people’s feelings lighter.
Leaves fall giving branches more room for new leaves to sprout. Rain pours down to freshening our path from dry land. Rainbows arch up in the sky to assure us of a promise of hope.
But one time in my life, a snowstorm came to deliver a precious gift to me- the man of my dreams and a father of my child.
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