I'll Make It Next Christmas

Michael waits at the airport for a flight to reunite with his family for Christmas. Then a girl in need distracts him and saves his life.

My phone rang and I retrieved it from my coat's inner pocket. The large flat screen lit up like my world flashing the words My Lisa back at me. I swiped my finger across the screen to connect the call and pressed the smart phone to my ear.

 

"Hello, honey," I answered warmly.

 

"Michael! What do you mean you missed your flight? You already missed your original flight. You're supposed to be here in an hour." My aggravated wife Lisa said.

 

I could hear everybody behind her. My brother Mark and his wife Elaine, my sister-in-law Shannon and her husband Darren; all their kids must've been there too. My aunts, uncles, and cousins must also have been in attendance. My whole world was there, and I found myself over a thousand miles away stuck in an airport.

 

"I'm sorry, Lisa," I apologized, "it's just that the meeting ran long and I missed the 508. Then I rushed to the airport, but by the time I got here, the 407 was already in the sky. So now, I've been downgraded on a flight 651."

 

"Downgraded?" She questioned through the noise of a party.

 

"Yeah, they had no first class so I have to settle for coach. They said only one seat was available, the one right next to the wing."

 

"Well then, when are you going to get here?"

 

"If all goes well," I explained, "I'll be walking through the front door in about four hours."

 

"Michael, the girls will be long passed asleep by then. They wanted to see you before Christmas."

 

"I know, I know Lisa, but this is the best I can do right now. Hey how is everybody?" I said trying to change the subject.

 

"Everyone seems good." She answered, "It's just not the same without you."

 

"Well, tell Mark not to finish off the brandy; I'd like a glass when I get there."

 

"Okay,"

 

"Okay, I love you."

 

"I love you too. Merry Christmas."

 

"Merry Christmas,"

 

And with that, I slowly pulled the phone from my ear and the screen went black. I looked around the terminal as people gradually filled in the seats at the gate. It was Christmas Eve and the airport celebrated it poorly. Multi-colored holiday lights lined every doorway and tiny fake Christmas trees with miniature presents sat on top off each terminal desk. A lot of the airport employees wore bright red Santa hats getting into the spirit of the season.

 

Through the giant windows, I saw the plane pull up to the gate and they started lining up the hall to the door. It wasn't going to be long now, so I settled back in my seat. Many peaceful warm faces surrounded me. A woman read a Christmas book to her son as they waited; perhaps they were looking to reunite with the rest of their family like me. An elderly couple still in love enough to hold each others hand were lost in conversation and smiles; maybe they were off to visit the happy people they helped create like a drop of water rippling through generations of time. A pair of youthful newly weds blissfully flirted; they could have been heading to their new home fresh from their honeymoon. Everyone had someone with them, everyone except me.

 

The cheesy instrumental versions of holiday songs they had echoing through the speakers reached my ears and struck a delicate chord inside me. It was Christmas Eve and I wasn't around any family.That was rarely the case. Since I was small, my grandparents always threw a huge Christmas Eve party. All of our family and friends and their family and friends would show up. We'd just set up the food like a buffet and become lost in a chaotic jumble of loving warm faces. We'd play Christmas music, argue about movies, and hire a Santa to show up and pass out presents to the kids every year. Its what my holidays were all about. It was quite a blow to my family when my grandmother died. It felt for a little while like we'd all just go our separate ways, but when my mom picked up the torch of the party, it was just like old times again. The Christmas Eve celebrations grew so big, my mother let in people off the street to enjoy the festivities. It was truly something. Then after a while my mom became old and moved to a small apartment, since then I've been happily hosting the parties. That is until this year.

 

I worked for an advertising company, and we were just about to have the biggest merger in the history of our company. I had a hand in a lot of the decisions that lead to that moment, so I felt it essential I be at the meeting. I thought with me there, we could convince our foreign beneficiaries to take the deal early and I'd be back before anyone showed up. Boy was I wrong. Our business dragged on and spilled right over when I was supposed to catch my initial flight. The negotiations took so long, that I sped to make my back-up flight but still missed it. This was my last hope to make it back during my big family gathering at all. After this, my only choice was the early red-eye and the soonest I'd be home in that case was six Christmas morning.

 

I was feeling lonely so I turned my phone back on and scrolled to a picture of my girls. Two young long blonde haired children wildly smiled at me. Lana had just lost her two front teeth in the photo, so she was showing nothing but gums. Lois had on her glasses. There were tons of colorful child frames to choose from, but Lois wanted them big and all black just like her mother. They were my two angels and it pained me that I was missing my chance to see them before the holidays.

 

I then noticed a lady sitting across from me. She was attractive and similar in age as me and she gazed upon me impatiently. She looked as though she eagerly wanted to say something so I gave her a courteous smile.

 

She returned the smile and asked, "Are they yours?"

 

"Excuse me?" I replied.

 

"The picture," She clarified.

 

I giggled, flashing the picture at her for a second. "Oh, haha, yeah. It's my girls. The older one is Lana and the younger one is my Loopy-Lois."

 

"May I see?" She asked softly reaching for the phone.

 

"Yeah," I agreed and handed her the phone.

 

Her eyes soaked in the joyful image of my girls adoringly. "Awwwww, they're so precious."

 

"Thank you," I said with a silly proud grin on my face.

 

"How old are they?" She further questioned as she handed back my phone.

 

"Six and eight," I said as I took one last loving look at the picture.

 

"I have kids too. Two boys, four and five." She claimed with a smile.

 

"Really? What are their names?"

 

"Maddox and Kaden, do you wanna see?" She asked as she went fishing for her phone in her purse.

 

"Sure,"

 

She took her phone out and handed it to me with the widest and most inviting smirk I've ever seen. It was an old flip phone with a cracked foggy screen. It appeared as though it was ten years old and it was obvious that she was long passed due for an upgrade. I could barely make out the image of her two brown haired boys who were quite cute.

 

I respectfully didn't mention the poor grade of her phone as I said, "They're adorable."

 

"Thank you," She took back her phone and held her hand out. "I'm Olivia."

 

"Michael," I greeted as I shook her hand.

 

"So, where you headed?"

 

"I gotta get home for a big Christmas Eve party. My entire family will be there. We do it every year."

 

"Oh yeah,"

 

For the next ten minutes, her and I bantered about our family and holiday plans. I'm not sure if she was trying to hit on me, but I don't think that was the case. I think she was just lonely on Christmas Eve like me, finding some comfort in the company of a stranger. Suddenly, the holiday jingle covers were interrupted as a muffled voice announced handicapped and assisted passengers for flight 651 please start boarding immediately. I then stood up holding my briefcase and clutching my boarding pass.

 

"Well, it was nice to meet you Olivia." I said cordially.

 

"Nice to meet you too." She said. As I began to walk away I could hear Olivia behind me. "Maddox! Kaden! Maddox, Kaden! Where are you? We're about to go where are you!?" I stopped and my head twisted to her as she continued to call out their names. I didn't think she was with her children at the moment. She spoke of them like she hadn't seen them in years and I hadn't seen them around so I assumed she was trying to get back to them for the holidays. Worry was starting to form on her face and I felt obliged to investigate.

 

"Olivia, what's wrong?" I inquired.

 

"Maddox and Kaden. I can't find them." She said.

 

"They're with you?"

 

"Yes, and they were just here. You need to help me find them."

 

I knew I quickly needed to devise a way out of this. "Look, I gotta make sure-"

 

"Please," Olivia pleaded with a certain desperation in her eyes. I knew it wasn't my place or responsibility to hunt down her kids, but I was also compelled to help. Maybe it was I thought she was kind of cute, or maybe it was the jolly season, or maybe I couldn't live with myself knowing she was all worried and I did nothing to help; but regardless the reason, I decided to help her.

 

We hurried away from the gate as the first few people started boarding. I quickly scanned the area in hopes I could easily locate her children and make it a speedy affair. They clearly didn't run off to any adjacent gate for they laid completely barren.

 

Wanting to end this as fast as possible, I asked, "Where do we begin?"

 

"I need you to check the men's room."

 

"The men's room?"

 

"Yeah, I can't go in there. I need you to check if they're fooling around in there."

 

We headed to the lavatories and she shoved me into the men's room. "Please hurry and tell me if you see them."

 

I slowly walked into the public restroom. This seemed a tad silly to me. If my girls were lost, I wouldn't think twice about bursting into a lady's restroom if I thought there was a chance they were there. I started to think she wasn't as upset about this as she should be, but I tried not to judge her. The restroom was clean, white, futuristic and appeared to be abandoned, but I still had  to be sure.

 

"Maddox! Kaden! Are you guys in here?" I peered passed the corners of all the urinals to see nothing but the porcelain. "Your mother, Olivia is looking for you." I opened every stall to find them all empty. "Maddox! Kaden! You need to board the plane now." He checked under all the sinks and neared the door concluding that they probably weren't there. "Maddox! Kaden! If your mother finds out you guys were hiding in here, I'm sure you'll both be in big trouble. Just thought I'd warn you." I then walked out to the worried Olivia patiently waiting for an answer.

 

"Did you find them?" Olivia promptly interrogated.

 

"Sorry, no, they're not in there."

 

"Oooooo," She moaned. "Where could they be?"

 

"Maybe the magazine shop?" I suggested.

 

Her eyes clung to any possibility and she was prepared to put stock in my assumption. We ran down the long hall back to the magazine shop. Even though the magazines sold at the little shop were not designed for children, the architecture of the shop was pretty cool and it was very colorful. I thought maybe the kids were attracted to it. We checked its aisles with no luck.

 

We looked in the cinnamon bun shop, the fast food restaurant, and even the newsstand but Maddox and Kaden were gone. It was no longer her own fear, but I also had to found out where her little boys were for my own peace of mind. I then heard the intercom blare Rows 0-39 of flight 651 please start boarding immediately.

 

"I think it's time we check with security." I said.

 

"No we can't!" She urged. "Only you can help me."

 

I dismissed her odd reply and decided to just reason with the worried mother. "Olivia, we need to get more help with this. We need to find them as soon as we can. I'm sure when security is informed they'll find them in no time."

 

She didn't seem convinced, just locked in a despair as if she'd never see them again. Despite her expression, she mumbled, "Okay,"

 

"Good," I said attempting to deal with the crisis in an orderly fashion. "Now, the airport security office is upstairs, we need to hurry."

 

We headed down the hall to a hidden set of escalators that lead up to the security office. The intercom then rang out Rows 40-79 of flight 651 please start boarding immediately. I was in that row and there was no way I'd make it all the way back in time, but I knew I'd be all right if I made it for the final boarding call. I had to make sure Olivia found her boys.

 

We waited in silence as the automated step dragged us higher up the airport. I was sweating bullets trying to keep my composure in my internal race against time, but Olivia seemed cool as a cucumber.

 

Her eyes set to mine and her nerves vanished. "Michael, I'd like to thank you for your help. You didn't need to do this."

 

"Well, tis' the season, as they say."

 

"Yes it is," She concurred.

 

Rows 80-120 of flight 651 please start boarding immediately sounded out of the speakers.

 

The escalator placed us in front of the security office which was already overflowing with people.

 

"Can you believe this?" Burst out of my mouth.

 

"No,"

 

"Come on,"

 

I muscled my way through the crowd. I had no clue what everyone else was there for but it couldn't be as serious as missing children. I had to get Olivia's kids back.

 

"Officer! Officer!" I shouted over the others to show the severity of the situation.

 

"Michael, it's okay." I heard Olivia say behind me.

 

"What do you mean? We're here. Let's just tell them." I argued without turning around. The officer caught wind of my seriousness and seemed as though he was listening to my cries.

 

"I found them, but I can't go where they are. Merry Christmas."

 

"You found them!?" I cheered. "Where were they!?" I turned around to assuredly see Olivia's gleeful face by the doorway, but she wasn't there. I ran to the doorway and peered down the hall to find her, but she was gone. She couldn't have gone that far so quickly.

 

One of the officers in the office who was watching me asked, "Sir, what seems to be the problem?"

 

"Uh...hold on." I replied heading back into the hall. I walked over to the escalator and gazed down to see any sign of Olivia and her kids. There wasn't a soul to be seen on it. It was as if she just fell off the face of the earth.

 

I then heard Final boarding call for flight 651.

 

My eyes popped open. I almost forgot how close I was becoming to missing my flight. I darted down the escalator and down the hall. I blew passed the assortment of stores and ran toward the gate. My legs were a blur as I neared my gate flailing my boarding pass at the flight attendants.

 

"Wait! Wait!" I yelled at them hoping it'd somehow delay them momentarily. "Stop, the plane! I'm on that plane!" It was too late though.

 

As I approached the closed gate entrance, I heard the plane pull away. I shrugged my shoulders in utter disbelief that I missed my flight for the third time in the same evening. I calmly headed to the flight attendants to tell my side of things.

 

"Look," I explained, "This was the third flight I missed today, I was trying to help this woman find her kids, I just want to get back home to my family; Is there anything we could do?"

 

"Sir, once those doors close I can not allow a soul through." He viciously informed..

 

I sighed and pressed my head against the giant pane of glass. I had just missed it by a sliver; it was right there just gradually rolling away from the gate. It crawled across me as its first turbines kicked on. I was watching my final chance for a nice Christmas literally roll away. I knew next was the dreaded call to Lisa to tell her I'm missing the party.

 

A blinding light flashed from the plane and the wing was engulfed in flames. The explosion sounded like a mighty thunder clap and sent a shockwave throughout the airport. Everyone stood there in silence for a moment as the horror of the explosion sunk into their heads. Emergency vehicles and fire trucks rode up to the blaze salvaging what they could from the side of the plane. The plane's emergency door was blown in, completely crushing the unoccupied seat by the wing. It was the seat that I was supposed to be in that was flattened.

 

As my near death experience basted in my brain, I could hear two flight attendants having a discussion behind me.

 

"I can't believe this happened again." One of them said.

 

"Again?" The other questioned.

 

"Yes, a few years back, one of the engines exploded on a jet for some kind of wiring issues. It was the same model and also a flight 651. I thought they'd have addressed that issue. Poor girl."

 

I'm not sure why I decided to do it, but after overhearing their discussion, something was telling me to check it out. I pulled out my smart phone and brought up my news app. I put Flight 651 to Boston accident in the app's search field. What came up chilled me to my core.

 

The news headline read Flight 651 to Boston Kills Woman. The image of the victim hit me hard; it was Olivia. I read a little more hoping it'd prove it was all a radical coincidence.

 

"Three people were injured and one was killed. Olivia Destauls lost her life when she was caught in an explosion due to faulty wiring. Olivia was on her way back to Boston to spend Christmas with her two boys." I read off the screen. I knew then it was no coincidence. I thought I was helping her, but she was saving me. "Thank you," I whispered.

 

I was not going to make it to the party, but at least I'll be able to make it to the next Christmas.

Author's Note

IT'S A LONG STORY. This short story is featured in the Horror Anthology Festive Frights, which is a culmination of short horror stories with a holiday twist.