‘Great – you grab a table and I’ll get the refreshments. Tea?’ Sandra asked.
‘Please.’
Patti flicked through the photos whilst she was waiting for Sandra to come back, there was quite a queue at the restaurant. She chuckled, they looked like they were having great fun. When Sandra returned, they chose a couple of photos to upload with the caption:
At the airport to tick another one of the bucket list! #getoverfearofflying.
Then Patti tagged in the accessory shop.
‘This is more fun than I expected,’ Patti said as they sipped their tea and bit into the crisp chocolate chip cookies that Sandra bought them both. She looked around and took in their surroundings. There were lots of cafés and restaurants and a selection of shops. ‘I didn’t realise there were all these shops, as well as the Duty-Free section in the airport. That must be handy if you’ve forgotten to pack something.’
‘Yes, and if you want to take back a present for someone.Actually, I should buy something for Mary and Keith for putting me up,’ Sandra said. ‘I’ll get something when we’ve finished here.’
Snack finished, they had a look around the shops for a gift. Sandra picked up some shortbread biscuits in a souvenir England tin. ‘Would Mary and Keith like these, do you think?’
‘Definitely, and the tin is a wonderful keepsake. I’ll take them a big box of chocolates to share. And we could treat them to a meal as a thank you,’ Patti said.
‘Good idea.’ Sandra looked at her watch. ‘Our gate will be up soon. We’ll take a look at the screens when I’ve paid for this.’
‘I’m glad you’re with me, I’d have had no idea what to do!’ Patti said.
‘You soon pick it up,’ Sandra told her. ‘And you can always ask the staff, or other travellers, if you need help.’
Gifts paid for, they made their way over to the screens. ‘There’s our flight and the gate number is up,’ Sandra said. ‘Come on, let’s make our way there. No rush, we’ve got plenty of time.’
They strolled over to the correct area and took a seat. Then Patti’s nerves took over again.
‘I’m not sure I can do this.’ She clutched the side of the chair in the airport lounge with shaking hands.
‘Take some deep breaths,’ Sandra said softly. ‘Breathe in through your nose and as you count to five in your head, hold it, then let the breath out slowly through your mouth. I’ll do it with you.’
Patti nodded and turned to face her friend. Together they inhaled, held their breath, then slowly exhaled. They did this a few times and Patti was relieved that she felt a little more relaxed.
‘If you do that whenever you feel panicky, it will help you destress,’ Sandra told her.
‘I’ll try.’ Patti clasped and unclasped her hands. ‘I really want to do this, but I’m petrified.’
‘It will all be okay, I promise,’ Sandra told her. ‘Did you load your iPad with a couple of favourite films you can watch, as I suggested? That will keep you occupied. I’ve bought a couple of puzzle books with me too. The trick is to keep your mind busy then the time will pass quicker.’
‘I think the trick might be to have a few gins and knock myself out!’ Patti said. She smiled wanly. ‘No, seriously, I’ll be fine. I really want to do this. Feel the fear and do it anyway, eh?’ She gazed around. ‘Besides, look at all the little kids here. If they can do it, so can I!’
‘That’s the spirit. Did you bring some Rescue Remedy?’
‘I already put a few drops on my tongue before I left home. I don’t know how much I can use.’
‘That was a couple of hours ago. You could take a few more drops now. Or would you prefer to wait until you get on the plane?’
Patti considered it, she was incredibly nervous, but would she be even more so when the plane was about to take off. She’d heard that was a trigger point for people. There again she felt like her legs were so wobbly, they wouldn’t actually let her get on the plane.
‘I’ll take a few drops now,’ she said. She took the small bottle out of the plastic bag where she’d put all her liquids, opened it, and squeezed four drops onto her tongue. She placed it back in her bag and took out the black travel bands Sandra had given her this morning, in case she felt nauseous on the plane. She didn’t usually suffer from travel sickness, but then she had never flown before, had she? She leaned back in the plastic chair and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths.
‘The gate should be open now. The plane must be late.’
Patti snapped her eyes open. ‘Why’s the plane late?’
‘It’s nothing to worry about, it could be a number of things, traffic congestion, crew shortages. It happens sometimes.’
‘I’d better let Keith know,’ Patti said, taking her phone out of her bag. She looked up at Sandra. ‘How late exactly are we?’
