An Evening at the Airport
When I arrived at the airport, I learnt that the flight from Cairo, on which my brother was travelling, had been delayed at Paris with engine trouble and was expected to arrive about an hour late. I then decided to walk around to pass the time.
I made my way to the restaurant where I ordered a cup of coffee. As I sat sipping the coffee, I studied the faces of the people around me. Some of them were obviously anxious about the time and kept glancing at their watches; others checked to see that they had tickets, passports and money. When there was a group of people, it was obvious to me which one was about to leave. He was the center of everyone’s attention and looked either very happy or sad at the thought of departure. There was one woman who burst into tears as she bade farewell to the relatives and friends who had come to see her off.
When I had finished my coffee, I went to the bookshop and purchased two magazines. Then, I made myself comfortable in a large armchair in one of the lobbies. Just then, I met an old friend who was just about to leave on a business trip to Europe. Since we had not seen each other for a long time, we sat down to chat. We bade farewell only when the arrival of my brother’s flight was announced.
