A Story

And so it begins. Tired, eyes swollen from insomnia. The circles around my eyes are so pronounced I could be wearing a mask. The masquerade ball type. Pangs of hunger consume my mid-section. Digesting food is a luxury my depression won't grant.

I'm sitting in the passenger seat of an ancient plymouth on my way to Albany International Airport. The radio is playing The Cure.

It's Friday, I'm in love with you.

My best friend is driving. His name is Joe and he's a good kid. A lanky guy, the way he grips the wheel makes the whole car feel miniature. Some kind of big toy. Except for his congested head, he's feeling like a million dollars. Passing the time by joking around about airport security, we slice through the empty road.

It's early on Saturday morning. Overcast, dark, and foggy. Dirty snow blankets the ground, bordering the road on each side of us. The trees are dusted white. They look spray-painted that way. We get off exit 4. The airport is huge.

In the terminal, waiting in line for our boarding pass, we spot an old high school friend amongst a crowd of people. Turns out he's on his way to Disney for a baseball game. His name is Ben. The last time I saw him he had an Abercrombie model hanging on his arm. We used to party at his vacation home on Lake George. He still looks like the model American.

Joe and I lurch our way to the gate, and get in line for the mandatory security check. I'm taken aside because I didn't remove my laptop from my backpack. A short bulky woman motions me towards a table off to the side and I set my coat on it.

"Please do not touch this table, the backpack, or your laptop sir. Stand back." I suddenly find myself much more awake now. As I take two large steps back I notice that she never made eye contact.

Joe gathers his effects and puts his belt back on. We march off to the gate with a sense of accomplishment. While standing on line at the gate my stomach starts to inform me that it hates me. I find a bathroom and vomit the two sips of juice I had just before the car ride. Back on line I fall asleep standing up.

All I can think about is my ex-girlfriend. Together for four years and she up and quits on me out of the blue a week ago. At present, I'm the embodiment of self pity. It's really a terrible sight. Nothing worse than an emotional cripple without his walker.

This trip was planned in a hurry; help me get my mind off the girl. Las Vegas. Couldn't think of a better place.

Liftoff.