“Ladies and gentlemen. We’re
approaching Bangkok airspace. Please restore your trays into upward positions
and fasten your seat belts. We’re beginning our descent in a few minutes.”
Martin barely slept during the 12
hour flight; holding the suitcase with lots of money he decided to take from
the restroom in his last airport stop, still with some adrenaline rushing
through his body. He’s even been thrice to the bathroom in the plane to take a
quick small peek at the thousand, or millions inside. He just opens it a
little, closes it immediately and sits on the toilet to catch his breath.
The character Frodo, or Bilbo from
the Tolkien movie adaptations comes to his mind every time he feels the urge to
go back to the bathroom to have just another innocent look. He recreates the
events at the last boarding gate like another film.
The first time he saw the suitcase,
right there next to the sinks. Asking men if they have left a black suitcase in
the restroom and getting only negatives. Giving up to his curiosity and opening
it. His shock with the surprise, then the fear, then the laughs, then the weird
thoughts, he washing his face not believing it and finally shaking any strange
ideas out of his mind.
Before boarding the plane, he found
himself paying close attention to everyone’s hand luggage. When the staff
called them to go in, he felt embarrassed not standing up and waiting for most
of the passengers to queue up. When he finally joined the line, he started to
look back to the handful of people behind him. Still, none carrying THAT
suitcase.
He got his boarding pass checked and
proceeded hesitant to walk the jet bridge. He was walking slowly to his
surprise like if an external force was possessing him… until he couldn’t bear
it any longer. Just before crossing the plane doors, he bolted back through the
jet bridge. “I forgot something! Please hold the plane!”
“Sir?” He’s interrupted by a flight
attendant. He startles and hugs the suitcase harder. “The captain has turned on
the seatbelt sign. Please fasten your seatbelt. We’re making our landing.”
He apologizes and does as he’s told.
…….
He’s luggage shows up on the belt
transport system. 1 big and one small bag; and plus his hand bag and THE
suitcase, well, he’s having some minor problems of mobility. Some people offer
to help but he politely rejects; nervously however. Sweat runs like streams
under his clothes.
Following the directions and the
other passengers, he gives a look at the far distance and realizes there is a
checkpoint with x-ray for the belongings, with customs agents and security
guards and all. Suddenly in his mind he pictures the screen scanners showing
the stacked rectangular packs of money inside the suitcase, and the alarms going
off and security guards and custom agents moving onto him, tackling him to the
floor… And he freaks out, and starts walking backwards.
A staff member hits him
unintentionally with a luggage cart. He scare-jumps and all his bags fall to
the floor. The girl apologizes and crouches to help him with his things.
“If you like, you can take this
cart. Are you okay sir?”
He can’t give a straight answer and
gulps instead. The girl starts stacking his suitcases and bags on the cart.
“Sir, do you need something?”
She bends to grab THE suitcase,
which is the last of his things on the floor, but he does it himself. He shakes
his head and mumbles that he’s fine. He takes the cart and bolts out of there
and to the only place he could think of: the restrooms; to calm himself.
…….
Maybe dividing the packs of cash
between all his luggage among the clothes, socks and shoes and whatnot, won’t
cause suspicion. Yes. That’s what he’s going to do. He squats and opens all his
luggage in the middle of a nerve crisis. He takes out the items where he will
hide the money. And then, he opens the suitcase. He successfully places the
packages of cash inside suits, socks, jacket pockets, shoes, even a tie. He has
to dry the sweat from his eyes. It’s not letting him see very well.
He continuously checks around just
in case someone comes in. But no one comes. That’s a relief. He finds the last
thing he would have imagined, a smartphone. It looks like an iPhone, under the
lasts packages and at the bottom of the suitcase. He grabs it and feels
something hard and bulky attached behind it, and wrapped in what feels like
cellophane.
When he turns the phone over, he
lets it go with a terror scream and fall to the floor. He crawls backwards
facing up without noticing the sink counter just below his head. He hits his
head with the edge, hard. Did he actually see what he saw? The texture he felt
could confirm the dreadful idea in his mind. Shivers run down his spine and
cold invades his body.
He crawls now facing down like a
baby, slowly towards the phone. It ended up sliding down to a stall and under
its toilet. Martin opens the door of the stall and there it was, the iPhone…
facing down, with his most horrific idea made real attached on top of it. It
was a severed bloody finger wrapped in cellophane. He cannot believe that his
dumb and risky episode of unrepressed curiosity was coming this… outcome.
The phone rings.
...........Koori
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