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The Q15 pulled to a stop at Roosevelt ave., where the door opened so straphangers could board the 7 train that would whisk them off to Manhattan, for work, leisure, but mostly work. I have stopped riding the train when I got my car, because after all, the subway is nice, clean, and reliable, but you really couldn't beat the privacy, and freedom of a car. The only reason why I am taking public transportation, the Q15 bus to Main Street, and the Q48 bus to LaGuardia Airport, was because I lent my car to a friend when he was here in NYC, since he needed something to go home with, and drove home with it accordingly. Since I figured I needed a break on Sanibel Island, where I had a second home, and figured some sea spray will refresh my mood up, I figured that this flight was the opportunity to get my car back.

I got off, and hurried down Roosevelt ave., hastily crossing the unsurprisingly incredibly busy intersection of Roosevelt ave., and Main Street. When two busy roads intersect, count on that said intersection to be insane. Earlier, a traffic holdup had delayed the Q15 bus, and now, well, I'm not surprised if the bus took off without me. Surely enough, the Q48 departed just when I ran close to it. "Wait!!!!" I said, to no avail. I stopped running when the bus disappeared off into the distance. "Shit" I muttered sharply under my breath.

Well, what now? I looked around, and saw a taxi idle, with the driver mildly yearning on his face, wanting service either because sitting on the curb in the car was boring him out of his mind, or because business was slow today/this time of month, and earnings were going to show it. I hailed him to see if he was available, and he nodded back. I almost loaded my duffel bag of belongings in the car's trunk, but figure it'll fit in the back seat, with me as the only passenger. I entered the car, sat down, and plopped by duffel bag besides me in this back seat.

"You go to LaGuardia Airport?" I said

"Yeah" said the driver

"Alright, I'm headed off there then" I said. The driver nodded, and pulled out, off to the airport.

The taxi sped quickly, and smoothly down Roosevelt ave. onto the Whitestone Expressway, and then onto the Grand Central Parkway. I remarked the change in view since normally, I would be driving on these roads, but here I am in a taxi. While going there, the driver struck up a conversation with me.

"So, heading off to the airport - what for?" He said

"Weekend vacation. I figured I needed the trip to Florida. Clear my mind up, and my nerves" I said

"Oh I see. What airline? American? Delta? Braniff? Continental? United? Trans World?" He said

"Eastern" I replied. "Eastern Air Lines. I must say I'm getting fond of their new L-1011s. I've flown on them several times now"

"Oh I see" he said. "Heard it's really good on there"

"I like it. It's enjoyable in them" I said

"I see" he said

The taxi pulled off the Grand Central Parkway, and entered the circuit of roads that led to the terminals. I paid my fare, and went to the terminal. Despite missing my bus, I was 13 minutes early. I entered the waiting room, and sat down. A stranger walked by, mildly agitated.

"Excuse me, but have you seen my luggage, a brown suitcase??" He said

"No" I replied curtly

"Oh, ok. Thanks" he said

"What makes you so sure you lost it here?" I said helpfully

"I entered here with it, but as you can see, it's not on me now" he said

"Well, I can help you find it" I said

"Gee, thanks! Alright" he said

"Think" I said. "Retrace your steps. If you dropped it after you entered here, then maybe you dropped it while moving about here"

"Huh. Yeah. Well, I called my wife on a pay phone, and looked around for somewhere to sit" he said pensively

"So you didn't do too much. That'll make finding easy" I said

"Indeed" he replied

"Let's check the pay phone" I said

He nodded, and we went to the pay phone. I spotted a suitcase. "Yours?" I said

He eagerly nodded yes, went to it, and opened it up, checking to see if his contents were still in there, closed it, and returned.

"It's mine, and all of my stuff's in there. Thanks" he said

"No problem" I replied curtly

We went back to the waiting room. "My spot's empty. Want to sit there?" I said

"Sure" he replied

We sat down, and waited. After this, the flight was still 7-8 minutes early.

"So, thanks again" said the man. "Marshall Samuelson"

"Sun DaFei, or Simeon Sun. Heading off to Miami? I see you're waiting for the same flight that I am waiting for" I replied

"Yes. Back to my home in Miami. You?" He said

"Sanibel Island. Need some that sea breeze to clear my mind" I said

"I see. That's a good place for relaxation, in my opinion" he said

"I see" I replied

"I'm a bit excited for this flight, to be honest. I've never ridden on an L-1011 before" he said

"I did several times. You'll like it" I said

"Oh ok. Thanks" he said

The L-1011 rolled to the terminal, and the gate opened. Boarding call commenced.

"Heading to the back?" I said

"Yeah" he replied

"Well, come see me in the front. Don't want to make a loner of me, alright?" I said

He nodded, and headed off.

I boarded my seat in the front most row in the left-most seat by the forwards door on the port side, placed my duffel bag in the overhead, and sat by the window. I love the view.

The L-1011 soon took off from LaGuardia, bound for Miami, with me staring at the window, and thus observing takeoff, and climb to cruising altitude. I soon got hungry, and ordered a meal, which I promptly ate, the only time other than when Marshall came to the front of the cabin when I looked away from the window, and you guessed it, promptly returned to staring out the window when I finished. Some time after that, a familiar face showed up in the aisle just when I turned my head from the window based on pure premonition that I would see something in the aisle that will be downright groundbreaking - no, be earth-shattering - no, ABSOLUTELY change existence as we know it forever, or some shit.

"Marshall!" I exclaimed in pleasant surprise

"Well, I'm here" he said

"Oh wow! Thought you won't actually make it!" I said

"Well, I figured I was lonely, and decided to find you" he said

"I see. Next time, call me, so I can buy you tickets to the front, ok?" I said

"Oh really? Gee thanks!" He replied

"Yeah, seriously though, I thought you'd find yourself home here? Wide-bodies were built to reduce passenger stuffiness, and these seats are wide! (yes, I'm slyly, deliberately mocking how airlines nowadays cram even more passengers into their wide-bodies like sardines in a fucking can in order to make even more money off of you)" I said, staring out the window at the clouds whizzing by.

"Yeah, indeed" he replied

After he returned to his seat, the remainder of the flight was rather quiet. We touched down in Miami quite smoothly, and deplaned.

I met Marshall in the terminal. "Well, it was good meeting you" I said, handing him a slip of paper. He picked it up, and read it. "Oh, telephone numbers?" He exclaimed

"Yup. If it's not my New York one, the first one, it'll be the second one I pick up. Or neither, depending on the situation" I said

"Thanks" he replied

"How about a visit on Friday? My house, we relax by the beach while we're at it" I said

"Sure, of course!" He said. I proceeded to add my address to the paper

"Gee, thanks! Alright, I'll see you" he said

"You too" I replied in goodbye

He sauntered off to the bus stop, but abruptly halted. "Say, if you got a car, you don't mind giving me a ride? Skip waiting for the bus" he said

I nodded curtly. "Of course" I replied just as curtly

We walked over to the parking lot where my friend said he left my car, a Datsun Fairlady Z (called 240Z here in the U.S). Upon finding it, I wondered where the key went, and suspected he left it on the car somewhere. I scanned the car, and noticed a rolled-up wad of toilet paper tucked underneath a windshield wiper. I pulled it out, and unfurled the paper. Out dropped my key, and I could see scrawled on the inside a small note that read:

"Hey. Couldn't think of any other way to give you the key, so I did it in a way that would conceal the key, and hide it from potential thieves - Lawrence"

I chuckled. "Well played, Lawrence Smithson. Smart move" I muttered.

And together we got in the car, and then sped off to our homes.