Covering for a Flight (Short Story)

Putri quickly uncovered her face. The security officer needed to see her face to compare with her Indonesian ID card. She rushed to cover herself back off with her niqab before anyone else could see her, but she struggled to tuck the fabric back in place. She had never really worn a niqab before and struggled to get it just right.

Ok, done. She did a doubletake around to see whether anyone had spotted her. 

“That’s all,” the officer said. “Have a safe flight.” 

She walked over to her gate, worried that she be spotted. She hoped no one was around who might recognize her. Her family didn’t know she was taking this trip, and she wanted to keep it that way. The airport was small. Only a couple gates as it was a small town. 

She began to look for her gate, but her stomach started to growl. She still had an hour before her flight left plenty of time to grab lunch. She walked up to the line to order some food at a nearby counter. After she told the lady what she wanted, she turned around to find a table. That’s when he spotted her. 

“Hello Putri, is that you?” a voice called to her from behind her in the line after ordering her food. 

She turned around, and there was Ismail in a casual yet professional suit jacket and button down shirt. What was he doing here? 

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “Or, I guess I didn’t know you were going on a trip.” 

“Yes sir,” she replied.

She got a better look at him when she turned around to find a seat. He looked like he was wearing nice clothes that he hadn’t tidied up yet, almost as if he was flying to a business meeting and would button his collar and apply his tie after he arrived. He smiled at her as she walked by. 

He approached her table a few minutes later after he had gotten his food, “Funny thing seeing you here,” not asking if he could join her. 

She said nothing. “You look nervous,” he said to keep the conversation going. “Have you never flown before?” 

She nodded yes. 

“I see. I was nervous the first time as well,” he tried to reassure, but she got the sense that he had been too young the first time he had flown for him to remember. From a wealthier family in the town, he was now a business man. He was always going somewhere on some trip. 

“Yes, my flight heads out soon,” she replied, hoping to use this as an excuse to leave the conversation. 

“Where are you going?” he responded. 

She had been so anxious she had completely forgot where she was flying to. She got out her ticket from her pocket, which read that she was flying to Bali. Too frazzled to say its name, she showed him the ticket. 

“Oh, that’s a fun place,” he replied. “Today, I’m going to Manila, but I wish I was going there, though. It’s much more fun,” chuckling. 

“Are you traveling alone?” he filled the resulting silence with. 

What an unfair question. She had never been able to lie, so she simply nodded her head yes. He looked at her like one coming upon a nice cake at the shop of a bakery. 

“And are you meeting anyone there?” 

She nodded no. 

“Wow, have you traveled alone before?” 

Again, she simply nodded no. 

“That’s very brave of you.”

“Thank you,” she murmured politely. 

Never mind that he traveled alone all the time. She leaned back in her chair as if to get away from him as much as possible. He now saw her as available.

“You know, it’s very nice to get out of this town every once in a while. It puts things into perspective. To see new possibilities.” 

She eyed the clock and checked the time of her flight. She was about to say that she had to go catch her flight, but he came in too fast. 

“When is your flight?” 

She read him the time. 

“That’s not for another hour. You don’t have to worry about it now. As the first time you’ve flown, you must be a little nervous, but trust me, it’s fine. You have plenty of time.” 

Ugh, why won’t he let me leave? 

She looked throughout the hallway of the terminal to think about her options. How could she get away from him? She saw a sign for the toilet. That would work. 

“I have to go to…” she began, but before she could mention the toilet, he came in again. 

“I was talking with your mother the other day.” 

She paused and sunk a little into her seat. This wouldn’t be good. She couldn’t leave whatever he was about to say unsettled. She would have to stay. 

“She said you have an exciting interview coming up. That’s amazing. Congratulations!”

He paused, clearly anticipating something from her other than the blank stare she gave him. 

“I didn’t know it was in Bali, though. I thought it was somewhere closer.” 

That was the lie she told her mom about this trip. That she was heading to a nearby town for a few days for an exciting job interview. Her mom even took drove her to the bus station. Instead of catching a bus, though, she took a taxi to the airport to head to Bali. When she got back, she was going to say the interview didn’t go well and that she didn’t think she’d hear back from the employers. This was the only way she could think of to get away from it all. Her family would never have approved of her taking a trip alone so far away. 

“Yes,” she finally spoke. “It’s in Bali.” 

“I kind of wish it was somewhere closer to here. Maybe then we’d be able to see each other more…” 

“I know,” she said. She couldn’t have him go blather to anyone that he saw her at the airport, but how could he convince him of that without explaining that this was all a lie?

“Are you considering moving to Bali?” he asked. 

“We’ll see.” She was just going on a trip to get away from it all here, but she didn’t need to tell him that. Part of her would love to move to Bali. She’s seen all the pictures, but deep down, she knows that would never happen. She’s just taking a trip. He didn’t need to know that. 

“Don’t you have such a nice life for yourself here?” 

Absolutely not. She hated this small town, trapped in the same set of relationships with the same people, far away from any semblance of a good economy, but instead she just sat there and said nothing as he continued. He knew he had his life set here with his family business, so of course, he’d prefer if she stayed too. 

“What are your plans?” 

“I don’t know yet. I am just going for a single interview. I don’t know if it will even work out. If it does, I will figure it out from there.” 

“I wish I had known you were going to Bali. I had friends there who you could have stayed with. What are your plans after your interview? You still could hang out with them if you’d like. They could show you around.” 

“Thanks, but I won’t have time. I have a tight schedule.” She wished she could stay with someone she knew. It would have saved her a lot of money, but she would never stay with any of his people. 

“It’s not a problem. I can text them right now…” 

“No!” she shot back. He looked almost taken aback by an assertiveness in her voice that she had not before in the conversation. “Don’t tell them!”

He looked puzzled at her sudden conviction. “Why? It’s not like you visiting there is a secret? Do you…” 

He saw her look of horror at this statement. 

“You haven’t told anyone in town that you are going to Bali. Have you?” 

She didn’t say anything but just looked at him dejected. Her secret has been found out. “I just don’t want anyone back home to think of me differently, as someone with such an opportunity, unless I actually do get the job.” 

“That’s fair. You may have to tell them eventually, though, but I’ll keep your secret.” 

He agreed to keep it under wraps. She no longer had a reason to stay in conversation with this man. 

“Thank you,” she murmured. “Now if you would excuse me, I really have to use the toilet.” 

She left too quickly to look at him give an excuse for her to stay. All she heard was him faintly calling back that she hoped she had a good time. She didn’t care. She was free. Would he actually spill the beans? That was a problem for another day. After the toilet, she’d find a different place to wait in the airport, one where he was unlikely to be.