SQ494

On board flight SQ494 (Singapore Air), the four Filipinos sat adjacent to one another.  It was three 

in the afternoon, one hour and five minutes away prior to the plane’s touchdown. There was no thorough introduction made among them.  All decided to just have a little chat to make the one hour pass by.  Final impression was just built on the first impression made by one another. 

The four Filipino acquaintances consisted of one lady working as a designer for a pet bottle company in Dubai, a husband and wife—the man works for Palm Resort as one of the chefs in the F&B division and the lady, a waitress in the same division—and an oriental-looking lady who decided not to open her mouth and just listen to the entire conversation. 

“Who is going to take you from the airport, madam?” asked the man to the lady designer. 

“Oh, my sister and her husband are awaiting me by the arrival gate.  How about you?” she returned the question. 

“Some of my close workmates are waiting for me and my wife. Good that my work has a company car.” he replied. 

The man then turned to the oriental-looking lady and said,  “Umm, miss, I am sure that one lovely man awaits you in his fancy car. You surely have someone to take you from Dubai to your place.

She just half-smiled forming little holes from the corner of her lips.  The man was assured somebody would take her.

The plane landed and the four acquaintances went separate ways as they bade good-bye to one another. 

The oriental-looking lady waited for sometime inside the airport wanting to make sure her three acquaintances have gone.  Despite sometime of waiting, she still went another way towards the exit to completely avoid them. She went to the taxi queue, asked the lady driver how much, checked her wallet and boarded inside with her big, heavy luggage and small but heavy tote bag.  The taxi sped off towards Bur Dubai bus station. 

Twelve hours of flight drained her mind and her body was dead-tired. She went to the queue, purchased a ticket, and boarded the bus. 

It was the loneliest moment of her life.