Never A Dull Moment

Eddie ordered a coffee, black, that was much too hot to drink right away. When he returned to his private corner in the terminal, an unexpected passenger had taken over his seat. Eddie immediately noticed how handsome the man was as he clicked away on a laptop. Black curls drooped slightly over his eyes, his thick lips pursed in concentration. The man turned his head. Eddie’s eyes darted as if being chased.
“Hello,” said the handsome man in a low, pleasant voice.
“Uh ... hi,” Eddie scrambled for the word.
The man nodded at the seat next to him, “Please, sit!”
Without a word, Eddie sat down, forgetting the bag slung on his shoulder, which knocked the laptop over.
“Oh crap! Sorry,” Eddie apologized.
The man retrieved the computer from the floor. “No harm,” he assured Eddie and smiled at him. “Where are you headed?”
“St. Paul.”
“Really,” said the man with more enthusiasm than Eddie thought necessary. “Flight 642?”
“Uumm ... Yeah I think so,” replied Eddie.
“Me too,” the man’s smile grew wider.
A tinny female voice echoed through the terminal announcing that passengers on Flight 642 to St. Paul with small children or special needs could board the aircraft. Within three minutes, Eddie and his flying companion (whose name Eddie came to learn is Gabe) were walking down the ramp to the plane. The flight was quite light so the pair were able to deviate from their assigned seats and sit next to each other.
During the flight, Eddie was a Chatty Cathy — mostly due to nerves about flying, but also about Gabe — sharing moments from his life with his friends:
How he and Jacin and George and Josh played canasta at least once a week and how each time they played, they’d bicker over the scoring and the rules — it always irks him when the players would advise each other on which cards to play. Why they all enjoy playing canasta no one will ever know — to an outsider it would look similar to a murder of crows pecking at each other until bloody.
About the time they put on a drag show for their other friend Leticia and their drag names were Juicy Fruit (Eddie), Cajin Spice (Jacin), Tipper Whore (George) and Tipsy Turvy (Josh). And how Tipsy closed the show as an eerily-classic Janis Joplin, singing “Me and Bobby McGee” with an unlit cigarette dangling from her lips and brandishing a half empty bottle of vodka.
How he and Jacin had dated for a couple years, but Jacin and George have been together for eight years now. How Jacin was also once married to their friend Jody — many years ago, Jacin had rushed Jody, his then-roommate, to the hospital after she collapsed on the Gallivan Center ice rink, her knee popped out of its socket. At the time Jody didn’t carry health insurance and because of the doctor’s persistent recommendation for surgery she and Jacin agreed to a shotgun City Hall wedding and an update to Jacin’s health insurance policy.
How Josh is currently dating his co-worker’s husband who also happens to have a daughter whom Jacin recently saved from being run down by a Trax train, but unfortunately he had been clipped by it and had spent several days in a coma. Now he has a somewhat mild form of amnesia, but eventually he should get his complete memory back.
How his friend Cameron had a baby about year ago on Halloween and how everyone was at a costume party when she went into labor. In the waiting room of the hospital, people were giving them strange looks — like they didn’t know it was Halloween — as Joe Dirt, a couple of FBI agents, a hippie and two ugly witches played canasta. Cameron and her son Leonard moved to Idaho Falls shortly after the birth.
About the time Jacin and Josh had taken him to Seattle for his 30th birthday to visit their friend Matthew and how he and Jacin got tattoos — he, a inkwell and quill on his right shoulder, and Jacin, a pair of dancing flamingoes in top hats on his lower back. And how six months later Matthew had passed away from AIDS-related complications. He was cremated and returned to Salt Lake City where they scattered his ashes in the Great Salt Lake.
And how he likes to play mind games with himself. Nearly every day on his drive into work he plays a game in which for him to win, he must reach his destination before the song playing on the radio ends. If he loses to himself, he has to pull over and walk the rest of the way; he’s lost the game a few times, but has actually never pulled the car over. And nearly every morning irrational thoughts of the shower curtain being ripped open and him being murdered forces him into speed-showering. On occasion he’s wondered if it’s a rare phobia, a fear of not being squeaky clean upon death.
This last bit of information created an odd expression on Gabe’s face — a cross between fear and humor.
“Sorry, I’m babbling on,” Eddie quickly admitted. “I shouldn’t have shared so much. You probably want to go sit in your assigned seat now.”
Gabe chuckled then said, “No, no. It’s OK. I liked the stories. There’s just never a dull moment in your life is there?”
“I guess not,” Eddie agreed.
A tinny female voice blasted through the cabin, “Please be seated, fasten your seatbelts and put your seats in the upright position, we are making our final descent into St. Paul.”
“Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” Gabe asked.
“Uumm ... sure,” Eddie replied with stunned hesitation.
To be continued ...