Driftwood: Part XVIII

The next 45 minutes were a whirlwind.  After paying the departure fee, Nick filled out forms and got in line to check in for his flight.  He and other passengers stood in line as they waited for airline employees to man the ticket counter.  There were a couple airport employees standing in front of the queue and they looked over his passport and asked some security questions.  Once check in was complete he had to clear security.  Once that was done, he headed for the concourse.

As he entered the concourse, there was a Café Brit shop on the right.  Since he still had time, he decided to see what they had.  Along the main wall, there were coffee, cookies, and other snack items for sale and to sample.  Nick decided he needed to sample everything and particularly liked the chocolate covered coffee beans.  Therefore, he decided to purchase some.  Then he remembered he never bought any coffee to bring home.  Nick spent more money there than he planned but looked forward to having some good Costa Rican coffee at home.  He stopped by the food court and got breakfast and then headed for the gate. 

Once he was on the plane, and the whole process of check in and getting on board the plane was finished, he started to relax.  Part of him wanted to sleep but another part wanted to remember all he had experienced.  The last week had heartache, happiness, new sights, friends and new foods.  There was so much and it seemed he couldn’t process it all.  He wondered how he could tell his family all about his week.  Could words really express all he felt?

He looked out the window.  Clouds covered the far-off mountains and there appeared to be some rain in the distance.  Nick watched the last of the passengers board the flight.  There seemed to be a couple missionary groups boarding.  They had matching shirts that noted their church.  It was then Nick realized there were more US citizens in the airport than Ticos. 
The next thing he knew, the flight attendant woke him to ask if he wanted breakfast.  Even though he ate something prior to boarding, he was hungry.  The meal was yogurt and a breakfast bar and coffee or juice.  Air travel sure has changed since he did his first business trip too many years ago. 


Looking out the window when the flight was on approach, Nick could clearly see the Chicago skyline.  It was a welcome sight.  He noted the Dan Ryan and Kennedy expressways.  The sky was cloudless and the sun shone brightly.  As soon as the plane touched down in Chicago, he took out his cell phone, turned it on and called his daughter, Jennifer.  She answered on the third ring with an excited, “Hi daddy!  How was your trip?” 

“It was great, thank you.  How was your week?”

The two of them briefly discussed major points of the week.  Then Nick asked if she would pick him up.  She would and planned to arrive outside the terminal in about 40 minutes.  When the two of them met they gave each other a warm embrace.  Jenny asked, “How was it, dad?”
“Much better than I thought.  I’ll have to tell you all about it later.  Can you believe I got to go to a volcano?”

Nick arrived home to the empty house he left.  His boys visited later and Nick gave out presents to them as he did with his daughter earlier when she dropped him off at the house.  When they went to their respective homes, Nick suddenly felt alone.  He wished Mark and Pat were around.  He decided to send them an email advising he arrived safely.  Once that was finished, Nick wasn’t sure what to do other than begin his laundry. 

With laundry started, Nick walked to his bedroom.  He stood there for a moment unsure what to do next.  He felt conflicted.  He just had a wonderful experience and was happy about it but now he felt like a fish out of water.  It was as if he had grown and his surroundings no longer could accommodate him. 

Nick considered the positives of his trip.  Now he was certain he could go on after Gwen’s death.  He knew he had people who cared for him.  He had a good family and good friends, some of which were new friends.  He had a good job.  Last but not least, he once again believed God was in control.  He had a plan for Nick’s benefit, and would never leave him alone. 

He thought of the driftwood back on that Jaco beach.  It still was not back in its home.  It was there in the sand and other people would come and sit on it.  It would be useful where it was.  Nick was not back to where he was prior to Gwen’s death but he was back home and would be a useful person.  He loved his family and wanted to be there for them.  There was a young family that lived close to him and he wanted to be a friend to them.  He had friends in Costa Rica and he wanted to get to know them in a deeper and richer way.  He was open to God’s plan and would take it one step at a time in faith.