When the chaos started, I had no idea it would lead to something I’d regret. It all began with a rude woman and her out-of-control dog at the airport, but by the end, it was about much more than that.
It all started in the airport terminal. I was waiting for my flight when I noticed a small dog running loose. The owner, a woman who looked completely unconcerned, was paying no attention. The dog was causing a mess, knocking over trash cans and barking at people. Everyone around was clearly annoyed, but no one said anything.
I watched as the dog made a huge mess, spilling trash everywhere. A kind man tried to get the woman’s attention, but she just ignored him, as if it wasn’t her problem.
Another passenger tried to clean up, but the mess was too much. “We saw the whole thing. It’s not your fault,” I reassured him. He nodded, grateful for the support, and hurried off to find someone who could help with the cleanup.
Watching all this, I felt my anger rising. How could someone be so inconsiderate? I decided I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. I approached the mess, warning people to watch their step. A kind stranger went off to find a maintenance worker to help.
“Can you believe that?” I asked the man who’d tried to get the woman’s attention earlier. He shook his head in disbelief.
“Flying with pets is a privilege, not a right. Some people just don’t get it,” he replied.
I introduced myself. “I’m Nora,” I said, extending my hand.
“Jasper,” he replied, shaking it. “Heading somewhere nice?”
“London, for work. You?”
“Tokyo. Business trip.”
We chatted for a few minutes, talking about our travel plans, before going our separate ways. But as I walked to my gate, I couldn’t shake the anger I felt. And then I saw her again.
The same entitled woman was sitting near my gate, her dog barking non-stop. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she was playing loud music from her phone without any headphones. People were moving away, trying to find some peace, but I had a different idea. I decided to sit right next to her.
“Are you going to Tokyo on business?” I asked, pretending to be friendly.
She barely looked at me. “I’m going to London,” she snapped.
I widened my eyes in fake surprise. “Oh no! Then you better hurry. That flight got moved to gate 53C. This is the flight to Tokyo.”
Her eyes bulged in panic. Without even checking the monitor, she grabbed her bags and her dog and stormed off to the other gate. I couldn’t help but grin as I watched her go. The gate monitor still clearly showed “London,” but she was too self-absorbed to notice.
As boarding time approached, I kept an eye out for her return. The final boarding call came and went, but there was no sign of her or her noisy dog. I settled into my seat, feeling a strange mix of satisfaction and guilt. As the plane began to taxi, I realized she must have missed the flight.
The woman next to me smiled as we took off. “First time flying to London?”
“No, I go for work pretty often. I’m Nora.”
“Mei,” she replied. “I noticed that commotion earlier with the woman and her dog. Did you see her get on?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think she made it back in time.”
Mei’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? Wow, that’s… unfortunate.”
I shrugged, trying to seem calm. “Yeah, well… karma, I guess.”
Mei nodded slowly. “I suppose. Still, it seems a bit harsh. Missing a flight is a big deal.”
Her words made me squirm in my seat. Had I gone too far? “You’re right,” I admitted. “I just got so angry seeing how she treated everyone.”
Mei patted my arm gently. “We all have our moments. The important thing is to learn from them.”
As the plane continued on its way, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d done. I hadn’t intended for her to miss her flight, but it seemed like the universe had balanced the scales in response to her bad behavior. Yet, Mei’s words kept echoing in my mind. Had I really taught her a lesson, or had I just stooped to her level?
The flight attendant’s voice jolted me from my thoughts. “Drinks, ladies?”
“Water, please,” Mei said.
“Same for me, thanks,” I replied. As we sipped our drinks, Mei turned to me again. “So, what takes you to London so often?”
I welcomed the distraction. “I work for a tech company. We’re expanding our European operations.”
“That sounds exciting,” Mei said. “Any favorite spots in the city?”
We spent the next hour chatting about London, our jobs, and travel stories. It was a pleasant break from my gnawing guilt. Halfway through the flight, I excused myself to use the restroom. As I waited in line, I overheard a conversation that made my stomach drop.
“Yeah, some lady missed her flight because someone gave her the wrong gate number,” a man was saying. “She was raising hell at customer service when I left.”
I felt the color drain from my face. It was real now. I had actually caused her to miss her flight. Back in my seat, I must have looked as bad as I felt because Mei asked, “Are you okay? You look a bit pale.”
I considered lying but the guilt was eating me up. “Can I tell you something? Promise not to judge?”
Mei nodded, her expression serious. I took a deep breath and told her everything—the dog incident, my anger, the false gate information. By the time I finished, I felt like the worst person in the world. Mei was quiet for a moment. Then she said, “Well, that was certainly… creative.”
I groaned. “I’m a terrible person, aren’t I?”
“No,” Mei said firmly. “You made a mistake, yes. But terrible people don’t feel bad about their actions.”
Her words were kind, but they didn’t erase my guilt. “What should I do?”
Mei thought for a moment. “Well, you can’t undo what’s done. But maybe this can be a turning point. A reminder to think before you act, even when you’re angry.”
I nodded slowly. “You’re right. I just hope she learned something too.”
“Maybe she did,” Mei said. “Sometimes it takes a shock to make us realize our behavior isn’t okay.”
As we began our descent into London, I made a silent promise to myself. I’d use this experience as a lesson, a reminder to be better, even when faced with difficult people. The plane touched down, and as we taxied to the gate, Mei turned to me one last time. “Remember, Nora, we’re all works in progress. The important thing is to keep trying to be better.”
I smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Mei. For listening and for the wisdom.”
As we disembarked, I couldn’t help but scan the faces in the airport, half-expecting to see the woman from the gate. She wasn’t there, of course, but the memory of her, and my actions, would stay with me for a long time. I didn’t know if she’d made it back before we took off, but I hadn’t seen her aboard, and I hadn’t heard her dog.
Missing her flight wasn’t my original intention, but it felt like the universe balancing the scales for her appalling behavior. Yet as I walked through the airport, I realized the scales don’t always balance so neatly. Sometimes, they just keep tipping, leaving us to find our equilibrium in the chaos of human interactions.
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