RALPH WELLINGTON
A Week Back:-
Ralph was woken up by the sound of seagulls crying. He had been dreaming. He blinked his eyes, and then checked the time on his watch. He sat up straight in the chair and then realized that he had been sleeping for the last two hours. He had been dreaming about his brother Brigadier General Mike Wellington. It had been a week since Mike had left Afghanistan, to return home to the U.S. A week since his plane crashed in the sea, while he was returning to the U.S.A. The search and rescue operation, by the Coast Guard and Navy, was on. It was six months back that Mike had left home to join duty. Six months back that he had kissed Goodbye to his wife Liza Wellington, and now while he was returning home to his lovely mate, his plane had crashed.
Also, it was exactly a week back that Brigadier General Ralph Wellington left his home at San Juan Islands North West Washington, to officially resume his duties. He was at the U.S. military headquarters, in Washington, to complete his official work. He then took a flight to Atlanta, which took him nine hours. This flight had now halted there for four hours and would then continue its journey to Kandahar, Afghanistan where he was deployed.
Ralph's phone was buzzing. He pulled it out from his pocket, reading the message from his sister Violet Wellington.
Violet: The Coast Guards are probably going to give up their rescue operation tomorrow, searching for Mike. They might make an official announcement in a day or two.
Ralph: Why are they giving up so soon?
Violet: It has been so long. The weather is so cold.
Ralph: But they can continue their search.
Violet: They have done their best. Also, Mom is not in a mentally good condition, and Liza keeps sitting on the beach the whole day, waiting for Mike's return. She says she will not leave the beach unless Mike comes and drags her away.
Ralph: Let me know what I can do.
Violet: From so far?
Ralph: I will try.
Violet: I know that brother. I miss you and your guidance.
Ralph: I miss you too, sister. As soon as I can, I will come and visit.
Violet: Sure. Bye
Ralph: Bye, Violet. Take Care.
That meant the Coast Guard assumed that their brother had either drowned or died due to hypothermia. The Coast Guard could not keep on wasting their precious resources on a body they could not find. Ralph felt a squeeze in his heart.
Even after having undertaken dozens of missions, Ralph had not been used to death. He could not see people dying in his arms. Mike after all was his brother. A very good human he was, he had a smile for everyone and never left anyone in need. Frustration burned inside Ralph's veins. He could not do a damn about saving his brother.
Ralph was missing his entire family. It had been years since they all had sat together. Years since they had sat down together, for a Sunday dinner. At one time, the Wellingtons had been inseparable.
Ralph tucked the phone back into his pocket. He leaned back in his seat and looked around to see where his friends were. They might have possibly gone to the food court, but they had left behind their coats and other personal items because the seating area all around was packed.
There was an announcement at the airport, "Attention passengers of Flight 456, we are delayed for another two hours. Thank you for being patient, and for flying with us."
Ralph now knew that he had to spend two more hours and wait for the Ice Storm coming from the north, to settle down. Only then could their flight take off, for the final destination. He tried to take a short nap but was again woken up by the sound of seagulls crying. But when he opened his eyes he found that it was not the sound of seagulls, but a baby was crying.
He opened his eyes, to find that a girl/ woman was standing at the entrance of the waiting lounge, holding a baby, and she was walking ahead. She was very petite and slender. She had long red hair, hiding her face. Suddenly another woman bumped into her, following which she stumbled but then balanced herself.
Ralph at that moment jumped from his seat, thinking of catching her before she fell. But luckily that woman had balanced herself. Seeing that, Ralph settled back in his seat. But then he noticed that there was a purple shadow under her eyes, and she was trembling. Ralph observed that she looked very gorgeous, but seemed to be extremely tired. It was a look that was screaming, she had lost all hope in life. He had seen that same look in his mother's eyes when his Dad had killed himself. Ralph hated himself for not helping his mother at that time, as he was just fifteen years old.
The woman then saw an empty chair and moved towards it, but before she could get there, an older man sat down. He tried to get up from his chair on seeing the young woman, and in his frail voice said "Young lady you can have my seat."
She smiled at him and said, "No, no. I am fine. Thanks for your offer." But he insisted on giving his seat. Seeing that, Ralph felt that none of them should suffer. He got up and went towards the woman. He said, "Hey! Sweetheart, I have found some seats for us." He then shook hands with the old gentleman and said, "Thank you for taking care of my wife and child."
Ralph then winked at the woman, smiled at her, and guided her towards the seat. He said that "Our seats are just two rows behind."
The woman's sea-green eyes tried assessing him, and then she said, "If I say yes, what do I have to do for you?"
Ralph replied, "nothing." He then offered to help her with her bag. But she refused and said she would manage. He offered her his seat and seated himself on the next one after shifting his friend's belongings to the next seat.
She hesitatingly asked, "Won't your friends mind?" Ralph replied, "Nope." She then thanked him for helping her out.
Ralph smiled at the woman while his eyes locked with hers for a couple of minutes. But he felt as if he had some connection with her. He introduced himself, "I am Brigadier General Ralph Wellington, and am heading off to a war zone."
The woman introduced herself as "Adira Jordan." She finally sat down on the chair, adjusting the baby in her arms. Ralph asked her from which place she belonged. She said that she had come from South Africa and was going to Texas and told him that she was stuck because of the ice storm. She asked Ralph to which place did he belong? He replied that he stayed at San Juan Island in northwest Washington.
Ralph then cracked a couple of jokes with her to put her at ease. He wanted her to know that he was not making passes at her or flirting with her. Also, she need not worry. Ralph noticed that whenever she laughed at some of his jokes, she looked all the more pretty, and she also seemed to relax then.
The baby woke up again while they were talking. She said that she needed to walk to calm down her child. She started talking to the child, "It is okay, Raven. Darling, don't cry."
Ralph could hear Adira's stomach growl, and her cheeks were looking very pale. It seemed she had not eaten anything for the last couple of days. Ralph asked Adira if she had taken lunch. She replied that she had her breakfast and was not hungry. But he observed that a guilty look entered her green eyes. Her stomach again made a growling noise, giving away her lie.
Ralph joked that "I can spot a liar a mile away." He then said he was going to the food court and asked her whether she was allergic to any foodstuff.
Adira tilted her chin up as if she had firmly decided not to take any help. Ralph lifted her bag and kept it on his chair to save his seat. He instructed Adira to stay there and said, "We don't want that old gentleman to think we are not a couple, do we?" She did not reply to that. Ralph thought her non-responsiveness meant she had permitted him to buy her lunch. He thus left for the food court.