Nancy's Adventure

It's been a while since anyone posted here.  I just wrote some directions for Delara who will be visiting Berkeley this weekend.  I joked that they would be the best directions ever, and so I tried to live up to my words.  I enjoy writing stuff like this where I have a prompt of sorts and just have fun with it.  It's hard to come up with fun prompts like "directions for a friend" on my own so these rarely happen, but like I said they are fun to write.  Enjoy!

A young woman, of age to still be in school, steps off the jet bridge in Oakland International Airport.  She appears normal by all societal standards, although those passing by are quickly aware of the overpowering scent of alcohol on her person.  Some glare while others mutter vitriolic comments under their breath as they crinkle up their nose and quicken pace.

“A bathroom, I need to find a bathroom,” thinks Nancy.  She probably should have gone on the flight while she still had the chance, but it’s too late for that now.  “Maybe if I follow this crowd I’ll find something.”  Her luggage in tow, she follows the general flow of people towards an escalator heading downwards.  “Baggage Claim, this is not what I want, I want a bathroom,” Nancy thinks frustrated.

Packed in close proximity on the escalator, Nancy’s odor becomes evident more rapidly to those surrounding her.  An older man asks her if she has a driver for getting home, obviously concerned for her safety.  She misinterprets the gesture as a compliment on her designer skirt and thanks him for his kind words.

“Wow, I never thought people in Oakland would be so friendly,” Nancy reflects as she exits the escalator.  “If I could just find a bathroo… Ahh!”  Across the hall a little to her right Nancy spots the bathrooms and exhales a sigh of relief.  After relieving herself in the restroom, so begins the long wait for checked baggage accustom to the Oakland airport.  She thinks it a good idea to strike up a conversation with her neighbors, a young couple of similar age. “I love your hair!” she exclaims to the woman as she reaches up to touch her 1960’s era beehive.

Nancy grabs ahold a little too tight to the poor woman’s head who, quite startled at the whole ordeal, proceeds to drop her coffee cup spilling the boiling hot liquid all over her husband’s shoes. Profanity escapes his lips which draws a number of stares to the disaster Nancy has wrought over this poor couple.  Half of the room is now watching Nancy explain herself to this couple she has just assaulted.  Poor couple.  Poor Nancy.

“Just don’t make eye contact with anyone,” Nancy tells herself as she hoists her luggage out of the baggage carousel.  Now she wants to find the AirBart which is a bus that takes you from the airport to the actual Bart subway system.  Why would anyone name a bus an air Bart?  That’s the stupidest idea Nancy has ever heard of, and believe Nancy when she says she’s heard many a stupid idea.  She follows people through the sliding glass doors outside, across the street, and to the left down the street towards the AirBart station.

A fairly simple transaction awaits Nancy, preparing to board the bus.  Unfortunately Nancy only has a five dollar bill.  The AirBart, unbeknownst to her costs $3.00 and will not give back change.  So Nancy, unprepared as she is, will have to purchase a $3.00 Bart ticket from the machine by the bus stop, or forfeit the $2.00 that is the difference between five and three.

“How long will his bus ride will take?” Nancy wonders staring out of the window.  The girl in the green behind me looks friendly… “No Nancy, you saw what happened last time you tried to make friends, no more.”  Okay, but she does look really friendly with that shade of green on her…”No, don’t even think about it.”

Sarah, the name of the girl in green, is getting slightly weirded out by the girl who keeps turning around to look at her but not say anything.  “Why is she doing that?” Sarah thinks.  I’m just going to try and not make eye contact.  This girl looks like she has some serious problems.

“Purchase a $2.50 Bart ticket from the ticket machines on the wall inside the Bart station,” Nancy reads from the printed out directions she has with her.  “I should double check the price to make sure this is the right fare,” Nancy mutters to herself.  After struggling through reading the price guide, Nancy purchases a ticket and proceeds to wait for the Richmond Bart which will take her directly to downtown Berkeley.

Nancy makes no new friends while riding the Bart, luckily for all parties involved, and safely arrives in Berkeley, specifically the Downtown Berkeley Bart Station.  Upon exiting the train, she heads up the stairs following the crowds and begins to ride the escalator up to street level.

“Ahh, fresh air,” Nancy exclaims.  Looking around she sees many homeless people, all of varying levels of intoxication.  This is my home she thinks, this is where I belong.  Standing in front of the Chase building she sees her friend that has come to meet her.  “I had some odd adventures today that I’ll have to tell you,” she says to him.  “Those tend to occur while riding the Bart,” he replies.