The Ticket was Non-Refundable

by: Camillia Felton

The Dubai airport was a cocoon of steel, the walls elegantly wrapping around to create a massive dome. The beams supported countless windows that let in light as bright as any summer’s day. People flowed from the check-in desks to the cafes and through the gates, each heading toward their own destinations.

It was a Saturday morning, and on days like this, I was crammed with more bodies than I could count. I tilted my head to the sky. The clear blue gave me the strength to bottle my claustrophobia and maneuver my way through the crowd. I already had enough on my mind; I just needed to make it out of the airport in one piece. I made it outside to ground transportation, and it was a thousand times worse. I had just enough time to run to the store and grab the perfect flowers to go with my gift. She was going to love it. While I was busy thinking of Rose, I somehow ended up in the middle of the exit. I shook my head in a daze and went to wave down a taxi driver.

The ride to Rose’s apartment was the best part of the trip. I rode with my head hanging out the window like a dog the whole way. The city was so alive, people flowed like rivers down the wide avenues, buildings towered on each side with golden light that reflected on the sandstone architecture. The trees swayed from the refreshing wind providing relief from the August heat that scorched my cheeks. Everything was so beautiful, but it was bittersweet. Would Rose ever want to leave a beautiful place like this? She’d already been here for several months, and it was definitely putting a damper on our relationship, but I could never get in the way of her and her dreams. I was so happy for her when she told me the news that she’d be studying abroad, but every month it seemed to get harder and harder. I looked down at the bouquet of roses laying in my lap, a poetic ensemble of colors and smells. I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake. It was her birthday, after all.

What if she wasn’t even home? What if she didn’t even live at this address anymore? But every girlfriend loves a good surprise visit, right? Suddenly, there was a knock on the car window, and I jumped up, my head jerking out of my trance.

“Hey, you gonna get out or what!?” yelled the taxi driver.

I grabbed my things and scrambled out of the back seat. I managed to daydream at the wrong time again; I wonder how long the car was stopped. Once I was out, the car skidded away, and I was left alone, facing a beautiful apartment complex surrounded by trees dancing in the wind. The building stood tall like a giant. It had large, arched windows, welcoming the rays from the sun and elaborate balconies that provided a beautiful view to the world as it passed by the city street below. I made my way up the stairs. They were clearly made by the hands of a skilled carpenter, its wooden grains flowing like water. I turned the corner, and there it was: “Room 3025.” I was about to knock when I heard laughing from the balcony above.

“Babe, you shouldn’t have! He’s so adorable!”

There was a whimpering sound followed by a small bark.

“And you bought me roses? This is the best birthday present ever!”

Thoughts were racing through my mind. My heart was pounding, but I knew I had to be over thinking. I banged on the door, but no one answered. I didn’t wait. I dropped everything, raced down the stairs and turned the corner. I looked to the balcony, and my worst nightmare played before me. My girlfriend was in the arms of another guy. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Rose wasn’t mine anymore, and I didn’t know how to be okay with that. And I wasn’t. I wanted her back. She loved me, how could that just go away? How could our love evaporate so fast? In my dreams, we were married, living in a nice house with a picket fence and had the perfect family. Instead, she was in Dubai wrapped in the arms of her upstairs neighbor.

She was my ex, now. The word was enough to make me choke. I turned around and looked out at the world. I no longer saw its beauty. I didn’t care for the passing cars, for the birds chasing the squirrels through the trees. The air smelled bland and was no longer illuminated with flavors. The wind was still, and it sounded as if the world had paused along with me to let this moment sink in. My head kept re-examining what I had seen, wondering what I could have done differently. In my heart, I knew there was nothing I could’ve done, and my stomach turned sickly. The bouquet fell from my fingertips and onto the asphalt. My body trembled and chilled as I no longer felt the heat from the beaming sun and was instead consumed by the coolness of my heart. I looked back once more then headed in the opposite direction. I couldn’t sacrifice what little pride I had left to confront her. Goodbye Rose.