A Meeting in DC...Hurry Up and Wait! (2 of 7)

Waiting at the DC airport for my colleagues.

Because I took a non-stop flight from New Orleans, I arrived in Washington, DC two hours earlier than I was scheduled to. The flight was uneventful. I slept most of the way. This sketch was done while sitting on the second floor balcony at Reagan International across from a United Airlines ticket counter. The "Uniball" pen was scratchy as it was low on ink and had to be tossed after I completed this drawing.

Seated sipping a Starbucks "venti" coffee as I stared and sketched, a Jamaican woman, elegantly dressed in black with loads of exotic jewelry asked me the correct time. I was one hour early since I hadn't accounted for the time zone change and corrected myself before responding to her request. She seemed distraught!

Because I can't stand to see a woman in distress, I asked her what was her concern and if I could help. Apparently, she booked a return flight for the next day instead and couldn't afford to stay another night in DC. She had to go downstairs to talk to the information desk to find out what her options were, but couldn't leave her baggage alone and couldn't carry it back down to the information booth. Since I had another hour or so wait, I offered to stay with her two pieces until she could figure out what to do next.

"Thank you very much, sir. God is truly good...truly good for me to find you," she said and I agreed!

Twenty minutes later, the statuesque and stately woman returned perplexed by her predicament. I had just put the finishing touches on this sketch and as the pen finally petered out on me, I inquired about her plans. She said she didn't have enough cash to pay for another night's stay at a motel and didn't own a credit card, and just as I was beginning to regret being a good Samaritan, thinking that she was gonna hit me up for some cash, she says, "God is truly good and He has provided for me a hotel that will wire some money for me from my sister in St. Thomas!" I will stay tonight and tomorrow, fly back to my homeland in Jamaica!"

She then, after seeing and approving of my sketch, loaded her bags onto a rent-a-cart, and invited me to come visit Jamaica, sometime. I told her I would with a bit of luck. She turned her head back around as she left with a baggage porter, to say, "God is truly good! He will find you a way!"

You know, I've always wanted to visit Jamaica, man!

Copyright 2011/ Ben Bensen III