smokerblog

Overheard on Flight 855

She: dressed in black, with her black hair pulled back tightly against her skull, and wearing round, oversized, black-frame designer glasses, lenses tinted a frosty blue. He: tallish, white hair cropped in a way that is usually described as distinguished, and wearing tailored, gray slacks with a cashmere navy blue sweater over a checked button-down shirt. Both: late fifties or early sixties, a whiff of early retirement is detectable.

They must have been returning home from a wedding or reunion of some kind. Three separate mini-conversations are recorded here in full.

She: Did you meet Bill's wife?
He: Who?
She: Bill's wife, did she stop by to say hi?
He: Oh, yes. She offered me a warm greeting.
She: Yes, I know. A very warm greeting.
--
She: I've led a very interesting life, don't you think?
He: Why, yes.
She: If you think of all the things I was able to do at a young age...
[long pause]
She: Rhonda, you know, what has she done that she can point to? What does her life amount to?
He: Not much, I guess.
She: That's what I thought.
He: [mumbles something condescending]
--
(The captain has announced our imminent arrival.)
She: So when he turns off the seatbelt light, you hold these two things while I put on my coat.
He: Okay.
She: Because, I need to put my coat on and I can't hold these at the same time.
He: Yes.
She: If you want to put this on the seat, instead of holding it, you could help me with my coat.
He: Okay.
She: But you're going to have to take care of these two things while I put my coat on.
He: Okay.
She: If you help me with my coat, make sure to help me. You never sweep the coat around so I can put my arm in it, you always just hold it there, maybe you could help me with the coat this time.
He: Okay.
She: We're landing now, get ready.
He: Yes.