Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The Variable Annuities of Wrath: Chapter 4

When the VA wholesaler heard the minivan get under way, gear thrown into drive and the engine laboring in the dry Denver heat, he stopped and turned about and watched it until it disappeared. Thoughtfully he picked up his luggage and carried it to the curbside check-in. At last he turned about and faced the airport doors. The sun was hot, and the cool, climate-controlled air inside the building welcomed him inside.

He leaned down and untied the laces, slipped off one first one shoe and then the other. And he placed his shoes, along with his laptop and cell phone and carry on luggage, in the plastic bins provided by airport security. And at last he moved through the metal detector, his socks picking up the dust particles left behind by the passengers who had preceded him through the line.

The wholesaler found his gate and sat in an empty seat, where he opened up his laptop. Even in the crowded, bustling airport terminal, he was startled at the peace and quiet, the orderly way people conducted themselves, in sharp contrast to the rowdy, chaotic van ride with his family from the hotel to the airport.

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