Coming Full Circle–Part 6
By Nancy F. Thysell (the Nifty Lady)
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Everyone, especially the kids were enjoying the carousel ride. But time was growing short and Johnny and Chris had to change clothes. Roy had talked Chet and Marco in to finding someone with an RV or camper that they could borrow for the afternoon. So when the time came, Chet led them to their makeshift dressing room. The space was cramped and Chris had trouble getting all of her gown inside of it. JoAnne went in with her to help. Both JoAnne and Roy figured that it might be too big of a distraction for Johnny. As soon as Chris was changed into her suit, they let Johnny in. JoAnne removed the wedding gown, now safely enclosed in a garment bag. She pulled Chris out with her for the same reason they wouldn’t let Johnny help. Both Chris and Johnny protested loudly but Roy reminded Johnny how short the time was becoming. A few minutes later, Johnny emerged in a more casual attire of a tan sports coat, a chocolate brown shirt with a pair of beige slacks. Their guests were armed with rice to toss as Johnny and Chris ran for the DeSoto’s station wagon. Roy was acting as chauffeur and would return to pick up JoAnne and the kids after depositing the newlyweds at the airport. Johnny and Chris waved farewell to their friends as they pulled away from the curb. Johnny was relieved that none of the guys had chosen to follow them out to LAX. Both Johnny and Chris released a sigh of relief at practically the same moment and burst out laughing. Then Johnny pulled her into a warm embrace.
"Okay, you two. Remember, this is a ‘G-rated’ automobile," Roy teased as he watched them in the rear view mirror. Chris giggled and blushed appropriately.
"Yes dad," Johnny replied sarcastically land then proceeded to kiss Chris passionately. Roy still didn’t know which airlines to take the couple to so as they approached the airport, he interrupted again.
"Okay Junior. Where to?" he asked. Johnny looked up over the back of the seat to orientate himself as to where they were.
"Aero-Mexico," he informed Roy. He saw Roy’s eyebrow raise in a question. Johnny grinned.
"Yeah. We’re going to Acapulco," he finally admitted. Chris’ eyes grew wide.
"But...but I don’t have a passport!" she stammered.
"We don’t need one for Mexico. I have all the identification we’ll need," Johnny assured her.
"Sounds like a great place to go," Roy commented, even feeling a bit envious. "What time do you need me back here to pick you up?" he asked as he pulled up in front the Aero-Mexico check-in.
Johnny handed him a slip of paper. "The information is all written on here. We’ll see ya Tuesday night then!"
"Sure thing partner." Roy got out and helped Johnny with the luggage. They checked it in curbside. Chris gave Roy a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek as Johnny dealt with the Sky Caps. Then Roy and Johnny shared a brotherly hug and as Roy departed, the newlyweds entered the airport. Johnny glanced at the departure information. They had less time than he had hoped.
"Come on sweetie. We’re gonna have to run if we want to make our flight!" he warned her.
"Okay. Just don’t let do of my hand," Chris cautioned him. They took off down the long concourse in search of their gate.
Fifteen minutes later, a winded couple reached the gate only to discover that the plane was already pulling away from the gate! They rushed up to the gate attendant.
"Can you help us?" Johnny asked breathlessly.
"What can I do for you?" the woman asked, taking in Chris’ pink suit and corsage, with a professional smile.
"We’re supposed to be on that flight!" Johnny told her.
"I’m sorry sir. They’re already preparing to taxi."
Chris burst into tears. "Oh, Johnny!"
"It’s okay sweetie. Don’t cry," he said trying to comfort her then he looked back at the attendant as he explained, "It’s our honeymoon. We had trouble getting away from the reception..."
The young woman smiled understandingly. "Let me see what I can do." She picked up the phone and dialed her supervisor. Johnny pulled Chris into his arms.
"Don’t worry Chris. We’ll figure something out," he said consolingly. Chris laid her head against his chest and tried to convince herself that the trip wasn’t ruin.
A moment later the attendant completed her call.
"Thank you Miss Sullivan. Yes, I’ll have them ready to board. Bye." She gave the couple a genuine smile. "They’re bringing the plane back for you."
"What?" Johnny asked in disbelief. "I don’t understand."
"I told my supervisor that this is your honeymoon and they only just started to pull away. She said to have you both in the passageway and ready to board."
"Wow. Far out! We don’t know how to thank you!" he told her.
"Hey, consider it Aero-Mexico’s wedding gift to you," she said sweetly. "Come with me."
She led Chris and Johnny to the passageway and almost to the end where they waited for the plane to return. A few minutes later the door opened and a stewardess met them to help with boarding. Johnny turned and shook the attendants hand.
"Thank you. Thank you so much," he said gratefully.
"You’re welcome. Have a great flight and a wonderful honeymoon," she called as they stepped into the plane.
The stewardess lead them to their seats as the entire planeload of people broke into applause. Some people shouted "Congratulations!" Chris felt her face growing hot with embarrassment as they found their seats. The stewardess leaned in to check their seatbelts and informed them with a big smile, "The captain announced the reason for our return to pick you up so everyone knows that you are our honeymoon couple."
Chris couldn’t believe how embarrassed she felt. Johnny just chuckled at the news. He didn’t care. They had made the flight and that was all that mattered to him. Chris buried her head against his shoulder. Every one knew! There was no way she could look anyone in the eye on this flight!
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The plane finally landed at the small airport. It was dark when they finally arrived. Johnny held Chris’ hand as they walked down the portable stairs to the tarmac and crossed to the terminal. They had practically been the last ones off the plane. Other passengers continued to congratulate them, again to Chris’ embarrassment. The air was balmy as they retrieved their luggage. Soon they had secured a cab and were on their way to their hotel. The hotel that Johnny had selected was on the hillside above the bay and was made up of numerous individual cottages, each having a fireplace and private hot tubs. Chris was grateful for the privacy. Now they would have three days to enjoy the attractions of the beautiful town of Acapulco, its beautiful beaches, cliff divers, food and local color.
Their days, while filled with either sightseeing, eating, shopping or enjoying the beaches, were still very relaxing. Johnny shot roll after roll of film to document their honeymoon. Chris almost became tired of being in every shot. Once in a while they could get someone nearby to snap the two of them together. They visited the ruins of the fort and shopped for souvenirs. Lunches were eaten on decks overlooking the bay. One evening they attended a Fiesta that entertained them with a variety of native dance and fed them with traditional Mexican dishes. It was an awesome time for the young couple. And Johnny made sure that the nights were filled with passion.
Tuesday morning came much too soon. Chris opened her suitcase and began to pack her clothes while Johnny was shaving. Many of the things she had brought had hardly gotten any wear at all. Especially that black satin teddy. Yes, she had put it on but, and she smiled at the memory. Johnny had her out of it quicker than it had taken her to put it on. He had definitely appreciated it but found it totally unnecessary. She picked up her swimsuit. It was still damp from their visit to the beach on Monday. She took a plastic bag and dropped the suit into it. She remembered how self conscious she had felt when she bought the suit. The scars on her leg were so unattractive. JoAnne had suggested a wrap around skirt in a matching material. That had helped cover most of the scar so Chris felt more confident when walking around on the beach. She and Johnny had walked for hours along the shore. She placed a few more items in the suitcase and laid out the outfit she would wear home.
"Johnny? How much longer are you going to be?" she asked as she looked around the room for things that needed to go in her suitcase. He poked his head through the door. Most of the shaving cream was gone. Chris could see that all he was wearing was a towel wrapped around his waist. She averted her eyes. She was still getting used to seeing a man like this.
"Almost done," he replied. He got a mischievous grin on his face. "You wanna take a shower?"
Chris looked up and smiled at him. "Sounds like an idea."
"Then come on," he urged. Chris crossed to the bathroom and rose on her tiptoes to kiss his clean shaven cheek.
"I’ll get the water started," she murmured. Johnny grinned and hurried to finish shaving. Chris adjusted the temperature and turned on the shower. Johnny watched her in the mirror as she removed the robe she had on and hung it on the hook on the back of the door. He rinsed off his razor as Chris stepped into the shower. Then he dropped his towel and joined her. They were both enjoying these mutual showers.
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Later as they shared a romantic lunch, Chris leaned back in her chair.
"Do we really have to go back? Can’t we just stay here forever?"
Johnny chuckled. "As much as I would love to sweetie, we haven’t enough money to stay forever."
"I know," she admitted ruefully. "It’s just so beautiful here. I hate the thought of going back to work."
"Me too. I’d like nothing better than spending all my time with you," Johnny said honestly.
Suddenly their lunch was interrupted by a distressed cry for help. They both turned toward another table where another diner was obviously choking on something. Johnny sprang from the table. The man was gasping for air and gesturing with his hands at his throat. His female table companion was becoming hysterical. They were both obviously Americans.
"Excuse me, sir are you choking?" he asked the man. His complexion was turning bluish and he nodded in response.
"Sir, I’m a paramedic. I’m going to help you," Johnny explained as he moved behind the man to apply the Heimlich maneuver.
"Help him, please!" the woman cried. Chris came over and tried to comfort the woman. Johnny positioned himself and thrust his hands against the man’s diaphragm. It took a couple of tries, but finally the food object dislodged itself and flew across the room. The man fell back into Johnny’s arms and he eased him back onto his chair. He was gulping in air.
"Thank you," he panted gratefully.
"No problem. I’m just going to check your pulse here," Johnny informed him as he lifted the man’s wrist. It was rapid but considering what had just happened that was understandable. "How do you feel?"
"Extremely grateful," the man replied with a slight smile. "I think you saved my life!"
Johnny smiled and patted the man on the shoulder. "Well, I think you’ll be okay. How long are you going to be staying Acapulco?"
"We’re leaving today," the woman answered. She was still quite anxious about her husband. "Oh Harold! Are you all right?"
"Yes Emily. I am now. My name is Harold Parsons and this is my wife, Emily. Thank you...uh..." Harold extended his right hand to Johnny.
"John Gage. And this is my wife Chris," Johnny introduced themselves. "We’re leaving today also. Are you headed for Los Angeles?"
"Yes and you?" Emily asked.
"Yeah. We must be on the same flight." He thought Harold’s complexion looked much improved.
"Probably. I don’t think there are too many flights out of here," Harold commented. He rubbed at his throat and made a face as he tried to swallow.
"Harold, your throat is going to be a bit sore for a while. You should have your family doctor check it out as soon as you can. Just to be sure there’s no damage," Johnny advised.
"Thanks John. I will. We were really lucky you happened to be here," Harold observed.
"Well, take it easy on your throat. And remember to take smaller bites!" he cautioned as he and Chris moved back to their table. The other dinner guests turned their attention back to their meals now that the emergency had subsided. Harold and Emily got their check and left. Johnny reached for his beer as the room returned to its quiet ambience.
"I guess I’m pretty lucky to be traveling with a paramedic," Chris commented. "That was awesome what you did."
"Oh, it’s something anyone can do. I really should teach you some of these life saving methods. You never know when you’ll need to know CPR or the Heimlich."
"I’d love to learn. Especially if I have you for a teacher," Chris responded warmly. Johnny leaned over to her and took her hands in his.
"It’ll be my pleasure," he said and then kissed her. Then he looked at his watch. As much as he hated to admit it, it was time for them to head for the airport. He motioned to the waiter for their check. The waiter approached their table with a broad smile on his face.
"Señor, the couple you helped? They paid for your lunch," he explained in heavily accented English. Both Johnny and Chris were pleasantly surprised. Johnny thanked the waiter.
As they rose from the table, Johnny commented, "Well, remind me to thank them if we see them on the way home."
"I will, honey."
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The taxi they took to the airport was very small and had no air conditioning or shocks. The ride was very bumpy. Both of them were quite grateful to get to the airport in one piece. They quickly checked their bags and then tried to find a place to sit while they waited for their flight. It was nearly time to board and they had not seen the Parsons arrive.
"I hope they’re okay," Chris commented, looking out the windows for the other couple.
"Me too. But maybe they’re just running late," Johnny suggested. As if on cue, a taxi pulled up to the curb and the other couple struggled out of the cab with their souvenirs. Harold wore a huge sombrero on his head and both them carried shopping bags overflowing with an assortment of Mexican souvenirs. The cab driver helped them cart their luggage to the check in counter. Both Johnny and Chris chuckled at the couple. Chris was now quite glad that Johnny had decided not to buy a sombrero. They had one small bag with just a couple of souvenirs which looked almost insignificant as compared to the Parsons’ collection.
Johnny took a few more pictures of Chris as they waited to board. Harold and Emily approached with their souvenir bags.
"Hi John! Chris," he boomed. "Want me to take a picture of the two of ya?"
Johnny smiled. "Thanks Harold."
He handed Harold the camera and made sure he knew how to focus it and where to snap the shutter. Johnny wrapped his arm around Chris’ waist and held her close.
"Smile now!" Harold instructed. They smiled and the flash blinded them temporarily. Johnny crossed over to retrieve his camera.
"Thanks for doing that. Oh, and thank you for picking up our check at the restaurant. You really didn’t have to do that."
Harold waved him off. "It was the least we could do. I really feel like I owe you my life."
"Well, thank you again."
"Your welcome. Man! When are they going to let us on that plane!" Harold groused.
"It shouldn’t be long now, baby," Emily said. The four of them sat down and waited. They learned that Harold and Emily were on their honeymoon as well only they had gotten married on Saturday.
"Say! You were that couple that the plane had to go back for, aren’t you!" Harold suddenly realized. Chris felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment again.
"Yeah. I’m afraid so," Johnny admitted.
"Man! I’m so glad we did! Aren’t you, baby?" Harold said to Emily. She nodded furiously.
"Yes! If we hadn’t, I might be a widow!"
"Well, all’s well that ends well, right?" Johnny responded. They all agreed to that. Finally they were allowed to board the plane. As Chris got comfortable in her seat she looked around the cabin of the plane and then looked at Johnny in earnest.
"We’re never going to live that down, are we?"
Johnny laughed. "No, I don’t think so."
He stared into her blue eyes a moment. "Have I told you lately, I love you?"
Chris smiled back as she gazed into his brown eyes. "You just did! I love you too. Thank you for a wonderful honeymoon."
Johnny grinned. "It’s only the beginning."
He reached over and gently tilted her chin up and kissed her. The plane began to taxi. Chris laid her head on his shoulder and they held hands as the plane took off. Soon they would be home in Los Angeles and would begin their life together as husband and wife. Another part of their lives had come full circle.
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END OF PART 6–TO BE CONTINUED IN LIFE GOES ON
Author’s Note: Well this part of the story has come full circle but it’s not the end. This story is to be continued in the next sequel called "Life Goes On." Thanks to all my beta readers and my fans that have kept me writing on this series. Your feedback, support, encouragement, suggestions, and help has been tremendous. Thanks especially to Audrey, Tina, Dorie and KC and the rest know who you are and I love you all! Thanks to twochickies for their continued support and for posting my stories.
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