Airport Musings #1: The Mystery of the Missing Pearl

Once again, I find myself swallowed by the silence of an empty airport. The only sounds are the soft hum of the floor waxers gliding across the polished floors somewhere off in the distance.

I woke a little startled after having snoozed off, the sharp pain from the backing of my right pearl earring digging mercilessly into my skin. Perhaps I should have taken them out before falling asleep.

To add to my annoyance, I soon discovered that my new left pearl earring was missing.

I spent the next ten minutes searching frantically around me to see if it had fallen to the floor. I shook out my scarf and sweater, then even shook out my own clothes like a madwoman, as though ants had somehow found their way inside my shirt. I had no intention of looking so utterly ridiculous and silently thanked God that the airport was nearly empty.

Only four figures occupied the vast atrium, each at a different gate. Three were asleep; the fourth sat with her face buried in her phone. They looked like weary castaways who had simply given up waiting for rescue. The floor polishers hummed in the distance, the only evidence that the airport was still awake—just barely.

Well... it was 2:00 in the morning.

The more I searched, the more irritated I became. It made no difference at all. It was all in vain. The pearl earring was nowhere in sight.

Vexed, I sucked my teeth in true Guyanese style.

A pearl earring shouldn't be able to disappear completely. It was as though the airport itself had swallowed it whole.

Where could it be? When exactly had I lost it?

My eyes squinted as I tried to retrace the evening in my mind—from my departure airport to my connecting flight. I had an entire row to myself on the second flight, which usually grants me full permission to spread out, stretch my legs, and fall asleep. A small gift from God for all my hard work and sacrifice, surely.

Of course, that was after my very astute flight attendant asked me if I had, in fact, been on this very same flight a couple of weeks ago—almost in this exact seat, in this exact position—ordering the exact same thing.

"A cup of coffee. Three creams. No sugar..."

I smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"Why, yes... I was, actually," I replied with a grin.

Right you are, lady, I thought.

Golly... I am on a plane a little too much.

Airports and airplanes. Perhaps my first book should have been called Between Planes and Airports.

I fell asleep shortly after chatting with my flight attendant with the fantastic memory.

Wait until she sees me again in a couple of weeks... I chuckled to myself.

But why didn't anyone tell me I was missing an earring once we landed?

Scamps!

Oh, it isn't fair to blame anyone but myself.

So here I sit, alone in this semi-quiet, ghostly airport, pondering the mystery of the missing pearl earring and allowing my imagination to wander toward the utterly ridiculous.

Which one of the twenty or so passengers managed to slip it off my ear while I was drugged by my PI of an air hostess in seat 17F?

Right.

I should probably go back to sleep.

My mind is clearly playing tricks on me.

Delayed flight.

Missed shift.

Missing pearl earring.

My word.

It's June 25, 2026.

It's supposed to be an auspicious day—not a suspicious one.

Until Next time,

Lady Lois