As promised, George had done his statistical research into the comparative dangers of flying to Alicante versus driving on the right-hand side of the road with a right-hand side steering wheel. He explained that it wasn’t entirely accurate as it was based on the data available to him and frankly the Spanish traffic fatality statistics were a little broad for his liking. But he had to concede that on balance with the data available to him, flying did seem to be the safest option. He wasn’t at all happy about it, but in the end he gave them permission to fly to Alicante. Anyone else might have baulked at the notion of him granting them permission, but not Raymond. He and Christine then brought the date of travel forward to Sunday which put George into a complete spin. But as Raymond pointed out, George had accepted their desire to travel by plane and the date of travel was neither here nor there.
So, on Sunday night Stephen drove George, with his parents sitting in the back so he could take his preferred position in the front, to Bristol Airport. They were taking a direct flight to Alicante. George had tried to place obstacles in the way of this arrangement by pointing out that Sunday was Stephen’s busiest day of the week and it was unreasonable of them to expect him to put himself out in this way. What was more they weren’t even parishioners. Raymond then pointed out that it had in fact been Stephen’s idea in the first place and that he was doing it in his capacity as a friend. As they drove George found himself becoming more and more unsettled and agitated. He gazed into the middle distance through the windscreen trying to calm himself, as Stephen asked Christine about Calpe, her flat and what their plans were for the holiday.
They finally arrived at the airport and Stephen stopped the car in the parking structure.
‘Goodbye,’ said George without turning round to look at Raymond and Christine.
‘George, we’re going into the terminal,’ Stephen informed him.
‘Why?’
‘To say goodbye,’ the priest replied.
‘I just did.’
‘It’s what people do, George,’ added Christine. They all got out, except for George who was busying himself on his phone. Stephen got the luggage out of the boot as Raymond went off in search of a trolley. George was texting Ottey and asking her if it was imperative for him to go into the airport terminal to bid Raymond and Christine goodbye. She was both surprised and rather touched to receive a text from him that was personal and not work-related. ‘YES. DEFINITELY,’ she replied.
Stephen pushed the trolley for his two older friends, like some divine porter, as Cross strolled reluctantly behind them like a sulky teenager desperate to be anywhere else. The air was filled with the sound of an aircraft taxiing and another taking off. The smell of aviation fuel, catnip to some world travellers, lingered in the atmosphere. This just exacerbated George’s state of high anxiety. He had no problem with airports on the whole. He’d been to some in the course of work and as a child he’d often been taken to work at Filton by Raymond who was an aerospace engineer there. But somehow this was different. To his mind his father’s life was at stake. And his mother’s, of course.
Raymond was particularly impressed that Christine had her boarding pass on her smartphone. He’d had his printed at the check-in desk.
‘I must get one of those,’ he said, looking admiringly at her phone.
‘You have one,’ Cross retorted. ‘It’s in your right hand,’ he added, looking at the boarding pass in his father’s hand.
They walked to security. Raymond and Christine turned to Stephen and George.
‘Right, well I suppose this is goodbye,’ he said.
‘I do hope not,’ replied George, instantly alarmed. This made Stephen laugh.
‘Only passengers are allowed beyond this point, George, so I’m afraid it is,’ Christine told him.
‘That’s not what he meant,’ replied Raymond. ‘See you in a couple of weeks, son. It’s no time at all. It’ll soon fly by.’
This reference to flight made George wince.
‘What I mean is, it’ll all be over before you know it.’
Again, this just added to George’s growing discomfort.
‘You can go now, George,’ Raymond said reassuringly.
‘Right,’ replied George who turned on his heel and left without another word.
‘You’ll keep an eye on him?’ Raymond asked Stephen unnecessarily.
‘I will, but I have a feeling he’ll be just fine. So don’t waste time on your holiday worrying about him.’
‘Well, call us if there’s a problem,’ said Christine.
‘Of course.’
When he got back to the car Stephen found George pacing up and down behind it.
‘Come on, let’s get you out of here,’ he said.
‘No,’ replied George.
‘Why not?’
‘We should wait until the plane has taken off. Fourteen per cent of all fatal air accidents occur during takeoff and the initial climb.’
‘All right but I’ve just paid for the parking so we need to leave the structure.’
Five minutes later they were parked up in a perimeter road with a clear view of the runway. The airport wasn’t as busy as other hubs in the UK so it wasn’t too difficult for George to work out which was his parents’ flight. As it sped down the runway and took off Stephen noticed that George was standing ramrod stiff. Then he realised why. George was holding his breath.
In the car George began doing something the priest had never seen him do before. He started nodding up and down in his seat, like a worshipper at an altar or a holy monument. So violent was it at times that the seatbelt actually locked.
‘I think maybe you should come back with me to the church, George.’
George made no reply.
They arrived back at the church.
‘Why don’t you come in and play the organ?’
George got out of the car and obediently followed Stephen into the church. But he went nowhere near the organ loft. Instead, he sat in a pew rocking backwards and forwards, his mind somewhere else completely. Every now and then he got up and paced the central aisle, constantly looking at his watch. Stephen stood in the shadows watching. Not at all comfortable about leaving him on his own, but also not wanting to be seen doing so by George. Finally, George stopped and looked at his phone. On it was a text from Christine. They had landed safely in Alicante and deplaned. Stephen received the same text. He walked over to George who seemed calmer but looked drained and exhausted.
‘Are you all right, George?’
‘I need you to drive me home,’ George replied simply and left the church.