Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Drama

Part of Short Story Collection 

Lena skidded to a stop at Gate B17, lungs burning and heart pounding. The gate agent was already closing the door.

“Wait! Please!” she gasped.

“I’m sorry,” the agent said, checking her watch. “We can’t reopen the door. The flight is pushing back.”

Lena stared out the window in disbelief as the jet bridge pulled away and her plane inched backward, out toward the runway. ‘no,no,no,” she whispered. This was the interview—the one that could turn things around after months of unemployment, bills piling up, and rejection after rejection.

She pressed her forehead into her hands, thinking that she should’ve left earlier and should’ve skipped the coffee stop. Beside her, an elderly woman with a warm face and gentle eyes leaned over. “You okay, honey?”

“I missed a really important flight,” Lena muttered in disappointment.

The woman nodded. “Sometimes the things that seem like disasters turn out to be blessings. You never know.”

Lena forced a fake smile. Not this time, she thought..she thanked the woman, booked the next flight to Denver, and emailed the company explaining what had happened. The hiring manager was surprisingly understanding and offered to reschedule her interview for the following morning.

Trying to stay calm, Lena grabbed lunch and found a quiet seat near her new gate. A few hours passed. Then, just as she was beginning to doze off, a breaking news alert lit up her phone.

“Flight 227 Declares Mid-Air Emergency – Engine Failure at 36,000 Feet”

She sat upright as her stomach began to churn. That was the flight she should’ve been on. Heart racing, she clicked into the live news stream and the plane had experienced a mechanical failure about an hour after takeoff. One engine failed completely, and for twenty harrowing minutes, it flew on a single engine before making a dangerous emergency landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Emergency vehicles had lined the runway. Shaken passengers were being interviewed by news reporters. One stating, “we dropped suddenly and people started crying. Everyone thought we were going down. I’ve never been so terrified in my life.”

Lena’s hands trembled as she lowered the phone. The first thought that came to her mind was ‘this could’ve been me–strapped into seat 13B, whispering final prayers and sending a final ‘goodbye’ text to loved ones.

The old woman’s voice echoed in her mind about the things that seem like disasters turn out to be blessings and how she was right. She put her phone away and looked out the airport window as other planes took off into the clouds. For the first time all day, she exhaled fully. Maybe she wasn’t unlucky, or maybe she was just spared.

The next morning, Lena arrived in Denver safely and on time. The interview went better than she imagined—like she’d been given a second chance and knew exactly how precious it was.

A week later, Lena received the call and the job was hers.

Several months had passed, and Lena often reflects back to that missed flight. What felt like the end was only the beginning of a good career and a fresh start in a new town.


Moral of the Story:  What feels like a mistake might be life’s way of redirecting you. Even close calls can reveal how strong, lucky, and guided you truly are.