The crowd of elated and bustling people rush through the door like a rumbling river. Suitcases roll, bags swing wildly and aeroplanes high above shoot through the vast, blue sky, cutting clouds ruthlessly behind them. Alertly standing, the dull airport building sits in the middle of the clustered city of Denpasar—the door to the world.
As families march through the entrance from all over the globe, the chilly breeze of the airport inside greets them as the carpet below crowds around their shoes. Buzzing indistinctly, the chatter of the crowd seems like bees as they buzz busily. The current of the people fills in every corner of the enormous building. Dry, chemical-scented air stings tourists’ throats as they shuffle into restaurants. Emotions tangle in the air; pounding hearts as they wait to see the exotic islands of Bali, dreuling mouths as they munch on a foreign, sticky, sweet snack and minds packed with schedules and meetings.
Tufts of chocolate brown waves of hair roll over a young boy’s round face as his chestnut brown, curious eyes roam the taxiway as he presses his palms against the clear glass. He is wearing a grey long sleeve top and faded trousers. He sits backwards on the metal, vibrantly coloured red seat, slowly rocking back and forth as the chair creaks below him. Questions flood into his minute head as his mouth falls slightly agape. His soft eyes trail a strawberry-red aeroplane. It lifts into the air, reaching for the sky.
A young woman sits like a statue, her posture perfect. Her jet-black hair cascades over her shoulders; a waterfall glinting in the light. Fingers whizz over her keyboard as she taps ad clicks with incredible speed. Her business-like expression is flawless as her eyes dart from side to side, observing her computer screen with intensity. Her computer sits on her lap, atop a dress as dark as midnight.
As the sun meets the land and sinks into the earth, stars blink hesitantly in the sky. The bustling buzzing decreases and peoples’ ecstatic energy and thinking, inpatient heartbeats vaporise into thin air. Not a sound is heard apart from the occasional, flat voice of a woman announcing unacknowledged information and the desperate footsteps of late passengers as they heave breathlessly and hopelessly run to catch their flight. People sit on chairs, heavy-lidded and nodding off. The boy rocks back and forth now curled up and shivering as a tear trickles down his cheek. He is alone.