Jordan Gravette Part 1 of 6

In every major capital city, there is a financial sector; a bristling cluster of glass and steel skyscrapers that pierce the sky like needles in a pin cushion. In each of those skyscrapers, on the highest floors, there are vast offices with polished desks the size of dining tables and swivelling chairs designed by the most exclusive furniture makers and upholstered in the most expensive leather. In one of those expensive leather chairs that tilt and swivel and roll and do many other things that normal chairs do not, there is a man. His name is Jordan Gravette. This is his story, which I give to you freely, in the hope that you do not make it your story also.

Jordan was a man who had achieved more than most, but he was yet to achieve in life everything he wanted. His house, nestling in the comfortable Hampshire countryside, was not large enough. His car was neither fast nor expensive enough. He had a holiday villa on the Mediterranean coast, but one in the Caribbean would have been better, and his lack of seafaring knowledge did not stop him aspiring to the ownership of a private yacht. Such was the strength of his material desires, they drove him forward every waking second of every day. His father had impressed upon him, if you want nice things, you have to work hard for them; and you can never have too many nice things. Consequently, the young Jordan grew into a man who could not comprehend why anybody would not spend all their waking hours moving heaven and earth in the quest to amass inordinate wealth. 

Even now, the week before his forty-second Christmas on this earth, the relentless drive for wealth was as strong in him as it had ever been. Which is why on this day he had elected to fly abroad on business rather than attend his daughter’s nativity play which, as it was her final year in primary school, would also be her last. It was not lost upon Ellie that her father failed to attend any of her school plays, or sports days, or presentations of any kind. Which is why, on this occasion she really lost it with him.

‘It’s not fair,’ she screamed, ‘You never come to anything I do. You don’t care about me. You don’t care about anyone.’

‘Ellie,’ he’d explained through her closed bedroom door, ‘If you want nice things you have to work hard for them. You’ll understand when you’re older.’ Just like I did, he thought.

‘She doesn’t want nice things. She just wants you,’ his wife explained.

‘Sentimental tosh, everyone wants nice things. And unless she wants to be one of the work-shy spongers who expect to get everything for nothing, she has to learn.’ It irked him that his own wife seemed not to share his principles. ‘I don’t hear you complaining about the shopping trips to Milan and Paris. Where do you think the money comes from for them.’

When he left for the airport, Ellies door was still firmly shut, and his wife was not speaking to him.

* * *

Jordan was a seasoned traveller. The airlines referred to him as a frequent flier. Over the years he had acquired the skills and knowledge to negotiate that infernal ritual known as airport security, where passengers must divest the meagre trappings of their lives into heavy, plastic trays for inspection under the gaze of beady eyed security officials who all looked as if they wanted to be somewhere else, before being conveyed into the belly of the x-ray machine. The key to a smooth passage through this ordeal was preparation. His wristwatch, wallet and everything else about his person that stood even the remotest chance of alerting the walk-through scanner, were stuffed into his jacket pockets. Everything that is, except his belt. He found it easiest when flying to dispense with the belt altogether rather than submit to the hassle of taking it off and then faff about rethreading the damned thing on the other side and getting in everyone’s way. So, when he went through airport security he simply dropped his jacket into one of the thick plastic trays and deposited his laptop and phone in another and left them to be fed into the belly of the x-ray machine. Then, when invited by the security guard, he would stride through the body scanner completely unhindered and gather his belongings on the other side. It was like a ballet, or a swan gliding effortlessly through the water. But not today.

Today the queue was choked by throngs of holiday travellers and tourists who, lacking his experience, had neither the knowledge nor skills necessary to finesse their way through the system as smoothly as Jordan. They fumbled in pockets and rummaged through their oversize carry-on bags, suddenly discovering items that should have been put those see-through pouches. They forgot their belts and their items of jewellery which meant they needed two or three attempts to get through the scanner. And there was always some idiot with high lace up boots that took a lifetime to remove. Such were their numbers, their combined confusion had brought Jordan’s line to a halt.

Absolute bloody morons, he fumed. They shouldn’t be allowed to fly. They’re milling around like confused cattle. Too many cheap economy tickets, that was the problem. Practically any damned fool could fly nowadays. They should put the ticket prices up and make them stay at home.

It was getting insufferably warm. Jordan began to feel hot and flushed. Obviously, the air conditioning was having difficulty coping with the seasonal increase in passengers. His mouth felt dry. Somewhere, a child began screaming. He felt strange, like he was floating in a sea of faces. The child continued to scream. A wave of nausea rose from his stomach. With an effort he manged to control it. Please someone, shut that child up. Then the pain in his chest began, little to begin with but growing quickly like cramp until it was strong enough to make him cry out. The scene in front of him slipped out of focus and began to tilt sideways. Suddenly all he could see was a forest of legs. The pain in his chest was unbearable and he struggled to draw in air to his lungs. Far away, a woman’s voice was calling for help. 

My God, he thought. This is the end.

Then everything went black.

..