The 6:30 am flight from Palermo to Rome had touched down in Rome 20 minutes late
and was still on the tarmac. Once the plane arrived at the terminal he would have
to hurry to his connecting flight. His mind raced over the series of events would
have to happen next before he could relax into his seat on his journey home.

The domestic terminal, “Voli Nazionali,” would be at least fifteen minutes away
from the Terminal 3 that serviced flights to the United States. Moreover, he would have
to pass once more through Roman passport control, which more often than not seemed
to delight in being a display of Italy’s penchant for ritual inefficiency. Finally, there would be
the inevitable secondary screening of passengers traveling to the United States.
Could he manage all that in his present state,
still dazed from three days of far too little sleep?