El vuelo que casi se retrasa
The flight that almost got delayed
1 · Spanish Story
La historia
El sábado en la mañana, Paula llegó al aeropuerto con su maleta y su celular en la mano. Tenía un vuelo temprano a Arica por trabajo. Miró la pantalla y buscó el mostrador de su aerolínea. Todo parecía normal, pero ella iba un poco nerviosa porque había dormido poco. En la fila, una pareja discutía por una mochila perdida, y el ambiente estaba algo tenso.
Cuando llegó al mostrador, la empleada revisó su pasaje y frunció el ceño. "Su reserva aparece para mañana", dijo. Paula se quedó callada por un segundo. Luego sacó el correo de confirmación y mostró la fecha correcta. La empleada llamó a otra persona, y Paula pensó que tal vez perdería el vuelo. Afuera, un bus llegó tarde y dejó a varios pasajeros corriendo hacia la entrada.
Mientras esperaba, tomó aire y llamó a su jefe. Le explicó la situación con calma. Él le dijo que no se preocupara, porque la reunión podía empezar más tarde. Esa respuesta la tranquilizó bastante. Después, un supervisor revisó el sistema y vio que la fecha estaba bien, pero el apellido estaba escrito con una letra de más. Paula dijo que eso no era un problema, pero sí quería viajar hoy.
La empleada corrigió el dato en pocos minutos y le entregó un nuevo pase. Paula agradeció el favor y caminó rápido hacia el control de seguridad. Ya era tarde, pero todavía tenía tiempo. En la puerta, un guardia le indicó el camino correcto y le sonrió. Cuando escuchó que llamaban su vuelo, guardó el celular y respiró aliviada. Esta vez, sí alcanzó a embarcar.
2 · Key Phrases
Language to keep
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llegó al aeropuerto
arrived at the airportUse this phrase to say that someone reached the airport.
Llegó al aeropuerto antes de las ocho.
She arrived at the airport before eight.
frunció el ceño
frownedThis phrase describes a face that shows worry, confusion, or displeasure.
El profesor frunció el ceño al ver el error.
The teacher frowned when he saw the mistake.
se quedó callada
stayed silentUse this phrase for a short silence, often because someone is surprised or thinking.
Ella se quedó callada al escuchar la noticia.
She stayed silent when she heard the news.
tomó aire
took a breathThis phrase often shows that someone is trying to stay calm before speaking or acting.
Tomó aire y empezó a explicar el problema.
He took a breath and started to explain the problem.
no se preocupara
not to worryThis is a common way to reassure someone in reported speech.
Mi hermana me dijo que no me preocupara.
My sister told me not to worry.
guardó el celular
put away her cellphoneThis phrase means to place the phone away, often in a bag or pocket.
Usage: In Chile, this uses the common word celular. In some other places, people may say móvil or teléfono.
Guardó el celular antes de entrar a la reunión.
He put away his cellphone before entering the meeting.
3 · English Translation
The full story in English
On Saturday morning, Paula arrived at the airport with her suitcase and her cellphone in her hand. She had an early flight to Arica for work. She looked at the screen and searched for her airline's counter. Everything seemed normal, but she was a little nervous because she had slept little. In the line, a couple was arguing about a lost backpack, and the atmosphere was a little tense.
When she arrived at the counter, the employee checked her ticket and frowned. "Your reservation shows for tomorrow," she said. Paula stayed silent for a second. Then she pulled out the confirmation email and showed the correct date. The employee called another person, and Paula thought that maybe she would miss the flight. Outside, a bus arrived late and left several passengers running toward the entrance.
While she waited, she took a breath and called her boss. She explained the situation calmly. He told her not to worry, because the meeting could start later. That answer calmed her down quite a bit. Then, a supervisor checked the system and saw that the date was correct, but the last name was written with one extra letter. Paula said that this was not a problem, but she did want to travel today.
The employee corrected the information in a few minutes and gave her a new boarding pass. Paula thanked her for the help and walked quickly to security. It was already late, but she still had time. At the gate, a guard pointed out the correct way and smiled at her. When she heard them calling her flight, she put away her cellphone and breathed with relief. This time, she did make it to board.