Роальд Даль (Roald Dahl)The passage describes Mrs. Foster's intense, almost pathological fear of being late, particularly for trains and planes, which causes her great anxiety. Her husband, Mr. Foster, seems to deliberately worsen her distress by consistently delaying their departures by just a few minutes. Though Mrs. Foster has been a loyal and devoted wife for over thirty years, she begins to suspect that her husband enjoys tormenting her by playing on her fear, though she never directly confronts him. The story explores themes of control, manipulation, and emotional cruelty within their relationship.
Mr. Eugene Foster, almost seventy, and his wife lived in a large New York house with four servants. On a January morning, Mrs. Foster was frantic with worry about missing her flight. Despite the butler’s reassurances and the car being ready, she was anxious about the hour-long trip to Idlewild and feared she would miss her eleven o’clock plane. Her stress was heightened by her husband's insistence on going to the airport with her.
Mrs. Foster is anxious about missing her flight to Paris, where she is eagerly heading to visit her daughter and her three grandchildren. She feels a deep longing to be closer to her family, especially as she feels unfulfilled living apart from them. Despite her husband’s reluctance to leave New York, he has reluctantly agreed to let her travel alone for six weeks. As she waits, she becomes increasingly worried about the time. Mr. Foster, who has a distinctively quick and jerky manner, eventually joins her and notes they should leave soon to catch the flight. His calm demeanor contrasts sharply with her growing sense of urgency.
Mrs. Foster, anxious about missing her flight to Paris, is assisted by the butler, Walker. Her husband, Mr. Foster, delays their departure with concerns about fog potentially canceling the flight. Once in the car, Mr. Foster discusses the arrangements for the household while she’s away, dismissing her suggestion that Walker should stay at the house. As Mr. Foster lights a cigar, Mrs. Foster asks if he’ll write to her, but he’s non-committal, stating he doesn’t believe in writing letters unless necessary.
As Mrs. Foster and Mr. Foster drive toward the airport, the fog thickens, forcing the car to slow down. Mrs. Foster anxiously asks what time it is, worried she’ll miss her flight. Mr. Foster, irritated, suggests the flight is likely canceled because of the poor weather and questions why she bothered to come out. Mrs. Foster notices a subtle change in his tone and struggles to read his expression hidden by his beard. As the fog worsens, she sees Mr. Foster staring at the twitch in her eye, adding to her discomfort. Despite her growing concern, the driver eventually stops the car, and Mr. Foster’s worries are put to rest when the driver announces they’ve arrived at the airport.