A Reunion

How terribly predictable to getclammy hands right now she thought to herself. Airports always made her nervousbut the anticipation of seeing him again was giving her horrible hives on her right arm.She stood in line at the immigration counter behind almost 20 others in queue.The closed off environment made it difficult to predict the weather outside butthe humidity had crept in to put travelers in a state of complete discomfort.
She re-enacted their reunion inevery which way her mind could think of and each one in their own way made hereven more nervous. She was lost in deep thought when the immigration officerbeckoned her forward. She stood still, staring aimlessly when a tap on the backfrom the lady behind finally set her feet in motion.
She set down her carry-on luggagecase by her feet, produced her passport from her handbag and flashed herbrightest smile.  The immigration officerroutinely scanned her passport before stamping the back pages. When he finallylooked up at the still smiling young lady, his face broke into a soft grin.
He asked her in Malay where hertravels had taken her and she was all too enthusiastic to reply in her nationallanguage. He chuckled at her rusty sentencing and after a few extra seconds ofstealing a last look at her pretty face, he let her pass.
She often had that effect onothers. Her beauty wasn’t the kind that stopped traffic or made constructionworkers howl, her beauty required a few uninterrupted seconds as it radiatedfrom within.
She had deep dark brown eyes thatnever left home without a swipe of eyeliner, and a small sharp nose that bore adiamond piercing, authenticating her ethnic features. Her lips were full buther mouth was small as it sat between two full, rosy cheeks. Like most women her age, there was too much of the way she looked that annoyed her.

The physical insecurities shebattled with internally made no sense to lovers she had left behind but maybethe point of insecurity was lost on those who could see well beyond the skin.
Her steps were now short andquick as she hurried herself to the baggage carousel at the far end of theairport. She passed tourists shopping at the duty free sections looking impressedat the prices. Mobiles were out with the calculator function on no doubt asthey calculated the differences in currency. She beamed, proud almost. Home hadalways been a paradise for shopping. Home, she was finally home she thought,unable to let the reality sink in.
She impatiently tapped her footas her fellow flight travelers heaved their luggage onto trolleys and whizzed past by her. Her luggage arrived amongst the last and never had she been sorelieved to see the polka dotted suitcase her sister had let her keep earlierthat year.
It took all her strength and thensome of a stranger to get her 30 kilo suitcase onto a trolley. Her short livedrelief of not having lost any luggage was once again met with those horriblenerves as she slowed her steps towards the exit.
Right before the automatic doorsspat any more travelers out to the other side, she stopped dead in her tracks.She drew a long breath, closed her eyes to escape the chaos unfolding aroundher and began to slowly walk again.
The moment the sun’s rays kissedthe tip of her nose, she stood on the tips of her toes, anxious to catch aglimpse of him. Through the crowd of relatives, friends and taxi drivers, hisface was nowhere to be found and as the balls of her feet sunk back to the pavement,a hand raised in the crowd caught her attention.
Like a sea parting down themiddle, he emerged, a warm smile reuniting her with the man she loved. Shepushed her trolley towards him, fascinated that a year apart had aged him fromboyishly handsome to a beautiful rugged man.
Her tummy calmed itself and allshe anticipated was the warmth of his touch.
He wrapped his long arms aroundher and that familiar safe feeling crept back into her heart. She had missedhis smell, always fresh with a tinge of citrus from his aftershave, his touch,always gentle on her skin, with hands that were hard and lined, his warm body,always inviting, triggering a need for her to hug him tighter, breath him indeeper and nuzzle at his neck a little longer.
When he finally pulled away, shegazed deep into those light brown eyes, the same eyes she had been mesmerizedby almost 7 years ago now.
The gazing prompted a longawaited kiss. His mouth found hers with the ease of two soul mates connecting.He kept the kiss short, pulling away and leaving her to catch her breath as hermind raced with wanting more.
He kept a protective arm aroundher and took control of the trolley, leading her away from the madness of a bigcity airport. He turned down to her, “Welcome home, babe” following a devilishly handsome smile.
She chuckled, wandering what shehad been so nervous about earlier that day, as they strode towards the car parkin unison, not an inch stealing its way between them.
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