Together again for the first time

Le 13 fevrier   After days of waiting excitedly and anxiously, it was finally time go to the Kigali International Airport.  It was truly a surreal feeling even realizing I was heading off to the airport and would be seeing my parents once I got there.  After 4-1/2 months apart – really apart, Africa is much further than Fairfield, Connecticut – the mere thought of greeting my parents brought tears to my eyes.

I hopped on a moto and told him excitedly that I was headed to the airport.  We zipped through the streets of Kigali with me on the back grinning like an idiot.  Arriving outside the airport, I had to tell myself that I could not run to the building.

I arrived at just about noon with my parents’ plane supposed to be arriving any time and then after disembarking the plane, pass through customs and then into the glass-enclosed area where I could see people waiting for their luggage.  The next part’s kind of a blur, honestly, but I had looked to where the “Arrivals” is usually displayed – not working.  Great, could I possibly be more anxious?

I met Jeremiah, who would be our tour guide for the week, and we talked some about what I was doing here in Rwanda and about how wonderful a country it is.  He was incredibly kind and I was very happy to meet him, however I had to remind myself to focus on the conversation.  I was very preoccupied by staring down the people coming down the stairs from customs to the luggage area, each one expecting to be my parents.  But they didn’t come and didn’t come and didn’t come…

Jeremiah went to ask at the Information Desk what the story was (as of course the Arrivals board wasn’t being too helpful), only to find out that their plane would be in at 1h45.  Why was I surprised?  Knowing standing there waiting for another hour would probably give me a heart attack, Jeremiah suggested I go to the Bourbon Coffee joint just nearby in the airport.  So I did, I ordered a piece of zucchini bread and no coffee – because it truly may have killed me at that point – and sat.   And sat.  And sat.  Jeremiah was chatting with some friends so I had no one to talk to.  I didn’t think I would be waiting all too long so I hadn’t brought a book – and truly I only had the awareness to put phone, wallet, keys in my bag.  CNN International was on, but I only watched to take my mind off waiting.

As soon as it turned 1h30, I had to get up and walk around.  And wait, which was the only thing that I couldn’t avoid doing.  I went back to where Jeremiah was standing and noticed that the “Arrival” board was back on – except my parents’ flight wasn’t showing up.  Great.  If they don’t arrive today I won’t be able to make it through the night.

Everyone that came down the stairs from Customs got my hopes up.  Jeremiah was trying to tell me to let him guess who my parents are, that is if I didn’t let out a scream once I laid my eyes on them.  Finally, I saw a white couple with stylish hip-packs on and could finally relax.  I had no words, surprisingly, but was merely relieved.  As we waited for them to collect their baggage and secretly praying that it would all arrive, I just smiled.  There was nothing else I needed to do – no reason to worry, no more waiting, no more missing my parents.

As they came through the glass double-doors leading to where people were gathered waiting, I beamed from ear to ear and half walked, half ran to where they were.  At long last, I could hug them.  At long last they were here in Rwanda.  Was this real?

In the next few hours, we settled their things at the hotel and grabbed a “quick” bite to eat because who knows what time their stomachs thought it was – all that travelling and the 7-hour time difference gets people all confused.  We just laughed and talked, and before we knew it it felt as if we’d never been apart.  I think that’s how it works with people you’re very close with.  All I knew was that the world was suddenly a lot fuller of hugs and laughs and smiles.  I was finally together again with two of my best friends and the world was making a lot of sense.

Oh, the fantastic things we’ll do. It will be like old times, you and me, right up there with the world’s greatest pairs. Like Laurel and Hardy, like Coke and Bacardi, like Juliet and Romeo, ebb and flow, to and fro – together together again. Together again for the first time, we’ve only met in a dream. It’s easy to see, you have to agree, we’re destined to be a great pair. [Together again – Young Frankenstein]