She said it too, widening her smile, which perfectly matched how she parked the car neatly in the correct parking space. I quickly opened the car door, stepped out, lifted my head, and looked up at the airplane circling as it prepared to land in a captivating way that completely caught my attention.
I raised my palm to shield my eyes from the harsh sunlight so I could clearly watch the plane, the way it hovered as it prepared to land smoothly, so I could later tell my siblings what I had seen.
Ammi kept sharing her gaze between me and the plane that was bringing her beloved one, filled with joy and happiness, until the plane began descending, speeding along as though it would not land. Then it released its wheels, which I saw adjust themselves before touching the ground, its wings flapping slightly, while a vehicle carrying the staircase—the one passengers use to walk down—approached.
I grabbed Ammi’s hand, urging her to come quickly with me, but when I felt she wasn’t moving fast enough, I let go and ran ahead, intending to throw myself into Daddy’s arms the moment he came out, hug him tightly, and cheer him up. He would lift me high and spin me around joyfully. Truly, I loved Daddy more than Ammi, because he always followed my lead—whatever I liked, he liked too. He played with me, laughed with me, listened to my worries, and healed my heart. Unlike Ammi, who paid more attention to my brothers, especially my elder brother Abdullahi and my younger brother Sulaiman, Daddy always gave me more care. What I did not know then was that this was the beginning of the first destiny I would taste—with my tongue, my eyes, and my heart—concerning my caring Daddy.
We stood waiting for the plane door to open so I could lock eyes with my Daddy and run into his arms, to feel the warmth of a father I longed for more than anything.
The plane door finally opened. I first saw Daddy’s friend coming out, his face stiff and expressionless. Another man followed him, then unfamiliar faces I had never seen before. They were carrying something like a hospital stretcher—something wrapped in a white cloth, lying on it like a corpse.
My chest suddenly tightened, so violently that I felt myself about to collapse. I turned and looked at Ammi, who was running toward them and uncovering the face of the person lying on the stretcher. Whose face would I see?
It was my Daddy—motionless, with no sign of breathing.
Before I could ask Daddy’s friend, Alhaji Mustafa, what had happened to my Daddy, I heard my mother crying—Ammi’s cry—in a voice I never imagined could be hers…
Description
Arrival Right Where the Heart’s Desire Was
She said it too, widening her smile, which perfectly matched how she parked the car neatly in the correct parking space. I quickly opened the car door, stepped out, lifted my head, and looked up at the airplane circling as it prepared to land in a captivating way that completely caught my attention.
I raised my palm to shield my eyes from the harsh sunlight so I could clearly watch the plane, the way it hovered as it prepared to land smoothly, so I could later tell my siblings what I had seen.
Ammi kept sharing her gaze between me and the plane that was bringing her beloved one, filled with joy and happiness, until the plane began descending, speeding along as though it would not land. Then it released its wheels, which I saw adjust themselves before touching the ground, its wings flapping slightly, while a vehicle carrying the staircase—the one passengers use to walk down—approached.
I grabbed Ammi’s hand, urging her to come quickly with me, but when I felt she wasn’t moving fast enough, I let go and ran ahead, intending to throw myself into Daddy’s arms the moment he came out, hug him tightly, and cheer him up. He would lift me high and spin me around joyfully. Truly, I loved Daddy more than Ammi, because he always followed my lead—whatever I liked, he liked too. He played with me, laughed with me, listened to my worries, and healed my heart. Unlike Ammi, who paid more attention to my brothers, especially my elder brother Abdullahi and my younger brother Sulaiman, Daddy always gave me more care. What I did not know then was that this was the beginning of the first destiny I would taste—with my tongue, my eyes, and my heart—concerning my caring Daddy.
We stood waiting for the plane door to open so I could lock eyes with my Daddy and run into his arms, to feel the warmth of a father I longed for more than anything.
The plane door finally opened. I first saw Daddy’s friend coming out, his face stiff and expressionless. Another man followed him, then unfamiliar faces I had never seen before. They were carrying something like a hospital stretcher—something wrapped in a white cloth, lying on it like a corpse.
My chest suddenly tightened, so violently that I felt myself about to collapse. I turned and looked at Ammi, who was running toward them and uncovering the face of the person lying on the stretcher. Whose face would I see?
It was my Daddy—motionless, with no sign of breathing.
Before I could ask Daddy’s friend, Alhaji Mustafa, what had happened to my Daddy, I heard my mother crying—Ammi’s cry—in a voice I never imagined could be hers…