Yesterday's Happiness ( Growing Up )

This Is It

"Wake up honey,we're here",a voice sounded from nearby.

Kayla's eyes opened slowly.At first,everything seemed foggy.She didn't remember where she was,nor who the woman who stood over her with a big smile was.

Kayla panicked.

Where was she.

Then as the sleep wore off,everything started to make sense again.She was in a plane,and the smiling woman was Perla ; the woman who'd sat by her during the flight.The last thing she remembered was watching Perla sleep.

Kayla smiled and nodded at the woman who was beginning to look concerned and Kayla wondered if it was because she'd stared at the woman blankly for a while,or that she'd been talking in her sleep again

She did that sometimes.

Her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment as she weighed the possibility.

Perla only gave her a sympathetic look.

Kayla sighed heavily,smiling weakly.

Kayla and Perla made small chat as the walked through the departure doors.

It was when Kayla held her suitcase in one hand and handbag in the other,that she realized Perla had disappeared.

How had this happened?.

Kayla couldn't believe it.Where had she lost the woman?.

Checking point.

That was the only valuable explanation.

Kayla couldn't believe she hadn't been paying attention to the woman.She looked around to see if she'd see Perla,but that was not to happen.

Perla had intended to leave without saying goodbye...

She did look like the kind who sucked at goodbyes.A smile broke onto her face as she once again realized the similarity between the two of them.

A sadness overcame her as she realized her sudden loss.

She hadn't even thought of asking for Perla's number.

Kayla shook the feeling off.This probably wasn't meant to be.

Kayla walked slowly towards the arrival reception.There were people all over with bright cards having all sorts of writings on them.They were obviously waiting  to welcome their families or friends.

As she looked around,her stomach tightened.

She didn't see her name on any card.

Tears threatened to fall as Kayla's mind filled with unpleasant thoughts.But at the top most of all the things that passed through her mind,the most disturbing of them all was the thought that

What if  nobody had come to get her?

A shiver went down her spine as Kayla's heart broke into a million pieces.

She turned away from the sea of waiting people unsure of her next move. She took a step forward when suddenly,she stopped mid step.

She felt her,more correctly,she caught unto the ever so homey fragrance even before the unseen yet familiar presence spoke.

"Kayla!,angel,that you?".

Kayla's heartbeat increased.

It was her!.She couldn't be wrong.

Slowly,she turned around to face the woman whose face,she'd only been seeing on her laptop's screen for the past seven years.

She still wore that captivating smile only she was capable of giving.She hadn't changed one bit.

Kayla let out a breath.She didn't even realize the fact that she'd stopped breathing when their eyes had met and their gazes had locked.

She could get lost in those eccentric blue eyes that held so much

"Are you going to stand there staring at me all day?,or are you going to come over here and give your old Naana a big hug",the woman said,choking with emotion.

"Naana!",Kayla cried as she fell into the wide open arms of the woman,burying her face in the woman's bossom.
...
That's when the tears she'd kept welled up began to pour uncontrollably.

"There,there,don't cry",Naana coaxed as she stroked Kayla's hair."You're home now",she added soothingly.

They stood like that until Kayla's sobbing subsided and she was able to pull out of her Naana's embrace to stare up at the heavily built woman who stood about two feet taller than her and gave her a shy smile.

"Sorry Naana" ,she apologized,wiping away the tears.

"Hush angel,you don't need to apologize to your Naana",she comforted."I know that's your way of saying you forgot to bring me a gift",she added with mock seriousness

Kayla simply rolled her eyes.

Typical Naana.

For the first time since her arrival,Kayla found herself relax as small laugh escaped from her mouth.

"Oh Naana",she said,shaking her head.

"Enough of that now,let's start going.You look exhausted and you must be starving",Naana said as a matter of fact.

As they linked arms and began to walk out of the airport with Naana dragging her suitcase,Kayla asked the one question that had been bugging her ever since she'd come face to face with her Naana.

"How'd you recognize me with my back turned Naana?".

Naana chuckled.

"I'd seen you the moment you'd walked into the arrival hall,and just then,a speck of dust had entered my eyes and I had to duck my head to wipe it.Didn't want you to see my dust plagued eyes",Naana explained,craftily telling Kayla she'd been in tears when she saw her.

Kayla smiled to herself.

Something about the fact that strong hearted Naana had cried was comforting.

"And oh!,who could miss you in that red skirt and matching Nikes?",Naana teased.

A wide smile spread on Kayla's face.She'd come dressed in the same way she'd dressed ten years ago when she'd left

White shirt tucked into a red skirt with matching red Nikes.

A memory of so long ago when she'd walked through this same airport cane flooding her vision

Except then,she'd been leaving.

Dressing like this was significant to her in it's own way as it gave her a feeling she couldn't quite give a name to,but knew was a good feeling.

When Naana drove off from the airport heading South,Kayla knew she was really doing this.

All she could do was hold on to the distant memories of the familiar environment as they drove past the familiar landmarks.

It was all coming back to her after so many years of having been away.Deep within her,she knew she'd never forgotten.

This is it!.