They had reached.
Their destiny was to change forever.
Everyone huddled towards the luggage bins above, to grab their baggage.
Why the scuddle?
She wondered.
After all, what is truly one's own?
One's phone?
One's credit card?
One's designer bag?
One's child?
Of course one does not stuff one's child into the cabin bag. Unless one is a psychopath.
"Well, we'll have to get out at some point", her husband's gentle nudge brought her back from her nearly psychopathic thoughts.
She smiled, and realized the plane was almost empty.
The intense heat hit her as soon as she deplaned.
"Wow! This is going to be one hell of a trip!", she exclaimed.
"Well, get used to it. This may not be our only time visiting", he casually remarked.
The air-conditioned airport bus was a welcome change. She found a seat untaken. And settled right in.
Just then, walked in a woman. Obviously pregnant.
I thought they did not let pregnant women board planes. But how would I know.
She was blinking at the protruded belly. The woman had found her way right towards her. She halted in front of her, and smiled.
She hated doing this. Giving up her hard-earned spot for the helpless. The feeble. The old. The poor.
One should take charge of one's life. One should take what's one's own. One should be in control of the variables.
Not leave it all to fate. Or the universe. Or people.
And beg someone else for what's theirs.
She looked out of the window. She could see the reflection of her husband glaring at her.
Outside the tinted window, the scorching sun.
So bright. So round.
Like the belly.
No belly thoughts. She had been mean. And the sun was reminding her.
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But they had to leave soon. No time to cozy up in the room.
It was weird. It was she who had pushed him into this. After years of planning. And budgeting. And careful choosing. They zeroed in on this.
Yes, she had been dreaming of this trip. And dreading it too.
He heard her mind thoughts.
"Come on. Get ready. This is what you wanted. This is what we wanted. Let's do this."
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She had no energy by the time they got onto the airport bus. She was just zapped. But all the seats were taken.
The sun shone down with all its fury. Bright and red.
She almost fell, when an old lady touched her shoulders.
And offered a place to sit. Her seat.
Her husband smirked.
As she sat down, she felt so thankful.
To fate.
To the universe.
To the many people.
And to that someone, from somewhere.
Who gave up what was hers.
In a garbage bin.
It smiled and cooed at her, as it nipped at her fingers.
Her baby.
