Reunion!!
Grandmama writing about meeting up with the kids:
After a dead run through the Osaka airport with another brigade of JAL angels who had pulled our 4 suitcases from the carousel and taken our heavy carry-on bags as well, I was racing to get out the door and see my beloveds after 3 years of separation - with Grandpapa sagging in the rear. We stood there on a completely empty curb, no one in sight! As it turned out, the kids had gone to the 1st level, and we were on the 2nd. With the patience of a 2-year-old, I fidgeted and wondered where they were. As if by magic, Micah and Aza emerged from the shadows and Aza spotted us immediately. Wide open grin larger than her face and arms spread equally so, she covered those 20+ meters in a few leaps and bounds, flinging herself towards both of us, clinging like she would never let us go. Once I got my arms around Micah, the tears began to flow, and I really didn’t want to let him go. Glancing over Micah’s shoulder, I could see the JAL attendants standing and watching us greeting one another. Teary eyed, they were able to enjoy the fruits of their labor, vicariously experiencing our immense love in the moment. As it turned out, Ayu had been circling in her Honda Fit until she saw us all together. More hugs with Aza still holding her ironclad hug around my waist.
After a dead run through the Osaka airport with another brigade of JAL angels who had pulled our 4 suitcases from the carousel and taken our heavy carry-on bags as well, I was racing to get out the door and see my beloveds after 3 years of separation - with Grandpapa sagging in the rear. We stood there on a completely empty curb, no one in sight! As it turned out, the kids had gone to the 1st level, and we were on the 2nd. With the patience of a 2-year-old, I fidgeted and wondered where they were. As if by magic, Micah and Aza emerged from the shadows and Aza spotted us immediately. Wide open grin larger than her face and arms spread equally so, she covered those 20+ meters in a few leaps and bounds, flinging herself towards both of us, clinging like she would never let us go. Once I got my arms around Micah, the tears began to flow, and I really didn’t want to let him go. Glancing over Micah’s shoulder, I could see the JAL attendants standing and watching us greeting one another. Teary eyed, they were able to enjoy the fruits of their labor, vicariously experiencing our immense love in the moment. As it turned out, Ayu had been circling in her Honda Fit until she saw us all together. More hugs with Aza still holding her ironclad hug around my waist.
Wrong. If ever there were an add for Honda Fit and what it will actually FIT, the cameras should have been rolling. Micah assured us that it would in fact all fit. Giant bag first, one by one they disappeared into the car and when the hatch back was full he moved to the back seat. The rest tucked away neatly, including all five of us with nothing to hold in our laps for the ride to Kamiyama. Granted, Micah had to be the lookout for Ayu as she drove, bags blocking her vision out the back window. From here Micah gave a running commentary about Osaka (its airport is on a human-made island!) as we stared out the window, taking in the vast warehouses, skyscrapers, and shipping yards. Coming through Osaka, we rode on what seemed like a never-ending bridge over the city. Stumpy Watson, my dad, would be amazed!
The three-hour journey to home seemed much shorter for the joy we shared, and Micah’s ongoing commentary. After a little more than two hours, we passed through Tokushima where Ayu’s mom, grandmother, sisters and their families live, and the largest city close to Kamiyama. It happens to be home to Awa Odori, the 3rd largest dance festival in the world, eclipsed in number of revelers only by Mardi Gras in New Orleans, LA and Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Through Tokushima, we headed up the mountain to Kamiyama. Mountains here are like mountains in Birmingham, hillocks compared to the Rockies or the Alps. Tying our whole trip together at this point was the tunnel we went through, looking for all the world like the open mouth of a manta ray coming up towards us, only this opening swallowed us up and in short order we were home. Grateful, exhausted, wired, needing sleep and not willing to ‘give it up’, we all eventually piled into our beds, sleeping til dawn broke. But not before Alim and I had been properly introduced by Aza to the newest family member, Dori, her pet bearded dragon. More in a later post about Dori as the care and needs of such a critter is detailed and precise. High entertainment for all of us, not to mention the neighborhood children!
Next Post: Our first walk around Kamiama
