Half the world away

Chapter 5

The next few days flew by faster than I could've even imagined, before I knew it I was putting the last few things into my backpack waiting for the taxi to take me to the airport at 8pm. The nerves I'd tried to suppress began to bubble to the surface as I sat on the bottom step holding my phone in my hands when it rang with a video chat.

"Hey Rubes, you ready?" Sammy said as the call connected.

The sun rising behind him was a parallel to the sun setting over here making me smile.

"As I'll ever be, am I crazy? I feel like I'm crazy?" I said bouncing my knee up and down in nervousness.

"Yeah a bit. But you're not boring for sure. When's your flight?" He said with a smile.

"10pm it's gonna be weird not talking to you for a whole day." It wasn't a lie, talking to him everyday was something I'd become accustomed too.

"It's just a day sweetheart, besides once you get here you'll have me to talk to whenever, with no crazy time difference." He said with a megawatt smile, that was impossible not to return.

"That's true, until I drive you crazy that is." I laughed hiding the fact I genuinely was worried I would get on his nerves.

"Sweetheart one of the best parts of my day is the time I get to speak to you, if anyone is gonna go crazy it's you. Because I won't wanna shut up." He laughed rubbing the back of his neck.

Cute.

"Nah I think I'll be fine, shit my taxi just pulled up. I'll message you before I take off." I said with a smile.

"I'll see ya real soon sweetheart." He said as we dropped the call.

I can't be I'm going through with this, standing from the bottom step I looked around my family home, as the taxi driver helped me with my bags.

"See ya." I whispered as I looked the door and hopped in the backseat of the car.

The car started and drove through the streets I grew up on, I felt a strange sense of relief as we passed all the places I knew so well. This is me taking back the confidence I lost.

"So you headed somewhere nice kid?" The driver asked as we pulled onto the motorway.

"Bondi." I said with a smile trying to push away the nerves that swelled.

"Nice I went there when I was around you're age, met my wife there been married 30 years now." He said smiling as if he was remembering meeting her for the first time.

"Damn that's impressive. I'm going to meet my friend for the first time." I said with a smile thinking about what it'd be like to meet Sammy for the first time properly.

"It's a great time over there." He said as he pulled up to the airport. And helped me unload my bags.

I looked up at the airport, the people rushing all around, the long queues and excitement that seemed to engulf the place. Taking a deep breath I walked through the large doors and made my way around. I'd forgotten how long it takes to get through customs and airport security but finally I was sat waiting for my flight In a surprisingly comfortable chair in the flight lounge when my phone rang.

"Hey sweetheart how's it going?" Sammy said as his face popped up on my screen wearing his usual massive smile.

"Waiting to board at moment, I won't lie I'm pretty nervous." I said fiddling with the ends of my hair.

"Nothing to be nervous about Rubes, I've been waiting to meet you for 2 and a half years." Not that I hadn't wanted the same thing it wasn't the only thing I was nervous about.

"You and me both lifeguard." I said smiling. When crackly voice came over the tannoy saying my plane was boarding.

"Gotta go Sammy, see you in 22 hours." I said smiling at him.

"See ya Rubes." He smiled before I hung up and went to join the queue of people.

You can do this Ruby.

I said to myself as I waited in line, soon it was my turn and I was walking down the plane isle to my seat.

As soon as I sat down I plugged my headphones in and closed my eyes. It wasn't hard to fall asleep as it had gone 10pm and I was shattered from my lack of sleep. The gentle vibration of the plane rocked me to sleep like a newborn baby.

But my sleep was plagued by my accident, the feeling of the water crushing down on me, the hopelessness and the eventual pain in my leg and head. Finally I jolted awake seeing the bright glaring sun slip under the window shade.

"Good morning passengers we will be starting our descent into Sydney airport local time is 5:42am." The captains voice came over the speakers.

I'd slept for nearly 22 hours!? I couldn't believe that for one, and the other I was actually here, in Australia about to meet Sammy for the first time.

The plane slowly started to go down into landing and before I knew it I was at the baggage claim grabbing my suitcase. I felt so nervous as I started walking into the main part of the airport. There were people everywhere and being 5ft4 made it hard to see over the crowd. I was beginning to wonder if I'd actually ever find Sammy.
When I could've sworn I heard my name.

"Ruby!" There it was again.

Turn to my left there he was about 20ft away from me as he smiled. I was kinda in shock seeing him face to face properly, as he jogged over to me with a giant smile on his face as he reached me, stopping about a foot away.

"Hi Sammy." I said through I smile just as large as his.

He just stood there for a second looking at me as if I was a figment of his imagination. But in seconds he'd wrapped his long arms around me pulling me off of the floor as my arms went around his neck into a tight and long awaited hug.
It was like all the anxiety and nervousness about coming out here was gone all in that one tight hug.

"Definitely better than just hearing you say you wanna give me hug sweetheart." He said as me feet went back to the floor.

I couldn't help but smile at him, I didn't even know what to say. We talk everyday have done for years now and stood here it was like I'd lost all ability to form a sentence.

"Come on my trucks out front, I got the day off today so you're stuck with me." He said taking my suitcase as he led me out of the airport.

And I felt a little like me. The me I thought I lost.