Anwen

Arrival

---------- welcome to london ----------

The plane had finally landed after a much too long flight. For the last few hours I had been watching the plane's progress across the massive ocean on the maps screen. I had finally fallen asleep after the plane hadn't moved a millimeter in the last half hour. When the pilot's voice finally came on the loud speaker to announce the imminent landing I nearly cried for joy. People were not meant to spend eight hours in a super cramped and rock hard chair. 

I wasn't all too sad about leaving, for whatever reason it hadn't yet triggered in my brain yet. I guess I would know when it did but for now I was fine and I wanted it to remain that way. 

"Okay so Grandma Anne will be there to pick us up from the airport and then drive us out to her home. A forewarning; they sort of live in the middle of nowhere. Well not nowhere, I mean there are a lot of people but it's not a metropolis by any means." My dad confessed. "But you'll have friends in no time."

My mom looked up from her Vogue that she was reading, "Take it from me, I made so many friends in the first week, it was overwhelming."

"But I'm not starting school for another two months! What am I supposed to do until then?" 

"I'm sure my parents will introduce you to people that they know that are your age." My dad consoled. 

"But they're like seventy! Like they know anyone my age." My heart sunk, I was about to have a very boring two months will just Anne, Ben, and their dogs. Fun. 

"First of all, they are like 68, not quite seventy. And secondly, we have family friends with kids your age! Your mom's friend, Erica, has a daughter your age!" 

"Oh yeah, she's told me a lot about Ella. You'll love her." My mother chimed in. 

"Whatever. I'll figure it out." 

The plane landed half and hour later and it took even more time for everyone to slowly grab their bags and take them through the cramped aisle. (So slow. Don't they want to leave too?) I grabbed my "purse" and giant carry-on that was pushing the size (and weight) limits. 

When we got off and got through customs I turned on my phone and connected to the wifi (I still had to buy a simcard.) and dozens of messages were there waiting for me. It was around six in the evening back home and Leona had texted me about everything since I left. How West drove over something on the road after they dropped me off and he got a flat tire so they were waiting on the side of the road for two hours to wait for someone to help them. How when they finally fixed it they went to get ice cream and how much they already missed me. There weren't any messages from West except one to remind to call him later. 

"Come on Anwen!" My dad called because I was getting distracted by my phone. "We still have to get our bags!" 

"Right! I'm coming!" I hurried after them through the swarm of travelers moving different directions and getting in my way. We found the conveyer belts spitting out bags without too much trouble and we sat there waiting for our bags to come out. 

My parents both found their bags in no time but fifteen minutes passed and mine was no where to be seen and I was getting anxious. What would I do if it fell into the ocean during the flight. (Probably not possible but still) My parents had some of my clothes in their bags but it was all winter clothes like sweaters and jackets that would not be very comfortable in warm weather. 

My father tracked down someone who worked at the airport and told him that we couldn't find my suitcase. 

"Yeah it's a big black one with a red strap going around it and a union jack flag tag on the handle. Yes we did remember to check it in. No she didn't forget to attach the tag they gave her."