Just to be with you...

New friends

Chapter 18

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I opened my eyes as she hit the brake and pulled over near a big, beautiful house. An old black women was standing at the gate, smiling to us.
Airy jumped out and gave her a warm hug.

- Hello, mama….Sorry for not coming earlier…Something always happening…I am sorry!, - she hugged her again, and old women was staring at me…..
- Yah, baby, I can see that… , - her eyes were narrowed, like she was trying to see inside me…..Brrrrrrr…
I bounced forward and introduced myself. She squeezed my hand, not to hard but long. She was reading my face.
- Nice to meet you…, - my voice sounds broken.
- Yeah, yeah, nice to finally meet you too…. , - it was a black old man, looking exactly like Mike, standing right behind Airy.
- Papa!!! – she jumped at his hands, hugging him and giving him a light kiss on the cheek.
- How you've been, baby? , - he asked with real care it his voice.
- Fine. I am fine, - she was smiling.
Old man was looking at Mike, who shake his head for an agreement.

-,So, get inside! I just started the cooking…!- ,old lady was holding the gate letting us all in.,
-  By the way, - she stopped and looked at me, - I am Ruth. And that annoying old man is Karl.
- Pleasure to meet you…., - I was walking right behind her, with our luggage in my booth hands.
The house was beautiful….like, really beautifull.  With big living room, 4 bedrooms and grand terrace.
There was a huge Christmas tree in the corner of the room. Not decorated yet. Mike dropped the box on the floor in front of it.
- You got it all, ha? – Karl was smiling at Airy, she was smiling back.
- Yessss, everything I found!..,- she was so excited, with this happy smile on her face she looked almost like a teenager. 
- Good! Lets do it!! Ruth! Bring some chocolate and cookies! We are starting!
Decorations took most of the day. We were laughing a lot; I was mostly a listener. There were some very funny stories about Airy!  They all were like family, and at some moment I felt jealous…I wasn’t there when it all happened! I didn’t knew her back then… ! Her laugh was so natural, so opened…
She was beautiful to me…

-The tree looks magnificent, papa! – she was standing in front of it, and there were sparkles in  her eyes… - Thank you…., - and she hugged an old men.
- You know, it is for you baby…, - he was stroking her back, like trying to calm her down. There were tears in her eyes when she let go of him.

- Okey,  - Mike was standing in the middle of the living room, his cloves smelled of a barbeque.
– Lets eat!
We all got outside. The terrace was covered; there were two large gas heaters inside. It was warm and comfortable. And the table looked fantastic! We all eaten and laughed a lot. I was managing not to touch the alcohol at all. Airy was drinking beer with Mike and Rose.
At some point, they all got outside and started to play snowballs. I didn’t want to join them, it was too cold for me…
- So, for how long do you know each other?.., - I asked an old man.
- 7 years this year.
- Wow. Looks like you raised her. She called you papa, so I thougt… - I didn’t know what to say.
- She is precious to me, like a daughter. She always says, that she reborn when she met us…, - he was smiling, the most sad smile ever.
I couldn't  stop. I had to know everything.
- Can I ask what happened to her? - , I was so inpatient, so he slept me on the hand.
- You can, but shell I answer? ….
- Please….I have to know. ..
- So be it…. , -and he poured some more tea in to his cup.…