Not Into Her

XXIII - The Start of Changing a Life

They walked from their seats, to the plane's door, and to the tunnel before we get out from the gates. We travelled on a series of long inclined conveyor belts before we reach the ground floor and separated to our paths. I looked around and noticed the passengers walking in and out from the airport.

In the meanwhile, Linda drove her car inside the airport and parked it on an empty parking lot. She has been entrusted by Aunt Brenda to fetch me from the airport though she's not been busy for a couple of hours ago. She felt frustrated and uncomfortable when she heard her mother's order. Aunt Brenda is still busy on her veterinary job while Uncle Bobby was on his trip in Madrid for his Biological Science Summit.

For you information, Uncle Bobby Sanders is a Biological Science professor in University of Phoenix in Washington D.C. He's teaching his expertise for eighteen years now and also became a Botanist on his age. He started to get interested in biology and other sciences based with this kind of science when he's still eight and wondered where all kind of living things came from.

When she got inside the airport, Linda waited for me to go out from the airport. I looked at my right and noticed Linda on her beige coat and black pants. She also have her red checkered scarf around her neck to warm her cold neck. She waved at me, signalling that she was here to fetch me, and I walked to her with my baggage still in their formal form.

"Cousin Alex!" she happily shouted, smiling. "How's the flight?"

I looked at her and noticed her red lipstick still in cold shimmers on her lips.

"Well," I said at her. "the flight's okay. But I just slept and slept until the flight's done."

Linda laughed. "That's good, by the way." she said. "So how is Uncle Alfred and Cousin Kristine?"

"Father is still working as a porterage supervisor in Davao International Airport." I replied, giving Linda the lightest bag I have. "Sister Kristine just graduated college and now currently reviewing for her licensure exam to be become a Certified Public Accountant."

"That's good!" she delighted. "So how are you so far?"

"Well, I just graduated high school." I replied. "So where are the twins?"

"They're waiting in the house." she replied. "They're very excited to see you, cous."

I smiled. "Ha!" I reacted.

I and Linda walked back to her car and looked at the car for a minute.

"Is this your car?" I asked.

Linda opened her car's trunk and put my bags inside. Then she closed the trunk and walked near me.

"Yes." Linda positively replied. "A 1991 Honda NSX, a sport car. Do you like it?"

I looked at the red color of the NSX and noticed it has been shined and polished very neatly.

"Not too shabby." I replied.

Then we went inside and Linda revved the car. Then she drove the car back to her mother's house where she lived for almost her whole life. Then she turned the car to the nearest freeway, the Route 395, and turned to Anacostia Freeway before she turned to Congress Heights. I looked around the street and noticed the houses have no gates, no garages and no dogs waiting at the front yard.

Linda looked at me from the rear-view mirror and laughed, noticing me that I was looking at the gateless houses.

"Oh!" she said. "I forgot. You're new here, cousin. Maybe you're confused why we have no gates here, just like in Philippines."

I looked at the rear-view mirror and smiled. "Yeah." I said. "It's my first time here in America."

"Ah, I see."