Moments That Change Lives

Chapter 5

The first moment Mira’s feet touched the tiled floor of the airport, her lungs filled with air and she let it out all at once coughing. It was somehow heavier, smelly and tough to breathe. Like she would suffocate if she took only one more breath. Oh… She was truly so so far from her rainforest. From her little kingdom, her adventures, her thrill that wrapped her soul in warmth every day. She never thought that she’d miss that God forsaken place yet she felt a strange longing and pain in the heart. It had become a part of her and no big city could erase that. It was her home.

But she was no longer alone. Her decisions were not hers anymore. God gave her a miracle that was growing bigger and bigger in her stomach every day and she had to think of it now. Her baby’s life was what mattered. Her hand went over it for a second before she headed for the exit dragging her red suitcase behind her.

Crowds of passengers were hastily moving on all sides of the airport, some running to catch their plane and some arriving to their city and reuniting with their loved ones. How wonderful they all looked – so happy and excited to see each other. Mira missed that more than anything. Having a family to wait for her to return or to send her off on a trip. Apparently destiny knew better and robbed her of that. Or maybe it gifted her a new one with the child in her belly.

“All passengers please go to the gateways” was the last thing she heard before finally going out to the street flocked with cabs waiting to pick up newly arrived passengers and take them home. Only she didn’t know where her home was anymore. She didn’t have anywhere to go. No familiar place in that huge city she just came to.

Sighing she looked around trying to spot a free cab when all memories from the previous days flooded her once more. Since she had been with Henry’s naked body below her in that damn cave everything had gone upside down. All her life had turned into a huge mess. The line on the pregnancy test. Her inexplicable joy at the revelation that she would be a mother after thinking for a long time that she would never conceive. Then the harsh truth that it had been Henry’s child resulting in her acceptance of Henry’s offer to come and live in that big city. And on top of it all, the thunderous fight with Raoul that would haunt her forever.

“You’re crazy, Mira. I-I don’t recognize you anymore. How could you do that to me, huh? To us?” Raoul had yelled at her after she had confessed about her adultery and the baby in her womb.

“I… We thought that we’d die and…” She had tried to justify herself but in vain. There was no forgiveness for what she had done.

“Oh… You’re ‘we’ now. You don’t even know that man, for God’s sakes! And you thought you’d die… A bunch of stupid, terrible lies. What do you think? That I’m a child you could lie to and play with? I can’t bear you anymore! You repulse me! Bi*ch!” He had thrown the glass of alcohol in his hands at the wall, spilling the red liquid all over it. Then before she could say another word Raoul had gone out of the door. Out of her life. The man she had considered as her boyfriend, the man she had loved, had called her a bi*ch and left her at God’s mercy. Just like that in a blink, her life had tumbled down with him.

“Miss? Need a ride?” Someone was slightly shaking her shoulder and she jumped, pulled from her thoughts. It was one of the cab drivers. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

Mira turned to look at him. “No. Not at all. I… I am just a little distracted. I need a ride but I don’t know where to go.” She shrugged as the man stared at her suitcase and back to her face suspiciously.

“Then why did you come here? You must have someone?!” The driver asked making her realize once more how crazy her decision to come there had been. Henry had told her to fly to America to have the baby there but mentioned nothing more. And with the break up she completely forgot to even think through the housing problem. Henry, yes she could call the father of her baby for help. Fetching her phone from the pocket of her jacket, disappointment hit her at the sight of the empty battery sign blinking on the screen. Damn it.

“I can take you to the center if you like and you can decide where next from there. You won’t stay in this airport all day, will ya?” The driver took the suitcase from her and put it in the trunk.

Just when Mira was about to sit in the backseat, a familiar voice shouted her name. “Mira! Mira!”

She stopped frozen and peeked outside. The running silhouette of the man who ruined, and in the same time, blessed her life, was approaching. His blue coat was waving in the wind, his hair a bit disheveled.

“Henry? What’re you doing here?” She wondered bewilderment across her face.

He eventually reached the cab panting. Once he caught his breath and steadied himself, he spoke. “I’m your host, am I not? Although a rather lousy one for leaving you alone here.”

The both of them chuckled.

“Come! My car’s over there. Let me at least take you to the city and show you the way around.” He placed his hand in the air before her. His sheepish eyes and gorgeous smile made something in her stomach flutter. No. What was she doing? It’s all for the baby and that’s it. He’s only its father and nothing else. It would be for everyone’s good if she remembered that.

“Alright.” She took his open hand and the both of them headed toward his black jeep. Henry closed her suitcase in the trunk while she took her place in the front seat. A few moments later, he joined her inside the car and started the engine. An old song, probably from the 80s or 90s played on the radio, the rhythm happy and fast which somehow cheered her up a bit. After all, worrying and whining about the past would not change a thing so the faster she learned to live in the present situation the better.

“Mira!”

“Henry!”

They both spoke at the same time and smiled.

“You first,” Henry said as the jeep was flying ahead on the highway, villages and green fields changing fast through the windows.