Welcoming the Lost

7:30 o’clock in the evening. The room was dark and the pupils of my eyes are getting to grow. I can only feel is how the wing touches my skin, it is cold, yes it is, so I grabbed my blanket, it is made up of furr with sent of pineapple cologne. I know what this blanket can do to comfort me. But here is the silence that disturbs me, it is annoying because in silence I feel deep anxiety. The darkness, the coldness and the silence are perfectly related that remind me of something.
    It is hard that you have a father but you do not experience the love of a father. On how he will guide to be a gentleman, on how he will give you tips on playing basketball, on how was the feeling to be scolded by a father and on how a father cares when I am sick. It is hard for me because in Saudi that he is too far to supplement my needs.
    I cry silently so I cannot disturb my family that is sleeping too. Such a lonely night. In every sigh, I control. In every teardrop, I wiped. In sadness, I fell asleep.
    4 o’clock in the morning. The alarm clock of my mother’s phone shouts in its loudest roar. It suddenly boosts the flow of the blood in my veins. I can feel the most joyous feeling I’ve ever had.
    “Sandrel, wake up! And then fixed up your things. We are going to the airport to pick up your dad there. He will spend vacation with us”
It surprised me!
    That word “We are going to pick up your dad” excites me. It is like thousand times that runs to my mind before it sinks on my brain.
    I quickly fixed my bed when I was in hurry to find my most beautiful clothing to impress my dad. Next is I rush as fastest as I can to go to the bathroom. Even the water is very cold it never brings me to chill because the only I am thinking that time is how my dad will reaction, what changed in his look, and the experience that we will cherish the whole summer.
    Beep! Beep! Beep! The van is calling us outside our house. We are all dressed up. My mother, grandmother, three siblings and I are excited.
    We go inside the van then solemnly pray to have a safe trip. Then the van starts to move. In the middle of our venture. We are in silence. I don’t why we are if it is because we are cold because of the aircon of the van or because we are only feeling a deep excitement.
    the I was looking the window to oversee the place outside. I saw how the sun shines slowly in darkness. It is what we are feeling right now. It is like a new chapter we will join with our dad- the memories that we will make treasure everlasting, the sadness of what feel longing to my father that is being relieved and he is the sun that will give its brightest shine in every darkness hearts of family that feel the emptiness for a long time.
    Here we are at the Clark International Airport. Anytime he will be with us, any second I can see his sleepy eyes like mine, his pointed nose, his deep voice, his hair that is going to be bald, his deep voice that turns into tiny voice when he laughs, the way he delivers his jokes and his wrinkles curling when he smiles. I do not what is the exact time but I know he will come, I know I will see my father soon.
    As the time is finishing its point like a time bomb that is getting to explode I feel mixed emotion. I feel excited, nervous and the feeling that no one can tell what it is.
    There are lots of people inside the hall. I can hear their murmur, their joyful eyes, and their giggles. I also saw families that are crying when they saw that person they are waiting for. I saw also the hugs, the warmest hugs I ever saw. I also saw OFWs who looks tired, it may cause of their work abroad or maybe the problems that they experienced, but the thing that amazed me is those tired faces are drastically changing into angelic faces when they saw their families waiting for them. There are a lot of things that I saw, different stories that never been told but the only thing in common is the love that bound them into one happy family.
    In the middle of my realization, someone is tapping shoulders.” Look! Look! Its Papa here he is!” I was looking around the hall,  identifying where he is, then I saw him, it’s my father! Standing on the corner wearing red Giordano polo shirt, his favorite brand of clothing, with jeans carrying his two bags. He is!
    The youngest of our sibling run towards to him, crying and hugging. My older brothers make fists bomb with him than a simple hug that represents their simplicity. While my grandmother is crying then hugging him. My mother kissed him then wiping her tears of joy. I am the last person that walk forward to him, I do not know what to do, there is a feeling in my chest that I cannot explain. I am totally blank, am I going to cry? To smile? To jump? Or to punch him because he left us? I don’t know? But here is my father touches my head with softness saying to me “I’m home Sandrel, I’m home”, hugging me then kissed me on my forehead.
    I admit it, I didn’t experience the love of a father before. I always questioning others why I don’t have a father beside me. I always make negative thoughts because my father goes to Saudi to work there. But when I saw him smiling at us in the airport, all negative thoughts that I thought of him turns into happiness. That I must stop complaining because the important is he is here with us. Doing those hard work for us. To give us a better future for us. I will love him that if I will be given a chance to replace my father I won’t replace him because he is the one and only superhero of my life. My father.