Africa: The Arrival

After living in a city where the skyline is an endless stretch of blue sky and white cloud to see Table Mountain - a solid behemouth - rise up through the haze of bush fire smoke is daunting.
It's something I remember as a child that was a constant. No matter where you were in the city it was there as comforting and dependable as a father's embrace. And it's something, growing up in Auckland, that I easily took for granted.

I was so used to seeing the never ending lush greenery of New Zealand, coming into land in Cape Town was such a different matter. Where there wasn't the ocean there was the suburbs and in between there was patches of what should have been green grass but they were odd shades of yellow and brown, dying in the late January heat. And framing it all, protecting the city was this monstrous structure that unwillingly brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. For close to 2 months and 27 hours it had all felt like a weird dream until that moment. Upon seeing Table Mountain and turning to my Mother to see tears in here eyes also it all became too real. After 10 years I was finally home. 

We approached the immigration desk with our New Zealand passports. The African queen behind the desk gave us a tight smile and she took them from us. Glancing down at them her demeanour changed as she saw our birth place. She scanned them and handing them back to us with a bright smile she said "Welcome Home!" We chorused a 'Yay!' in reply and made our way through to find our bags.

I am always very worried going through customers that I'm not going to make it in. Isn't that always the way though, Regardless of how un-criminal-like you are you always feel nervous going through those metal detectors. I placed my belongings in the tray beside me and walked through.

*BEEP*

My heart jumped. The female officer in front of me motioned for me to walk through again.

*BEEP*

I racked my brain to try and think of what I had on me that would be making the damn thing go off but nothing came to mind.
She asked me to step aside and waved her wand.

Nothing. 

She looked at me quizzically for a moment before supposedly finally finding what she was looking for and raised the wand to my face

*beep-beep-beep*

I breathed a sigh of relief - of course - my nose ring. I'd just gotten my septum pierced about 3 weeks before hand. My sister had her's done too but hers was gold and for some reason not a threatening metal. 

With a smile she waved me through and we were on our way to our next check point - baggage search.

"Do you have anything to declare?" The woman asked. 

"Nothing in our bags, but she's got some medication in hers" My Mom said motioning to me.

'Some Medication' is a bit of an understatement. See, I have crohns. And normally it's not such a worry but when you're flying to another country where your insurance doesn't cover autoimmune deficiency diseases you have to come prepared. I look like I'd brought the entire pharmacy. She slid open the zip on my bag and looked at the contents. She glanced at me in my somewhat healthy state then and I offered a sheepish smile - "I have a doctor's note?" I offered. 

She smiled and said, "Not a problem, go on through".

We were only metres away from home and hugs and family.

We were making our way towards the automatic doors when suddenly a banshee wail reached our ears and a solid forced crashed right into me. Attaching itself to me and covering my face with kisses I heard "My BABY!" I finally realised it was cousin. She dislodged herself and launched herself at my mother and my sister. We had made it.