"Ladies and gentlemen, we are nearing the landing destination. We please ask that you put on your seatbelts and prepare for landing. Thank you for flying with us and welcome to California." The hostess announced.
"Finally." Eu puffed as she clicked her seat belt on.
I stretched a bit despite the seat belt and yawned feeling jet-legged. We've been flying for 21 hours and 30 minutes. It's been an extremely uncomfortable journey. Some of us are not used to sitting down for so long. Eu and I had watched movies, series, told jokes, and even slept. We were so ready to get off and I'm pretty sure we weren't the only ones.
"Okay ladies and gentlemen please exit in an orderly fashion and follow the hostess to the tunnels to be checked and to receive your luggage Again, thank you for flying with us, and welcome to California." The hostess said with a bright smile.
Eu and I turned to face each other a growing smile on our faces. We made it. Squealing, we hurriedly gathered our things and began to move with the rest of the people. Following our guide. I preferred to call her our mother hen, we were all her chicks, following her for everything. I think she enjoyed it, Ntombi shook her head as she began to count us once we had received our baggage. Noticing how we were all restless, many of us had been dreaming of this for years, hoping we would get the opportunity. Now that it was here, we couldn't believe it. so the next best thing was to take photos, that way we could treasure it.
"Okay everyone, come on, five minutes. That's all I need okay before I give you all guidelines. Understood?"
"Yes mother hen!" we chorused.
"You guys are not funny but I'll let it slide 'cause I am exhausted." She shrugged and begun counting. We kept still but chatted as she moved around us, checking.
"Two of you are missing. Where are they?" she questioned, turning around to check again, in case of miscounting. We shrugged, turning to face each other, though many of us weren't as close. She huffed as she pulled out her phone and begun calling us by our names. Making us truly feel like six-year-olds.
"When was the last time we had to go through register?" Eu groaned.
"When I was in high school," Natasha added
"Ninth grade latest for me." I murmured.
"I hated it but it was needed, so the system said." Natasha said as she pulled out her phone.
"Flippen hell. Nathan and Nicole." Ntombi said as she finally found the two names missing.
"Ohhh the N&N's are missing." I joked.
"I wonder how those twins are gonna live without each other for a year or two." Natasha said.
"They practically balance each other. Two peas in a pond so they say." Eu continued.
"Each to their own." I said.
"There they are!" someone said from the group, we turned to find the twins taking pictures by the display section.
"Hey! N&N's get back here!" Ntombi called with a disapproving look. During training, we were told to stay around each other as soon as we arrived. For safety and legal purposes. We would be placed in our new homes later on but until then, we were to be around each-others sights. No wandering off especially from our mother hen. Once they were both with us, Ntombi shook her head disapprovingly.
"I understand this feeling you are all going through, you all went from wanting to be in this place to now being here, and it's amazing. There's so much you want to do and try. That is okay but you need to remember why you are here. why it is so important for you to be in sync with one another, to lean on each other. You all need to remember when I leave to go back to South Africa, you remain. You have everything in your hands but remember it won't be sunshine and rainbows for all of you. Some of you will want to return home. Some of you will make mistakes. Some of you won't have the best families. Some of you won't have the opportunities, you've been hoping for. Some of you will realize the true meaning of love and loss. The true meaning of life. Remember this though, you cannot forget your purpose. At all. Understood?"
"Yes."
"Good now, smile. One of your bucket list dreams has come true." She said with a rising smile.
"Sorry mister can you please take a picture of us?" she asked one of the airport employees.
"Sure definitely." He answered.
"Okay everyone as soon as he counts to three, you know what to cheer. Got it?" she said as we all got into posing positions.
"Yes, mother hen." I joked and laughter rang out.
"Okay. A little bit more in on the right. At the back some of you I cant see you…there we go. Okay cool. Best smiles and poses." He said. "One, Two, Three!"
"AU PAIRS!"