Joseph Goes to the Airport
Joseph Anderson Donetti bobbed up and down on his toes. He jogged in place. He ran two little circles around G.M.
“You are driving me crazy!” G.M. said. “Stop!”
Joseph looked up at G.M. “I can’t help it!” he wailed. “How much longer will it be?”
G.M. looked at the board on the wall where the airline arrival times were posted. She looked at her watch. “Only about 10 more minutes,” she said. She looked around the terminal for something—anything—that might give Joseph something else to think about. “Let’s go see if they serve lemonade in the restaurant over there.”
Joseph trailed along behind G.M. The restaurant hostess led them to a table right by the windows that looked out onto the runway. “Will this be all right?” she asked with a smile.
G.M. smiled back. “It’s perfect,” she said.
Joseph stared out at the runway. “This is a great place to watch the plane land!” he exclaimed. “Do you think it will be late?”
“I have no idea,” G.M. said. “Planes are late all the time. For about a hundred different reasons.”
Joseph squirmed on the seat. He looked at G.M. “I just can’t wait to see her,” he said.
G.M.’s eyes twinkled. “I can’t wait to see her, myself!” she answered. “Now which one of us do you think is more eager? You just saw her a few weeks ago.”
Joseph grinned.
“Announcing the arrival of United flight 468,” the loudspeaker rumbled.
“There’s the plane! I can see it!” Joseph exclaimed, pointing.
Joseph and G.M. watched the big silver airplane fly lower and lower until it softly touched the ground. It zoomed down the runway past the windows.
“What can I get for you today?”
G.M. looked up at the waiter. “Oh, dear, I guess we don’t have time to order now. Our plane just landed.”
“That’s OK,” the waiter said. “Feel free to sit here and wait for the plane to taxi back if you’d like. It’ll be a few minutes.”
Joseph sat with his nose pressed against the glass. Just as the waiter said, it took a while for the plane to be able to slow itself down, turn around, and glide back to the terminal. “There it is!” Joseph announced.
Joseph dashed out of the restaurant and around to the glass doors where the passengers would be arriving.
“There she is! There she is!” Joseph waved.
A tall, brown haired woman walked quickly along the hallway. She came through the doors and scooped Joseph up into her arms. Then she held him at arm’s length and looked him up and down. “I think you’ve gotten taller,” she said. “I’m almost positive you’ve gotten taller.” Then she looked at G.M. Tears filled her dark eyes. “Mom!” she said. “It’s been a long time!”
“Too long! Much too long!” G.M. whispered. And she hugged her daughter with all of her strength, like she never wanted to let go.
“I can’t believe you’re really here,” Joseph said, bobbing up and down again on his toes. “I mean, you’re really, really here in Oregon! I’ve got so much to show you and tell you about. Oh, look!” he said suddenly. “I almost forgot.” Joseph carefully unfastened the big safety pin on the pocket of his t-shirt. He reached inside. “This is Harvey the Eighth. Mac let me bring him along to welcome you to Oregon.”
Harvey the Eighth sat quietly on Joseph’s hand. He blinked.
“That’s a real lizard, isn’t it?” Mom asked with a shaky laugh.
“Of course, it’s a real lizard!” Joseph said. He grinned mischievously. “I always wanted a lizard, you know. Maybe I can take him home. He’s already full grown, and he doesn’t eat that much.”
Mom and G.M. looked at each other. “No!” they said simultaneously.
“I know. I know,” Joseph admitted, stuffing Harvey the Eighth back into his pocket. “I was only teasing. Mac’s dad already said we have to let him go tomorrow.”
Joseph and Mom and G.M. walked down to the luggage area to wait for the suitcases to be unloaded from the plane. Joseph began to talk. He talked and talked. It was as if a faucet of words had been turned on in his mouth. He had talked to Mom on the phone several times, but this was different.
“I learned how to mow the lawn!” he said. “I really wish we had a lawn to mow at home. It’s a lot of fun, and G.M. said she’s never seen anyone mow a lawn like I do.
“And I can hardly wait for you to meet my new friends—Mac, and Trevor, and Hannah, and Pastor Chuck. I wish I could take them home, too. But I guess they’ll have to stay here and keep all the Harveys company. But I’m going to miss them when we leave. Nobody climbs up a ladder into my bedroom window at home. And I thought I’d better ask—do you care if I write on the bedroom walls?” Joseph paused.
But before Mom could answer, he continued. “Are you really going to be baptized with me next Sabbath?” he asked. “When we go home, will we really go to church together, and talk about God, and read the Bible, and everything?”
Mom reached out and brushed the hair off Joseph’s forehead. “Yes,” she said, “I really am planning to be baptized with you next Sabbath. I finally decided to stop running away from God and to admit that I do want to be part of His family.” She wiped away a tear that spilled down her cheek. “And”, she continued, looking at G.M., “I want to be a part of my earthly family again too.”
G.M. smiled at her daughter. She smiled at Joseph. She smiled at everybody waiting for their luggage.
Joseph leaned close to G.M.’s ear. “I bet God is smiling too!” he whispered.
Harvey the Eighth struggled to poke his head out of Joseph’s pocket.
