-^-for posterity-^-

i met my father today for the first time in a long time. i went to the airport with mom and jason and waited in the same spot at the same time for him to come off the same flight (#680 on thai airlines from bangkok arriving at 10:20). i stood behind a wall of shorter, well dressed vietnamese people and watched people give hugs and smile and laugh and reunite.

dad and i saw each other from a distance. we looked at each other for a while not sure if we were really staring at who we thought we were staring at. i was outside in the sun and he was inside in the darkness of the flourescent lights. finally he started to point at me. it was an energetic point and i started to wave and smile. the point was familiar. that was what my dad would have done and, even though i coulnd't make out his face, i was sure that it was him.

he walked out and looked a bit lost. he was wearing a blue shirt that contrasted beautifully with his icy blue eyes.

we hugged and maybe cried a bit.

he smiled as he always does when he's being sincere: the one side of his mouth arches up a bit higher, he displays most of his face and his forehead and cheeks become an accordian of wrinkles.

his hair is short and he was tanned. we walked to a taxi, pushing the vultures aside, and he kept smiling. we all sat in the taxi, my family reunited, and enjoyed the slow drive into saigon.

now we sit around and talk about family things. we try not to get on one another's nerves. we smile and complain about things. we laugh and wallow in each other's presence.