On My Flight Home

At first they looked like they were little black spots in the horizon as the dark purple veil of the night lifted and the orange-golden of the Sun widened. But as the altitude dropped where I was almost face-to-face with the Sun I witnessed the terrain of the great Alps. Stretching for miles and miles their towering ridges loomed in the distance. Orange-white clouds floated above them. Nestled within their cocoon lay the city of Milan.
As the aircraft took a loop to position itself for landing I viewed the most breathtaking sight. It was as if for a moment I was viewing a plain sheet of brown-grey paper with ridges on it and then in an instant it was covered with the most marvelous colors. The Sun had risen higher in the sky as the slanted golden rays spread over the vista of a exquisite green landscape with azure blue rivers twisting out of it surrounded by the towering Alps dotted with tiny white houses with tilted brown roofs. For a rapturous second I could not refrain but think of it as a picture-perfect city straight out of a fairytale or even a lovely watercolor by Monét.
The thundering wheels hit the ground & raced on the runway before skidding to a halt. I felt an instant chill hit me as I stepped on the airfield even in the month of May. An almost empty airport greeted me. I could hear the rumbling & whistling sounds as flights landed & took off & the occasional swish of a maintenance man’s mop but other than that there was silence. The floors gleamed at me in the stillness.
I had 2 hours before my connecting flight took off for Mumbai so I strolled around peering through the windows of duty-free shops & envying the women who actually bought those very elegant yet highly priced purses & jewelry. I wandered to my terminal inside which I spied a small café that sold coffee, tea & other refreshments where I had the most amazing cup of cappuccino. “2 Euros senÕrita” which was 5 dollars! However exorbitantly priced it was a fantastic cup of java that woke me right up from a very tiring & cramped seating flight. So there I sat with a steaming cup as the sunlight poured in- delicate golden rays that bounced off my sparkling spoon & coffee cup. I gazed at the flights that took off & landed as the airfield maintenance crew scurried around. I could see some of the snow caped crowning of the Alps that now looked like they were wearing white hats, grey blouses & black skirts just the way the Sun had risen & the shadows fell.
And I vowed that I would return as I walked away to step on my flight home.

On my WMP: Mitwa-Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna