Importance

Valeria Quiroz

English 1A

Prof. Diaz

February 13, 2016

At last

        My palms were sweaty and my heart was racing I could barely contain myself, I was finally going to see my lover after two months of him being away at the navy boot camp. As I sat and waited for my flight to departure all I can think about was the other person I was also flying out to see in Chicago after seventeen years, my father. I cannot lie and pretend I was ecstatic to see him because I was not he had left my two siblings and I when I was a few months old and I didn’t care much for my father. A few minutes later my flight was called and my boyfriend Steve’s father and I grabbed our luggage and started heading to our seats. It was my first time on an airplane so I was nervous and frightened I could hardly contain myself from running out the door. I sat on my seat and later heard the pilot give us instructions “Hello this is pilot Richard Plata please turn off your devices and buckle your seat belts at this time, we will be arriving in about 5 hours. Have a great flight” and after that we were off.

        As I buckled my seat belt all I could feel was fear, I couldn’t stand the thought of being in an airplane thirty thousand feet above ground in a small space with hundreds of people. My hands were shaking as I buckled my seat belt and I mentally prepared myself for takeoff. All I knew was that I was doing this to see the guy I loved most in this world, Steve. Some may think I was doing this to build a connection with my father but that connection had been lost the moment I grew old enough to realize why he left my mother and why he never came back but I wasn’t going to let my thoughts wander and ruin my trip. Once I opened my eyes and decided to look out the window as we were taking of I wasn’t as frightened anymore. I was in awe, what I felt when I was looking at the view of earth as I was so far off the ground was almost indescribable. The way the ocean looked, the way the city of Los Angeles looked as I was taking off looked so amazing to me. I continued to look out the window for hours taking in how beautiful our planet really is. I had never been more grateful to live more than I did that day. Being on an airplane and seeing earth from a different perspective was something I’ll never forget. After being on airplane for almost six hours we finally arrived at Chicago Illinois, The windy city. I arrived at six o clock and I was already anxious for the day to end so that I can see the only person I flew out to see but the day didn’t end without me once again being let down by my father, he was supposed to pick me up from the airport Chicago O Hare and drive me to my hotel but instead he sent my aunt to do it because he was too busy with his brand new wife.

That goes to show how much he wanted to meet his only daughter. I brushed it off because once again I didn’t want to ruin my mood, I was finally going to see Steve after months of not hearing about him or his voice. I was anxious, I had no idea if thing would be different between us.        

        The whole car ride to the hotel I spent catching up with my dad’s sister and her husband, I had not yet met them until that night and it felt as if I had known them all my life. I was pleased to see the way my father’s family treated me even though they had no idea who I was. They also expressed how proud of me they were for being the first one in the family to go to college and that made me feel proud. The conversation fell short when Steve’s father started talking bad about my father and how I should have nothing to do with him for leaving me. “I don’t understand why after all these years he decides he wants to meet her. He shouldn’t have the right to enter her life as soon as she got old enough to be able to support herself and he possible expects her to support him.”

At that moment I could not believe he had said that, he might have left me but he’s still my father and for the first time in a long time I felt sorry for him nut yet ii said nothing. My aunt cried because she knew it was true and I was just grateful we had arrived at the hotel, I said my goodbyes and they were on their way. As soon as I got home I showered and headed straight to bed, I couldn’t believe myself. I couldn’t believe I had flown out from California to see the person I had been with for five years. That’s when I realized he meant more to me than I lead myself to believe.