Better Late Than Never
On a British Airways flight to Valencia, Spain, the flight attendant asks me if I want to move. I leave the cramped aisle seat because the passenger in front of me threw a fit because my foot touched his chair.
So, I say goodbye to the two lovely ladies next to me and hello to isle 47 D, the middle seat no one wants.
I take a bathroom break and ask an elderly lady if she’s in line. She keeps walking, and I didn’t think much of it until later. Finally, I arrive in London.
As I wait for my flight to Madrid, I grab a sandwich from Starbucks. While looking for a seat, I spot my elderly friend with the oh so welcoming demeanor. I, being the oh so effervescent young lad (as the British would say), ask if I can sit next to my bathroom encounter and what looks like her daughter. I get a nod yes and take my seat.
Not even two minutes go by and I hear them speaking in a familiar tone. I hear them mumble something in typical Cuban-Miami Spanglish. I immediately turn to the side and say “son Cubanas de Miami?”
They’re proud faces already tell me yes and I see their faces warm up, especially for my blue-eyed friend from the first flight.
We continue to chat about our connecting flight to Madrid and our discomfort on British Airways Flight BA206. In typical Cuban fashion, I (go on to) vent with my new Cuban sisters, Magda and Sandra, Magda’s daughter-in-law (Magda would kill me if I said anything other than sister). We complain about the marathon walk to our terminal and how exhausted I am about the long voyage I have ahead of me.
As we continue chatting, I tell them that I have to take yet another trek to Valencia once I land in Madrid. Now imagine watching that “Seinfeld” gif mixed with a telenovela, well that’s how we were when we realized we were on the same train to Valencia.
We plan to meet after this flight and go to the train station together. A moment of true Latin comradery was when I got off the plane and saw my new abuela (grandmother) and tia (aunt). We spoke about life as we got our bags and apparently Sandra’s whole closet. We rushed and got on the train to the train station and yes, I see the irony in this.
Le echamos pila (to and arrived looking fierce and unbothered with enough time to grab the carbs and Cuban coffee our hot-tempered blood quenched). As we looked at the tickets we realized we were on different cars. We hatched a plan in true Cuban form, to sit next to each other until somebody in that seat came. We got to the train and saw three out of four seats available.
Javier, the gentleman in the fourth sesat, told us if my seat was indeed taken he would switch with me so I could hang out with my ladies. It was 15:38 and when the doors closed no one arrived or took the seat!
After our “cotorra-like” (parrot-like) selves kept hollering and observing the scenery, we finally arrived Valencia. I looked up and my ride was there and a moment of sadness hit me because I had to say goodbye to women who had felt like family. We said see you later as if we’d known each other our whole lives and planned to meet again.
Jet lagged and all, I went with my roommates, Tania and Jess, to see a Cathedral during the special Corpus Christi Celebration and had a true glamorous and authentic European meal. (Hello, would I have it any other way.)
I finally got to bed with plans to meet the lovely ladies I met on my voyage. I walked over to the infamous center cleverly called “El Centro” (the center) and I agreed to meet Sandra and Magda. We met up after several twists and turns in this new and let’s just say interesting city.
We walked around and impatiently waiting for the Corpus Christi procession to begin in about two hours so we started exploring and came across this little café to be true “Valencianos” and have a siesta, some ham and wine. We sat down and started chatting. Sandra, who was here for a microdermabrasion seminar, and Magda, who tagged along for a vacation, began interrogating me. But this is not a bad thing (it’s something all of us Cubans like to do, think adjectives like charming or give me the tea) and they began asking me about my family in the hopes that we might have crossed paths in the past.
What comes next is a shocking testament about how God brings people together. As we continue, interro… I mean getting to know each other, Sandra tells me about her husband’s animal clinic and Magda explains how he had to hustle to get his degree validated in the states.
You see, she told me that her husband bought a clinic but for a minute I understood it was about an hour away from my home in Havana-leah (really Hialeah but you take a guess for the nickname).
I found out that her husband’s clinic was right next to mine in Havana-leah (again, you take a guess) and the same clinic I took my precious pup, Cici. We were shocked because her husband, Alain, actually treated my dog and performed surgery on my previous dog that passed away, Duchess. Shockingly, Magda was speechless for the first time.
In her state of shock, she says a Cuban expression which is, “If I know you’re dad too I’m leaving!” Well she might have wished she didn’t say that because not even a few minutes passed by when I Face-Timed my mother.
With that I explain to my mami, that the ladies I’ve been with are our vet’s family. My mom was just as shocked and then my mom says oh my God, Luis (my step-father) knows her (Magda). My mom points the camera at Luis and Magda’s eyes almost instantaneously begin to water. Magda’s speechlessness and tears were with purpose, because my step-father was the nurse that took care of Magda’s brother on his death bed. You see for a moment I realized the emotion and heart behind Magda’s oceanic blue eyes. She gave me a warm hug and kiss but, the most special moment was when she held my hand with her wrinkled palms and I felt my great-grandmother’s spirit in that moment. All of us were filled with an inexplicable emotion because we were meant to cross paths as God put us together.
We have continuously shared laughs, tears, and everything in between through dinner, wine, and our favorite, ice cream. I can wholeheartedly say that this moment showed me to have an open heart. Because I didn’t think in my wildest dreams that in a country on the other side of the globe I would have such a full-circle moment with kindred spirits. Had I gone of my first judgement or first impression I would have never experienced this raw and beautiful moment. So I challenge you to keep an open heart and mind don’t let someone’s first impression affect you, have empathy and love in your heart because you never know who God can send you and how they can impact or make a stamp on your life. As I still have so much more to explore, I urge you welcome the unknown in a cautious yet fearless manner as this journey’s start has only opened my eyes and my heart.
