Have you ever wanted a glimpse into peoples’ lives? There’s truly no better place than the airport. While waiting for family members to come to the arrivals center, you see a lot of things — little excerpts of moments in time. The day I went to pick up my aunt from the airport, coming in from Cuban arrivals, a woman in a red dress struck me and my eyes witnessed an emotional scene.
That day, I remember watching everyone while I waited. Couples were crying while they went their separate ways, families were reunited once again, and people were shaking their legs as they waited anxiously. Honestly, the entire airport experience is a trailer of a movie in itself. But perhaps the most eye-catching of them all was a group dressed in red. I was surprised because it’s common to see groups of people with their tacky “The Girls Take on Mexico!” shirts, but this was different — they were dressed formally. A man stood in front of the glass dressed in red from head to toe, holding red roses. Others surrounding him dressed the same, in red blouses and dresses. It was most definitely a sight to see! Everyone looked in awe, and some even alerted the airport security…I wondered what this could mean. Is it a political statement? A favorite color? An identifier? Maybe even an inside joke? And that’s probably the best part about these glimpses, because you never know what’s really happening. I was incredibly confused until a young woman came down the ramp in a short red dress, her long brown hair covering her waist and her red flats tapping away. She looked confused, shy and even a little scared.
We were in the international arrivals portion of the airport, and being in Miami, that included the Cuban arrivals. I was waiting for my aunt since she finally renewed her visa — a privilege not many of us have. This arrivals center is always emotional because seeing families from so close in distance yet so far away in communication is like a director’s cut, a scene only true fans understand. The section was full of our fine-cut accents from the island we call home, and our twang filled the room. However, this was a new and different emotion. I quickly learned that the girl in the red dress was the man’s wife and he hadn’t seen her in 10 years, ever since he came to the country. Red was her favorite color, so they made sure to be spotted. Since we’re all some nosey Cubans, we zeroed in and witnessed a beautiful scene of love, straight out of a Telemundo novela.
They ran into each other’s arms and held each other tight. As a big fan of rom-coms, I could have sworn this was a scene straight out of Love, Actually. I cried like never before, and spectators were full of emotion too. This was a different emotion, a raw emotion of reuniting. Of being separated by nations, and no matter what, always finding love to win. They caressed her, and filled her with compliments, “te ves tan linda,” “tu mereces estar en este país,” you look so beautiful, you deserve to live in this country. I can only imagine the hardships that they faced, and this emotional encounter was one that I will never forget.
Sitting down in the airport that day, I witnessed an emotional scene. A trailer of new beginnings that can only be called a movie. Could you imagine if I spent the day there? I would need all the popcorn and tea in the world! But no matter how many novelas I watch or how many rom-coms I fangirl over, I will always remember the girl in red.