DALILA'S FIRST SNOW

DALILA’S FIRST SNOW

         “Well, that’s the last signature I need. Most people avoid adopting an adolescent, much less from Tanzania. Her name is Dalila; in Swahili it means delicate. I’m not sure how delicate she is, but she is somewhat educated and speaks both Swahili and English fluently. She arrives tomorrow. I’ll meet you in the morning at JFK.” With that, Susan, the agency sponsor left.

         “John, she’ll be here tomorrow. I’m suddenly nervous. What if she doesn’t like it here? What if we can’t handle her? What if…”

         John reached out and pulled her into his arms to calm her. “It will all work out. Trust your instincts. Trust your faith.” He stroked her hair.

         Early the next morning they drove to JFK in a gently falling snow. They stood in nervous silence as they awaited Dalila’s plane. Since they had no idea of what Dalila looked like, they searched the crowd for Susan. Suddenly, an exuberant and talkative girl appeared.

         “Dalila, this is…”

         “Hello, my name is Dalila. I’m glad to meet you. Did you realize all the trees here have no leaves? And Susan calls that white stuff in the air snow. It’s kind of fluffy looking, but she says it is cold. What happens to it when it touches the ground? I mean, I see it in the air, but there is nothing on the ground.” As Dalila continued to chatter she grabbed John by one hand and Joyce by the other. They walked together, as a new family, toward the exit while Dalila continued to chatter and ask questions about the snow.
         John looked over Dalila’s head and winked at Joyce; everything was going to work out just fine.

word count: 281