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Recuerdo… A Heathrow Heartthrob: The story of a kiss

Descending the plane’s steps manually she smiled …gave me her handbag to hold, for she herself held a baby …

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And a five-year-old too who held her finger. 

Another bag hung from her shoulder. 

So it was that I came in handy. 

A great fog -bank advanced on Heathrow  

Alighting We were on open ground. Wet and slippery with rain overnight. 

No gate to park the huge jet…we had to walk. 

It happened then; she slipped ===and fell. 

The baby I caught in midair like a ball. The kid behind rolled over her …safe. 

Did not cry at all, helped the limping mom up on her feet, and seemed well, at least for a sec.  

Quick came down a flight attendant  

Thank God, your family is safe, he said to me helped her with the fallen bag. 

We walked. 

The baby smelled nice. It was a cozy bundle that I held and her bag too: 

Till we reached the baggage claim, no one said a word.

Then it was that she spoke in Spanish

Sustantivo, Gracias!  Just two words I understood.

She took the sleeping baby from my arms. 

Said gracias again reached over…and kissed full on my lips; a warm, wet kiss it was. 

Sustantivo baso, she said recuedo. She told her five years old. 

I carried the kiss back home

still wet, still sweet and then found my Latin dictionary. 

Recuerdo meant a memento, a gift.

  So, the kiss was a gift to remember her by.    

Eastrado un caballero, meant He is a real gentleman.  

That was an explanation to her son.  

 (2009)

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