TWICE THE LOVE
Berengaria Brown
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
Cherry McNair shook her shoulder-length dark
brown hair off her face and pushed her luggage trolley out of the customs area
and into the arrivals hall at the
Beijing
Capital
International
Airport
, ready to start
her new life. Well, sort of ready.
I’m almost
thirty years old. All my remaining possessions are in two suitcases. I’ve quit
my job, left my country and my friends, and am about to start a whole new life
in a new land where I don’t even speak the language, and be the “wife” of two
men. Well, it’s what women have been doing for centuries, after all. Although
they probably didn’t have two husbands.
Lee and Harry had promised to meet her, and
they’d all exchanged plenty of photographs in their emails. But she was still
feeling rather dazed after the long flight, and the huge size of the airport,
and she worried about recognizing them in such a large crowd. They’re part-American, part-Chinese, but to
me they look quite Chinese. Will they look like their photos? Lee’s hair, sort
of shaggy and a little bit longer, Harry’s skin a slightly darker brown?
Sheesh. I
thought LAX was big, but having to catch a train to get to your luggage?
Sheesh.
Nevertheless, the crowd was very well behaved.
People were talking and laughing, but they were standing in neat lines, waiting
politely for others to pass. There was no pushing or shoving or screaming as
there had been back at LAX. I’ve never
travelled so far before, through so many time zones. It’s all so very big. But
I like it. It’s friendly and welcoming and totally fascinating.
Lots of people were holding up signs with names
on them.
And there they were, Lee and Harry, Lee holding
a sign saying “Cherry” and Harry holding a bunch of bright yellow sunflowers.
Cherry pushed her trolley down the aisle then
into the arrivals hall proper, and stood to the side as Li Chang and Song Hao
made their way through the crowds to meet her.
Both men bowed slightly then broke into smiles.
“Welcome to
Beijing
, Cherry,” said Harry.
“I hope your journey was not too tiring,” added
Lee.
“The flight was smooth. I made all my
connections without any worries. Everything went well. Thank you for coming to
meet me,” replied Cherry, her tone rather disjointed.
Harry handed her the flowers, bowing slightly
again, as Lee took charge of her trolley.
They’re
lovely flowers. How sweet of them to have brought them for me. So welcoming.
“Come this way. I’ll go and get the car while
Harry waits with you and the luggage.”
Cherry nodded, trying to pull herself out of her
daze as her blue-gray eyes looked around at the spectacular building, filled
with light from its high glass walls, with lots of interesting metal shapes in
the structure and huge artworks dotted around the floor space. And flowers.
Lots of flowers, and plants in planter boxes.
“I can’t believe how big the airport is. I’ve
never seen so many flowers inside. And thank you for the sunflowers, too.
They’re so pretty.”
“Third largest building in the world by area,”
said Lee. “That two-minute train trip to get your luggage took you two
kilometers.”
“More than a mile,” nodded Cherry, too tired to
do the math accurately.
“One and one quarter miles,” said Lee helpfully.
Lee effortlessly pushed the luggage trolley
loaded with her two large suitcases and her wheeled carry-on, up a long slope
to the exit. Cherry carried her purse and her flowers. They turned to the right
where there were vehicle loading bays and Harry took charge of the trolley as
Lee jogged off to retrieve their car.
“Please, sit down,” said Harry, gesturing to one
of the benches. “Are you very tired from travelling?”
“I’m fine standing. I’ve been sitting for way
too long. It was two hours to LA, twelve to
Tokyo
then a little over four to here. But
it’s the jet lag I think that’s
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