Little Inklings 2024

NEW YORK, NEW YORK By: Sofiya Dewan ’29 A booming voice announces, “Attention: Please fasten your seatbelts. We will land in two minutes.” I clutch the armrests of the uncomfortably cramped plane seat and continue chewing the stale gumthat sits onmy tongue. It had lost itsminty flavor hours ago, but I’d started chewing it before I got on the plane. It’s a tie to the place I’d left. Besides, it was my last stick. I stare out the window, watching Florida peek out through the carpet of clouds as we descend. I feel a strong sense of longing and nostalgia for New York, the city we’d just left behind. Which is silly. I’d traveled a lot in my eleven years, and although I’d lived away from my home for months at a time, we always returned to the familiar apartment and rooms and city. Not this time. This is a one-way ticket to The Middle of Nowhere, Florida. Okay, well, Miami isn’t exactly in the middle of nowhere, but still. I love New York. It is my favorite place in the world, and I always felt lucky to live in such an amazing city. Well, now I guess I live in Miami. And I know that people move all the time. And I know I’m lucky that, for example, my father’s job isn’t forcing me to move. Still, in a way that makes it worse. My parents havemade the decision that will ruinmy life, not some person I’ve never met. And that just means that the person I’m going to direct all my anger towards is my parents. It frustrates me that they were so undeniably sure theywere right. I haven’t seenmy parents in three weeks, since I’mflying right fromcamp. The last thing they said to me echoes in my head. See you in Miami, see you in Miami, see you in Miami. That had ruined my goodbye becausemy brain conjured up the fact that after camp I would be flying to the stupid swamp. The plane lands with a jolt. The pilot somewhat skillfully navigates the maze of the runway and brings us towards the airport. Fascinated, I googled it. It is made of shiny silver and iridescent glass that forms a modern-looking giant structure. Again, a loud announcement pierces intomy head andmy thoughts scatter. “We have just landed in Miami, Florida.” Like I was going to forget. He continues, “The local time is 6:47 pm. The temperature is 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Thank you for flying with us on Delta!” I forcemyself to focus on leaving the plane. I yank my suitcase down from the luggage compartment, somehow almost knocking my nine year old sister over; luckily, she is facing the other way. I glance behindme tomake sure that she is all right and has all her stuff. She cried on the plane earlier but fell asleep for the rest. She still looks half-asleep now. I make her put her backpack on the small carry-on and start walking down the aisle. We keep walking until the last golden rays of the setting sun blind me that I awake frommy stupor. I look out thewindowand see a scene that would be beautiful if I weren’t trying so hard to hate it. The sun has halfway set, leaving a golden dome sitting on top of the grass. A lone palmtree leans towardsme. The natural beauty takesmy breath away, but I forcemyself to yank my eyes away and wear a scowl. Whichmakes me realize that it’s weirdly quiet. Airports are loud and bustling. People rush around, lugging large unwieldy suitcases and jostling others in the process of getting from point A to point B as fast as possible. Instead of this strange silence, there should be a continuous roar of noise. I find the peaceful quiet soothing, then block out the thought. Just then I notice that the place actually smells good,sortoflikelemonandcleanlaundry.Forheaven’s sake, why is the airport in this stupid city actually a nice place? And it’s such a contrast to the dirty, vaguely metallic smelling airport with an ugly boxy shape and dull gray walls that my plane took off from. Lost inmy reverie, I didn’t notice we’d been walking towards the exit until the air hit me. After the dry coolness of the airport, the humidity and heat feel good, washing away the goosebumps on my arms that I hadn’t realized I had. Now that I am outside, the natural beauty of the area OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT strikes me once again. The sun has almost sunk beneath the horizon, but a few red tinged rays fight to stay above the thick vividly green grass. The sky is splatteredwith pink and orange clouds. Palmtrees sway in a light breeze that blowsmy hair back like I am in a shampoo commercial. I turn and see my parents running towards me. I’ve imagined this moment a million times. I’ll crossmy arms and turnmyself into a statuewhile they hugme and then regalemewith tales of howwonderful it is to live here and how the newhouse is amazing and oh, aren’t you just thrilled? I’ll pretend not to notice them until they’re right in front of me. I’ll run back to the airport and stow away on a New York bound plane. I look tomy left and see thatmy sister is running towards them.Well, as fast as her sleep-addled legs can 76