A ticket to Hong Kong. What an opportunity.
Having never been to Asia, I cleaved to cinematic images of what the metropolis, with its grand harbor, must look like. I pictured small junks with papery sails contrasted against skyscraping architecture. I imagined Tai-Pan and its august sailing ships, or nightclubs aglow in neon from The World of Suzie Wong. I heard a soundtrack of Chinese opera mixed with lush Hollywood compositions.
The flight on Asiana Airlines was entirely enjoyable because I was in the richness of business class, courtesy of William's employer. To date, it’s been the only time I've been granted anything above economy class and I made the most of the experience.
I appreciated the legroom and the wide leather seat. The food service included appetizers designed as edible art pieces. Thin slices of cucumber curled around sweet, pink shrimp. Crab dip, cheeses and spicy patés, then tender rice noodles topped with carrot ribbons.
Decisions had to be made: sleep in my luxurious chair or stay awake and continue eating, sipping champagne and watching movies? I panicked. The flight was near seventeen hours and I feared there might not be enough time to do everything.
Get your scissors ready, the director had told William when this project came up. The film would provide William with his first opportunity to act as a department head on a studio feature, and in a distant location to boot.
I was in the stratosphere at the idea of traveling to the Far East. Unfortunately, William would leave at the end of January and I wouldn't arrive until April. We were in our first year of marriage and our fifth year together, and we had never been apart for as long as two months.
The limousine parked in our driveway. The driver discreetly loaded William's bags into the trunk while the two of us embraced on the front lawn. The dog and cat sat on the porch, no doubt wondering why their parents were acting all goofy and sentimental.
It won't be long, I whispered.
Long enough, he answered into my hair.
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