CUSTOMS 2020
'Stop! Open your bag.'
She froze. She thought she is almost out of this wretched airport air that made her gag. She had just let out a relieved breath she had no idea she was holding, put the sling across her pregnant belly and walked towards the Arrival exit when the officer in the orange uniform asked her to stop.
'What's the matter?' Play it cool. Play it cool her mind warned.
'We got an anonymous tip that you are... well miss.. just open your bag'. He had placed the bag on the dreaded customs table and beckoned her to open it.
She felt worried. But decided to go with it. On the table across from hers,
she saw a another lady, identified Muslim from her shawl, shaking with fear, as
the officer in front of her ruffle through her bags, and the officer behind her
put his hand inside her Pardah and scarf, roughly searching for God knows what.
'Here you go officer', she smiled sweetly at him. For good measure, she held her back and patted her stomach in a tired pace to make him understand that she is a tired, jet lagged, pregnant woman who just wants to sleep. Come on show me some sympathy dude.
The officer did not even look at her, he ransacked each dress, took out every piece of item and jammed his scanner at everything, even the tired wheels of her bag, before dismissing her satisfied that there is nothing illegal.
Irritation filled her as she saw the wrinkled and harassed content of her bags. 'It took me two hours to pack all this...' she muttered. But she felt happy. At least now she can leave. All screenings and scannings done.
******
She pushed her trolley out, searching for him. ' Is he late again?' She hated that about him. He was always late.
She spotted him finally.
' Hey baby, good flight?'
' The worst. Being pregnant sucks.'
'Don't worry, you won't be for long'
They got into the car and drove off, away from the airport, away from the stink of armed guns and stressed out meat.
Once she put a good distance between her and the airport, she felt much better. Maybe it was because of her now flat stomach, relieved of its package, which now lay down hidden in the backseat, a few pieces of beef rolling out of the torn cover.
She froze. She thought she is almost out of this wretched airport air that made her gag. She had just let out a relieved breath she had no idea she was holding, put the sling across her pregnant belly and walked towards the Arrival exit when the officer in the orange uniform asked her to stop.
'What's the matter?' Play it cool. Play it cool her mind warned.
'We got an anonymous tip that you are... well miss.. just open your bag'. He had placed the bag on the dreaded customs table and beckoned her to open it.
'Here you go officer', she smiled sweetly at him. For good measure, she held her back and patted her stomach in a tired pace to make him understand that she is a tired, jet lagged, pregnant woman who just wants to sleep. Come on show me some sympathy dude.
The officer did not even look at her, he ransacked each dress, took out every piece of item and jammed his scanner at everything, even the tired wheels of her bag, before dismissing her satisfied that there is nothing illegal.
Irritation filled her as she saw the wrinkled and harassed content of her bags. 'It took me two hours to pack all this...' she muttered. But she felt happy. At least now she can leave. All screenings and scannings done.
******
She pushed her trolley out, searching for him. ' Is he late again?' She hated that about him. He was always late.
She spotted him finally.
' Hey baby, good flight?'
' The worst. Being pregnant sucks.'
'Don't worry, you won't be for long'
They got into the car and drove off, away from the airport, away from the stink of armed guns and stressed out meat.
Once she put a good distance between her and the airport, she felt much better. Maybe it was because of her now flat stomach, relieved of its package, which now lay down hidden in the backseat, a few pieces of beef rolling out of the torn cover.
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