As I step off the airplane, tropical heat wallops me like a bag of bananas to the face. I'm seven and this dusty, bustling metropolis is our new home. The setting sun splashes the sky as if a giant painter has knocked against a vat of warm colors. With my black plastic bag gripped in one sweaty hand, I pick my way down the mobile stairway. Each of us has lugged a designated carry-on across three continents, thirty hours of cramped seats and recycled air. By the time I reach the terminal, darkness has mopped up the sky's bright colors.
Marion Lougheed grew up in Canada, Benin, Belgium, and Germany. She remains hard to pin down. www.marionlougheed.com Bluesky: @marionlougheed.bsky.social FB: @marionstales Instagram: @themerryonion X: @marionlougheed