mel@ahuta.UUCP (m.haas) (04/26/85)
We drive to JFK all crammed into the small car (the van is too decrepit to trust on the dreaded BeltParkway) - and to think we looked so hard for a car that would seat just 7. As usual we arrive 3 hours early to find some prospective parents already there. We have a new backpack filled with matchbox cars, fresh fruit, picture books, stuffed animals, kleenex, etc. The parents waiting for babies have cute blankets, bags of diapers, and large stuffed animals. The adults spend the time discussing children, baby care, problems with immigration, the terrible drive to JFK, etc. Our kids run wild around the mostly empty air terminal, munching expensive hotdogs, ignoring the books they brought to read. Mary Graves, the head of the adoption agency (our candidate for Sainthood) arrives and becomes the center of attention. Finally the plane arrives, 1 hour late (one time it came 5 hours early, but that is another story). All the regular passengers leave, and the escorts bring out the babies. The first of these is a little girl of about 8 months, hair up in a little tuft, huge eyes, and a smile that has everyone charmed. The lady comes out with the two older boys on this flight, and we stopped noticing anyone else. David has his chin down on his chest, totally overwhelmed with the noise and confusion. He is dressed in a new pair of pajamas under too tight pants and a nice sweater. His shoes are half his size and he clomps about with heels out. We sit in the waiting room for a half hour (the families with babies all left right away) trying to get things calm and let David adjust to the sight and feel of us. He sits passively in Betsy's lap, chin down, intent on a small toy. I take lots of pictures, and Paul (our oldest, 15) is recording everything on video tape. Cecilia, one of the social workers, explains to David in Korean some of what is going on. When we get ready to leave, David is all eyes and marches off with us game to tackle the United States. The tedious trip home is interrupted with only one small bout of carsickness. After a few minutes of unwinding play and some soup, David takes to the unfamiliar bed with delight in having his brother John in the bunk above. He has kisses for all of us. Even Paul, who hasn't gone out of his way to kiss any of us for years, comes to get one from David.