It was five o’clock in the morning

when we arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport 

in the Philippines. 

It was hot and I was already sweating 

as the humid air came right at our faces when we walked out of the airport

making us miss the inside of the airport already. 

Then I see a group of people 

this group of people I did not know 

yet they were waving at us as if they knew who we were. 

This group of people was my family 

the family I haven’t seen in ten years 

the family I never really remembered 

because I was three years old when I last saw them. 

We walked closer to them 

we started talking to them. 

Our cousins seemed a bit shy to talk to us 

because of our English language. 

We gave each other hugs; 

awkward, yet comforting hugs. 

We got into a white van with all our luggage 

and boxes; 

Driving from the airport 

to a place we can call home.