A smile that launches a thousand ships

He smiled. I gave him a wavering smile back.

It’s really amazing how a smile could touch even the deepest recesses of my tense, edgy nature. A smile as powerful and infectious as his. Yups. A smile so powerful that even my frozen, insensitive soul could sense a bit of a flutter towards that dazzling smile of his. A smile so powerful that it melts my heart and causes my knees to tremble and my step to falter. A smile so powerful that my fear of what’s to come whisked away like a bunch of fruit-flies caught in a heavy gust of wind. A smile so infectious that I was sure my visage mirrored his delightful expression. Excitement rushed through my veins despite having a feeling of apprehension towards my fate. An unexpected warmth despite the twirling storm I feel within me.

His gregarious smile broadened as I approached him. I faltered. But then he reached out his hand and greeted me in a poisonously sweet way, ‘Hello, there.’ God, that voice. It’s not enough that he has a dazzling smile. He also has that voice which made me hang on to every word he said. I’d call it a smooth baritone.  Clear and calm.  Certainly intelligent.  Reasonable.  Warm and gracious.  Sexy.  Uh, no.  Sexy is not appropriate, given his role as a government official.  Besides, sexy is in his eyes more than his voice.  At least, that’s my take on him. I surprised myself then when I got out a meek, ‘Hello’ in return despite my being overwrought. He asked for my name. I froze. And that was when it all began.

It was a great afternoon in December when I arrived at Vancouver International Airport. The sun was beginning to set between two snow-capped mountains. I looked out the window as we were preparing for landing and the sea was so calm and serene. The horizon was an awesome hue of blue, orange, and pink. It felt like home. I blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. I miss home already – I miss my family, my relatives, my friends, my hometown. But I felt warm with the feeling that the love of my family, relatives and friends has been with me during the entire journey and that it’s also home where I’m bound to with my aunties, uncles and cousins.

I was excited and nervous at the same time. Excited to finally meet family and step foot in Canada after long awaited years of hardship and challenging situations. Nervous for the unknown/indefinite future. I was so unsure about my fate in my unrelenting search for greener pastures. By the time I got off the plane, I felt the cold, damp air rush through a gap between the gate and the landing platform. Whew! I thought, this was it. Here at long last. I followed the line of people rushing out to baggage claim. My adventurer’s streak however kicked in and I grabbed my phone and turned it on. I was amazed at how beautiful the outside was. I stopped to capture that moment and take a breath of the new air. Despite its being damp and a little somewhat stuffy and I think it smelled somewhat moldy or a little bit pungent, but still, it’s new air. Then, I saw a small aquarium with Jellyfish. In an airport? Well, I couldn’t resist capturing that moment as well. It felt heavenly. It felt like I was just born, well not quite yesterday as many others are, but the day before. I still feel that way, mind you. I seated myself in one of the lounge chairs by the Jellyfish aquarium and tried to calm my beating heart. I sent messages to my Aunts and mom about my arrival. I took a moment to indulge in that fleeting moment. Then I realized, there were no more people around.

I took a stroll along the walkway and the first person I met thought I was lost. Haha. Was I? I didn’t feel lost. I was enjoying the view and the sights outside and the long walk before you get to where the buzzing people are, running here and there towards the boarding gates. But I didn’t know I looked that lost. Maybe I had something written in my forehead that says, ‘I’m lost.’ I just donned my sweetest smile and asked him where I had to go next. This guy isn’t ‘the guy with the smile’. Although this was the first person who smiled at me during the 15-hour flight, he’s smile was a bit cold and professional. It was still a smile that could chip off an iceberg but not enough to chip off the iceberg in me. Where he showed me to next was where I met ‘The Guy with the Smile’.

I was standing in line for new temporary immigrants. And I was contemplating about all the things that happened within the past 3 days (that’s a whole lot different story) when his smile caught me unaware. He smiled. My face perked up and I gave him a wavering smile back.

His gregarious smile broadened as I approached him. I couldn’t explain what I was feeling as I got even closer. I faltered. But then he reached out his hand and greeted me in a poisonously sweet way, ‘Hello there.’ God, that voice. I answered with a meek, ‘Hello.’ Suddenly, he asked for my name. And that was when it all began. A few of his colleagues said goodbye with a bit of chitchat. He looked my way, smiled and told me to wait. All this time, I was nervously waiting. For what, I really don’t know. He waved goodbye to his friends. He turned to me once more and apologized. Oh, look at that! A man who apologizes. Good man! (Hehe) He then began asking me all sorts of personal questions such as which country I was coming from, where in Canada am I going to reside, who was my employer, etc. He typed all that information in his computer. And then I heard the printer. Yes!!! This is it! That was the most beautiful sound I heard for a long, long time! Ang bait ng Immigration Officer ko! Sabi ko na nga ba! That smile of his bodes well for a nervous being such as me. For one last time, he smiled at me and said, ‘Welcome to Canada!’ as he handed me my documents and my passport with my work permit attached. Those were the most beautiful three words I have heard for a long time as well, aside from a long string of I love you’s from family and friends!

It felt heavenly. I would have jumped up and down if it wasn’t for modesty’s sake. Although it somehow isn’t modesty’s fault. The real question there is, could I even jump? Anyway, I was so happy that I forgot I had to meet someone at the airport before I leave. But that’s another story. (I hope that person’s not reading this. He accepted my apology, though. But I still feel guilty ‘coz he travelled 30 minutes just to say, ‘Hi.’)

For those who are still wondering. Yes, the guy with the smile was my Immigration Officer. I still remember his name. And I think that name will be forever etched into my memories. As I also know it was that smile of his that has launched a thousand ships for me in this journey to a new world. I am merely a crew member.