Mission Accomplished

In the dark hours of the early morning, I arrived in Kazakhstan once again. A car was waiting for me at the terminal curb, and I was driven directly from the Almaty airport to Andrei’s arrival at the train station. Andrei was groggy and confused, but his surrender into my arms said that he was happy to see me. I was almost giddy about seeing him, having endured so much anticipation about bringing him home. Andrei and I were then taken to our temporary apartment where we would stay until our departure for America.
Andrei and I were only supposed to stay in Almaty for a few days, but after a delayed embassy appointment and a flight cancellation, our sojourn lasted for nearly a week. In spite of the extended wait, the time we spent was good. The weather was much nicer than we (I) expected and our inner city locale provided many opportunities for wandering and goofing off. It was liberating to share this time and space with Andrei outside the confines of the orphanage.
The flight home proved to be difficult. In fact, I am going to hang myself out and say that the flight home with Andrei was the single most difficult thing I have ever done. Poor Andrei is wary of strangers and quickly decided that he liked the thrusting and turbulent airplane even less. Factoring in the requisite discomfort and fatigue, the stresses of long-distance travel pushed him to his limits. Twenty-seven hours later, we made it.
Since being home, Andrei has taken remarkably well to our family, and especially of Edward. I don’t understand the wavelength that passes between the kindred spirits of youth, but there is something easy and playful that can’t be mimicked with an authority figure. When Edward is on the trampoline with Andrei, Andrei couldn’t laugh harder. And when Edward is putting on his shoes for school, little Andrei is sliding on the first shoe he can find so he can go to school, too. Life is good.