Can summer really last forever? I was reflecting on my entire summer; I had done many exciting things in just two months! It was late at night, way past my bedtime, and we were still waiting in line to check into our flight back to New York. Every year we spend our summers in Israel, and the Tel Aviv airport at night, reminded me that that my summer was coming to its end. I was tired and frustrated, waiting in a line that seemed to go on forever. My mind wandered off as I gazed at the airport crowd. I wished that this summer could last just a little bit longer.
“I will miss Israel,” I announced to my mother and siblings.
“I especially love the hot weather,” my older brother agreed with me for a change, “ but back in New York, we have loads of friends!” As we reminisced, the line ahead of us was getting shorter.
“Habah Bator! (‘next’ in Hebrew)” shouted the lady at the check-in counter. It was already our family’s turn.
“Kids grab the luggage! It’s our turn now!” yelled my mother to us. I picked up my bright red suitcase, and with my eyes half shut, barely managed to lift the luggage. It felt like a ton of bricks. We approached the counter, and began the check-in process. After a few long minutes, my mother suddenly turned to us and gasped, “Who has Eli?” In our rush to get to the counter, we each grabbed a suitcase, but no one paid attention to Eli! Eli, my two-year-old brother, was not next to us. My heart sank.
“Where is he!?!” My mother shrieked. Time suddenly seemed to stop, as the whole terminal echoed with my mother’s voice, like an echo in an empty cave. I could just imagine what a 2 year old would do in an airport that for him was the size of New York City!
”What are we gonna do?” asked Lily, my seven year old sister, as her lips quivered. That’s what we all really wanted to know.
My mother jumped into action and shot out instructions to my older brother, “You stay with Lily and do not move!” It felt as if she was leading us into combat, “Eytan, you head off to the left, and I will head back to the entrance, now go!”
I took off like as fast as a bullet. A scary feeling went through my body, and soon I was sweating, as I ran through the terminal. My eyelids were now wide open as I searched the crowd for Eli.
I don’t remember how long I ran around for, but it seemed like hours. Eventually I felt hopeless; I could not find Eli. Maybe he was already found? Despondently, I walked back to the check-in counter.
As I turned the corner, I saw my older brother was still standing by the luggage, tightly holding onto Lily’s hand. But behind them emerging from the other lines emerged a familiar face, Eli! Time seemed to all of a sudden speed up again. Behind Eli approached, my mother who was leading him back in our direction. A smile a mile wide was spread around Eli’s face. He probably had no clue what he had done and how worried we all were.
I felt myself drop down on to my bright red suitcase, as Eli rushed into my arms and exclaimed “Eytani, I see big airplane!” As my arms wrapped around him, and I closed my once again tired eyes, it felt as if we hugged each other forever. Maybe summers can really last forever!