The rain

May 17, Pudong. Our flight from Singapore was late. Owing to a large number of aircrafts landing at the same time, we spent a painful hour waiting in line at the passport control. When we finally reached the arrival hall, it was so full, noisy and crowded that I felt lost. I was expecting Thierry to pick us up, no Thierry was in sight. Photographer was dragging his heavy suitcase and we could see no one awaiting us. After a few minutes I thought "This can’t be real" and I told photographer to stand there with the luggage, I’d walk around searching for someone holding a sign. Then I saw your face. My eyes met yours. I recognized you instantly. You shone like the full moon in a river at night. Instantly, you recognized me as well and opened your mouth in surprise. Your eyes flashed. As soon as I saw your face, I saw your beauty. I could see you had been waiting, and cursing us for being so late. Then I saw the sign that you had been holding behind your back. It had our names on it. But I had no need to see it.
I ran back to photographer. "Is that him ? Are you sure ?" he said. "Of course I’m sure, he’s their best-looking waiter." I was so sure of having seen you before that I thought you were a waiter. You looked more than a little tired and impatient, actually you acted a bit cross to us. Courteously, silently, somewhat dryly, you took my luggage handle from my hand, leaving photographer alone to carry his huge suitcase, trotting behind. We followed you to the parking lot. We got into the car. I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I thought you were the handsomest man, with the most unsmiling face.
"I think we have a little temper of our own, haven’t we ? I said to my companion
— He must have waited so long !" He said, quite rightly.
I felt sorry for you, almost guilty. Of course it was through no fault of our own that the plane had been delayed, and we too had had a hard time waiting in line. But I thought you didn’t deserve that, you shouldn’t have to spend your precious youth waiting for long-noses just because your boss told you so. Your face looked weary, I instantly sensed that you were overworked. I liked you so much already. If your stern expression hadn’t kept my mind at a distance from my heart, I suppose I’d have been aware of my feelings much sooner.

We started from Pudong airport in the rain. It was a warm and soft Spring rain, quite welcome. We had baked in Bangkok, steamed in Singapore. We thought we'd never get out of it. And then we were in Shanghai, and I met you, and when I met you it was the First Spring Rain. Six days later, I would celebrate my birthday. Normally, my birthdays are difficult periods of my life. I gazed around at the misty, wet sky of China. I had been aware of a promise in the air, long before coming here. Maybe it would be different this time ? You drove quietly, your face expressionless, seemingly brooding. I thought : is he still brooding about us ? At that point, it no longer seemed to matter who was riding that car with you. You were doing your job. Your silence was as heavy as granite. While you were not showing any attention to us, a strange kind of tension was emanating from you, as if some subtle captors in your soul were listening for us, or perhaps for me. I know for sure I was listening for you. Maybe something from you was reaching for me already. Maybe something from me was meeting that something from you for the first time, all shy and caught by surprise. Photographer and I nearly fell asleep in the car. The atmosphere was wet and sad, the road, buildings and cars around us looked dreary, but what I remember feels more like an embrace in the dark.
When we arrived at our destination, I realized that you were not one of the waiters. And indeed why should a waiter have been sent to pick us up at the airport ? Your boss had several chauffeurs, probably three, and you were one of them. Then I also understood that I had, most probably, never seen you before in my life. That left me thinking deeply.