She found me a short while later, sitting on a bench as far from the gate as I could get. Hands folded in my lap and my mind far away, the first I knew of her presence was when her hand gently covered mine. Although it was an unexpected touch from a stranger, my instincts didn"t cause me to jump or recoil and I looked up into her face. "May I join you?" she enquired gently, although she didn"t wait for me to answer.
Looking back now, I realise that I"d felt safety in the way she held my hand beneath hers.
Up until that act of warm companionship, I"d felt more frightened than I had ever imagined possible. My hand had relaxed beneath hers; just one part of me that felt some release from fear.
This diminutive lady holding my hand made me think of a child holding the string of a balloon, fe
