When they arrived at the airport, she got out of the taxi to bid him farewell. It had been years since family and friends could walk in and wave their goodbyes to the passengers heading towards the gates. Only passengers were allowed to enter the airport now.
‘Call us! Email us!’ Habiba said. ‘Don’t forget us in Paris. If you do, I’ll hop on a plane and come to see you – to remind you of us!’
‘You make it sound like a threat,’ he said.
To his utter surprise, she came out with, ‘Sometimes I get the feeling you don’t like my company. You listen to me without interacting much.’ Her tone was not reproachful though.
He hastened to reassure her by saying what was in part true, ‘It’s my own company – my own self – I like less and less. Do come to Paris. We’ll have fun.’
‘Fun at our age? You
