I sat with my arm around her that night, watching the aeroplanes lift-off from a glistening runway, setting out on their mysterious journeys to who-knows-where. Soft rain pattered down on the windscreen of my pristine '72 Chevy El-Camino, while a song on the radio sealed the moment in both of our hearts. It was November '92, and I had just met Charleen that afternoon.

For years we looked back fondly on that night. Through an unusual series of events, my sister had received employment at a company, and had begun working under Charleen's authority. My shift at work had arranged a year-end function, and I had found myself “dateless”. Jean, my sister, seemed eager to arrange for Charleen to be that person. Having been in a similar situation with a friend of a friend before, I had tempered my expectations before this meeting.

In stark contrast to what I had been expecting, my first few moments of knowing Charleen convinced me that I would find it very difficult to walk away. On the contrary, she was someone whose every move captured my attention; especially her cheerful smile. Ironically, I had planned to attend my work function with another lady, but she had not been able to make it, so the blind date had become necessary. Then, after arriving at the function with Charleen, I discovered that the other lady had actually managed to attend. Suffice it to say, by the end of that evening, my allegiance was clear. To my amazement, she clearly felt the same way!

Mostly, work functions became an excuse to get drunk, so when the rain began to fall, and we began to feel very uncomfortably wet and cold in the great outdoors, we chose to leave. Neither of us were drinkers. I took the more scenic route home and pulled in at one of my favourite places; the end of the runway at what was then known as the Johannesburg International Airport. I was excited about the wonderful new companion I had just met, and without a doubt, we, like those planes, were lifting-off on a long-distance flight. The beautiful colours of that deep friendship pervaded the next two decades; a delightful companionship that began in the cold November rain.