The Gatekeeper of National Borders

Baggage’s big and small; all he can see is clothes, clothes, clothes;
Peeping into your bags and stuffs, hoping to find some.. dope?
(I don’t know what I just did, but I did it..)

Anyway, this is the story of a middle-aged senior customs officer working at the London Heathrow Airport.

He sees faces of young and old, passing by him with joys and tears; traveling all around the world, be it pleasure or business. Sifting through thousands of people at the gateway that links to another place, his job description was clear: keep the bad guys out, and the good guys in.

Stationed at the international arrival lounge, he works out his daily routine of checking through passenger’s items. Seeing items of the exotic coming from far corners of the earth, people of different culture and ethnicity, as if they were bringing with them a piece of their own into the country. Loving to travel to the far corners of the world himself one day, it kept him reminded of fulfilling his one dream of going somewhere.

When duty calls, he tries not to fall short from his own expectations, serving and protecting the nation with a smile.

While security is the utmost thing on his list, he wouldn’t miss a session with the boys down at the local bar. After his shift, he would usually be seen going out with his old buddies enjoying a fresh brew over a discussion of a day’s work.

Due to the nature of his work, he had a hard time maintaining a steady relationship. Numerous relationships ended up in divorce and tears, reminding himself that his time is yet to come.

When he’s free, he enjoys the quietness of the beach to avoid being saturated by the noise and pressure of his working days. Standing on the deserted stretch of white sand, he finds himself in his inner sanctum.

Deep down inside, this is a man that had been worn out by time and pressure, wondering in shadows of ghosts, unable to escape from his 'routine'.

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