(Still that letter from 2005 🙂 Half way through.)
I look out the window.
That is NOT Srinagar.
Nope definitely NOT Srinagar.
In fact it looks strangely like Delhi.
I tap the man on the shoulder in front of me.
“Excuse me … did I overhear you say that you were going to Srinagar?”
He smiles “Yes.”
I look out the window “This is not Srinagar.”
He laughs “No we will still have to get directions from the Indian Air desk once we arrive … I don’t know what will happen though since we already had to pay so much more just to get here when those others stayed in Leh.”
I must have looked shocked.
“You did pay more to get here didn’t you?”
“I have no Idea what is going on …”
Once we disembark I lose sight of him as I try to find the desk. When I do find it i arrive just after they have sent 3 of my fellow passengers away.
“Are you like them? From Leh trying to get to Srinagar?”
I nod and hold out my boarding pass and ticket receipt. They wave it away.
“Just go get your luggage first then we will take you over to the flight to Srinagar.”
So I go, stand by the luggage carousel and wait …
and wait …
and wait …
I start singing quietly to myself the snails “have patience” song from the ‘music machine’ album I had as a kid.
I lose track of how many times I have sung it.
An Indian Airlines man comes up and asks me if I am going to Srinagar. I nod and show him my ticket receipt, boarding pass, and luggage stub.
One other passenger is waiting with us.
The carousel is empty.
“Did you recheck your luggage when they loaded us onto the new plane?” This from the other passenger.
“I saw them load my bag onto the plane … ” I start
“… Your luggage must be in Leh. They took it all out and rechecked it so that those who decided to stay in Leh could have their luggage.”
“It must have been when I was in the rest room …”
“Well if we don’t leave right now we are going to miss the connection to Srinagar.”
So we left.
Any memories come to mind of times you had to race to catch a flight? I’d love to hear them in the comments.
God bless,
Rusty
The Good Argentumware. 