It was her first time going outside the country. She had done endless research on the internet and made checklists, something that her impulsive self had avoided for the last 25 years. It was a business trip, but she had extended it to take in the views that Ireland offered.
D-15Since she had just gotten married, she encouraged her husband to apply for a visa so they could spend some time together after her business conference was over. The husband applied for the visa with the assurance from the visa agent that he'd get it in a week.
D-7Still no visa for husband. She started feeling the onset of a cold.
D-3No visa, and no reply from the visa agent.Her cold had gotten worse. Normally, she would ignore it, but the cold had brought along a friend—ear pain.
D-2Sadness took over as she gave up on a visa for her husband."Concerned" friends told horrific tales of ear pain and protracted air travel.This was followed by frantic googling on how to combat it. Her husband tried a folk remedy and poured heated almond oil in her ear. She wanted to catch hold of the folks whose remedy it was.
Still excited about going to Ireland, though.
D-1She had figured out the foreign exchange, and although the trip was clouded over by the lack of a visa and the pesky ear infection, it was still free.
D DayShe booked a cab, took her passport and papers, and rushed towards the airport.
There was a pileup on the way, and the cab driver took a detour.She glanced at her mobile for the time and kept it on the seat beside her.
She was a bit late, so she rushed out of the cab, taking her luggage and handbag.
As she stepped inside the airport, she reached for her phone to let her family know that she had arrived.
She had left it in the cab.
She rushed towards airport security and asked for information on how to retrieve her phone. She tried calling the driver through customer care, but to no avail.
She started hearing announcements for her name as the last call for flight boarding. Luckily, the airport staff took pity on her and helped her process her papers faster and whizz towards the boarding gate on a golf cart.
D+0.5
She stepped into Schiphol Airport for a layover, still lamenting the loss of her phone. She saw some internet pods and took out her laptop. Sure enough, her social media was flooded with personal messages from family asking about her safety.There was also a formal email from her father:
Dear XX
I hope that you have landed safely. Very disappointed that you lost your phone. Mama and I are worried. Keep us posted.
Also, enjoy yourself and buy a new phone.
RegardsDad
Her lips quivered at the formal email, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes, not because of sentiment but because she realised she didn't have money to buy a new phone.
D+1The flight had made her earache worse. She landed in front of the visa desk and, for a moment, could not hear what the Irish lady was asking. Her colleague nudged her and said she had mentioned the wrong dates, and her entry was denied. She scrambled to get the proofs and pacify the angry lady. Everything was sorted out, but there was a huge "Cancelled without Prejudice stamp in her passport.
She hung her head and stepped out of the airport. A gust of crisp February air slapped her in the face. She slumped in her seat on the bus.
Her colleague poked her, and she looked out of the window. Small, almost toy-like cottages were stacked neatly on tree-lined roads. The trees were darker than the inky evening Irish sky. Her hometown was filled with sunshine and unplanned buildings. This view was a painting that would not have been composed at home. She had travelled over 7,000 km and overcome several obstacles for this view.