Getting home.
Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 10:42am
Nearly missed my flight at JFK. There were two people working on a line of about 10 check in/bag drop counters and a few families were for some reason talking and taking 3o mins plus to check in. It was a really unbelievable scenario. After waiting almost an hour we left the line and went to another section -first class- (I have priority access but the signs that day read first only)..the woman at first said I was too late. She issued me a replacement ticket for the next day and I burst into tears of course.
I went and told Fumi what had happened. I couldn't miss this flight, I had my brother waiting in Tokyo and the kids ..and the recent new quake which I had yet to hear about..I had a connection on a bus to Sendai that had to be booked days in advance to get a seat...
Fumi, with his wonderful clear head said, dont give up, try another woman. So I left the 3 bags with him & ran back up the escalator and found a woman that looked kind and told her what was going on. By this time there was 40 mins left till flight take off..
She said "how many bags" I said "three..its excess" she said "Get them here NOW"...she went to the same first class booth/computer where the woman that had refused me was standing ! - and issued my new ticket for the next day- and she over rode her decision, logged into the computer..of course my seat had been taken....she said...."there's two seats left, you need to pay $150 for the excess baggage". I did. She said "here's your new ticket now RUN!!!!!"
I told her she was a saint and a wonderful person. A British man behind me said "good luck, god speed".
I ran.
Fumi spoke to the customs clear woman at the line to go through scanning and she hurried me and my hand luggage through..and then in a strange fateful twist..I ran into the stewardess that had been so good to me on the flight out, giving me extra food and chatting with me, crying, about Sendai...! She took me, almost by the hand lol! in my crying state...right to the boarding counter...luckily the closest gate (that was VERY lucky as I am not a fast runner!!) and I got on the plane.
Hardly had time to do more than a quick Fumi-hug : ( but I got on the plane : )
Brother met me in Tokyo. We bought milk and fresh bread and vegetables so i could do a nice dinner for the kids..got on the 8 hour bus and headed ...finally home.
