We were waiting to check in and get our boarding passes. Suddenly Son2 woke up with a cry – and I just knew it was coming – and threw up. There wasn’t enough time to get to a restroom or anything, so I cupped my hands and caught his throw up and threw it into a garbage can. Thankfully there was one nearby. I got lucky. Usually garbage cans are not that easy to spot in India, they are few and far between and tucked away so they are not eye sores. Another passenger said, “yuck.” Yep, yuck. Thankfully Son2 went right back to sleep. I pulled out some wipes and cleaned my hands and his shirt as best as I could. He still stank a little. I was travelling light, just enough diapers to get to Chicago,and the kid’s DVD player. I didn’t have extra clothes for the kids or any snacks. So he would just have to stay in those clothes until we got home.
We checked in and were told our flight was delayed. They never really tell you anything else in India – no cause or when to expect the flight. We had a connecting flight in Frankfurt. But for some reason we only had two hours to make our connection, I don’t know how we didn’t notice this while booking our tickets. I realized we wouldn’t make it. I called my brother-in-law in Delhi to let him know that our flight is delayed and to relay the message to my husband in Madison. I planned on calling from Frankfurt when I knew our new flight details. It turned into a game of Chinese whispers and my husband did not understand or get the right message. He drove from Madison to Chicago, found out we were not on the flight we were supposed to be on, and drove back to Madison. Then he pretty much had to turn right around and drive back to Chicago to pick us up.
But I am getting ahead of myself. So here we are at the Delhi airport. We had business class tickets so thankfully we got to sit in a lounge and have snacks. The lounge was already busy and all the sofas were taken. So the kids and I found a table and sat down. Soon Son1 was sleepy too. He couldn’t get comfortable because he was sitting on a café chair. I picked him up and held him on my lap so he could nap. Son2 was thankfully still asleep in his stroller.
Our flight was delayed by 3 hours. Finally, it was time to board, I woke Son1, who was most unhappy, because he was so sleepy. As anyone who has boarded a plane knows, there is a time lag between announcing boarding and actually boarding. Every time we had to wait I would pick up Son1 and let him rest. But generally he had to haul himself into the plane.
We had business class tickets so we thankfully boarded early. I checked in the stroller at the plane door and now carried a still sleeping Son2 into the plane and coaxed Son1 along. There was only one other woman besides me and my kids were the only kids in business class. I hoped they would behave so I wouldn’t get glares and complaints from the other business travelers. We settled into our seats. Son2 continued to sleep as we took off. I was thankful because he is terrified of take-offs and landings and screams his head off.
Early into our flight Son2 woke up and had a blowout poop. I mean blowout. So I took him into the teeny-tiny bathroom, changed his diaper and again tried to wipe him down as best as I could. I wiped his pants as best as I could. So now I have a stinky Son2 – both top and bottom. I hoped the stink didn’t travel too far.
The rest of the flight was uneventful. But since I knew we were going to miss our connection, I asked the airline attendant to check if by any chance our connecting flight was delayed. She came back and told me that the connecting flight is on time since it originates in Frankfurt. She gave me a slip of paper with another flight number that would take us to Chicago. Thank you, thank you.
When we arrived in Frankfurt, our plane couldn’t get to its gate because the plane that was at our gate was being deiced. So now you know how cold it was in Frankfurt. They got a couple of buses to take us to the terminal. Remember we were travelling light, so I didn’t have even a sweatshirt for my kids to wear out in the cold. Meanwhile, who knew where we were going to find our stroller for Son2. I was certainly not planning to wait around in the cold to get it. So here I am carrying my Son2 and wondering how Son1 will walk beside me. He wanted to hold my hand. Thankfully, an elderly gentleman reached forward and held his hand and helped him board the bus.
As soon as we entered the terminal, I grabbed the first person I saw wearing some sort of a uniform and asked him about the new flight details. He told me the flight is already preparing to board and gave me the details for the gate number.
We had to get to another terminal via the airport train system. If you have travelled in Europe you will realize, there are very few signs regarding stops. You just have to be sure where to go. I was a little nervous about missing our stop. So I asked the other passengers about the stop, and let me tell you, I got some strange looks. I don’t if they were because I talked to strangers or if they were because I should just know where I am going.
Anyhow, to get to the right gate we had to get through security again. It was a really long line. I was nervous about making it to our flight on time. Both my kids were awake, whiny and hungry. They had slept through the whole first leg of the journey without eating a bite and were ravenous now. I tried to calm them and promised to find some food as soon as we got to our gate and changed our boarding passes. Then thankfully, one of the security persons opened the roped way, came up to me and moved me ahead of the line. We got through security quickly and moved onto our gate.
When we arrive at our gate, I saw that thankfully we were second in line to change our boarding passes. The waiting lounge for the plane was quite empty. But for some reason it took quite a while to change our boarding passes. By now there was a long line of passengers waiting to enter the enclosed waiting area and we joined the line. The kids continued to whine. Although, I was thankful, my Son1 was vigilant and caught a passport I had dropped and not even realized it. When we reached the front of the line, the lady told me I had to go to another counter and have my boarding passes confirmed. What?? Isn’t that what I just did when I changed them? Apparently not. So again back to another line. When we got to the head of the line and the agent ran through our passports and boarding passes, the computer kept rejecting my passport and asked the agent to recheck or reenter it. After about 3 tries, he thankfully said, I am just going to override the system. Now back to the line to enter the enclosed waiting lounge.
We were waiting in line, my kids were whining, there were about 5 or 6 young Italian gentlemen ahead of us. The check-in lady was flirting with them. Suddenly she turns to us and points to us and I am not sure what she said, but she looked at us, pointed at us and I heard the word bambinos. She motioned for us to come forward. I pointed to myself and asked in universal sign if she meant me, she nodded and motioned us forward again. When we reached her, she put up her hand to wait, checked in all the Italians and then checked us in. What was that all about? By then we were nearly the last people of board the plane. But thankfully we made it. I was most thankful, because this was the only flight leaving for Chicago that day, if we hadn’t made it, we would have to stay overnight in Frankfurt and hunt down some diapers.
We found our seats. My kids were hungry and tired and cranky. As I remember it, there was nowhere in the Frankfurt airport to get any food. No vending machines (not that I had any local currency) and certainly no restaurants. I could buy duty free chocolates, but really I had no time. I also didn’t get a chance to call my husband with our new flight details.
As soon as people started settling in, our flight attendant came and asked if the kids were hungry and would like some hotdogs. Yes! I was dreading airline food, not to mention it isn’t served until the plane takes off. She told me her kids didn’t eat airline food so she always carried some hotdogs for other kids who flew on her flights. Thank you. My kids must have eaten half a dozen hotdogs each. She also came back with some Swiss chocolates for the kids. The chocolates were shaped and colored like little Hershey cows. Son2 was so enamored by it that he didn’t even freak out when we took off. Although for the next few times we flew, he expected the special cow chocolates.
The rest of the flight was uneventful. My kids had full bellies, they had slept through the first leg of the journey, and now they watched movies. Before we knew it, we were in Chicago. Thankfully, my husband had made it back to Chicago to pick us up and we got home happily and thankfully.
Copyright Kalpana Kanwar Aug 1, 2009
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