The Long Flight

While waiting for my flight, I sent text messages to family and friends telling them I am alright and would be off in a few minutes. The first two-hour flight was fine. I was glad I was travelling with two colleagues. The three of us sat next to each other. We had a four-hour layover. A young lady going to another destination joined us. It was her first time to go out of the country as well so I feel for her. She was travelling alone. Coming from the same country, she felt comfortable joining us until her next flight a few minutes before us.

I took the chance to send e-mails to family and friends once again. We boarded the next flight at 11:45 pm. This time, the three of us were seated far from each other. This flight was for 14 hours. We’re supposed to get to South Africa at 7 am. I slept most of the time. I was recovering from the stress of preparing for this trip.

We touched down 30 minutes earlier. I was trying hard to reach the overhead bin for my hand carried luggage, when a gentleman assisted. Chivalry isn’t dead after all. I didn’t expect it to be cold when I stepped out the plane. I am now in South Africa.

My male colleague and I needed to check in for the next flight. There was a long queue of Chinese who came as a group. Some could not just wait for their turns and tried to get to the counter first. I wanted to tell them off. The check-in personnel warned them to stay in line. After a while my colleague went to sit down with our lady colleague. He came back when I was almost at the counter. What a convenient way! Good for him no one said a word.

After almost 4 hrs, we boarded the next flight. There were a few minutes delay before we took off. I can see from my window seat, luggages being taken out from under the plane and then loaded again. There was an advisory that someone checked in his baggage but did not show up. For security reasons, airline personnel unloaded his luggage. Zambia, here we come...

Extra Time, Extra Baggage

I made it to the airport early as I had foreseen. Friday afternoon traffic was always a nightmare but we had none of it.

Looking back, I wish I had more time. I was supposed to take my car to the repair shop. My past officemates I had not seen in a long time would like to meet me before I go overseas. I would like to give away some stuff that I no longer use and would not want to lie idle for two years. I would like to put the house in order as I don’t think my brother would do it while I am gone and many more things to deal with.

I thought about my late brother who passed away at 27 years of age. He must have thought the same way. He had too little time. He still managed to complete some tasks for us a few days before he was due for brain surgery. We lost him a week after the operation.



So here I was at the airport, with two pieces luggage to check in. A backpack containing my motorcycle helmet and a blue shoulder bag I have used in the past for some days of out of town travels will have to be hand carried. I bought two small suitcases rather than a big one so I can easily lift them. Also, I thought it’s better to have some room for things I did not bring and will just buy in Africa.

I divided my stuff between the two identical suitcases such that each has everything in it. My hand carried bag contained my documents and has a spare shirt, underwear plus essential things to freshen up.



My brother walked me until that area for passengers only. He’s been out of the country before so he gave me some instructions on what to do and bid goodbye. I was on my own now.

There were several check-in counters with a number of people waiting. There was no one in the far end and the guy over the counter looked friendly. I put my two pieces of luggage on the scale. It went beyond the allowed 20 kg. I had an excess of 10 kg. I thought my brother and I had weighed them just right.

I pleaded in my most pleasant way to get away with the excess. Anyway, we are going to Africa as volunteers and it would be very difficult to buy some stuff there. He was respectfully unyielding that I thought about calling our local office to know how much could be reimbursed by our host country office should I decide to pay the excess. I couldn’t get through.

The guy in the counter agreed to a 25 kg check-in baggage and no more than 10 kg for my hand carried bags. I had no choice but to take out some clothes. I called up my brother thinking they were still within the area. They were already home.

As I was taking out stuff in the suitcases, the second man in the counter saw me and led me to a weighing scale nearby so I can check when it is enough. In a few minutes, my brother was back and I went to hand him back the folded clothes I had taken out as excess baggage.

Finally, I was issued my stub and seat number. I saw my two colleagues and we went together to the waiting area.

Ironically, we all have excess baggage that’s keeping us from getting to our destinations. It was difficult choosing what to keep and what to leave behind. Nothing seems less important. Though we must make the best choices or we get stalled forever holding on and unable to move on.

I have been relating much of my experiences to how life is. Maybe because I am going to some far-away place and leaving behind the only way of life I’ve known. It’s very much like experiencing death; a death of the familiar for the unknown.

Too many times it has been said in church that much of what we accumulate on earth is of no use in the afterlife. In eternity, we won’t need much. We only need the essentials. What then are the essentials? When we reach our destinations, we’ll know. Would it be too late then?
Do we really need the extra time or the extra baggage?