My last night and I didn’t sleep; things went badly wrong. I was taking a box of books to the cellar and felt something in my back give, painfully. So I abandoned the boxes and started taking bags down instead - smaller, lighter but many more trips needed.
Time slipped away from me and finally slipped past and the taxi driver turned up early. To describe what followed as packing would invite prosecution under the trades descriptions act as I threw item after item into the cases in a mad rush. For reasons of space the kilt and dinner jacket are staying at home – sacrifices have to be made.
Got to Terminal Five on time, checked in and went to look for my sister and S, who had come to say goodbye. I’d arranged to meet them at the passport check desk, thinking that there was just one. There isn’t, there are five, and I rushed around like a blue-arsed fly trying to find them.
It was good to see them. Bridget and I walked to the pub (I can’t say goodbye without a drink) and she put her arm around my shoulders, something she hasn’t done since I hit my late teens and got taller than her. It was an odd feeling, but a comforting one. I’m going to miss her very badly.
Her partner S (boyfriend sounds stupid, they’ve been together for over 23 years) was full of good advice, as he’s done the same thing in reverse over two decades ago, returning from the US to the birthplace he’d left when he was three.
Also had a chance to call Mum on S’s phone. Although she couldn’t be there it didn’t matter, I knew she was with me in spirit and given how much my departure date had shifted it wasn’t surprising we missed each other. She did offer to fly over specially but that would have been silly; you don’t need someone there to know they love you, you just need to know them.
So we said our goodbyes and they took me to the gate, and for nearly the first time in the whole process I got a little teary. In a way it was the good thing the iris scanning system wasn’t functional that day, I might not have got passed and been taken away for questioning and an uncomfortable examination.
As for the flight, well it wasn’t good. Where possible I avoid flying at the weekend, since the proportion of children goes up massively. This one was no exception, two babies within earshot – but they weren’t the problem.
Instead a couple were letting their five year old run riot, and refusing to either keep her seated or shut her up. The little brat went on playing up for nine solid hours, keeping sleep at bay. I’ve never hit a child in my life but my goodness I was tempted.
All in all the flight was 12 hours in total, and another hour to connect my bags. I then decided to sod the expense and get a taxi to the hotel. I was carrying 62kg of checked in luggage, around 15kg of carry on and two bottles of duty free Talisker, and ached badly.
Unfortunately my room wasn’t ready on arrival and I had to wait for an hour. I chose the bar, predictably enough, and saw the first friendly face since I arrived in there – the German man sitting next to me on the flight over. I knew he was a doctor from polite conversation, and also that he has a bladder of steel; only one trip to the loo the entire flight!
It turns out there was a cancer conference going on in the hotel, so spent an hour chatting to him and his friends about things medical. Big mistake, cancer is one of my least favourite topics, having lost too many friends to it, but finding out the unusual places you can get it left me slightly queasy. Cancer of the eyelid and its treatment was bad enough but nipple cancer was worse – how the hell are you supposed to check for lumps?
Finally the room was free and I made my way up. The room is tiny but will suffice and I took my first bath for six years. I only ever have a bath in hotels, since they need to be cleaned afterwards and cleaning a bathtub is one of life’s more unpleasant duties; even worse than lying in a solution of your own dead skin and grime.
Then bed, blessed relief. I’m finally here and my last thought before unconsciousness was that tomorrow was the first day of a completely new start.
No comments:
Post a Comment