While this is important to my story; I digress. This is just to illustrate why I have an overwhelming longing to return home for Christmas every year; one longing Love Of My Life doesn't understand at all. I feel the need for comfortable crowds of people all eating and cozily rubbing elbows. This Christmas promised joy of the deepest kind as both of my mother's sisters were going to be there celebrating with us along with my step sister's fiance and his family, my sister-in-law's sister and her family. All in all my mom was expecting 18-20 people for Christmas dinner. It was a Christmas of epic proportions and being 900 miles away and thinking I might miss it gave me the holiday blues.
Why you ask would I miss such an occasion? I'll blame it on the uncertainty of the military. Love Of My Life was deployed and scheduled to come home sometime "before Christmas". I've learned from experience that sometimes "before Christmas" can mean 4:30 a.m. Christmas Eve. Poor Love Of My Life was battered with questions about a concrete date he was coming home. I was desperate to buy plane tickets and each day I waited the prices climbed higher. I was so worried and a bit depressed that I didn't even bake cookies or decorate my home. I didn't even buy a tree... the first time in all the 6 years we've been married that I didn't buy a tree.
Then, on December 16 I got confirmation that he was coming home on the 21st. I felt the spotlight from heaven and angels singing as I rushed to search for flights home. The heavenly blessings continued to flow as I found round-trip tickets for $300 each! The normal price was around $600 so I was thrilled and ordered them right away.... we were going to get to stay for 10 days!
Little did I know that there is always a reason things are cheap.... even for plane tickets. No, it was not the inattention to detail on my part as some of you may guess. There were no hidden fees or overlooked restrictions. Even in the dead of winter it wasn't even weather trouble. It was simply a terrible airline attempting to salvage a little used route from po-dunk to metropolis with a layover in Milwaukee.
Tuesday, December 23:
Love of My Life is tired and worn from is flight back to the states two days before but he is gracious and supportive; keeping his grumbling from deflating my elation. My excitement builds as the cab arrives and steadily moves us to the airport while I munch on Rolaids like candy to calm my nervous stomach. In my enthusiasm I miss read the tickets and we are two hours earlier than necessary. Still my husband is patient as we sit and wait. He is stoically patient still, when my excitement upsets my stomach and I have to get something to eat right away and bring back bad airport subs they sell at the gate.
Our flight finally arrives and off we go to Milwaukee. I've flown in many small "connection" planes but this one was tiny. The skys were rough too.... I hope you see where this is going. I was all out of Rolaids by this point and I'm not sure they would have helped anyway. While sweating and turning green the plane finally landed and began to taxi to the gate. Love of My Life is holding my hand with silent encouragement not to revisit the bad subs from Po-Dunk Airport. It was all in vain... as we pulled into the gate I, discreetly as possible, filled the plastic-lined paper bag from the seat pocket in front of me. I felt immensely better but now had the sweats and shakes. Suddenly my joy melted into apprehension of the next leg of our journey.
We exited the plane with my little white bag and our carry-ons. Love of My Life quickly rushed to buy me a sprite as I sat down at the gate. Sitting there I looked up to the digital board to find our next gate. CANCELLED flashed in bright red next to our flight number. Sure it was snowing but it took me a minute to realize that ours was the only cancelled flight. So it wasn't the weather... everyone else was getting out. I didn't know if I was relieved or upset... both made me want to cry. (Love of My Life can tell you I'm a master at crying in the most helpful moments.... we once got a great apartment for cheap that way... but again I digress.)
Love of My Life reappeared with a sprite and once I pointed at the board he quickly went to "take care" of it. The sprite was good and helped me hold in the tears. He comes and picks up our carry-on luggage and his stoic patience is gone. In a heated but hushed tirade he informs me that he hates small planes, he is weary from traveling and being deployed, and he wants to spend Christmas at our home and in his own bed. Things were starting to unravel. Our flight was cancelled due to "Personnel Conflicts". No apology, no hotel room, nothing... only re-booked seats leaving tomorrow morning at 7:55 am with a front of snow coming in overnight. Once the stoic front broke, Love Of My Life's mind began working on how to end this awful trip - planes home, trains back to Po-Dunk, rental cars, hitchhiking... I think he might have even considered a hot air balloon.
The Holiday Inn Express desk clerks were impervious to my tears and drama about my soldier husband just returning from the Middle East two days ago and trying to get home to see family he hasn't seen in two years. While I do feel a bit bad about playing these cards (all of which are true) I was surprised that they were so unmoved by my plight. Not even a voucher for a drink at the bar.... some people have no compassion. It was an uneasy and fitful sleep that night.
Wednesday December 24:
Stay tuned.... Did Love Of My Life find a way for us to return to Po-Dunk and skip this whole messy business? Did we make to Metropolis for Christmas? Did I conquer my rebellious stomach on the next leg of our journey? Is there a happy ending? You'll find out when I get around to it. :)
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