It has been over a year since we were last in Ghana. For the last several months we have been preparing for a return journey. Our journey began with several "hiccups"! This is part one of our story...
A friend of ours, also an employee of the Richmond airport, met us, bright and early, to assist us with our luggage (12 pieces)and to ensure all would go smoothly from our first departure city (the first leg of our trip). My husband, Angelo, was handeling the check-in procedures, and one by one we were each called up to the check-in desk. Our small but mighty team consisted of my father, my husband, Pastor Leon of the daughter church in Huntsville, AL, Suleima, and my 13 year old daughter Marisol. (My eldest daughter, Annie, wanted to come, but with starting at a new school this year, she felt it best not to miss too much school).
Upon checking in Marisol realized her luggage, the one which contained all of her school books, was not among the baggage at the airport. Acting quickly, we were able to reach Jason, who had driven us to the airport. He was able to head back to our house, however, the house was locked up tight! We phoned our other daughter Annie, who thankfully, picked up the phone on the first ring and let Jason in the house to retrieve the left behind suitcase. Whew!
Meanwhile the rest of us, minus Angelo and Marisol, headed for the security check point. Later, Angelo and Marisol met us at the gate within plenty of time. One major difference between our status and the other passengers (which I have not mentioned yet)is that our group was flying "stand-by". We were blessed with "buddy passes" for which we paid a hefty tax per ticket; even so, the tax was significantly lower than the usual full fare for an international round-trip flight with Delta Airlines. As "stand-by" passangers you are listed as non-revenue and are placed on a special seat-request list, which also means that all paying passengers board first and if there is room, then according to your rank on the list, you are called on the loud speaker to board.
Not long after the paying passengers boarded we were then called and were given seats on the plane headed for the JFK airport in NYC. We were on our way! About an hour later we arrived at JFK and waited for our ride to Brooklyn NY - Teen Challenge. Why? Because our next leg of the trip to Accra, Ghana was not until the evening so we had the better of a day to kill and it would be a good opportunity for some rest and a meal before our next flight.
Little did we know we'd be resting and enjoying our meals for the next several days in New York City before ever reaching Ghana! We headed back to the airport later that day straight for Gate 04 which was departing for Accra, Ghana at 5:25pm with luggage previously checked in from Richmond. After filing in the chaotic line at gate 04 to have our Visas approved and stamped, the nerveracking wait began. First all paying passengers, zone by zone, boarded. We took note that we were not the only "stand-by" passengers left in the waiting area to board. Our names were coming up on the list and the tension in the waiting area was growing as many others were hoping to get on board the flight and were very expressive about it. SLOWLY, one by one about three or four people were called to board the flight and then, they stopped taking passengers, the door to the passageway to board the plane was shut. That was it...no more passangers. We couldn't believe it. Several other would-be passengers began to raise their voices in disapointment and disbelief and we also stared at eachother in disbelief. What do we do now? When was the next flight? We went over to the next available Delta desk and re-listed ourselves for the next flight which would not be until Saturday morning but that would be ok, we would still be there in time for church on Sunday, right? (To be continued)
