Clay's Blog

This story is dedicated for my friend Herry Limantoro.

The story began on Tue nite when i slept for abt 1 – 2 hours. And 4 hours sleep on Wednesday. Andrew woke up up by 6.30am on Thurs morning. Took taxi to Airport and just reached there by 7.30am the latest time for check-in luggage. The beginning sort of telling what kind of trip is going to be.

4 hours flight to Taipei, and 5 hours of transit there, roaming around the airport and trying out my new camera. Followed by 13 hours flight to LA. Not much difficulties from the officer this time, gave me good impression of US. They just took my fingerprints and photo which i gladly give. And Herry fetched me there in Airport…what a very nice starting for my US trip. Together we took the subway train, a long way to Hollywood and then Universal Studio. A nice journey there, seeing for first time US. I like it. I like the culture…so diverse and alive, the arts…so unique and bold, the architecture and arrangement…so dynamic and again uniquely different one from the others.

First incident came when incidentally the lock number was changed. Hahahaha….quite panicked by then…and Herry suggested the old method; brute force. So i scroll the numbers and he clicked the lock, till finally it opened  Well, it’s Andrew’s luggage, and i promised him to take good care of his luggage.

That’s it, a very long day…reached home abt 11-12 midnite. Planned for my flight tomorrow at 6.55 am, 2 hours travel means to leave the house by 4 am.

I can’t really remember what time we’re leaving the house. About 4.30 am i think. But it’s a very tight timing (abt 20 minutes to check in and board) with no room for mistake as the trains will always come on the scheduled time.

We caught the first train by seconds (after much running in dark and cold morning of LA). Sit there and rested for some times in train…caught up our breath…and took snapshot of Herry…hehehe. And then the 2nd train didn’t want to go. What’s this? By the time it stopped, the 3rd train already went off..and so that’s it…everything else will be late. And probably won’t be able to catch my flight.

While we’re in 3rd train, Herry called taxi (sounds like we’re in Amazing Race), but was told that it would be the same time needed to reach the Airport. With no other choice and can’t do anything, just pray and wait till the train brought us to the Airport….Huhuhu…then after the fourth train, the shuttle bus was late as well….and then i realised that i can’t directly board unless i’ve only 1 hand carry. So in the shuttle bus to the airport, i squezzed my backpack into my luggage….still can’t close bcs it became so bulky. Hehehe….dragging a half-open luggage like crazy ppl in LA airport early morning. And we came at wrong floor…by the time we are at right place we saw a super long queue….What’s this i thought…the flight is delayed? Or something has happened? Or…to my horror…it’s domestic flight, and there’re many flights going to different places of US at different times…And definitely my flight is just one of those many flights during the day. Oh no!!

So, we know what to do…can’t join this queue for sure. Directly we go to the entrance for boarding (another long queue) and time is abt 10 minutes left before closing of gate. There i was stopped and asked to go to the checkin by 1st officer. “It’s too big, u need to check-in”, she said. It’s true though, this size is supposed for check in, but i know i can’t check-in, it’ll be late by than. Maybe 1 hour to complete the check-in process, and here i’ve only 10 minutes.

Haha…don’t give up (by Prazt story)…so make one big round to the end of this queue…find big ppl with big luggage (Americans are big and they’re travelling as families). Hope the officer wont’ see me this time. Herry wait on the rear….hahahaha…u should see his face that so worried (i’m more worried actually). And i passed through the same officer again…praying hard she forgot my face after talking hardly with her…or somewhat she won’t see my luggage.

Pass!! And by now abt 5 minutes left, and still a long queue inside. I told Herry to stand by…and pls pray for me as well to be able to make it. What a nightmare when the 2nd officer inside stopped me. It’s even worse dispute with her (fighting to go in)…and at the end she asked me to put my luggage at measurement box….(praying hard somehow it would fit)…and yes…it stuck there…not bcs my contents…but the luggage size was bigger than the container measurement. When the luggage stuck there, my heart sunk…that’s it…and i’ve to go back to the check-in with its super long queue? For sure i miss this flight.

Somehow i forgot how it started (perhaps remembering Pastor Chris sermon) to persist as one is missing a flight…so i appeal that it’s my first time in US and early flight in morning, my plane is taking off…and other ppl also carry big luggages…It’s just big size, but my luggage isn’t that heavy, and i’m not carrying harmful stuff. Somehow she allowed me to go in. Can’t really describe it..pass 2 officers….

And to my surprise, there’s another procedure….the scanning area. Another queue…by this time i left with 0 minutes. But i’ve already half-way…may as well just try to enter. So this time with many ppl were staring at my big luggage…i just ignore them and thanking God when passed through the scanning.

Running frantically to all directions to find my boarding gate. At finally found out it’s at the last and corner door, and it’s already empty and closed. That’s it….no words could describe that moment when i saw that i’s late and the door is closed. I’d missed the flight.

Looking around for help, and found this counter with 2 ladies…i approached the Asian lady that look motherly and kind..reported to her my case (like a boy lost from his parents)…and she asked her friend to gave me 1st priority…but she told me to come back again at 940 am to confirm…the flight will be 1127. So i’ve 2 hours plus roaming around airport…called Herry to tell my sis…and told him i missed the flight (he has expected that i suspect).

Early morning at LA airport, felt hungry and exhausted…sleepy but can’t sleep lest i miss another chance….so ate one burger and read my Bible. Thank God for the passage of Lamentation…hehehe…i was lamenting…my first trip to US and i missed flight.

Thank God for providence, like ATM machine i can withdraw US dollar, and water fountain so i can drink water. And suddenly abt 9.30 i heard my name was called. What a morning i said, never in my life my name is called throughout an airport…with thousands ppl hearing Indonesian name…whuallo…

I went to the counter…and there’s some ppl queuing…so i do polite…queue behind the ppl. And the Asian lady called my name again…by this time i waved my hand to the air…”Here am i”…she quickly turned to me and handed me a boarding pass and said “Hurry up…ur flight is here” WHAAAATT??

She just pointed to a gate and told me just go there bcs the plane is taking off….thanked her…(she told me to run) and i run there where no one else left (everyone has entered the plane).

And just on my way to the aircraft…a man told me that my luggage can’t go to the plane bcs it’s too big. WHAAATT?? So how?

He gave me piece of paper (baggage claim number) and asked me to put my luggage there…wah…that’s it i think…then met a lady…told her my concern…and she told me if i packaged my children inside my luggage…(what a joke)…And she asked me to take out my water bottle. And i took my Bible as well coz i think if i’ve to survive, better to survive with a Bible. So there i’m almost crying…sit at the back and holding only my water bottle, my Bible, and Rudy’s video camera…not knowing what will happen with my luggage (maybe they’re dumped it somewhere, or check in and lost somewhere).

The flight stopped for 30-45 minutes at Houston…and there they unload the luggages and loaded new luggages…and i happened to see the process. Looking intensely through my window…and can’t find my luggage anywhere…that’s it i think. God has brought me as far as here on my way to Orlando…surviving so many things, and in fact i’ts lunch time and they only served me peanuts and drink…i had only one little burger in morning.

So arrived in Orlando finally (less excited than LA)….and made my way to the baggage claim (very long way)….and first thing i saw at the belt was…The LUGGAGE. Hahahaha….i run and hug this luggage. And thank God for journey mercy for both me and the luggage.

It may sound crazy (i know), but i think you will do the same… Maybe u’ll kiss the luggage 

Well…that’s the most thrilling and happening throughout my UCANTA trip (US, Canada, Taiwan)….and it’s the beginning of Story of A Luggage. The others are less intense…but they’re unique and … i’m a clay not for nothing.