What makes fly540 similar to a public bus? the free-seating policy! So I thought I was going to fight for seats like hungry dogs fight for a bone, survival for the fittest. The winner gets the nicest seat on the plane.
But turns out I completely underestimated these guys, turns out they had more in store for me. Apparently they are more incompetent than you might think, they were going to make me fight for more basic things that would make sheer fighting for the best seat seem like a luxury.
It all started at Westlands, oh how I have a lovely girlfriend. If she was a bird she would be a dove. I asked the Mololine Shuttle driver to drop me off at the Mall, he gladly obliged. You see, that's good customer service.
On alighting, before my shoe felt Nairobi soil, I had like five cab guys offering to take me to wherever I wanted. By the time I offloaded my luggage from the boot, I almost thought I was the president. Before I had found my way out of my entourage of cab drivers opening car doors for me and offering to help me with my luggage, I saw her car. We caused a little jam but no one hooted. I got into the co-drivers, hugged her. Her beauty is everything I have wished for since I was little.
We drove off, I kept looking at the time, but one kiss and another helped me acquire a little blindness every time I looked at my wrist. But my love was everything but blind when i chose her, she is a girl of stunning features. Womanly young creature of beauty.
Bread goes well with jam, but let me tell you something that doesn't go well with jam at all- time. Jam at the parking lot mixed with time is nothing for your sweet tooth. Absolutely. Where are time machines when you need them? It was quarter to 4pm, which was quarter away to take off. Where are time machines when you need them man?
I was walking with hope. Anytime now it will be rewarded by a simple hurry up, your plane is almost leaving. My hope also could be slapped by a simple, go away you missed your flight. And since people like to talk about their losses, I would engage in mindless talk, bitch about the jam and the hot lady seated behind the desk stamping the boarding passes will listen, cause that's what you do when you are late, you talk until you accept your loss and walk back home with hope short dead.
I found no one at fly540 checking counter. How rude? No one to tell of my troubles... Gosh. So cold man, so cold.
I went to their customer care, they told me they would keep me on standby or something. Their was a fifty fifty percent chance I would get to my destination, or stick in NBO. Funny thing, all other airlines don't have such a large customer care office. I guess they need it more than everyone else, I was yet to discover how stressed they would get me.
It was 4pm, next flight was at 7pm, so check in time should be 6:30pm, but cause once bitten twice shy I was going to be here at 6pm, one hour early. The early bird catches the worm right?
Met my babe, she was outside chilling in her car. Gave her the bad news, she decided she would keep me company. We were at least going to have a proper date, the one I was supposed to have had I arrived at Westlands way earlier than I did.
We went to some restaurants that didn't have nice seats on Terminal one or something. Sat for a while. Then moved to the next restaurant which was a Pub.
Total bourgeois life style. I loved it, clean cut suits. You could tell they were well made. The clientele were elites. Mostly tired business men, and women who didn't quite care, an air of sadness surrounded them and lavish perfumed them.
Babe bitched about the waiters, tried to get a milk shake but they seemed to want us to drink more than eat. Policemen, Mututho law wapi?
I loved the leather elevated bar seats but we had to move. There was a very comfortable couple seated on one of the couch black sofa set. The television seemed to be the one staring at the crowd more than the crowed stared at it. No one cared it was a large screen.
We left.
I was a little on edge I promise you. I wanted time to pass, but again I didn't cause firstly, I had the chance to enjoy lunch with babe, on the other hand there was a fifty fifty chance I might miss the flight.
We ordered fries, she ordered real food, I got Baileys, I didn't like its price but they were reasonable. I got a coke to accompany it. I just love it when you dine at places where you ask for a cold drink and they serve ice cubes with it. (in a separate glass) with a spoon.
My mood lightened up, she laughed she giggled. She held my hand at times, more like touched it as I ate. I touched her's, I took a bite of her food she took a bite of mine.
"You know no one in our family takes rice in restaurants..."
She was taking a bite of rice.
"they easily rewind food and chances are it is stale most of the times. You can rewind rice but not fries, if fries are spoilt they are spoilt, if rice is spoilt it can be warmed and served."
She looked like she would hit me right in my balls.
"but I guess at such places the food is okay... They look pretty decent." I offered.
She laughed a little.
"really? Really?"
The chapter was closed, she continued eating. I leaned back, crossed my legs, casually picked one fry from my plate. Sipped my cold drink. She took a bite of her salad. I waited, she put it in her mouth. I was ready...
"you know, no one in our family takes salad out... They are usually not cleaned well."
She froze with her food in her mouth.
She tilted her head and stared right into me. She was such a lioness. She didn't say, seriously seriously, but her face said it.
"bill please?"
We left.
We went back to the car.
"babe, get in I kiss you..."
"do you have to plan everything?"
I got in grabbed her and placed a kiss on her, long but felt short. Ask her, no please ask her, she will never forget it.
Back to square one. Where we were before, dragging suitcases to the check-in point.
"wow, I love your shoes..."
"thank you."
"I love your eyes dear, and the black dress..."
"I will miss you dear..."
"I will miss you too"
"be safe dear..."
"be safe too"
"we will be strong dear..."
"be strong for me too"
"write me something dear."
"bye"
"bye"
The security guys noticed. We had been there about three times they definitely did. Said goodbye as many times and seemed to miss each other more. We hugged very publicly.
She tried to force herself in, not letting go. I left.
I walked to the Customer Care office again.
"wait until the last passenger boards, if their is space left, you will board too"
I trusted her. I didn't want to but, hey, a company that is always advertising on paper. I went took a seat. I thought they would call me. I thought so, you would think the same if you were in my shoes...
I sat directly opposite the counter, waited for 6:25pm. And that's when I waked back to Customer Care.
"can I board?"
"sorry, the flight is full."
I accepted heart broken.
But then...
About three people waked to the counter. All furious. In short, the had missed their flight, cause they were late. They ranted about the airlines having over booked the flight. I disregarded it cause hey, how could they?
Slowly it started hitting me. If they missed their flight wasn't I supposed to replace them.
Wasn't I? No tell me? Wasn't I? I didn't see anyone else around there on standby but me. I know...I know... What the hell?
Everyone bitched I didn't. They were bitter, I was too. But I didn't want to embarrass her.
"hello, babe, you can go babe, as in am going to sort this out?"
"am at the car park, how long should I wait?"
"you can go babe they said they will book me in for a flight going to Dar, they say it will stop at my destination before heading to Dar."
"okay, so I leave..."
"will you be okay"
"I guess, I will find away to kill time to 9:00pm."
"so now..."
And my phones network went dead. The screen flashed battery low and fainted.
I unzipped my suit case. Took out an actal tablet. Yes, these company has given me ulcers. If that's the luxury they advertise... I don't want any of it ever.
Yes, you are right. This is how I killed my time. I can see a plane dotted in orange, I have my boarding pass. I can almost run and board. But I have to follow procedure, otherwise, they might arrest me thinking am a drug mule or something, or worse...or worse.
I still distrust this guys. As much as they say i shouldn't worry; i will be in the air in no time. Who knows, I might miss this one to. Didn't they tell me the same thing at 4pm, and I missed, at 6pm, and I missed, at 7pm and I missed. What about 9pm, will I miss?
