“Can you please hold two more minutes? I think I found something,” said the Delta Airlines help desk operator.
All four of us sat huddled around a small booth at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Sanur where we used my iPad and their WiFi to make a Skype call on the way home from the beach. There was a nervous tension in the air as we waited. Diabetic Aunt Penny whiled away the time by sampling four different and unusual flavors of donuts.
When the Delta representative came back on the line, she had rebooked Susan and Aunt Penny onto Korean Air business class via Seoul. No more Tokyo and no delays.
We had asked if they could fly on Friday the 18th, one day earlier than they were initially scheduled to leave. Susan and Aunt Penny wanted to make sure they would get home in time, assuming that whatever new routing they got would involve an overnight stay or longer travel time. Both need to be home by Sunday.
Only it turned out that Korean Air’s flight out of Bali leaves at 1:25 am. That means they leave effectively the night of the 17th – tonight. The massive and monumental relief of getting a good re-routed ticket home soon gave way to a sense of hurry and a little sadness. They were going to leave Saturday night and we essentially lost two days.
Emily, of course took it the worst.
“Emmy, you still need to pick out something for your birthday….” Susan said.
“Okay, I want my mommy and Aunt Penny to stay for two more days….”
We’re in a little emotional trouble here.
Plans for today were revised. A quick review of things not-yet-done led to crossing off a few deemed non-essential. Then shopping lists were made. Two things on Susan’s. One on Emily’s. A lengthy list for power-shopper Aunt Penny. Everyone realized today would be a packed day.
So it was that this morning, everyone got up and did everything they needed to get out the door, into Ubud and begin the final day (of several) of shopping.
As of this moment, the shopping is still in progress. Along with it is the togetherness that everyone will cling to until the last moment when I have to pry Emily off her mommy so that she can go to the airline check-in desk.
Interestingly, when you pull two days out of an expected stay, what matters becomes instantly obvious. Although they all made their lists of errands to accomplish – it’s clear that the time spent together through the day was more important than any activity or purchase.
In the course of a week and a half, Susan and Aunt Penny have seen much of the island and in my opinion, most of the great sights. We made the time count on the tourist-o-meter. But the focus has never been on any one activity or thing. The trip was largely about time together. This is a group that enjoys each other’s company and shares a deep love for one another.
“Eric, I know you’ll find this hard to believe,” Aunt Penny said over dinner last night, “but I don’t really laugh that much. I like to laugh – I just don’t do it that much. For the past two weeks I’ve had a lot of good belly laughs. Nobody makes me laugh like her. (pointing to Susan) You all make me laugh too.”
What a great outcome of a trip.
Another is that we’ve tapped most of the great views in Ubud. If eating is an art, this group is a conservatory – each member fit to teach. We ate our way through some of the most beautiful restaurants in Ubud and a few of the best outside it. We’ve had meals over rice fields, in rice fields and overlooking volcanoes, lakes, river glens, beaches (white and black sand), coffee plantations, and gardens. If there’s an un-dined terrain left in Bali, I’m unaware of its existence.
A few days ago, Emily bought popcorn kernels at the supermarket. She intends to at some point, make herself popcorn – a favorite food in her family. When yesterday Emily and Susan toyed with the idea of having popcorn for dinner, Aunt Penny protested. She – like me – wanted a real dinner. So, she suggested that if we all went out for dinner, that they could make popcorn today and they could all eat it on the way to the airport or while waiting for their plane.
“You’re scheduling a snack!” Emily exclaimed.
“I’ve been accused of planning the next meal while eating another, but I’ve never been accused of scheduling a snack!” Aunt Penny said as she fell into laughter.
Eating and laughing – the magic combination.
Although we have a long, late night ahead, we’ll have the opportunity to spend this last, very full day before Susan and Aunt fly.
I can’t speak for them – and I wouldn’t dare to put words in anyone’s mouth – but from what I’ve gathered, our guests have had a very good time. Bali hasn’t been everything they were expecting. They have been wowed by the overwhelmingly beautiful parts and also surprised and affected by its poorer, third world aspects. They were also astonished by how developed several parts of it are. They were expecting more rice fields and thatched roofs and fewer motorcycles and shops lining the streets of the towns.
Bali is so multifaceted. It’s tradition, religion, spirituality and beauty are mixed with increasing modernity and some of the side effects that go along with it – like traffic in places where none existed a few years ago.
For us, it’s been a wonderful visit. Emily loves and appreciates her family to no end. This time has been completely joyous for her. It doesn’t really matter what we do, to Emily just so long as she’s with her Ibu and Bibi, she’s a happy girl.
I’ve also been very happy to spend so much truly pleasant and wonderful time. I can’t imagine another situation with so much concentrated time with one’s mother-in-law. We had nothing but a good time. Not that I didn’t appreciate Susan before, but I do even more so after all this time together.
One of the major perks of marrying Emily is her very warm, wonderful, connected, supportive family – which has welcomed me with open arms. Who doesn’t enjoy that?
As of right now, Japan remains struggling to cool the nuclear reactors of its Fukushima No. 1 power plant. Earlier today, they successfully flew in water by helicopter while emergency crews have set up water cannons outside. Plant workers and energy authorities are working to restore power to the nuclear facility’s cooling system and stabilize the situation.
I have nothing but admiration for the incredible work of the nuclear plant workers and Japanese government. They are stoically and bravely taking on a situation few, if any could do better. I even heard that older workers are volunteering for duty so that younger ones with families won’t be at risk. The Japanese are an amazing people.
Despite this, we feel we made the right call getting Susan and Aunt Penny onto flights through Seoul instead of Tokyo. There’s just too much unknown. While I’m sure the Japanese will prevail in their efforts – they haven’t yet and it’s not worth the risk.
I want to hear Aunt Penny’s laugh loud and clear soon and whenever I see her.
Sent from my iPad
