Moving Saga, Day 5

The husband is hiding under a mound of covers managing to doze while the kids turn the hotel room into a disarray of rubble and toys. They’re having a blast and don’t seem at all deterred by our completely insane day yesterday. But we’re all relieved to have it over with and be to recovering for a day in Delhi before we fly home.

Yesterday I threw up on an airplane for the very first time since I was six-months-old.

35 years and hundreds of flights with no motion sickness in storms and turbulents, all over the globe, and I got to use the barf bag for the very first time on my last flight in India.

It started with racing around our hotel room trying to get suitcases packed in our van to be driven to delhi, and last few bags to go with our family in a small taxi to the airport. Our friend Divyansh had come over to see us off and was kind enough to sit in the lobby with the kids while they watched cartoons.

We planned to leave at 9am so that we’d be gone by 10am. At 10:15 I walked outside, expecting Tyler and the two drivers to be nearly ready. But Tyler had hit a few hitches.

We hadn’t renewed the insurance on the van so our taxi driver friend wouldn’t drive it to Delhi. He said we needed $900 in cash to renew the insurance. I began insisting we call around to be sure that’s the right price. Tyler was texting information and forms to a man at a shop that does insurance. His phone wasn’t working to text. The driver was panicking.

Then at the very same moment our taxi driver (who was going to drive us to the airport) had locked his keys in the car. For the first time ever. (sure…) So there were 10 men hovered around both our cars and so much talk of cash needed for this and that, and we were already late for the 2-hour-hairpin-turn drive to the airport.

I’m sure you can see where this is headed.

So I ran in and told the front desk we needed a hotel car. Right now, and I’d put it on our credit card.

The kids and I piled into the car. Tyler suggested he needed to do something about insurance and would send us ahead. I freaked out on him. This wasn’t the wisest choice but as far as I could see, it was time to panic.

So we all hopped into the car and sped down the winding road. The driver decided we needed to take the back road to avoid traffic. The winding Woodstock pot-hole road, and the night before a rainstorm—the introduction to monsoon—had washed out two hillsides(we passed one car completely caved in and destroyed by a landslide). And so the road was terrible and bumpy and washed out, and the driver raced the van around the switchback turns.

Then this fellow decided on ANOTHER back-way, a winding, one-way, tear-around-the-corners back-way. Not at all a good road to race to the airport on.

We were barely going to make it to the airport and the kids were climbing all over me and Ella was fussy and sweaty with nausea.

I managed to go through lines, the security, and onto the bus and then the hot plane.

Then the plane took off and I ate two pepto bismol to help my tummy stop aching. As we lifted into the air I realized that the pepto bismol had been a terrible idea, and I was going to have to, for the first time EVER, us the barf bag.

But suddenly I realized that it would probably be a bit more than one of those mini barf bags, so I grabbed the gallon ziplock that the airplane magazine was in. And all of my insides began coming out. I was trying to do this quietly in the corner seat so as not to draw attention and definitely not make a mess. Judah was next to me, and Tyler and Little Miss across two other passengers at the opposite window.

By the time I filled one bag I realized I would need another. I started throwing up in the second bag and realized it had a HOLE in it. UGH—so disgusting—and I’m so sorry for grossing everyone out!!

So I got a third ziplock, kindly and frantically handed to me by the lady next to Little Man. All this time Little Man was exclaiming loudly, “Mom! Hey mom! I need you to help me find my ipad!” I was trying to quietly vomit in the third bag while holding my index finger up behind me for him to STOP and be quiet and just let me throw up in peace!!

Finally it was all done and I had two bags full, and was completely mortified.

Tyler pushed the call button and an attendant came. I asked her if she could bring me a garbage bag because I had just thrown up. She looked disgusted and said, “Yes, I’ll send someone for trash later, will that work?”

I showed the girl BOTH my ziplock bags and said, “No, that will not work. THIS is most important.”

She looked pained and told me I could BRING THE BAGS up to the front and put them in her trash bag.

So there I went, with two ziplocks of vomit, for all to see, because the flight attendant didn’t want to bring me a trash bag.

Fortunately it’s a 45-minute flight. By the time I cleaned myself and the wall up with wipes, the plane was landing.

We finally got to the hotel room after walking in 100 degree temps to get the taxi etc etc, and I crashed into bed in a dark room and slept for 2 hours. This morning my head was pounding but after two oral rehydration packs, I feel better. Better enough to put this all down on my blog to be chronicled with the rest of our Moving Saga.

And in the end, our car got insured on the way (for $120 instead of $800), our luggage made it to delhi, our second taxi driver got a ride home to get his spare keys, and we made it to the hotel in Delhi.

Little Miss’ cough and fever are still happening, so now that it’s noon we’ll dress and head to the doctor and then to the mall for dinner, and it will be time for another sleep. In an air-conditioned room with no leaks or mold. Thank God.

And I can tell myself that my very worst airplane experience is almost probably over. 🙂