A little while ago, Danda jetted off into the sun for some Portugal-based fun. I was supposed to be away at the same time but due to some nonsense rules in Texas prisons, I had to postpone it. So I was here and Danda went and had beach fun with family.
On the day Richard was due home, his flight was getting in at 23.15. I left the house at about 10pm and, anticipating boredom, took a Narnia book with me, Prince Caspian to be exact. Now Prince Caspian is a pretty good book, not very like the film apart from the basic story. There is no romance between Caspian and Susan and no rivalry between Caspian and Peter.
Anyway, there I was, on one train then the next, head in my book, wondering if Prince Caspian would beat Miraz and would Aslan come back and help by waking up the trees. There was a lot going on, you know?!
I got to Gatwick and took the shuttle from the South Terminal to the North, head in my book. I got to the North Terminal and looked on the arrivals screen. Danda's plane had landed and the baggage was in the baggage hall. He'd be about fifteen minutes yet. I might as well chill for a few minutes.
There was a Costa coffee next to a doorway and a sign saying 'UK arrivals' above it. Well, I thought, he is arriving and we are in the UK. That must be where he's coming out. I grabbed a bottle of water, sat within view of the doorway and got reading.
Then Danda called.
"Hi, have you landed?"
"Yeh, where are you?" Danda asked.
Now I'm a girl who loves doing surprises. I love them! I think that's why I love Hide and Seek so much. And that's why I said, "Just reading on the sofa."
"Ok, I've just come out so I'll be ages yet."
O, he's only just come off the plane so he'll be a little while yet, I thought, whilst burying my head in my book again. Still, no-one had come out of the gate I was sitting by, which I thought was a bit wierd. I gave it another ten minutes, then thought something was up. I got up and walked to the arrivals screen and suddenly saw it... The international arrivals gate....
Ah, UK arrivals meant arrivals from other flights within the UK... Not just that we are in the UK. Of course we're in the bloody UK. As if they would have specified where we are!? Hmm... Top dunce points to Laura.
So I needed to be at the international arrivals gate, not the UK arrivals gate... To be fair, they're not that far apart so it's not like I was miles away but I was all taken up with Prince Caspian so I was oblivious to it all.
I stood outside the international arrivals gate for a minute but felt something was wrong. There was no-one coming out. I had to give up my surprise fun and just call Danda...
"Danda, where are you?"
"I'm just on the bus to the car park to pick up the taxi. Why?"
"I'm standing at the international arrivals gate...."
"No! At Gatwick? You're there?"
"Yes, I came to surprise you but I've missed you."
"O no! Let me get the taxi and come back for you. Where exactly are you stand..... beeeeeeeep."
His phone died. I called back. Nothing. Just the answerphone. Again and again. Eventually I just had to go out to the road and hang about, hoping he would be able to find me.
So for ten minutes, I stood there, in front Gatwick airport, stranded and unsure whether I'd be picked up.
That's right, I came to meet Danda at the airport and I ended up stranded, waiting for Danda to pick me up.
Well done, Laura. Well done.
*He found me quite easily and I invented a cover story about having just been at the toilet when he came out the gate. It made me sound less stupid.
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