The day I made the flight I was missing

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I woke up on February 22nd, in Belfast, ready to prepare for my flight to London to spend a day en route to Accra.
(I thought) the flight was at 1:20. It was at 12 rather. But I realised this at 11:01.am. Crap! 1 hour to the flight? Checkin counter closing 30 minutes prior to the flight. Aish! I had my +Airbnb host call me a taxi. I briefly met Miro and another guest of Mary's.

I needed to make the flight. I tried to check in online with British Airways but it wasn't working. Does checkin close 30 or 60 minutes to departure? The +British Airways website seemed to say 50 or 20. I funally headed to airport around 11:20 hoping to get there in 10 minutes after Mary gave me a glass of orange juice. I picked the 20 minutes option and told taxi driver I had to get there by 11:40.

While in the car, I realised I didn't have enough pounds sterlings as we passed the famous H&W cranes. "Do you take Euros?" "No, sorry". The driver got worried. "Do you take cards?" "Yeah. It's not swipe". "Does that mean it's not chip as well?" I put my Visa debit card from +GT BANK PLC in, and entered my pin to YES Pay. "Please wait", it read. I pressed OK when prompted. It took a long time (like forever) to finalize payment. Sigh. Done. Visa, it takes you everywhere. Thank you GT Bank.

I arrived at the airport at just around 11:35. Checkin was closed. I begged. "I don't have no bags. I really have to make this flight". One checkin counter lady told the other, "Okay, he has no bags to check in". The airline attendant made a call to see if I could get on. I prayed in my head. The answer was the affirmative. "Thank you!"

I had to hurry through security. The lady at the security check point checked my bag like never seen before on TV. She was taking out all my stuff. She was checking the material for the bag for dangerous chemicals or nuclear gases or some shit like that. It took forever. I was shockprised. But hey... the waiting was making me relax actually. Because I was late for my flight. I told her "You wont be the reason I miss my flight". This is where a small airport is very useful. Belfast. Fast. Bell. I got to the gate very quickly.

The lady who I met at the gate said she didn't call for me because she couldn't pronounce my name. I thanked her and every pretty much British Airways person I met. The guys at the plane door said they were waiting for two guys after me who'd been held up in security. Really? How could anyone be later than me?

I put my bags up with the help of a black flight attendant. I then settled in my seat having pulled out the book to read. Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom. I was born late. December 31st, the latest day of the year. In the evening too. I tend to live on the edge. It's exciting, but I always make it. :-)

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