Ninoy Aquino Airport, Manila

 

I knew Iโ€™m required an homebound ticket at the check-in counter. My cousin told me. I believed her so I made a bogus ticket by printing an old one and did some editing. What I didโ€™t know is that they will verify and confirm for real.

Boarding was at 8p for my 8,30p flight to Bangkok, where Iโ€™ll catch a connecting flight to Kiev Ukrain to my final destination Tel-aviv.

โ€œSo youโ€™re calling Cebu Pacific to confirm my flight?โ€ I anxiously asked the check-in counter lady, whoโ€™s still holding on to the boarding pass she issued for me.

โ€œYes, itโ€™s required of us. The office is at it now.โ€ She replied nicely. Looking at the clock, 7.40p, she said, โ€œItโ€™s okay, I already issued it, so you have time.โ€

And I was thinking, well I may not have time to buy another ticket if you found out itโ€™s a bogus ticket. I was so scared because the succeeding flights I had were non-rebookable. It saved me $100 and may result in $450 down the drain.

Itโ€™s very uncharacteristic of me to be so patient and nice. If they knew me, theyโ€™d know Iโ€™m guilty for acting like this. Normally if Iโ€™m being inconvenienced, the person causing it will hear it from me.

And so we wait. It was not a busy night so there were 3 of them attending my case. They were apologetic for making me wait. The supervisor with a radio then buzzed his boss asking if she could release me without confirming the 5J ticket because they couldnโ€™t get hold of anyone at this hour (7,40pm). The boss must have replied positive so they said theyโ€™ll just photocopy my return ticket. I offered to give the ticket to them so that I can leave. She said Iโ€™ll need it a the BKK immigration. I said ok and waited for another 2-3 minutes.

Finally the girl came out of photo copy and handed me back my passport, tickets, and boarding pass. I thanked them and about to leave when the super of the radio received some news on the radio. She stopped me, ย โ€œwait maโ€™am, 5J couldnโ€™t find your flight daw.โ€ ย I died inside but managed, โ€œwhat do you mean? I have no flight?โ€

She was speaking to the radio, relaying the proper spelling of my name and surname. And I looked at the clock, 7,50p, so sure Iโ€™m going to miss my flight, if they insist that I have to buy ticket before they allow me out.

If I have intention of not coming back ever, a homebound ticket is not going to make me. Itโ€™s a crazy rule.

The static over the radio was bad and finally the girl nodded at me said, โ€œok na maโ€™am, they probably have the spelling of your name wrong.โ€ and she let me through.

So just like that, Iโ€™m officially released to the world!

 

 

Ben Gurion