Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Distributing Smiles :)

After the date was set, tickets were booked, luggage packed, 28th October, my dad, sister and I were in the airport to fly to Amman. My mother came from Amman only the night before and the plan was to join us the next week. But, mom's relative decided to join us and fly to Amman too.

Carrying too many big bags we were transferred to Overweight luggage. It was 7:30 in the morning and our flight was 9:30. The lines were still empty. We were the only family there weighing our bags the woman on the counter said "you may leave to Amman but I'm afraid the old lady won't" We all had huge exclamation marks over our heads. She added "Her passport is an S"

Attawie's thoughts were "It's ok, no problem. She can go back but I'm leaving to Amman, to KJ, to do the civil marriage papers. Calm down, smile and breathe."

The old lady worried and nagging how to go back to the city with all her bags. My dad went to check the airport security if the regulation is right and she can't fly with; my sister busy with weighing bags and putting tags. And Attawie was distributing smiles here and there pretending there was nothing.

Almost an hour passed and we're still in our same place. The airlines were waiting for a Jordanian authority to wake up and report to work, due to time difference, so they can give us instructions. We waited and waited and people start to come and go. The airline employees' shift changed and the new people are asking what the story was. We explained to them and one of them was really worried and stayed with us giving us consolation. She said "I'm new here, almost a month. But let me tell you that I was given instruction not to let any Iraq or Palestinian on the plane without calling my immediate boss. It's a rule". Attawie was standing distributing smiling here and there and announcing "I'm the bride".

Almost two hours passed and we're still in our same place. My sister called the Jordanian embassy to check if an Iraqi with an S passport can enter Jordan. They said there is such regulation but since the passenger is a resident in another country then there's no problem until 2010. We informed the airlines and the airport security and they said they have to check with the embassy themselves. And Attawie still distributing smiles here and there assuring herself "it's nothing!"

An airport security officer was really nice; he said the airplane won't fly without you even if we had to delay the take off. He stayed with us for so long and kept assuring us there won't be a problem.

For me, I was ready to fly that day no matter what. It's a matter of booking a taxi and finding someone to carry the relative's bags and send her to the city. As simple as that, a piece of cake. But she was so worried about leaving and not leaving, mumbling and nagging and talking to herself. I really like the lady but "hello! I'm the bride" it should be all about me, me and me!

Dingdong "Alnidaa alakheer lirokab al ri7la raqam XYZ almotawajiha ila Amman"

- Atta: what was that?
- Sana: didn't notice.

Dingdong "This is the final call for flight no. XYZ heading to Amman"

Attawie starts distributing smiles extensively. Next moment another Airport officer comes and stands next to our luggage on the scale. He starts saying words in his walky-talky I couldn't understand and whispers to the airlines employee. The bags went in and disappeared from our sights. We're given a paper to pay for the overweight luggage. The Airport Officer No.1 accompanies us to the accountancy. We're sent in the lift to gate…" na'a no gate, an airport officer will receive you there".

My sister with her knee injury, dad with his right thigh torn muscle, the old lady with her back pain, were all meters behind me when the lift door was open. I found the officer and quickened my pace. The officer said something in his walky-talky and in seconds a female officer received me. She said where are the rest? I pointed at them. Now I was runny with her and followed by the rest. She said something in the walky-talky and added "I've got the bride. The four people are following". Another female officer received us and she was accompanied by a guy dressed in formal airport uniform. He took me to the airline's desk to take the boarding cards. Passports were with my sister. He said follow me and they will get the cards. We headed two floors down on feet and there UAE officers were waiting for us and a big bus took us to the airplane. The hostess received us with smiles pointing towards ours seats; the only empty seats on the plane. Felt all eyes were staring at me. I was thinking "OMG they must be saying this is why we're ten minutes behind schedule" So I had to continue distributing smiles!

Within seconds we were flying in the sky heading to Amman. And Attawie still distributing smiles but instead of praying silently in her heart she was now thanking God everything went great.

That's all for now
But there will be more later :)

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13 Comments:

Blogger Marshmallow26 said...

Thank God for your safety Attawie,

I can't wait to read what is coming up next.

The best is yet to come ;)

Marsho

11/18/2009 6:19 AM  
Blogger Khalid from iraqiblogupdates.blogspot.com/ said...

Dear Sister,

I feel sorry that you faced all that terrible pain of waiting to the last minute.However, it seems your distribution of smiles succeed to put a happy ending to your well-built story.


Congratulations on your safe arrival to Amman,

11/18/2009 11:41 AM  
Blogger nadia alkhafaji said...

well, better to read here than to wait for us to meet! i can imagine u coming and going and smiling in the airport while going crazy inside ; ) ... so whos the old lady :))) hehe hehe

11/18/2009 12:50 PM  
Blogger David said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

11/19/2009 1:00 PM  
Blogger David said...

I didn't know that you flew to Amman to be a bride Attawie! So, I congratulate you on your marriage! I look forward to hearing more of the details. :)

11/19/2009 1:04 PM  
Blogger A. Damluji said...

CONGRATS! where's the facebook announcement then? :P

salamz to Khalid!

11/20/2009 3:07 AM  
Blogger Sana said...

Sis,
U forgot to write about how I was angry with the lady who was weighting our luggages, when she said over weight... I said to her, This is stupid! No over weight!
Calling the Jordanian embassy was a good move:D

11/20/2009 3:37 PM  
Blogger programmer craig said...

Quite an adventure! I bet this will make the occasion more memorable for you though! Gratz dear :)

11/20/2009 11:17 PM  
Blogger attawie said...

Thanks everyone, it's really nice to read your comments. I'm back to UAE and KJ is back to KSA for now. We'll update soon :)

Marsho dear, I hope I'll be able to blog more often and would share more with you all.

Khalid,
Thanks for your comment. it always feels great to smile and smiling can really change a lot!

Nadia!
Believe me i was not boiling nor going crazy! Walla just felt like smiling and praying everything would take place smoothly.

David,
In our culture, after being engaged for a while, at some point the couple would do the civil/ islamic marriage thing, which is considered the legal bound between them. Socially we're considered engaged but legally we're married. I know it's confusing and complicated :D Maybe I'll blog about it to explain it soon :)

so the girl is called a bride from the moment she gets engaged until she have the first baby! can you believe this! That's why I was referring myself as "The Bride"

Sana,
sis, I'm only writing this side because I only lived the bright side of the story. As for you, you were having a bad day with everyone! :D just remembered the "shoot me now" expressions you kept doing the entire day! lol

Programmer craig,
True! You should hear the rest of the hectic story. A movie in itself!

11/21/2009 3:04 AM  
Blogger زهرة الراوي said...

ياااااااااااااا يبووووووووووووو هاي شنووووووووووووو يال الهوووووووول
كل هذا صار وآني ما أدري؟؟
تدرين كلما يصير هيجي شي أظل أمتدح الديمقراطية العربية وأنشد إلها لا إرادياً!

أهم شي أنه الأمور تمت على خير وأنه كلشي تماماً .. الله يتمم بالخير إن شاء الله

11/21/2009 10:05 PM  
Blogger David said...

So Attawie, you are both engaged and married. It is certainly different from what I am familiar with! But, as long as you are happy, that is all that matters. :)

11/21/2009 10:56 PM  
Blogger attawie said...

زهرة
يال الهووول مو؟ انشدي عيني انشدي. ديمقراطية خرافية عندنا , ليش ما ننشدلها! شكراَ تسلمين :)

David,
Yep, I'm happy :) thanks

11/22/2009 2:58 PM  
Anonymous Hala said...

هؤلاء عملاء إيران في العراق
الوطن العربي ) تحصل على الأسماء الحقيقية والحركية والأرقام والمؤسسات الوهمية لعملاء نظام الملالي في مختلف المدن العراقية

من الجريدة:www.putiraqfirst.com

والعراق في حاجة الى تغيير

11/26/2009 10:58 PM  

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