Since I was in Las Mercedes, Ecuador and my passport was in Ipiales, Colombia, I had to figure out a way to connect with it quickly. It was decided on Thursday afternoon that I would leave on Sunday, so time was of the essence. The man of the home where we keep our extra things in Ipiales told me that he would send my passport the following morning. It would arrive in Guayaquil on Saturday and be delivered to the pharmacy owned by a couple of our friends. They would bring it on to Las Mercedes on Sunday, and I would be set to go from there.
When I shook hands with Sra. B after the first meeting on Sunday, fully expecting that with her other hand she would reach into her purse and extract my passport, she instead looked at me and said, "It didn't come." I just looked at her. "No, it really didn't come. When do you leave?" "Tonight." Or at least I thought I was leaving tonight. Without a passport I'm going nowhere tonight.
I must admit that I spent the rest of the afternoon primarily preoccupied with trying to figure out if there was any way at all to get my passport. Long story short... (cutting out the part about innumerable phone calls, trips to the airport, explaining and pleading) There was no way.
I spent Sunday night in Guayaquil and started making calls before business hours on Monday morning, just in case somebody happened to come in early and would feel like answering the incessantly ringing phone. (Nobody did.) Finally, I made a trip downtown to the main ServiEntrega (basically like UPS) office. I still didn't know where my passport was, but since I couldn't get ahold of anybody anywhere, I had to do something.
No, your package is not here.
Could you please tell me where it is?
We don't see it in our system. If it was sent on Friday, though, it should come today.
I need it now. I've already missed my flight because it wasn't delivered on Saturday.
Perhaps we could call customer service for you.
That would be exceedingly good of you. (I'd been trying to call them all morning.)
After half an hour of failed attempts to reach customer service, someone from that department finally informed them that my package was with a driver and that it would be delivered to the pharmacy sometime after noon.
I need it right now.
We could give you the number of the driver who has your package, and you could meet up with him somewhere.
That would be wonderful. Thank you very much.
So I called the driver and arranged a meeting place in twenty minute, hailed a taxi and sped toward said destination. Karmen and Kyle had found a 3:00 pm flight that was my last hope to make it to Illinois for the funeral the following day. If I could get my passport into my hands within the next half an hour, I would be able to make it.
And it worked. In the parking lot of a commercial center in Guayaquil, the ServiEntrega employee handed me my precious package, saying, "It looks like this should have been delivered on Saturday." I know it should have. Believe me, I know.
Back to the home where I was staying in Guayaquil to gather my things and head back to the airport, this time with the all necessary passport in my possession.
My flight would leave Guayaquil at 3:00 and arrive in Chicago at midnight. Karmen, Kyle and Kalynn would pick me up and take me to Mom and Dad's. So, though I would miss the visitation, I would at least arrive a few hours before the funeral.
My sincerest of thanks for all who made "Plan B" work!
Finally in the air!
Life's evening sun is sinking low --
A few more years and I must go
To meet the deeds that I have done
Where there will be no setting sun.
Chicago at midnight
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