Malaysia and More!: Operation- Get Austin to Manila!

Have you ever had a day that feels like it could be a movie? A day full of obstacles, plot twists, great characters, suspense, and even a high-speed car chase? That was my day yesterday. It all actually began night before last...

Scene 1: Setting is a KL apartment, where a boy named Austin is packing his bags, getting ready to travel with his rugby team to Manila. It is the final rugby tournament of his high school years. And as team co-captain, he is ready to lead his team to a gold medal! Austin walks into living room, where his mom, a slim and very attractive woman (oh wait, this isn't fiction! Shucks!) is sitting, talking to her friend Brenda.

AUSTIN: Hey Mom, where is my passport?

MOM: With her eyes wide open and a horrified expression on her face, replies, Um, your passport is kind of at the Chinese embassy, waiting for a visa... (It would be important to note at this time that the Holmes family had made a spontaneous and somewhat rash decision to spend Chinese New Year in Beijing, of all places. At the invitation of dear friends.)

AUSTIN: What???

MOM: I will get it back! Don't worry! (She actually has no idea how to make this happen, but feels it is the prudent thing to say.) What time does your flight leave?

AUSTIN: 10 something.

MOM: Okay, I will go to embassy first thing in the morning.

Austin heads back to his room, to finish packing, thinking very kind thoughts about his mother (hey, it could have happened that way). At this point, Mom and Brenda start brain-storming, thinking of who to call. Father is out of the country and already asleep. They need to reach Father's assistant, but don't have her number. Brenda's husband, Kevin, calls assistant for us and discovers that passports are not due back until Friday, two days too late. Nothing can be done. Mom then calls rugby coach, and apprises him of situation. He assures her that he will contact several people at school, and thus begins Operation- Get Austin to Manila!

SCENE 2: This scene takes place at the Chinese Visa Center in KL, not the actual Chinese embassy. Mom and Austin are accompanied by Shaun, a very nice young man who works at the school. He speaks Mandarin and is familiar with the visa processes in KL. (Mom is not too proud to ask for and accept any help available.)

SHAUN: Hello, we are here to pick up a passport. It was submitted for a visa, but we just need to get it back.

OLD MAN BEHIND DESK: Where is your receipt?

SHAUN: Receipt? We don't have one. But here is Austin. He needs his passport.

OLD MAN BEHIND DESK: No receipt, no passport! How do we know this is the right person?

The receipt is being held by the agent from Mayflower, an company that handles the visa process for clients. This company was given passport by Father's assistant. Mom calls assistant again. No answer. Mom texts assistant. Mom emails assistant. No response. Shaun calls Mayflower directly. No answer. Mom calls Father. No answer. When they were about to give up, Mom gets a call from Assistant! They get name and phone number of person holding the receipt for passport.

At this point, they drive to Mayflower office and retrieve receipt. Travel agent from school has booked a noon flight for Austin. Austin is sent home in a taxi to finish packing for trip. They tell him that as soon as he is done, take a taxi to airport. Shaun and Mom will swing by visa office, pick up passport, and meet him at airport.

SCENE 3: Back at Chinese Visa Center for visit #2.

SHAUN: Here is the receipt!

OLD MAN BEHINDS THE DESK: Okay. He points to the lady next to him.

SHAUN TO MISS WONG: Here is our receipt, and we need to pick up Austin's passport.

MISS WONG: Passport pickup is scheduled for Friday.

SHAUN: But we need it today.

MISS Wong: There is a procedure and you can't stop the procedure. Passport is not even here. It is at the embassy. It must first be processed. Four working days.

SHAUN: Is there any way to get it expedited?

MISS WONG: Yes, you can pick it up tomorrow.

SHAUN: He has a flight today. In less than two hours.

MISS WONG: Cannot do. But I will talk to supervisor. Come back at 3 or 3:30, but no guarantees.

Mom calls Austin and tells him to stay put. Shaun goes back to school and Mom goes home.

INTERMISSION

SCENE 4: Back in KL apartment;

MOM: Austin, you need to get dressed in your travel clothes. We are taking your luggage. We are picking up Shaun, then going back to embassy. You are scheduled on a 5:30 flight.

AUSTIN: Will I be getting my passport?

MOM: I have no idea. And if you do, there is no guarantee that we will get to the airport in time. But if you don't make this flight, there is an 8:00 am flight tomorrow. You may miss the first game.

AUSTIN: But the first game is against JIS, who I really want to beat. (Now mom saw the JIS team last year in Bangkok. Every guy on the team had a mohawk haircut! They looked pretty fierce. She understood why Austin wanted to beat them. ... As if Mom wasn't feeling enough pressure.)

MOM: All we can do is try.

SCENE 5: Back in Chinese Visa Center for visit #3, an hour early, just in case.

SHAUN: We are here to pick up passport.

MISS WONG: Fill out this paper.

SHAUN: Can we go ahead and pay? (They have no time to spare and don't want to chance another wait.)

MISS WONG: We have to make sure passport makes it here, and only then can you pay. Come back at three.

SHAUN: We are not going anywhere. We will sit here and wait.

They are now just sitting and waiting. Calculating the time to airport. Discussing routes. Shaun is getting phone calls from school, asking if Austin will make it to the airport in time. Do they need to book another ticket? Do they need to arrange a ride to hotel? They have no answers. Shaun decides they need to leave no later than 3:30 to make it to airport in enough time to check baggage and go through security. 3:00 comes. Nothing. 3:10. Nothing. But they notice Miss Wong is gone. Is she receiving the new shipment of passports with visas? At 3:15, Miss Wong re-enters room and heads to them.

MISS WONG: Take this paper to the window and pay the fee. (In case you don't know, the expedited fee for a visitor visa to China is 753 rm, or $179!! At this point, Mom truly doesn't care!)

Mom goes and pays the fee, and expects to receive passport. But oh no, they are told to wait. And wait. Mom calls her driver, making sure he is all set for a quick get away. Finally, at 3:30, they receive Austin's passport!!!!!!!

SCENE 6: Setting is the inside of car.

MOM: Driver, we have one hour to make it to the airport. Make it quick, but make it safe!

DRIVER: Yes, madam.

They pull out into the street and into a tunnel. The traffic was pretty much at a standstill! They are stuck in some of the worst traffic around. You have no way of knowing what obstacle could keep you from reaching the airport in time. Suddenly, they hear a siren. The only way ambulances get through traffic in KL is by the cars shifting to the side and the ambulance travels between the lanes. Ambulance goes by. A few motorcycles follow it, taking advantage of the clear path. The next thing they know, the driver is following the ambulance!! Mom is kind of terrified and keeps her eyes closed. They are following an ambulance, between lanes, in a tunnel! They finally clear the tunnel, and Mom tells driver to get back in normal lane. Mom looks over at Shaun, wondering what he thought of that harrowing ride.

SHAUN: Cool! He probably saved us 20 minutes! (Mom thinks, Men!!)

SCENE 7: Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Austin gets checked in and Mom and Shaun walk with him as far as they can. Mom gives Austin a hard hug and a kiss. Austin shakes Shaun's hand and thanks him for his help. Shaun and Mom high-five each other. Mom starts humming the theme of Rocky. Operation-Get Austin to Manila is a success!

Austin at airport, looking thrilled Mom made him slow down for picture

(Fade to black screen. The following words appear on screen.)

On the ride back to school, Shaun receives a call from travel agent. She informs him that there is no use going back to the Chinese Visa Center. There has been an emergency shut down at the embassy and they stopped distributing passports at 3:45.

Austin and his team defeat the mighty JIS Dragons by a score of 15 to 5.

Acknowledgements: This day could not have happened without the full support of Austin's school. His coaches and athletic director worked hard to arrange his transport and lodging for the night. Several other employees manned the computers, checking for flights and other information. Moms at school took over her volunteer duties that day. And most importantly, many prayers were said on Austin's behalf.

Will Austin's team make it to a gold medal? That is yet to be determined. Maybe this movie could be turned into a trilogy. And I could sell Austin and Mom lunch boxes. Little girls would want to be Mom for Halloween.

(Is it sad that I am cracking myself up??)