The Start of Our Adventure

So, the adventure begins. And what would an adventure be with miscues and misadventures. We left Novy Bydzov this morning just after seven. All the arrangements for meeting Andrea’s Mother and Brother in Prague had been arranged. Detailed directions to a McDonald’s just outside one of the major Metro stops were given. The plan for meeting was laid out perfectly, but as anyone knows, seldom does anything go according to plan.
Andrea and I are getting better we were at the right bus stop and got on the right bus at the right time. Our side of the plan was moving in motion with precision. As we sat on the bus, tired, but heading with perfect timing to meet with Andrea’s Mom and Brother. About half to Prague Andrea’s phone rang, her Mother was calling.
She had borrowed the phone of someone who she had met on the plane. A woman, very generous, who lives in Prague and speaks English fluently. It was on this unexpected phone call Andrea was informed her Brother had missed his flight to Prague and her Mother was furious. Are plan for them taking the Metro to meet us at the designated McDonald’s had just flew right out the window.
Andrea’s Mother through her angrier told Andrea she had luckily met another visitor to Prague, a woman beside the one who had lent her the phone, and with this visitor she was going to share a taxi into the city. Now, the way we had made the plan for them the cost into the city would have been very inexpensive, but like I said it was all lost when it was discovered Andrea’s Mother was by herself.
Andrea and I made it to the McDonald’s a little after nine and were at a complete loss. There was no way to contact Andrea’s Mother, who was now in a taxi who knows where, who knows who with. We were left to wonder. Did Andrea’s Mother remember exactly where we were supposed to meet? Would Andrea’s Mother be able to communicate to the taxi driver where she needed to go? Would the taxi driver take advantage of the situation and charge Andrea’s Mother an arm and leg to bring her to the city?
Our perfectly constructed plan had found its loophole, Andrea’s Brother, without Andrea’s Brother traveling with her Mother my worries doubled. On top of the worries, lay the complex situation of trying to soothe Andrea’s Mother once and if we were able to finally meet her. She was already completely frustrated with the situation of her son missing the flight they were supposed to sit next to one another on as they crossed the ocean. Now we also had to worry that because he son was missing to help guide her into the city she would run into even more problems, even more frustrations, and we would start our two week long adventure on the absolute wrong foot.
Andrea and I sat at the McDonald’s for a half-hour, then an hour, then an hour and a half, watching each taxi with the anticipation of her Mother stepping from it safe and sound with a smile on her face. I could see the worry wash over Andrea’s face as each minute passed. I tried to calm her with everything I could think. I phoned the number Andrea’s Mother had originally called us on from the airport. I talked with the unbelievably kind woman and she explained to me that Andrea’s Mom did get into to a taxi. She even reassured me, which I in turn reassured Andrea, by telling me that we should be patient because the traffic around the airport had been horrendous.
It was another 20 minutes or so of waiting when I asked Andrea for her Mom’s cell phone number. You see on my cell phone I can make international calls, the cost is astronomical, but I can do it if necessary. I plugged the US country code into the phone, dialed the area code of Oakland County, then Andrea, behind me, saw a taxi pull up to the curb not 20 feet away from the McDonald’s entrance. I stopped my fingers. I looked out the window. I could not see anyone exiting the taxi it seemed like minutes and no one was even getting out of the door which had been pushed open. As if a miracle had just happened I saw Andrea’s Mother’s head poke out from where the door had been sitting ajar. I threw on my jacket, gloves, and hat, and ran to meet her, to help her with her bags.
It was lovely; her face was filled with neither anguish nor annoyance. She carried across her face a big smile. For all she had been through her spirits were high, she did not have her son with her, but she would be soon hugging her daughter and I could see how grateful she was to do it. All the problems which could have turned her trip into a complete mess were all lost as Andrea embraced her Mother.
We are still missing one, but we have been told he is going to get on a different flight and hopefully arrive tomorrow. It will be nice to have Andrea’s Brother here as well for Christmas, but as everyone knows on any adventure of this magnitude there must be misadventures and miscues along the way.