It all started with a slight delay out of KCI -- no big deal. Then a longer delay out of Midway -- still not the end of the world, but had us slated to land around 12:30 AM, until they apparently assigned trainees to load the baggage -- it took over 45 minutes!
Finally, around 1 AM, we landed in beautiful, warm Charleston -- except it was 34 degrees!!! The same temperature as Kansas City and Chicago! Not what we were hoping for!
Seeing as we were hauling back our Christmas bounty, Jason and I decided that rather than splitting up for someone to get the car and someone else to wait for bags, we'd all go for the car and I would just circle while he located and loaded the bags -- with the added bonus of no waiting on the baggage carousel.
We gathered up the carry-ons and the sleeping toddler and made the short hike to the car. Seeing frost on all the surrounding cars, I suggested Jason use the remote start. He had already tried. Hoping it was just an issue with the key fob, we arrived at the truck still optimistic that it would start. It didn't....
Undeterred, Jason settled Charlie in his seat while I located the call box and requested help. Despite the late hour, the airport operator said someone would be right there. Back at the car, sleeping beauty was complaining of the chill, and since Jason's coat was still in one of the bags spinning around inside the warm airport, I wrapped mine around Charlie.
Immediately, thought of the bags had me worried. What would Charlie do if someone snagged the toy suitcase -- with his brand new bow and arrow and rainbow nightlight? Leaving the men to handle the car issue, I hurried back to the airport, all the while congratulating myself for suggesting that Jason back in to the parking spot "just in case". (My first New Year's Resolution for 2013 is to mock this habit no more...at least for a while...)
I arrived just in time to claim the dirty clothes suitcase, the clean clothes suitcase, Charlie's suitcase, and prevent the lady next to me from "accidentally" claiming the toy suitcase!! Crisis averted.
Unfortunately, things weren't going so well at the car. Despite the fact that Jason had to manually unlock the car, it managed to automatically lock itself while he was standing next to it talking to the police officer -- with Charlie inside!!
And while I didn't witness this myself, I can only picture Jason knocking on the window to wake Charlie then trying to convince him to unbuckle himself from the carseat, despite protests of, "But Daddy, I'm not allowed to unbuckle!"
Not to mention the fun of trying to explain to Charlie how to manually unlock the driver's door through the window, only to hear, "Daddy...I am sooo cold." Poor Jason.... Thankfully, Charlie's goal in life is to please Daddy, so they were ultimately successful. Who knows how it would have gone were he supposed to obey Mommy...
Back in the car, Jason was disappointed to find out that the airport police officer's jumper box didn't have enough juice to jump the truck, so he went off to jump another car, hoping it could then jump the truck. Apparently his box was a dud...no luck with car two either.
Meanwhile, back in the quickly emptying airport, I was standing next to a lady and two small children who had left Daddy in California for two more days. Based on her body language, crying 6 year old, and snippets of her phone conversation, I learned that she was trying to get a cab to Summerville, but was told they were all busy, but someone would be along eventually. At 1:45 in the morning, "eventually" is a really long time.
Fully aware that Jason had to be at work in less than 7 hours, and unaware whether or not the truck was running yet, I texted him to see if he'd be willing to swing by the Asheboro subdivision on the other side of Summerville. Being Jason, of course he was...once we figured out how to fit all of us in the truck more-or-less legally.
So, exactly how does one approach a complete stranger in an airport to offer them a ride without sounding creepy? I have no idea. I think she just accepted because she was desperate. Of course, as we all stood waiting for the truck to start and Jason to rescue us, I started wondering if maybe she and the kids were scammers who had booby-trapped our car with plans to mug us for our marshmallow shooter and 2003 Chevy... I blame it on lack of sleep.
I was jarred out of my paranoid worries when her 8 year old suddenly fell off the suitcase she was sitting on and bumped her head on the floor. We were the only four people in sight and I was completely unequipped to help. Thankfully, everyone was more scared than hurt, but tensions were high. What could possibly happen next?
Good news!
Jason was able to flag down another traveler and get the truck started, then jump the other stranded driver. We were on our way!
I hauled the bags out to the curb and stood their shivering, desperate for the first site of our beloved truck. Jason pulled up and yelled back that I needed to come push the gas pedal while he loaded the bags -- our "classic" is a bit temperamental in cold weather. We successfully (albeit not gracefully) replaced Jason's foot on the gas with mine, but then I had the challenge of actually hauling the rest of my body into the driver's seat...and I failed. Yep. Truck died again.
I think the lady and I were both near tears. What now? The smattering of police cars around were no help, kind as they were, because the boxes wouldn't jump us and they are not allowed to jump from their engines.
By now it was past 2 AM. Everyone was cold. And no one had a plan -- well, almost no one.
What should happen next, but the cab pulled up and was willing to jump start the truck? And it worked on the first try! And I just stayed in the driver's seat and drove all the way home to avoid another foot-switch debacle (respect me as he does, Jason doesn't trust me with jumper cables -- smart man...).
The lady and her kids hopped in the cab, drove off without their luggage (not kidding), then circled around and picked it up and we were all headed safely to Summerville.
I did have a bit of a time figuring out how to keep the truck above 1000 RPM while stopping (it is just not intuitive to try to stop while you're pressing the gas), but we did make it home through four traffic lights and one "rolling" stop sign.
I suppose now that I think about it, there were a few similarities between our Christmas in Kansas City and our trip home:
- We were together
- We had plenty of reasons to laugh (albeit more in amazement than humor)
- We were surrounded by kind people willing to do just about anything for us
- We have memories that will last a lifetime
- God was with us and abundantly faithful
