Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt

penalty. I thought well, I’ll do the same. “I won’t go back on thedate, I’ll pay a penalty. Another $60.” When I inquired, theysaid, “No penalties on charter flights.” That’s it. So I missed thereturn date and I needed a flight back.A brother in Atlanta said, “There’s a sister in our group whoworks at the travel agency.” He took me around to see her, sweetgirl, she was. She was Taiwanese and spoke good English, “I gotyou beautiful ticket to Manchester.”And I ought to have known. But I was so greedy, I thought,“Good. This is really cheap!”He put me on the plane. I changed at Philadelphia. And on thesecond leg of the flight, I said, “How long to Manchester?” Hesaid, “45 minutes.” I said, “What?! Manchester, England?”“No,” he said. “Manchester, New Hampshire. You’re on the wrongplane.” They graciously tried to help me and they began to check.And they said, “The plane for England left 10 minutes ago.” Isaid, “What am I going to do?!”“There’s nothing you can do, if you’ll just come with us.” Wewere two hours from the wrong plane. So I landed at midnight,Saturday night. And they tried everything they could, but therewas nothing they could do. They said, “The only thing we cando is put you up in a motel. Be here at 4 AM in the morning andwe’ll take you all the way back.”They took me back to Philadelphia, and then they took me backto Atlanta. I rang Marj up, “I’m on the wrong plane.” RangNorman up, “I’m on the wrong plane.” He came down to meetme. And he says, “Never mind that, I’ll get you a good flight.” Isaid “Don’t you talk to me about ‘good’. I’ve had a big chunk ofthe knowledge of ‘good’!”“The first plane that will take me back, I’m going.” I went toAmerican Airlines. I was so weary, so tired. And they got me asingle to Manchester, $1,000. I said, “I don’t have the money.” Ihad to pay on a bankcard.“It’s via Chicago.”204