It all started on Monday.
I was gathering furlough things. Kids clothes, swimsuits, credit cards, checkbooks... and it happened.
The inevitable.
The smallish Eddie Bauer bag...which is home to our five remaining passports...(Jeff's new one is still at the embassy)...was gone.
It is, obviously, an important bag. Not one I carry with me always. And it has its place. But it wasn't there. Or under....or behind....
I checked a few, more obvious places...but went to sleep, SURE that the bag would appear quickly, the next day.
Tuesday morning found me determined and focussed. Jeff awoke to me emptying drawers, bags and moving shelves. He generously joined in the hunt.
By the time he left for his lunch meeting...there was no Eddie Bauer bag to be found. I was beginning to be VERY concerned. Our plane leaves in 2 1/2 weeks. Replacement passports take 3 weeks.
We intensified the search. By the time Jeff returned in the evening, I was barely staving off panic.
The passports are my responsibility. They are IMPORTANT. WHERE ARE THEY?
I could not remember the last time I held them in my hand. I could not back track because I couldn't remember.
And mostly, I could NOT stop looking. And neither could Jeff. Under beds, in toy boxes, in trunks we haven't opened in years...
We cleaned out backpacks, dressers, shelves and cabinets. And by midnight on Tuesday. That elusive bag was still AWOL.
I did not sleep well. I tried to DREAM where it might be. We brainstormed options. When do we declare them gone and call the embassy?
Wednesday morning, everyone was in on the hunt. At 6:30 pm on Wednesday...I sat in the middle of a VERY clean living room and desperately pleaded with God to take me to the bag.
I stood up to do one more quick sweep, before the power went off.
My hand went into the diaper bag and....OH MY GOODNESS....and PRAISE THE LORD...
My hand felt the zipper of the bag that had become my entire pursuit for two whole days! In a diaper bag we had emptied several times. It was stuck at the bottom and its black cover blended VERY WELL with the inside lining of the bag.
I have not been that excited over a passport wallet....well...ever!
No police reports...no investigation...no missing passports...no trip postponing...no disappointment... all was right in the world again.
And there was much rejoicing!
6 comments:
2.5 Weeks?!! So when do you land in the PacNW? We have collected all of this stuff to build into a spaceship. Hopefully by the time we are done you can take your own transportation back to Fort Portal.
Did you just say 2 1/2 weeks??!! Woo-hoo!
Wow ... I'm stressed out from reading your post. Panic - been there done that. When we evacuated for the hurricane we couldn't find some impossible to replace photo's and videos of the kids that we KNEW were in a certain place. PANIC, PANIC, PANIC.
p.s. when do we get to see the punk rock hairdo?
That is crazy when you search all over for something and it was always there. Glad you found the passports and I pray that there are no more obstacles to the trip.
Yikes! I hate it when that happens. We actually got to the airport once(Johannesburg maybe?) and Edwin realized he had thrown our tickets away when he was cleaning out the papers we didn't need. Panic! Panic! So glad your passports are safe and sound.
Any chance you could squeeze a package of loose leaf tea in your bag for me? I found a place to buy it, but it's $7 for enough to make 2 pots :-(
Man, I was in a panic reading this! I am so one-track minded when I think that I've lost something...it seems I cannot focus on anything else!
I'm so glad that you found your passports and I am anxiously waiting to see you and hug you! You'll be here so soon--happy travels!
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