So you think I'm an unlucky traveller

I'm standing at the departure gate. On the T.V. display it says Tunisia. I'm back in familiar territory.

One hour ago I was sitting on a chair waiting for the mammoth queue for the Easyjet flight to Edinburgh to go down. I have a policy when travelling alone to wait to board last. It saves lots of standing around getting irritable and also means that you are first off the plane when you land. Today however I was travelling with Catriona and my main concern was one of engineering a way where we could sit together with the least amount of hassle possible. I was pretty much comatose from a dose of the flu. Catriona told me that it was just a virus (man flu indeed!) but I was convinced that I should have been writing out my last will and testament by this point. She was finishing off a Niçoise salad and starting to relax ahead of our flight.

The first bus left for the plane and we were waiting on the arrival of the second one when Catriona said that she wanted to get rid of the rest of her Euro money. I said go ahead, I wasn't going to go anywhere so I sat down and waited for her to return from the duty free shop. After about 10 minutes the second bus arrived. I went to find Catriona and tell her that we needed to get going. In the duty free shop I found her queueing to buy a Toblerone. Toblerones really are the airport travellers favourite chocolate aren't they. Anyway we queued and paid and that brings us nicely up to the beginning of this story.

The TV says Tunisia and the woman on the desk is looking at us in a curious manner. She eventually comes over to ask us what our destination is. We tell her that it is Edinburgh, then she sighs.
"You should have been here an hour ago. The last bus has already left!"
Catriona and I look at each other in panic.
"We were here an hour ago, we were waiting so long that we had to go to the toilet. When was the last announcement?" I try a little white lie. Telling her that we were carefully choosing Toblerone will not work I suspect.
"We called the flight an hour ago." She replies. From the looks on their faces I get the impression that someone on the desk has made a mistake and we have noticed it. There is a glimmer of hope. "You understand that you might miss your flight, I will have to radio the plane and see if they are prepared to take you on board."
Catriona and I wait patiently. Catriona has the most effective worried look across her face, I look like death warmed up.
The woman at the desk eventually turns round and says " Give me your boarding passes, you can go. You have to be earlier next time."
I briefly think about saying "You have to do your job properly and announce last calls for flights next time," but I think better of it and just say "we're terribly sorry, thank you".
I had spent the last 4 hours worried that the first flight Catriona and I would take together would be ruined because we might not get a seat together. Now I was just relieved that we would get a seat at all. We get on board and behold, a seat together. I really am a lucky traveller.

The flight was uninteresting for the most part but whilst we were in the air I did have one amusing thought I'd like to share with you. When I'd checked in my bag it was found to be overweight. I'd had to go to customer services and pay the excess. Behind the assistant at the desk was a notice in french and english. The english was If you are late we won't wait, in french it was, si vous êtes en retard, vous êtes trop tard. Catriona comically translated this as if you are a retard you will be dropped on your head. I laughed as I imagined all late comers being dropped on their heads as punishment before boarding the plane. Given the circumstances we eventually found ourselves in you can conclude what you like about that policy.

P.S. The Toblerone was fantastic tasting, as always.