All is well that ends well - Part Four
* This is the fourth instalment of the God-knows-how-many-part series, so those who haven't read the previous episodes are advised to go back and read them first. Thank you!
(Continued from Part Three)
Having checked in my bag, I moved to a relatively quiet place to call my boss to tell him that I would be a couple of hours late to get to the office. It was really a punch in the gut having to admit what had transpired - due to my stupidity and carelessness, but I knew all too well that it was all my fault and I had to face it like it or not.
Now, with plenty of time to spare until the departure time, I figured I'd better move to somewhere quiet to kill time rather than waiting on the departure floor. Having not eaten breakfast amid all the frenzy, I decided to go to Tully's Coffee to grab something to snack on.
It was when I got a message from my partner, asking how I was faring the situation (I both texted and called him to gush all about it; I couldn't help it).
I texted back to him with the pic to show I was in Tully's, and then he suggested I should take this opportunity to have a go at the lounge where I can get in with the Amex Business Platinum card he had given me for this Guam biz trip (to make travel expense reimbursement easier and simpler).
"Now that you're enjoying your coffee you don't really need to, but I think it's not a bad idea to give it a try and see how you can take full advantage of the benefits Amex Platinum grants you."
Which, I have to admit, didn't even think of.
Since I only got a short-size coffee instead of a tall one for some reason (I really don't know), I decided to follow his lead and give it a go.
Once I'd finished the coffee, I went through the security check and headed toward the lounge which happened to be just a few minutes away from my gate.
Safely ensconced in the lounge without any problem (thank goodness), I texted him again to share where I was to which he replied with the thumbs-up emoticon.
Lots of things were running through my mind while I was resting up in the lounge, precisely speaking, what my stupidity and carelessness had caused: All the sweat and tears, the missed flight, and a few hours that had been lost due to this delay...
I would be lying if I said I savoured the lounge experience, but I must admit it was indeed a pleasant experience which I wouldn't have had if I had made it to the original flight on time.
For that matter, it wasn't all that bad after all. Sure, it would seem irresponsible of me to say this out loud, but that's how I see the whole thing in retrospect.
Having spent ten to 15 minutes in the lounge, I headed to the boarding gate, and this time around, I got to board the flight without any hiccups. The seat that the kind ANA agent assigned for me turned out to be right behind the business class - a seat with a state-of-art-looking monitor right in front and more legroom. One drawback is that I couldn't put my carry-on bag under the seat in front of me which I'd normally do. Apart from that, I loved that seat assignment.
So, this was what happened on my way back to my hometown, a funny story of stupidness and carelessness as well as the lessons learnt.
I made such an embarrassing blunder at the very end and it was certainly NOT how I had planned to conclude my business trip, but I think it turned out just OK after all.
I will take these hard lessons and experiences to heart, and I don't think I will ever make the same mistake again (hopefully).
This concludes the lengthy episode and I thank all of you here to stick with me.
I hope you enjoyed this story and I will see you in my next post.
