Airok Vacation - Day Eight
Day 8 – Return to Kwajalein
As much as I loved it there in Airok I was eager to return to the relative conveniences of Roi-Namur. Most of all I kept thinking about the food I would soon be eating and also resolved to sing the National anthem the next time I enjoyed an indoor flush toilet. The thought of a hot shower was most welcome as well. I greatly feared that I would somehow miss the plane or that it would not come for some crazy reason (I’d heard that that happens sometimes). Belenty had assured me the night before that the plane would leave at 9. So at 7 in the morning I was trying to clear the cobwebs in my brain from a night’s sleep and to get out of bed when Asheran showed up to tell me it was time to go to the airport. I jumped out of bed and rushed to get my stuff together for the trip home. Belenty’s father and Shoeless were waiting for me to carry my suitcase to the airport on his bike. I soon learned however that the original estimate of take-off time was accurate so I had time to eat some food and relax a bit before leaving (well, not too accurate, it was about 10:30 before I actually took off).
Figure 14 Airok Airport passenger lounge with terminal building
Eventually it was time to walk to the airport. … I got there around 8 but the flight agent had not showed up yet. There were no X-ray machines there to check my luggage nor did I have to take off my shoes for inspection. But I guess there has not been much of a history of terrorists taking over flights from Airok. As time went on the agent showed up for me to check in. They weighed my suitcases on a bathroom scale but I had drank all but one of my water bottles and eaten my food so they were considerably lighter than when I arrived so there was no need to pay a penalty this time. Most of Belenty’s family showed up to say good-bye to me. They sat with me in the departing passenger’s lounge (a log outside). Belenty pointed out to me that her sister Weeja was sitting apart from us. Belenty told me it was because Weeja was so sad I was leaving she could not sit by me. I felt quite touched by this. In front of us were a group of kids frolicking around on a grass mat. Loren was there as well as she was leaving for Majuro for a much-deserved vacation. She spent some time chatting with some of her students and that gave me an inspiration. With the knowledge that she was a recent graduate of the evil University (Michigan) I decided I should teach her students a new phrase. I approached them and told them it would be good for them to say “Go Buckeyes” whenever they saw her. They asked why and I tried as best I could to explain to them that the Buckeyes and Wolverines were fierce rivals and that it would be playing a joke on her if they did that. I said it would make her laugh. They warmed to the idea of playing a joke on their beloved teacher. So they kept asking me how to say it. I am sure they have no idea what a Buckeye is but then, who does west of the Mississippi? They would turn to me with a smile and say “Gah Bukahhs?” I’d reply, “Yes, that’s it! Go say it to her.” I’m hoping they remember to say it to her when she returns.
At long last the plane arrived. The family had stuck with me despite the light drizzle. When it came time to board the plane I reluctantly said good-bye to all of my new friends. Herbert, Shoeless, Asheran, Yonus, her parents, her daughter Moshalina and various other assorted kids were all there to say good-bye. I thought I spotted Brenda in the distance. Weeja finally joined us and I told her I would miss her. She seemed to appreciate the thought. I boarded the plane, found my seat, and sadly watched Ailinglaplap disappear from my life.