Essay - Travels
- No.3
2002 Summer - Yakushima No.1 -
journeyAfter the last trip, we went to Yakushima in the island series next week, too.
This time members of "Tomi-Peco tour" are Tomi, Peco, me and my younger brother Deco and his bride Chie. Tomi, Peco and me arranged to go to Osaka by train and meet Chie and Deco who lived in Kyoto at Osaka Itami airport. Since this was the first family trip by five, we had enough time for a connection, but...
Toyama group of three left from Takaoka station at 5 o'clock early in the morning and arrived at Shin-Osaka station at half past eight. As it was two hours until departure time of the airplane still, we had udon noodles for breakfast in the Shin-Osaka station. After we finished our meal, it happened. Tomi tapped his hip pocket and groped in his rucksack. "What's up?" "I've lost my wallet..."
"Pickpocket?" "There! I hate a big city!" "Wait a moment. Calm yourself. Did you drop it in the train?" "Sure! You were half asleep and got off the train in a flurry." "You see! I told you to keep your wallet in your bag." "There! I hate a big city!" "Go and ask. Hurry up!" He ran to the platform. Of cource, the train had arrived at Osaka station already. The station staff said flatly "You would rather go and ask yourself than I inquire." Tomi had no choice but to go to Osaka station.
His wallet was found at Osaka station. Ah, what a devil's own lucky he has.
Hurry up please!It was already half past nine when Tomi returned to Shin-Osaka station. "We hadn't time much. Should we go to the airport by taxi?" "Yes." "But why we always like this?" We arrived at Itami airport past ten o'clock. Chie and Deco welcomed with looking strangely why we were late. We went through boarding procedures at the check-in counter of ANA. When we checked our baggage, the problem occurred again.
We planed to go to Yakushima via Kagoshima airport on account of transfer. The airline (JAC) between Kagoshima and Yakushima was different from the one between Osaka and Kagoshima. However we hadn't gotten the ticket still owing to mistake of travel agent. If we didn't have its ticket, we had to get our baggage at Kagoshima airport once. It's a real hassle. We were scheduled to get the thicket easily at Itami airport. But, somehow only twenty minutes remained. Besides ticket counter of JAC was far away. Then Deco and me ended up having to run.
Puff-puff, huff-n-puff, Deco and me got the ticket and returned. But our baggage already brought to the plane by the deadline. Phew. But it was no time for sanking down. Only ten minutes remained before the departure time. "Where is our boarding gate?" "Pretty furthest gate seven" "We must hurry up!" Run again? "Oh! Someone is stopped at the security check." "Sommelier knife!" "Who?". When I had uneasy feel, airport facilities resounded with announcement "Mr. So-and-Tomi, Mrs So-and-Yasu, ... , Please hurry up to the gate seven..."
P.S. If you happen to see running person accompanied by a staff in the airport, you don't have to laugh. Because you never know what circumstances they have.