Our friends Mike and Mary were traveling home and were detoured at the Houston airport. They waited in the lounge with a woman of Oriental appearance who had been on their connecting flight. When their flight was canceled, they approached the ticket agent, and this woman followed the crowd, assuming they were boarding. It was obvious she did not speak English when she addressed the ticket agent. Mike and Mary left for their connecting flight with the woman attempting to communicate with the agent. Here's a short story of what might have been.
-----------------------------------------------
The ticket agent looked at her and said "May I help you?" She shrugged her shoulders and turned around.
She stood looking at the flight board, checked her ticket, and then looked at the flight board. The airport public address system buzzed in her ears like the sound of a busy flock of blue jays. She looked at the flight board once more, and then looked at her ticket, again. The lounge chairs were not that comfortable, but better than standing. Her uncle has schooled her in the English numbers, and her flight number was still on the board. The words next to the flight kept changing, but they all looked like 'baseball' to her, and she did not know what they meant. She sat down and slumped in her seat.
The PA system squealed again - 'Blah yech blah blah yech tup baseball' sounded in her ears. She started to cry. She would miss her flight home and be late for the funeral. The little boy sitting next to her noticed the tears and soft sobs, and then tugged on her sleeve.
"Hey Lady, what's wrong?" he said. She cocked her head. "No English."
"You can't speak English?" She shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'Yes'.
He held up his smartphone and started the translate application, and showed it to the woman. "Tell me what is wrong." he said again.
She spoke and the phone translated. "Going na home. Funeral ba tomorrow ga. Plane which time on?"
He spoke into the phone. "You are going home for a funeral." She nodded. "And you don't want to miss your flight?" She nodded again. "Do you have a smart phone?" Once more a nod. "Put this app on it. Then you can talk to the agent."
The lady took out her iPhone. All the characters looked like 'eggnog' to the young boy. She found and installed the app, and then spoke into the phone. "Thank you. Now I ga na home go." He smiled.
"Jimmy! What are you doing? Are you bothering this lady? I can't leave you alone for 5 minutes and you're messing about again. I don’t know …."
"But Mom!" She grabbed his ear.
"You are coming with me right now!"
"He help me." The lady's phone spoke.
"I'm so sorry he bothered you."
"No bother. He helps me go home ga nod yeb talk plane."
Mom let go of his ear. "Really?"
The lady shook her head and smiled. She smiled at the boy and waved good-bye.
The ticket agent looked at her and said "May I help you?"
