Just go, what's the big deal? So you'll miss one week. You hate that job anyway.
That's not the point. I was going to give notice. Don't you care about my plans?
I don't see how one week is going to make that much of a difference. Just give them notice when you get back.
I really don't want to do that. I have plans.
Change them. It's just a week! I'm so excited. I can't wait! Can you believe I got the tickets a few days before?
What is the point of going for a week? With the travel days it will only end up being five days. What are your plans for five days?
Hana has plans for us. She said not to worry, just come. We could go for hikes, go to the ocean, the market...it will be beautiful!
That was the conversation on July 7th. Full of convincing and arguments and desire versus logic, something I am quite familiar with. My final answer was no. Dad told me not to feel bad and that it was her fault for just booking a ticket without talking to me and so on. She attempted to change the reservation.
United claimed that because she submitted the request as the two of us she would have to start all over and it was possible that she would lose her seat. As it was there weren't any further seats available and if they changed the seat to be ineligible for the use of mileage, there was nothing to be done.
Tears. Disappointment. Disaster. I spent the 8th of July thinking that I ruined my mom's plans by not being helpful and spontaneous. She spent the entirety of her day on the phone trying to work it out. All she wanted for her 60th birthday was to go to Israel and here was my chance to go with her. It was just a week. I could cancel my babysitting gig and tell work....what? Who in their right mind is going to believe that I needed a last minute luxury getaway to the Middle East?
I lied. I hate doing shit like this but it was never going to fly. Instead of telling my contract supervisor that I was leaving and my last day would be the 16th, I told her that my mom was ill. She previously had plans to go to Canada to visit family and was no longer sure she felt up to going by herself. Amazingly, a woman who I thought hated me and had previously given me a very difficult time, had simply said: "I don't see why not." I got the time off. It was a miracle.
Minutes after this worked out I received a text message from Mom that said she was able to get me off the reservation. I called back.
Are you kidding? I just got the time off? How am I supposed to explain this now?
OH! YOU GOT THE TIME OFF? I'LL CHANGE IT.
Oh god. Look if you can't change it, forget it ok? I thought I was doing you a favor. I'll come up with something.
No! Wait! They're still on the phone........(background noise).......ok. You're back on. But you're flying through Frankfurt on the way back.
WHAT? Look let me call you when I'm out of here.
Later on I found out that they weren't able to get me on a return flight with Mom. Whether this was always the case or not I don't know. I have no idea why she was fine with me having to spend a night in Frankfurt alone but this really upset me. She wanted me to come so badly that she didn't care about what I'd have to deal with to do this. Normally I am ok with traveling alone but it was too much. I got pissed off because the point of going was to make sure she wasn't alone and now she would be alone anyway. I wanted to cancel. I wanted out.
Too late. The tickets had gone from "reserved" to "issued" and I was thoroughly upset; tears, stomach ache, the works.
Dad checked everything online to be sure it was ok. It turned out that they had me on the flights but not Mom. Another series of phone calls ensued and by midnight it was finally resolved. Mom and I were on the same flights, both staying overnight in Frankfurt on the return leg.
I didn't want to do this. That long of a flight so spend only a week is nothing short of insane. She wanted it though. She needed it. She needed me to go with her and by 9am the morning of July 9th, I was on a flight.
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