I asked the security officer if I could grab my jacket, and she didn’t even say a word. She just nodded and let me reach for it because, normally, you’re not allowed to touch your stuff while going through security. But this time, she was surprisingly chill about it. I was already running late for my flight to Manila.
I had about 30 minutes left, and I knew I was cutting it dangerously close. Then, the security lady decided to give me the full pat-down. Not a quick usual check—my bag got thoroughly searched, and they even frisked my robo arm. All I could think about was that the gate was still a long ways away and the clock was ticking.
After that, I made a run for it. By the time I got to the gate, the staff were already calling out for the last passenger. They asked if I was going to Manila, and when I said yes, they rushed me onto this little jolly scooter. We were supposed to be racing against time, but this thing was moving at like one mile an hour, puttering along like a cartoon.
I swear, I thought we were never going to reach the plane. I finally made it on board, but not without a good laugh. I couldn’t help but think about how punctual Japan is compared to the Philippines. Back in Japan, the gate opened 40 minutes before boarding, and they were already calling me out for being late at 30.
I had been streaming late nights in Japan, so I was running on about four hours of sleep for days, and it had finally caught up to me. I did all that traveling with gear and luggage, and I still managed to barely make the flight. But that’s how it usually goes for me.
Still, I’m just happy I made it home.
