Chapter One: Catching the Plane

On Halloween, 1986, I took Bonnie to Mirabel airport for her KLM flight to India. Calculating backwards, since we had to pick up the ticket in Montreal on the way, we had to leave home by 1:00 p.m. at the latest to catch the 6:15 flight.

At 2:00 we left home. There is a time problem already. We whip along the blacktop towards the Montreal thruway at 125 kph. I see a car parked in the far distance, and slow down - early enough so I don't register on the police radar. We are doing 80 by the time I come into range. Close call. It was the police. We get on the thruway and charge off to Montreal.

I take a shortcut to the travel agent's home in Verdun, near Montreal. He is waiting in front of his house: "Do you have room for me? - No, I can see you're full with suitcases. Park your car here, and let's go in my car. We'll be back in 30 minutes if there's no traffic jam."

As the rush hour begins, we get to the ticket office in downtown Montreal. While he runs in, I turn his car around on the busy street, just in time for him to jump into the driver's seat again. We get back to our car in 45 minutes instead of 30. We take off. The rush hour is upon us. Traffic creeps along.

At 5:20, I pull up to the terminal. There is usually a big line-up. We look in, and there's NO ONE IN LINE! THEY'RE ALL ON THE PLANE! We unload the four suitcases and Bonnie's carry-on bag. Michel, a volunteer Intern who is going with Bonnie is anxiously waiting, fingernails bitten off to the wrist. He loads the luggage onto a cart, and I park the car.

I return out of breath. Bonnie is in the middle of the floor repacking luggage. Some bags are too heavy. Books, baby diapers, childrens' clothes, are all over the airport floor. Bonnie finishes. Michel and I both have to squeeze her carry-on bag in order to close the zipper.

We put the luggage through, and this time only one bag is overweight, but the attendant lets it go because they are already late. We load the carry-on bags onto the cart and I run with it to the gate. Michel runs, carrying his guitar, for which he had obtained clearance by calling in ahead of time. Bonnie walks. This is known as poise.

We wait at the gate while Bonnie goes to the washroom. Finally she emerges, gives me a hug and goes to security. "No, Ma'am," says the officer, "That carry-on bag is too big." So she comes back. I plead with her just to remove some stuff, leave it with me and go on through. No, it's a matter of principle. It's not her own stuff - she's carrying stuff for the orphanages. The ticket counter is deserted except for one attendant talking on the phone. Bonnie interrupts him: "They told me to get a special carry-on tag for this piece."

He says on the phone: "I think this is her now at the ticket counter." He hangs up and says to Bonnie, "The aircraft is waiting for you. Come quickly." As they round the corner and disappear through a different door, here comes Michel to tell me he needs a tag for his guitar. I tell him to run after Bonnie, but she already went through. He runs back to security and waits while the officer makes a phone call. Finally he goes through with his guitar.

Bonnie was the last one through the gate. When she boarded the big transfer bus to the plane, Michel was not on it. He was following by special car, lights flashing, to the plane. It's no wonder they decided to close Mirabel Airport permanently. - Fred Cappuccino

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