Immaculate Conception

I will start from the very end of our trip. Dani and me reached Porto yesterday around midnight.From Zurich we flew to Palma de Mallorca from Palma de Mallorca to Barcelona and finally from Barcelona to Porto.So why did we take this strange angular route almost tracing a 'V'in the air, covering a lot of useless nautical miles, hoping off and on at airports? Well that is how it is when you have to fly cheap.

So after over eight hours of wait at the Barcelona airport, we moved to the Ryan air counter. To be fair, Ryan air offers the cheapest flight options within Europe. But then its like a hurdles race where any time you might trip over of a thousand carefully set rules of law. You fall down and end up paying through your nose.

So me and Dani did a frantic rearrangement of our luggage to stick within the weight restrictions, put on as many clothes as we could till it was stifling hot and smartly marched to the boarding gate. To our horror, there stood a smiling young woman who made each passenger place his or her hand luggage on a frame. If you fall out of the frame, you pay the price!

There was no way our backpacks were gonna past the test. So we slipped out of the line and waited for the ceasefire and slipped in silently again. I pulled the hood of my jacket over my backpack to make it look inconspicuous. But oh dear! what about the half- read 'Midnight's Children' in my hands. It would definitely count as over and above the one piece of luggage!

That was when i decided to play the pregnancy card. So i slipped the book under my jackets and rearranged myself so as to look as Appa would say "slightly pregnant' and positively thrilled about it. All was well, till we were about two persons down to the boarding gate. And then, the book began to slip! And I had no option but to guard the lump on my stomach in a rather ungainly way. The lady smiled me in and just as I was about to pass.. "Pardone..madame.."

"Madam are you carrying a bag in there?" Her gaze right over my sin, I looked beseechingly at Dani. She however rose to the occasion. With all the exclamation she could manage in her voice she asked me loudly clearly and slowly. "She thinks you have a bag in there .. you know A BAG. do you!!?" Of course not, A bag! Dani said I looked especially stupid and bewildered as I shook my head. Well.. when it comes to acting stupid, I am a a natural...

In any case the girl let us in. I don't think it was my acting. It might have been just the amusement of seeing me clutching a now rectangular buldge arguing my way out. Any way the angel opened the doors. The Children of Midnight were delivered as soon as we stepped on board.

I think it is better that i don't fly with the company any more. Pregnancy is too much of a risk to take!