The ticket I had purchased was for the April 25 trip and there was no way for it to be cancelled or even postponed. KLM flights leave Manila on Wednesdays, and I was beating the Université calendar before it broke out for the holidays. It was a tricky situation. I was already in Manila four days before the scheduled flight, lugging my stuff of Tagaytay / Baguio clothing for spring, but my VISA had not yet been released.
from San Juan to Santa Mesa
I had applied for a BENELUX (Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg) VISA for backup in case my Schengen didn’t get approved. But I was informed that students were not granted a BENELUX. So there I was in a state of nervous prayers, invoking Saints, even the most unknown ones. If I return to Bacolod forfeiting the trip, I could never forgive myself, I thought. Maria, the roundtrip tickets were worth my tuition!
May Bisa
Connections, though, could ease out a bureaucracy. Madame Françoise, not the woman of the brothel, but the “human link” between the Université and the University, knew the ambassador on a first name basis. Personally, I was—and I am—against this whole thing of asking favors especially on a matter that involved rules to have been followed, the reputation of the one asking the favor on my behalf, and the sweeping dent it would cause the already dented image of the Filipino. Madame Francoise thought the same way, too, so she didn’t beg “Gregoire” as she referred to the ambassador, but only asked for the status of my VISA. The date of my filing, after all, fit the Embassy’s working lead time to a “t”, I shrieked and rejoiced with the saints of travel. I apologized to Madame Françoise on and on for my stupidity.
So this was my second trip, a year after last winter when I nonchalantly but wishfully declared at the Zaventem that I was coming back before 2011.
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