This archive report was first published on 24 December 2019.
It was a chilly morning at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and I was ushering my five-year-old son into one of the glass cubicles at the drop-off point. We had braved the huge pools of water on Airport Road from our house in Syokimau to get there early, hoping to beat the two-hour grace period.
My son had struggled to wake up, left the house without breakfast, and yawned all the way. But the hope of reuniting with his mother, who lives in a country six hours away, kept him going.
REUNITING ¶
My son's mother is an important part of his life, and he doesn't get to spend time with her as often as his peers. The weight of expectation, anticipation, and excitement was palpable as we stood at the airport.
But our travel plans hit a snag when the officers at the check-in counter informed us that our passport and visa details didn't match. I explained the situation to my son, showing him the holes in our old passports and the new ones we had applied for.
He listened carefully, nodding his head, but when I asked him if he understood why we had to go back home, he replied with a flat 'NO' that bordered on tears and tantrums.
OKAY TO BOARD ¶
My son's words cut deep: he would only go back home if I promised to sort the issue that morning so that we could travel the same day. He just wanted to see his mother.
After a long day of waiting, we finally received an 'Okay to Board' email from Mr. Murunga, who had gone the extra mile to explain our situation to the other airport. By 10 pm that night, we were dashing back to JKIA, armed with our documents and the email.
CRUMBLING ¶
It was a situation I wouldn't wish on any parent, where you've built so much hope in your child, only to have it crumble down right before your eyes. Explanations sound like noise, and the feeling of disappointing a minor can only be understood by a parent.
But as I reflected on the experience, I realized that it took me back to a painful memory from my childhood, where my mother had promised me something I longed for, but broke the deal. I had surpassed her expectations, but the promise was never delivered.
