Friends of mine are flying to Senegal today.  I decided to sneak up to Brussels Airport and surprise them.

The flight leaves at 12:25 pm.  A tram in Gent and a train to Brussels got me to the airport at 9:40 am.  That’s pretty close to the three-hour recommended time.

The check-in to Dakar was in area 01.  I stood there at 9:45 or so.  Only about twenty folks were lined up … my friends not included.

So I was fine.

I figured that the dear ones would be taking an elevator from the parking lot with their luggage piled on carts.  I found a big sign to hide behind, and I planned my moment.

There was a tiny slice of space behind the sign, and I adjusted my head so I could see the arrivers but they weren’t likely to see me.  Perfect.

Would I burst out immediately, waving my arms as they came by?

Or would I delay it a bit, tiptoeing up behind them?

Either would be glorious.

As I waited, I saw the symphony of humanity flowing towards their planes.  Some were dressed lightly, anticipating a warm destination.  Others clearly were heading to colder climes.

And then there were the pilots and flight attendants … all dressed up with some place to go!

9:45 turned into 10:15 – still two hours and ten minutes from liftoff.  I had already focused on hundreds of faces from my hiding spot.  No friends.

10:45 … 11:15.  And I was getting tired.  Too much concentrating.

And then the realization:

Either my friends had registered at the Brussels Airlines desk awfully early, or they had switched flights, or they were so late that they wouldn’t get through security in time to fly at 12:25.

(Sigh)

No surprise

I’m sad

And also proud of myself for going for it

…

I hope there’ll be a next time