Of course, we did. As soon as I got up, I asked my wife, and she readily and happily agreed. In the rush, we didn’t find a suitable way to book tickets. We had decided on going by flight. We called up our younger son, who booked both to and fro tickets within minutes. We had to take a late evening flight both ways. Since it was to be just a day’s visit, there wasn’t much planning needed, so we packed quickly. I asked my sister to book a room near the place where the function was being held. Within six hours, we were in a cab on our way to the airport.

It may not sound funny or surprising that despite our many visits to the U.S., we had not been on a domestic flight for over a decade. We didn’t know what to expect. The airport itself had been rebuilt. Getting into the airport and checking in did not prove to be difficult. We were asked questions as to why we needed wheelchairs—this had not happened before. Anyway, wheelchairs were provided. I should mention that both the guys who pushed the wheelchairs were really nice. The problem was there was no aerobridge entry. The wheelchairs were pushed up a ramp into the bus. Even in the flight, there was a ramp, and the wheelchair was pushed up to the entrance. Being a very short flight, it was smooth.

But a surprise awaited us in Bangalore. Bangalore Airport is really huge, well-developed, and fairly recently reconstructed. As we came to the exit, there was no ramp—only steps. With my faltering eyesight and my wife’s tottering legs, we had to manage to get down the steps. We accept even unacceptable things when we have no choice.

No wheelchair was available after getting down. We had to board the bus with some amount of assistance and difficulty. Unfortunately, none of the crew or the guys manning the bus seemed to care much about our plight. However, there was a lady passenger who took great care and kept checking on our comfort levels throughout. After alighting from the bus, with this lady passenger keeping close tabs on us, we walked a short distance and, after asking, got a buggy. It was then that this lovely soul of a passenger heaved a sigh of relief and let us go. My nephew had arranged for a pickup car, and soon we were on our way.

Continued in 216. Function, Fun, Frolic and Frustration Too - Part 4