The rest of the story

So, there I was standing, stunned to silence by what the gentleman had told me. The cargo for the flight to Berlin on Monday morning was closed. Full stop. The rest of the staff already left office and were back in Windhoek, 45 km away.

He offered to call his manager for me to speak to her. She told me the agent should have confirmed that the date on the documents wasn’t a holiday day in Namibia, as on holdiday days they were closed, toe, geschlossen.

The gentleman introduced himself as Mr Paulus M Uukongo. He suggested that I should perhaps start with customs to get all the paperwork stamped and the carnet de passage filled in and stamp.

It was getting late already. I ran to the custom offices. The lady behind the counter was so relaxed. Each time she started with my paperwork she was interrupted by a gentleman or lady who ordered cats or dogs from South Africa and who came to fetch the poor pets. And the clock was ticking… Then I had to fetch another customs official from the other side of the complex to come and check the chassis and engine numbers of the KLR. Also there the pet-fetchers interrupted us again a few times.

In the meantime Mr Uukongo again spoke to his manager and she agreed to drive back from Windhoek to the airport to come and certify the KLR as dangerous cargo and fit to be transported. He helped off-loading the KLR and to get it on the pallet in the cargo hall. He pointed at some of my stickers and told me that he was a Christian.

There, in the cargo area of the airport I witnessed how the principles of Christianity were practiced by a gentlemen who didn’t have to help me but was prepared to do so. He had all rights to tell me to bugger off, but he hadn’t done so. The fact that the KLR is flying on Monday is mainly because of his willingness to help me.

I gave him one of the stickers that a school boy of Naboomspruit gave me with our last prayer meeting: Reality = Good is Good! He was really glad to get the sticker for his car.

Last night I was totally exhausted. But as I woke up this morning I realized something was missing. In all the excitement I didn’t get a copy of the waybill that I have to submit in Berlin as proof that the KLR is mine!!!!

I drove back to the airport, knowing that it is a holiday day. I drove to the office of Air Berlin, and it was closed.

I felt so helpless. For no reason I walked down the cargo complex and found an office of Air Namibia open. There was one lady at the counter. Out of pure desperation I asked her whether she didn’t know Mr Uukongo of Air Berlin and if she didn’t have perhaps his cell number.

Yes, she did know him. Yes, she did have his number.

She called him in Windhoek, and an hour later I had the copy of the waybill in my hands.

Reality = God is Good!

I saw something that compensated for all the stress. I saw a brilliant red sunrise this morning. While taking a photograph of it suddenly the silhouettes of two giraffes appeared on a hill and walked past the rising sun!

How privileged I was to see so much beauty!

01 mr paulus m uukongo

02 sunrise with two giraffes