Lost and Found

Charlie has made remarkable progress the past couple of weeks and when the colleague I was supposed to orient in Florida canceled, he decided he would come with me. The problem was that I couldn't get him a seat on my plane, so he was on a different airline. I left Kansas City around 9:30 and changed planes in Dallas, and arrived in Palm Beach around 5:30. He was to leave, on Delta, at 11 AM, change planes in Atlanta and arrive in Palm Beach around 5. I told him he would get there first and to get his luggage and wait for me there.

I texted him from Dallas and said my plane was going to be about 20 minutes late and gave him the airline and flight number, so he could check it. I thought it was strange I didn't hear back from him, but figured he was on the plane. When I landed in Palm Beach I called. He didn't answer. I walked through the concourse keeping an eye out for him and then to the luggage claim area. No Charlie anywhere. I called again. He didn't answer. I fetched my luggage, then looked for him again. The signs said his flight had arrived. I walked the length of the area looking at everyone and calling. Still no answer. (All in all, I called him 15 times with no answer.)

I was starting to get worried and went to the Delta ticketing counter to ask if they could tell me if he made the connection in Atlanta. They said they cannot give out passenger information, but why don't I try having him paged. I used the courtesy phone and had him paged to the luggage area. I returned and sat for 15 minutes. No Charlie. I decided to go pick up the car and come back, so I wouldn't have to continue to drag my luggage around and could cover ground faster. I continued to call and leave messages. Once back at the airport I quickly walked all three floors and checked out the two remaining restaurants that were open. No Charlie. I sat down for a while and tried to figure out what to do. I finally called Chuck and told him the story and asked him to see what he could find out. Meantime I would go to the hotel on the off chance he had taken a taxi.

Chuck called back with no information, but said he was pretty sure he would turn up. I gave Molly all the flight information and asked her to see what she could find out. She was able to get a somewhat affirmative response that he had made the connection and arrived in Palm Beach. OKAY! Now I know I only have one geographic area in which to hunt.

I was on the phone with Molly, when a call beeped in from a number I didn't recognize. By the time I tried to get it it was too late. I immediately started to call it back, but it rang again and, yes, it was Charlie. He was in a taxi driving around West Palm Beach looking for the hotel. Only problem is that the hotel was in Boca Raton. I gave him the address and he finally arrived, about three hours later than the initial plan. I asked him why he hadn't called sooner, he left his phones in Kansas City and couldn't remember my phone number. He had finally called Chuck and asked him if he knew the number. (Chuck wanted to know why he hadn't called Chuck sooner.) He arrived a bit rattled and $80 dollars poorer. I'm sure the taxi driver had quite the story to tell his family when he got home! I listened to the message he had left me on the first call. He said, "Hi, Sarah, this is Charlie Trump and I'm lost. I forgot the name of the hotel, and I forgot my phones."

I asked him why he didn't just sit down at the luggage carousel and wait for me. He said his plane was late and he figured I had already arrived....."And you thought I would just go off and leave you?" We now have pact that we never leave the luggage carousel unless we know where the other one is. Hopefully, we will be able to travel on the same airplane from now on.

Today he went to AT&T and bought his third I phone.