Sweat drenched my back under a heavy winter coat; a weighty and over-sized backpack hung on my back, a child was strapped on my front, and I tightly gripped a large suitcase. Amidst morning breath and a hint of coffee, a crowd of Ukrainians yelled furiously around me at the Lufthansa service-window where we all waited to be seen. The airport had become a madhouse.

Although I did not understand what the Lufthansa worker had announced in Russian, by the loud and exuberant responses from the Ukrainians, I knew it meant a delay in travel.  I had been gone from my family for seven weeks. I had missed Christmas by three days. Emotionally, I was not sure I could do another hour, let alone another day.

To my far left, I noticed a Lufthansa worker who walked purposely towards the service window. Somehow, I managed to squeeze through the crowd while pulling hard on my suitcase and kept a protective arm around Nina – who was in a trance – overwhelmed by the large crowds and the shouting.

“Excuse me!” I yelled towards the man. “Excuse me!”

The man acknowledged me and walked to meet just a few feet away from the yelling crowd.

“Do you speak English?” I asked.

“Yes, how can I help you?” His English was polite and sounded well practiced.

“Can you tell me what the announcement was?”

“The airport is closed.”

My knees felt like buckling and panic threatened to overcome me.

“What…what do you mean the airport is closed?”

“Due to the snow storm the airport has been closed today.”

“What about my flight to Frankfurt?” I demanded.

“Your flight has been cancelled since the plane was not able to arrive today. Maybe tomorrow you will have better luck.” The man gave me a polite nod and turned toward the back door of the service desk.

“Wait!” I called after him, “What am I supposed to do!”

“You need to stand in line and wait for your turn so we can get you rescheduled for another flight.”

I watched him walk away.

The sting of tears burned my eyes while I willed them to stay away. Not now, I cannot lose it here.

Like a film in slow motion, I watched as the mob continued their shouts of complaints.  There were no lines, no order. It was survival of the fittest; whoever can push their way towards the window got served first. I was no stranger to crowds and pushing my way through, I was a tough girl raised in Mexico City. But I carried a child, a backpack, and a suitcase. Worse, my emotional stability was already so depleted I knew I would not be able to stand and fight the crowd.

I eyed a folding chair by the service window. I reached for the empty chair with my free hand and began dragging it towards the crowd of people. A man grabbed the chair and tried to pull it back to its empty corner.

“Niet” He said.

I was not going to lose my grip on the chair. “I am sorry, I did not realize this is your chair, but as you can see, I could really use it for a little bit”

“Niet!” he pulled again, more Ukrainian words followed. My legs were about to give out, I was emotionally spent, sweat now coming from my forehead and soaking my bangs.

“I need this chair.” I begged.

“Niet!”

I was going to cry, to break down in the middle of the airport and sob uncontrollably. I could feel it coming and I had to fight it.

“LISTEN TO ME!” I yelled so loud people were now looking our direction. “I am taking this chair and I am sitting on it. See this child I have here? She is disabled and I am about to pass out, so let go of this chair right now because I am going to sit on it!”

The man let go, rolled his eyes at me and made a mocking gesture of surrender. As I turned toward the crowd, dragging my suitcase and the chair, people stared. I was the loud and crazy American throwing a scene. I didn’t care.

I sat on my chair, as close to the service window as I could get it. I was shaking, my lip trembled.

Okay Lord, I am about to break down here. I cannot do this, I cannot do this anymore. I have nothing to give, I am completely empty.  I need you to step in and send me an angel. I need to know you have not abandoned me.

I could feel tears running down my cheeks as I looked up. People stared. They whispered and pointed. One woman stared so intently, I mumbled at her, “Please don’t stare at me.”

“Can you re-pit plis?” she asked.

“Never mind.” I turned away from her, wiping a tear with the back of my hand. I felt her hand on my shoulder.

“Plis, re-pit. What you sai? She asked.

I stared at the woman.

“I help you” She encouraged. “I no gud English but I help you.”

“Don’t worry, I’m okay.”

We looked at each other in awkward silence. It would have been natural for her to turn away from me, instead, she kept looking at me. Finally, she pointed at Nina. “Tis your children?”

“Yes.”

“How old?”

“She is almost 4”

“What her name?”

“Nina”

“Nina! Beautiful name, Ukrainian! My name Svitlana”

“Hello Svitlana, I’m Ellen”

“Why you carry her like tis?” She asked pointing at my makeshift sling.

“She cannot walk. She has Cerebral Palsy”

“Ah!” Svitlana looked at me with understanding, then she gently patted Nina’s head “You pretty girl. Nice girl.”

“She doesn’t understand you.” I said

“Oh” She smiled gently at Nina and patted her head once more. I realized she had understood my statement to mean Nina had a mental delay.

“She only speaks Ukrainian, and I believe some Russian too.” I added.

Svitlana looked at me puzzled, “Tis not your children?”

“Yes. But I just adopted her.”

“You adopt her? Tis child? Wif Paralysis Cerebral?”

“Yes.”

Svitlana looked directly into my eyes. She gently nodded and stood tall, a hand placed on my shoulder once more. Because of my previous scene, people around us had been paying close attention to our exchange of words, so when Svitlana cleared her throat and began to speak to the people around us, they were listening. I knew she was speaking about me.

A man with a deep voice yelled out at me “Tenk you.” A young woman, her English crisp and lacking the strong Russian accent approached us and offered help. Svitlana used the opportunity to have someone translate for her, “Thank you, this woman says you have taken one of our children despite her disability…we hide them in institutions…we do not take care of them…we are ashamed…but you have saved one of our own and loved them in a way we never could… thank you.”

A person next to the service window called to me, “Plis, plis, you come. You be first.” The crowd nodded in agreement and moved to the side to let me through. I slowly rose from my chair. Svitlana quickly grabbed my suitcase “I help you.” She nodded toward the service window.

Svitlana stayed by my side for 2 days. She fed Nina, she changed her diapers, she sang lullabies, and rocked her to sleep.

Once in Frankfurt, it was time to say goodbye to Svitlana. I clung to her in a tight embrace as we both cried into each other’s arms.

“I know you will disappear as soon as I let go” I said to my new friend.

“Why dis-pir?”

“When I was sitting on that chair and you spoke to me, I had just prayed and asked God to send me an angel, and He sent you to me.”

“I no angel Ellen”

“Yes, yes you are my sweet friend, yes you are.”

 

P.S. Svitlana and I continue to have a friendship. We occasionally find time to Skype, and she is one of the most generous women I have met in my life.

You can also read more about Nina and I arriving home HERE.