The Eagle has Landed

Picking up my mother in law was more joyful than I could have ever imagined.
If it were legal I would have stood outside the airport the day before, waiting in a tent, just like they do on Thanksgiving, as if they were giving away plasmas for a nickel.
I asked for the day off, her flight came in at 10:30 am on Friday.
On Wednesday, she called that the flight would come in at 2:30 pm, the next day I rescheduled my time off at work, considering her arrival, getting off the flight and grabbing her luggage, if I left work at 2 I would get to the airport at 2:30 ish and wait it out. I didn't wait for 2:00, I was out the door at 1:50 pm, the drive was suspenseful, what were the chances she missed her flight, or got delayed, or didn't get on the flight at all, the odds were against me.
I drove into the airport, one minor detail was not clear to me, the flight, or the airline. I drove in circles and the phone rang. My mother.
"I've been trying to call you!"
"What happened?"
"Her flight comes in at 5:30 pm."
Silence, then "I will see you in five minutes."
I walked into my mom's house and she gave me the phone that my mother in law called from, I dialed, a young man answered, speaking perfect English, "Hi Sir, did a little Korean woman use your phone earlier?"
"Yes, but she left hours ago?"
"Do you know where, what flight?"
"No, sorry."
"Ok, thanks for letting her use your phone."
"Mom!!! She is going around using strangers cell phones, she will probably be hitchhiking over if this becomes a habit."
We sat and waited, at 5 pm the phone rings. "Where are you?" in a very Korean accent in the language of spanish.
"Where are you?" I responded.
"I wait and wait, and wait, no rush, but I wait here."
I look over to my mom, "She is waiting for us."
We resorted to immagrants and all plopped into the circus car, how we had managed extra space, I don't know, but no one wanted to be left behind, it was me, my mom, and the two little ones.
I get to the airport realize what I forgot, pick up my cell and call the number back, wondering which airline, she turns me into an idiot with ease.
"Hi there, was a little Korean woman using your phone."
Another young man spoke into the phone, "Yes, she was in the smoking section, I am not there anymore."
"And which airline area?"
"American Airlines."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you."
We begin to drive around and are rushed off to circle a second time, no sighting of a small Korean woman, well they all look alike, but we didn't see her.
After the second rounding we spotted her, she had the cigarette dangling, ash two inches long, I walked up and hugged her, she looked well. She smiled, she was tired, and she looked like an extra on a Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris movie, those yellow tinted sunglassed, I didn't know they still made those.
After packing her up and exchanging hellos, hugs and kisses, I had the army complete, now back to the battlefield of life with my elderly ladies.