Number 52: Sascha, when 15 years old in Standard 8, went on a three month Ulpan to Jerusalem, Israel.  He was given special permission to stay on an extra week to spend with us on Kibbutz Yuval and our sister Margo and partner Dan in Tel Aviv.

His teacher, Mr Goldberg, confirmed that there was nothing we needed to do concerning the arrangement. So at the end of the extra week we took Sascha on the three and a half hour’s drive to the airport.  Sheryl, seven months pregnant with Maya, felt very nauseous in the car. When we finally arrived, we were told that there was no record of Sasch booked on the flight! Put on standby he was eventually told that there is place for him! With his luggage through, we said goodbye for the long drive back, Yair our two year old son, also with us.

Very early the next morning, to our great surprise, Margo phoned to say that Sasch had missed his flight and arrived at two am at her and Dan!  He had gone to “Duty Free” to buy perfume for my Mom and did not hear the call for the flight nor the specific call for him to board. When he realized what was happening, he ran to the check in and although the plane, with his luggage, was still on the runway, it was too late to board.

El Al  arranged a driver to take Sasch to Margo and Dan’s apartment in Tel Aviv. His diary with our phone numbers and addresses were on the plane, as was most of his money and he did not know the precise address of the Apartment. They drove around a number of times and, just as the taxi driver was about to give up, he eventually found the Apartment. Imagine Margo and Dan’s surprise (and Margo’s fury!) when they opened their front door in the middle of the night to find Sascha standing there!

So one more week in Israel for Sascha, before he could return on the next El Al flight to Cape Town.