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Be all that as it may, meanwhile:
'In other news…'
27th June 2010
Sunday: Watching the evening news on My Beloved – Aunty ABC – the disturbing news of the boat collision in Thailand near Koh Samui met my ears: 7 Australians injured. I informed Janny, we phoned our daughter's mobile phone and left a message, and I went to the internet to do some research. It worried us that she did not answer.
I found the travel itinerary that The Babies Ink&Peggletter left with us, and my heart sank as Koh Samui leapt off the pages: they are staying on the island until Wednesday, since last Thursday. I rang the federal consular help line, and gave our daughter and her partner's names, and was highly relieved to be told that they weren't on the injured list.
Later in the evening, after more phone calls to our daughter's mobile not responding, the niggling thought grew in me that all this is relying on a correct or complete passenger list. Back on the internet at midnight, one of the news reports, from Radio Australia in fact, greatly increased my anxiety: 'Seven Australians sitting at the front of one of the boats were thrown out. Initially authorities thought that two people were still missing but now police say all passengers are accounted for. They're checking whether anyone has failed to return to local hotels just in case.'
Janny had retired, very anxious, and I didn't want to burden her with this report, so I found the number of their hotel; fortunately they had put that information in the itinerary. My first call ramped up my concerns: no one by my daughter's surname in the hotel!
I phoned back, and they found her partner's surname, and switched me through to their room, at about half eleven p.m. their time. It rang for an awful stretch of time… then it picked up, but silence. I spoke, and what an enormous relief when Baby Inkletter answered!
Parenthood has no equal.
+paytontedwithlove+
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