“The Terminal” During COVID-19 Pandemic

Initially, Mr. He thought that it was a ticket to home, his hometown in China. He didn’t realize that it was a ticket to hell.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not easy for Chinese citizens to buy tickets back home from abroad due to travel restrictions and canceled flights. For Mr. He, he was one of the lucky guys who could buy a ticket to go home from Africa. He transferred at Ethiopia, the ticket was times more expensive than ordinary, but for Mr. He, it worthed that. He was so worried in Africa that he was willing to cost anything to go home.

He felt so lucky for himself.

But once he stepped into the airport in Ethiopia, he entered hell.

He was notified that he hadn’t paid enough money for the ticket. Four thousand US dollar, it was the price he needed. It was a significant figure for him that he couldn’t afford. He asked his wife in China for help, but what he ultimately got was less than a thousand.

He could only stay at the airport. As time pass by, the flights were getting less and less, and the ticket was getting more and more expensive. More importantly, even with money, it wasn’t easy to get a ticket.

Employees from the Embassy came and helped. But what they could do is just find a ticket for him. Mr. He can’t afford a six thousand US dollar price ticket.

He was like a homeless staying at the airport. He used his Chinese Currency to change for some US dollar. What he could afford was bread.

Luckily, people offered him help. Shops in the airport gave him hot water, pass by passengers brought him food and money, and employees from Embassy left him medicines and masks.

Now he has already got used to life at the airport. He met some nice guys at the airport. He even got the cancel to lose weight. The only problem was that he couldn’t take a shower.

But the time for home was still unknown to Mr. He. The tickets have been fully booked until September. But Mr. He was still waiting. He has already waited for two months. Sometimes he forgot what’s he waiting for; he was already numb about it. He just wants to have a Chinese noodle, which is what he dreamed of last night.

He really missed home.