27th December 2023 was the day I’ve been waiting for. My dad came to town for 10 days! I remember going to the airport feeling very excited. His midnight arrival time gak menyurutkan semangat saya ketika menjemput. As what Perth Airport arrival terminal says “The best Christmas present is about to walk through these doors.” Yes couldn’t agree more!
I was imagining I would hug my dad with excitement when he walked out the arrival gate. Namun yang terjadi adalah my dad walked out dan kalimat pertama dia: “salah satu koper Papa gak ada.” Jadi dari tiga bagasi yang dia bawa, satu kopernya went missing. Koper utamanya pula yang berisi baju, obat, dan barang-barang titipan saya. Goodbye nastar, kerupuk, bakmi, dll.
Dalam keadaan setengah shock, saya dan suami langsung gerak cepat cari bala bantuan di Perth Airport. Sayangnya karena saat itu waktu sudah menunjukkan pukul 2 pagi, tidak ada satu orangpun yang bisa kami temui di lost and found counter. Seribu tanda tanya berkecamuk di kepala kami. How could this happen?
Hari-hari berikutnya kami lalui dengan contacting all possible contacts: Perth Airport and Jakarta Airport, lost and found counter, the airline customer service, the baggage handler company, via call, whatsapp, email, you name them all. Alih-alih mendapat jawaban, kami malah dioper sana sini tanpa kejelasan. The airline confirmed bagasinya tidak tertinggal di Jakarta dan the baggage handler at Perth Airport confirmed bagasinya tidak ada di Perth. Jadi ada dimana dong?
Satu minggu berlalu tanpa hasil. At this stage, semua orang di keluarga saya sudah exhausted, hopeless, and ready to give up. But I’m not. Saya masih persistent contacting the baggage handler, setiap hari saya text walaupun tidak ada balasan. Di tengah semua ketidakpastian dan keputusasaan ini, somehow I still have my faith and hope high, percaya kalau kopernya akan ditemukan. Every single day without fail, I seek the Lord, I prayed, I did praise and worship. I believe when I seek God, He will hear my prayer and He will answer it.
02 January 2024 at 9.37PM, I was ready to go to bed when my phone rang. From the number that looks familiar, it is the baggage handler at Perth Airport! The number I’ve been calling and texting every day! They asked questions about the missing suitcase (colour, size, baggage ID, etc) and after I gave all the details, they said your suitcase is right next to me, here in Perth Airport. Someone returned your suitcase to the lost and found counter on 01st January but due to no staff on Public Holiday, we only contacted you now.
Thank you Lord, It was the best news ever! Told my husband and my dad, and they were wrapped with happiness. These two didn’t expect such a happy ending but I always believe this day will come. The first sentence I said to my husband: told you our God will never fail us! He listened to our prayers! Because I remember praying kalau memang kopernya ada di tangan orang lain, (sengaja atau tidak disengaja), biar Tuhan yang gerakkan hati orang ini untuk kembalikan kopernya. And He did!
The next morning, we picked up the suitcase, everything was still intact. No damage whatsoever, semua barang bawaan aman sentosa. Happy day! Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.”
God bless. (AS)
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