Guardian Angel parts II & III

We arrived in Newhaven… what a relief, we were going to make the ferry.  We queued to get through customs then it was our turn at the ticket window.  I passed over our documents….

“Sorry you have the wrong tickets… you should have bike tickets as well as foot passenger tickets”

In Scotland if you go on the ferry your bike goes free!  In England you need to pay for your bike too.  I didn’t know this!  The lady told us we had to go to the ticket window inside to buy the other ticket. I joined the queue.  Just as I was being served, Max, our guardian angel, backpack-carrying friend, passed by and overheard the conversation.  He joined us and said… “yes but you are just foot passengers… both your bikes are in my van” I knew our bikes were outside in the rain against the railing so said, “No we need to pay for our bikes”.  Then Max confirmed that he was offering to carry our bikes in his van, across the channel, to the other side… for free!

What a man! What a man! What a man, what a mighty good angel!

Bikes deposited, we walking into the terminal soaking wet, exhausted!  I was STARVING!  We went to the canteen area only to find the cook packing up to leave.   I begged.  I  explained how I really needed food.  She agreed to stay open just for us, to make us tuna baked potatoes and cups of tea!

After I ate as much as I could (by this time my stomach was the size of a golf ball!), we headed out to the terminal seated area for the ferry to board.   My friend went to the loo and I phoned my mum.  In those moments I felt exhausted, emotional & defeated.   I said to her that I didn’t know if I could make it.  She assured me she had faith in me and faith that God would help me through.   I cried.  I went to the disabled toilet and changed into clean warm clothes then we all boarded the ferry, where I curled up in a ball under a table to escape the glare of the lights and put some soothing tunes on my iPod and dosed off to sleep.   Thank you God!