This was our 4th visit to the Embassy and the guards all recognize us by now. We got through security and took our seats in the waiting area. I had never been to the Embassy in the morning before and it was packed full of people, a much different scene than in the afternoon when at times we were the only ones in the waiting area.
Even though we were told to come at 8:00 am, it was 9:30 before we were finally called to the back window for our interview. Shane kept reciting a spin off of one of his favorite Seinfeld quotes, "You know how to take the appointment. You just don't know how to keep the appointment." Indeed. They sure didn't seem to understand the meaning of appointment.
At last our name was called and off we went for the interview. We met with the same woman who had interviewed me before. She asked a handful of questions and we were done. Our visa was approved! And the highlight of the day...the visa would be ready to be picked up at 2:00 this afternoon!! Our last step of this long journey was nearly here!!
We left the Embassy and called Quincy to pick us up, but he was having a hard time getting through on the roads. We thought it was due to road construction on the street that the Embassy entrance was located on, but as we walked up to the crossroad, we quickly realized something else was going on. The main road had been closed with security guards deterring cars to other roads. With no cars in sight, we made the 3 block walk back to the Marriott. While a very short distance, there are no sidewalks and walking on the already narrow roads can be quite dangerous with cars flying past you. Under normal circumstances, I would have never made the walk. But since Quincy couldn't get to us and there were no cars in sight, we ventured off. It was an eerie sight to see the usually busy road void of any vehicles. We walked briskly towards the hotel as storm clouds were rolling in and we were unsure of what exactly was going on.
Soon we saw a huge group of people wearing red and standing in one of the normally busy intersections holding signs. There was some sort of protest occurring, but thankfully it was a peaceful one with people just quietly standing and a news crew nearby filming. The Peoples Progressive Party, a political party in Guyana, was protesting the current President of Guyana who was at the hotel next to the Marriott speaking at a business luncheon. We kept moving past the crowd and arrived safe and dry to the Marriott just as the rain began to pour down.
At 2:00 pm, we were back at the Embassy to pick up Aria's visa. This time around, we were in and out in just 10 minutes. Several guards said congratulations as we left the Embassy for the final time. The last step in our long list to-dos was finally done! We had Aria's US visa and can finally come home!!
With the rest of the afternoon free, we headed back to the Guyana craft market and picked up a couple more beautiful handmade wooden items to bring home. We had been trying to get a hold of Joycelyn to find a time to stop over to say goodbye and realized that perhaps her wifi was down and she wasn't getting her WhatsApp messages. So Quincy called her on our behalf. After a couple tries, she finally answered and said to come on over.
When we arrived, I got the privilege of walking the plank with Aria in my arms. After we safely crossed, there was no way I was carrying her back across the slightly slanted and a bit too wobbly board to get to the car. Someone else would have to do the honor.
Joycelyn was waiting for us, but her girls were not yet home from school. I was hoping to let them say goodbye as well. Joycelyn quickly took Aria from my arms to get some snuggles and Aria started screaming. She was so very upset. She's become quite attached to me (and me to her) over the last 3 1/2 weeks, but today was the ultimate test. Joycelyn had been Aria's primary caregiver for the past 11 months, yet she still wanted Mom. I never knew how Aria would attach. She's 20 months old and with her brain abnormalities, I didn't know what to expect. But it's clear she knows exactly who her mom is.
Shania came home from school just before we left. Aria started to warm up a bit and let both Shania and Joycelyn hold her for a few minutes, but she soon started squawking for Mom. Since we couldn't see everyone, we'll be back tomorrow to say goodbye to the rest of the family who's been loving on our sweet pea for the past year.
Our long journey to 'Bring Aria Home' is almost over! Tomorrow night we leave on the red-eye bound for home!
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