Glancing from left to right and there are four counters with individual or group travelers facing to the officers for asking questions. A single thin yarn of respectful serious are wheeling my body from the bottom and form a roll of yarn include me standing in the centre unhopefully and miserably. My feeling is trapped in the yarn until my eye meets with the eye of the guard next to me. Notice me one of the corner is empty and it is your turn.
Appear as a normal traveller walking toward the counter but my entire body are trapped inside the nervousness from the yarn of the seriousness. Understand if there is single problem within the conversation, there is a chance of losing battle which is getting me locked up in a room until the next flight back to my home. Cost and time consuming on visa application is a mass lost. Remembering there is no backup option since people at my age are either become a delivery man or going back home work as farmer.
A imagine scene of my wife helping in farm breaks into my memory. Sanity that stored from time by time, experience and education interrupted the scene. Bringing me back to reality on the way to the counter. Placing everything on the flat surface on the counter to be received by the officer. Battle begins once he opened my passport and looking through all details along with several glances on my face. Standing as casual as usual and mentally preparing his first verbal attack. Getting my phone out of pocket and opened online translator.
His first attack begins with a question of why coming to UK? My phone absorbs the soundtrack and the translation appears instantly. You have to know the purpose of the attack once there is pause from your protection. Coming with a typed-in answer of coming to visit friends in return for finishing this round. Since all my weapons of paper document has been taken away, all I can do is to protect myself verbally.
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Instant typed down my though of visiting my friends for 2 weeks on the translator and shows it to the officer. He is focusing on flipping document which have been prepared in advanced. When he is checking on my hotel and flight information, my body are drowning in a deep ocean of afraid and scare as a though of checking the accuracy of the documents risen up in my brain. Also, it reminds me that these need to be refund when everything is settled this week.
Officer’s voice interrupted my though with his hand shows front of my face and pointing at the grey green flashing light machine next to me. There is space which is enough for one hand covering where the green light originated. My right hand is following my instinct departing from the side of my body and landing on the glass surface softly. My pair of eyes are catching every steps on my right hand’s movement until it arrives on the facial expression of the officer. My initial thought of prevent break the glass to the final though of answering questions carefully bring me back to focus.
My eye catches the officer’s index finger which putting me into a center of shame from placing the entire hand on the scanner without thinking. The majority of my fingers except the index finger are quickly hiding from glass of scanning. Tiny awkwardness did not break the tension down between me and the officer. Adjusting my finger according to the officer’s demonstration and there is power of fear digesting every emotion and feeling within my body. Fear comes with one intention of insufficient document needed for the entre the country. Stamping voice invading to my brain and it expelled the fear.
This battle is end completely when the officer passes my document to me. Joy is about to spilt out of the face but sense of conscious telling my joy off. This place is serious and everyone needed to respect. A section of pushing the metal stand causing me become the crown of the crowd appears in my brain. Paper in my hand and head to next department where all the luggage gathered.
