Passport Woes Continue

Driving across Lombok again was an experience in survival. Friday waiting outside the Mataram immigration office was stressful as Oliver was inside with Achand who is pretending to be his uncle in order to procure his passport. The rest of the day waiting to hear what was going on was sheer agony for me. I know I am a very impatient person sometimes. I was led to believe that Oliver would be photographed at immigration on Friday morning and that I would get his passport by the end of the day. Sure. Nothing is ever that simple - especially as I have learnt, in this country. Four o'clock was the stated time. I spent the day watching the clock and of course the day seemed to be twice as long as it normally would. The allotted time passed - no news. I made Achand, who is organising this ring Pak Yusran, the man from immigration. There was a problem with final approval. It would have to wait till Monday. I was furious. I insisted that if they were still at immigration we could come back and still try to get the passport. Pak Yusran said to bring Achand to immigration. So I drove like a maniac all the way from Puri Mas Villas in Sengiggi to Mataram. A thirty-minute trip usually. I think I made it in twenty. Again I sat in the car and waited. Achand finally came out and said that it would still have to wait till Monday. He assured me he had seen the passport. I kept asking him, "You actually saw the passport?" Am I being screwed again is the constant thought that crosses my mind? The rest of the weekend sort of passed in an alcoholic blur. I drank lots of wine and tried to relax. Urdik came to stay on Saturday night. He’d been at a birthday party and brought six friends and his brother to meet me! They were all nearly as beautiful as he is. That's another blog sometime. Early on Sunday morning Oliver and I made the long, dangerous and tiring drive back to Sumbawa. On Monday after not hearing anything from Achand I find out that the head of immigration who has to sign the passport will be way until Wednesday. Another nervous breakdown loomed! Last night Achand informs me that he is on his way to Bali to see Oliver's mother. I had given him her contact details in desperation thinking maybe that he could use her somehow. The last time I saw her was to seek her help to get a passport for Oliver. She refused. Today is Wednesday. Achand supposedly has something from Oliver's mother to confirm to immigration that he is not being abducted, stolen out of the country or being sold into slavery. Or is this just another elaborate scheme to extort money from me? Paranoia or not this time?