ÅSGÅRDSTRAND (VG): Mary was a newlywed and ready to move to Norway, but was stopped at the airport because she didn't have enough money for the trip. Then a stranger turned up and paid for her.
Mary Menth Andersen was 31 years old at the time and had just married Norwegian Dag Andersen. She was looking forward to starting a new life in Åsgårdstrand in Vestfold with him. But first she had to get all of her belongings across to Norway. The date was November 2nd, 1988.
At the airport in Miami things were hectic as usual, with long lines at the check-in counters.
When it was finally Mary's turn and she had placed her luggage on the baggage line, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness: "You'll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway", the man behind the counter said.
Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call. "I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions," says Mary.
Although she explained the situation to the man behind the counter, he showed no signs of mercy. "I started to cry, tears were pouring down my face and I had no idea what to do. Then I heard a gentle and friendly voice behind me saying, 'That's OK, I'll pay for her.'"
Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before. "He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. "The first thing I thought was, 'Who is this man?'"
Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man. "He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants," says Mary. She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.
The piece of paper said 'Barack Obama' and his address in Kansas, which is the state where his mother comes from. Mary carried the slip of paper around in her wallet for years, before it was thrown out.
"He was my knight in shining armor," says Mary, smiling.
She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway. At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker in Chicago, and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.
In the spring of 2006 Mary's parents had heard that Obama was considering a run for president, but that he had still not decided. They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.
In a letter to Mary's parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped 'United States Senate, Washington DC', Barack Obama writes: "I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I'm happy I could help back then, and I'm delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States senator"
The parents sent the letter on to Mary.
This week [we] met her and her husband in the café that she runs with her friend Lisbeth Tollefsrud in Åsgårdstrand. "It's amazing to think that the man who helped me 20 years ago could become the next US president," says Mary delightedly.
[Originally printed in VG newspaper in Norway; translated by Leisha Camden.]
Saturday, 8 November 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
No doubt he is noble and a real gentleman.. i hope that this tale is true.. and that those who surround him don't pollute him..
thank you dear..
I too hope this tale is true. There's bound to be several such stories going around. I liked this one so I decided to post it. One day if we get the opportunity, let us ask the man himself if this is true!
Nice Story, Di!
Hey Priti
Howz the little bunny getting along?
I was going to post her photos here then decided against it. But shouted out on Facebook instead!
She must be keeping you busy. How exciting!
Give my niece a BIG sloppy mwaaa. Ans send us more pics. Never mind if it is all of her sleeping:D
Hope you are taking rest. Give my chottu brother my warm love too!
Hi Resh dearest,
At last, I've made it here.....after days of trying in vain! Here's something I promised you may like to know - Keerat sent it to me....you ma already be knowing about it though! Take care and enjoy the family reunion to the fullest!!!
Barack Obama: The 50 facts you might not know
He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics
He was known as "O'Bomber" at high school for his skill at basketball
His name means "one who is blessed" in Swahili
His favourite meal is wife Michelle's shrimp linguini
He won a Grammy in 2006 for the audio version of his memoir, Dreams From My
Father
He is left-handed ? the sixth post-war president to be left-handed
He has read every Harry Potter book
He owns a set of red boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali
He worked in a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop as a teenager and now can't stand
ice cream
? His favourite snacks are chocolate-peanut protein bars
? He ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper while living in Indonesia
? He can speak Spanish
? While on the campaign trail he refused to watch CNN and had sports channels on
instead
? His favourite drink is black forest berry iced tea
? He promised Michelle he would quit smoking before running for president ? he
didn't
? He kept a pet ape called Tata while in Indonesia
? He can bench press an impressive 200lbs
He was known as Barry until university when he asked to be addressed by his
full name
His favourite book is Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
He visited Wokingham, Berks, in 1996 for the stag party of his half-sister's
fiancé, but left when a stripper arrived
His desk in his Senate office once belonged to Robert Kennedy
He and Michelle made $4.2 million (£2.7 million) last year, with much coming
from sales of his books
His favourite films are Casablanca and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
He carries a tiny Madonna and child statue and a bracelet belonging to a
soldier in Iraq for good luck
He applied to appear in a black pin-up calendar while at Harvard but was
rejected by the all-female committee.
His favourite music includes Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Bach and The Fugees
He took Michelle to see the Spike Lee film Do The Right Thing on their first
date
He enjoys playing Scrabble and poker
He doesn't drink coffee and rarely drinks alcohol
He would have liked to have been an architect if he were not a politician
As a teenager he took drugs including marijuana and cocaine
His daughters' ambitions are to go to Yale before becoming an actress (Malia,
10) and to sing and dance (Sasha, 7)
He hates the youth trend for trousers which sag beneath the backside
He repaid his student loan only four years ago after signing his book deal
His house in Chicago has four fire places
Daughter Malia's godmother is Jesse Jackson's daughter Santita
He says his worst habit is constantly checking his BlackBerry
He uses an Apple Mac laptop
He drives a Ford Escape Hybrid, having ditched his gas-guzzling Chrysler 300,
He wears $1,500 (£952) Hart Schaffner Marx suits
He owns four identical pairs of black size 11 shoes
He has his hair cut once a week by his Chicago barber, Zariff, who charges $21
(£13)
His favourite fictional television programmes are Mash and The Wire
He was given the code name "Renegade" by his Secret Service handlers
He was nicknamed "Bear" by his late grandmother
He plans to install a basketball court in the White House grounds
His favourite artist is Pablo Picasso
His speciality as a cook is chilli
He has said many of his friends in Indonesia were "street urchins"
He keeps on his desk a carving of a wooden hand holding an egg, a Kenyan symbol of the fragility of life
His late father was a senior economist for the Kenyan government
A great post. V inspiring.
Forwarded the link to a few die-hard Obama supporters.
Oh thanks Kash and Aussie :D
Loved the Obama oneliners from you, Kash and would have created a new post with those pearls then thought enough about Obama and back to my favourite topic, ME..only kdding;-D
Hi dearest Resh....where are you??.. long time no blogging?? And good idea about reverting back to the previous subject of discussion.....I'm all for it! So....we are waiting girl, go for it.....
Post a Comment