Something is Missing

My Lufthansa flight from Philadelphia to Frankfurt was enjoyable, if you can call two sleepless nights in a row enjoyable. No one sat next to me, so I could spread out my belongings and stretch my legs. Dinner was edible, the hot towels divine, and my window seat provided a view of the East Coast.
When I landed in Frankfurt, however, the carousel at baggage claim stopped without spitting out my suitcase. I had to file a missing baggage report and the clerk gave me an emergency kit with toiletries and 50 Euros to buy necessities. I also learned that another flight from Philadelphia was going to land in an hour and decided to wait, just in case my suitcase had made it on that plane. It had not.
Luckily, my family had learned my new arrival time and my ride waited patiently for me. During the next few days, I called Lufthansa twice a day to learn that "This happens frequently on this route!" Oh? This is business as usual? Finally, on Wednesday my brother saw on the Internet that my suitcase had arrived in Frankfurt. I was relieved, because I had fretted quite a bit over the thought of filing lost luggage claims. It took another day to make it to my parents' house. I was never so overjoyed at seeing my luggage. The final insult, though, was that my suitcase had a "Rush" tag on it. It is quite a stretch to call a four-day delay a rush.
In the meantime, I was washing my few items of clothing I had packed in my carry-on case. In an odd way, I was glad that airlines now charge exorbitant amounts of money for a second piece of baggage. That way, I had at least a few changes of clothes and an extra pair of shoes to wear while waiting for my luggage. And I had a lot to tell my friends at our get-togethers...