Names and Greetings

The Wrong Name Badge

Part One: A Busy Arrival

Inspired by the film The Terminal, this story begins with a traveller in a busy airport. Mei Tan arrives in Lisbon for a professional training event. Her red suitcase bumps over the grey floor: click, click, click. The air smells of coffee and warm bread. Mei looks at a paper map, but it turns around in her hands. “Gate Seven or Hall Seven?” she says. A cleaner points to a blue sign: INTERNATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE. Mei follows it and finds a long registration desk under bright white lights.

Behind the desk, a receptionist wears a green scarf and three pens in her hair. Her name badge says ROSA COSTA. Papers cover the desk, and a small printer makes a tired buzzing sound. Rosa looks up. “Good morning. What’s your name?” she asks. “I’m Mei Tan,” Mei answers. Rosa runs one finger down the visitor list. “Are you Ms. Chen?” Mei looks at the list and then at Rosa. “No, I’m not. I’m Mei Tan.” Rosa lifts one pen from her hair. “Sorry. Are you Ms. Tan?” “Yes, I am,” says Mei. Rosa smiles and presses a button on the printer.

Part Two: Ms. Dragon

The printer coughs and pushes out a badge. Rosa reads it. Her mouth opens, but no words come out. She turns the badge around. It says MS. MAY TIN — DRAGON TRAINER. A tiny gold dragon shines beside the name. Mei laughs. “My name is Mei Tan. I’m a computer trainer, not a dragon trainer.” Rosa looks under the printer. Gold glitter covers the cables. “The children’s party was here yesterday,” she says. “The printer remembers the dragons.” She pulls a silver star from the paper tray.

Rosa makes another badge. This one says MR. MEI TAN. Mei points at the title. “Are you Mr. Tan?” Rosa asks, then covers her mouth. Mei raises one eyebrow. “No, I’m not.” Rosa nods. “Ms. Tan?” “Yes, I am.” They both laugh, but a line of visitors now curls past the coffee machine. Cups knock against plates, and someone calls, “Room twelve, please!” Rosa’s phone rings. The trainer needs the participant list now, but Mei’s correct name is not on it.

Part Three: The Correct Door

Mei looks at the crowded desk and makes a choice. “Rosa, ask me again,” she says. Rosa puts down the ringing phone and takes a clean card. “Good morning. What’s your name?” “I’m Mei Tan.” “Are you Ms. Mei Tan, the computer trainer?” “Yes, I am.” Rosa writes each word slowly with a black pen. Then Mei takes the participant list and finds MAY CHEN. She draws one clear line through it and writes MEI TAN. Rosa calls the trainer. “I have Ms. Tan here. The list is correct now.”

A volunteer leads Mei down a wide hall, but two doors have the number twelve. Behind the first door, music jumps and people wave red scarves. “Are you the dance teacher?” a man asks. Mei smiles. “No, I’m not. I’m Mei Tan, the computer trainer.” He points across the hall. Behind the second door, keyboards tap like light rain. A woman looks up. “Are you Mei Tan?” “Yes, I am.” Mei places her red suitcase beside the screen and starts the session.

At lunch, Rosa enters the room with a new plastic badge. It reads MS. MEI TAN — COMPUTER TRAINER. The letters are straight, but one piece of gold glitter sits on the corner. “Is your name correct?” Rosa asks. Mei touches the bright dragon-shaped speck. “Yes, it is,” she says, “and the glitter can stay.” Rosa clips the badge to Mei’s jacket. In the window, planes rise into the blue sky while the small gold point flashes above Mei’s correct name.

Independent Review