The flight to the land really begins with my last day in town. I had to input some grades and then a number of people wanted to see me, so I organized Jackie just after I dealt with my grades and met her on campus. She came a bit later so I only had twenty minutes or so before I met with Vesna. We said goodbye and then Vesna and I went to the spot in the sun that Colleen had shown me. We had our usual pleasant rambling conversation and then it was time to spend the afternoon with Eileen and Colleen. We wandered around downtown and then into the legislature where we finally ended up in the bathroom entrance, which is fancier than it sounds.
Once we left and listened to Eileen’s reading for her femfest event this weekend it was time to meet Felipe and Sheri. We waited in the lobby of a clinic and then they took us to Vi-Ann where Jonathan and Fralic joined us for a meal, kind of. By the time Eliakim came, we were done eating so he just grabbed a snack and then everyone split up. Colleen and I walked Eileen to the bus stop where we had a dear if quick farewell, and then she left us. Eliakim drove Colleen and I home where Colleen and I were able to spend another hour or so together until it was time to leave. On the drive home she said the sweetest thing. “Drive slower,” she said, wanting our last few moments to last longer. I wanted that too, but we both worried she’d be in trouble for being out late.
Once I dropped Colleen off, and went back home, I packed, prepared for the next day, and found my old computer’s hard drive had died. I didn’t need it right then, so I concentrated on getting to sleep early, as much as that was possible with thinking about the day. I’m going to miss my gals. I’ve grown to love them so much so soon and now I am on the east coast far away from them.
Friday, April
The six fifteen rising was nasty enough, but I persevered and soon I was eating breakfast and waiting for my cab ride. The cab was early enough and I was tired enough that I forgot my toothbrush, but soon I was waiting at the Winnipeg and then the Toronto airport. I caught up on email and talked to Holly, but the time crawled while I watched a distant and immature dad with his two daughters make both cry at different occasions within an hour. The mother didn’t seem to notice and the older daughter was on her phone.
Mike and Carol were there to greet me and I found my heavy kit bag almost immediately. Soon we were at the Saigon where the waiter recognized me and made the same dish as a year before. Once we were home, in the new apartment, I stayed up a bit, but I was tired from too many nights and not enough sleep and I was asleep by ten-thirty, eight-thirty my time.
The next morning I was awake before dawn and helping Mike and Carol unpack dishes. Then we ate breakfast and by noon I met Ross and Tanya and we picked up Katie to take her home for the weekend. Dennis came to greet us and soon we were sitting around the table as a family while Miriam explained her science project. Miriam and Dennis helped me to start my car, which started well once I cleared its throat by pressing the accelerator to the floor and then letting it catch. I had used gas stabilizer in the fall and Dennis put in 20 litres of new gas before we started it. Within a minute it was going and then I had it parked in the yard waiting for Miriam to come on the test ride, which has become our tradition.
I left for the bush at eight-thirty, which is late, and once I talked to Bashful on the road, it was even later. He seemed happy to see me and although he was slightly sloshed, and a bit gushy, I was soon parked across from him and ferrying my stuff to the creek side. I lined across in the frigid metre-deep current and then tied the rope on the other side. Then I ferried over each of my three bags. I had too much stuff for that venture. The slog through the woods was painful. The snow gathered in my boots and I sunk into deep tracks and my already frigid feet became painful and then numbed as I made two trips into the bush, coming back for my other packs as one greet too onerous.
Finally, creeping uphill inches at a time in metre-high snow, I went on ahead with a light load and opened the cabin. That way, in the dark, I would have my tracks to follow at least. On the last trip, in which my feet were numb and cold, I brought the heavy kit bag and a light pack, and finally I was at the cabin prying my boots off on the porch and hanging up my pants after wringing out my socks.
Soon I had a roaring fire and although I worried I’d damaged my feet, they soon felt more normal as I scurried around gathering more wood and packing away the food and sundries I’d packed in.
