Aiden's Arrival: Honor Before Gold

By Wilson James

You wake up. You’re on a plane. But the body you’re in does not appear to be yours. They are calling you Aiden, but you don't think that's your name. Are these memories of another life, or reality?

The next hours and days are confusing as you try to figure out how this works, and how long it’s likely to last. At the same time, you have to decide if you should tell anyone and have them doubt your sanity, or just keep quiet. In the meantime, you have to adapt and use the body you have, even if you meet up with people you knew before.

You also discover you have just stepped into a public role at the Winter Games that thrusts you into a journey and series of exploits beyond anything you could have thought possible. Will you continue to be Aiden, or will the real Aiden arrive? How will you or Aiden do on the Dave Murray Downhill course at Whistler?

AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD is an adventure novel set in the worlds of downhill skiing, aquatics, and international competition. This book is also a story of love, family, and courage with a twist incorporating the great question: Can we come back as someone else? Do we all, or just in rare circumstances? And; if we do come back, how might it work?

The author of AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD is Wilson James, whose work has been reviewed at a major online retailer as “Very Inspiring” and “A Great Book.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wilson James
• Release date: Jan 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458107510

Wilson James

Wilson (Wil) James was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and currently lives on the coast in northern California. He has worked in, on, and around the water, and loves to travel. He claims to be a sailor in addition to identifying himself as an author of adult and young adult fiction.The stories of Wilson James mostly target Young Adults, and describe adventures about family, loyalty, honor, tenacity and courage with various backdrops including sailing, aquatics, downhill skiing, international competition, and success at young ages, set in Europe and North America.As Wilson says, his books are about empowering youth. “If my stories help young people, by giving examples of kids persevering in difficult situations, then I will be very satisfied. If my stories help young people overcome their own challenges, and perhaps find some inspiration, then I will be happy. If my stories help young people find the tenacity and courage to succeed in their own lives, then I will be very pleased. If my stories help achieve some better understanding among friends and families, then I will consider myself fulfilled.”Wilson describes the ultimate reward for writing. “If even one young person finds some example in one of my books that he or she can use in their own life, then I will consider that every moment I spent writing those books was the best possible way to spend that time.”His YA fiction book A FAMILY LEGACY: THE WATSON WORKS made it into the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Another of his titles, PLAYING THE BASEBALL CARD, has been reviewed as a "Great Book" and "Very Inspiring" and "In my 53 years of living this may be one of the most emotional books I personally have read", and for more than a year maintained an overall sales rank well into the top 1% at Barnes and Noble as the top fiction 'Baseball' book.He has a number of titles available in print and as multi-format eBooks at Smashwords and other major eBook retailers. One of his books, SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE, made it to the top of the Best Sellers list for Adult Drama fiction. He is also proud to say that two of his titles have made it to the top of the YA Best Seller lists at Smashwords. One of those titles, ROBERT's RIDE, made it to #1 only 6 weeks after being published. The other top title, SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE, sat in the #1 spot for two weeks before being pushed back into the number two spot by ROBERT’S RIDE.To contact Wilson directly, email wil.james (at) live.comFor details of all his titles, including where to find his books, and occasional promotional e-coupons for his eBooks, and information on works in progress, visit his blog, at http://wilsonjamesauthor.blogspot.com/

Book preview

AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD

Wilson James

You wake up. You’re on a plane. But the body you’re in does not appear to be yours. They call you Aiden, even though you think that’s not your name. Are theses dreams of another life? Is it reality? You struggle to honor the legacy of your very young physical self, while dealing with the memories of a tragedy that seems impossible to reconcile.

The next hours and days are confusing as you try to figure out how this works, and how long it’s likely to last. At the same time, you have to decide if you should tell anyone and have them doubt your sanity, or just keep quiet. In the meantime, you have to adapt and use the body you have, even if you meet up with people you think knew before.

You also discover you have just stepped into a public role in the Winter Games that thrusts you into a journey and series of exploits beyond anything you could have thought possible. Will you continue to be Aiden, or will the real Aiden arrive?

AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD is an adventure novel set in the worlds of downhill skiing, aquatics, and international competition. AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD is also a story of love, family, and courage.

AIDEN’S ARRIVAL: HONOR BEFORE GOLD

Copyright © 2011 by Wilson James

Cover Photo Credit: Wilson James

First Smashwords Edition: January 2011

Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission, except that short passages may be reproduced for purposes of review.

For author and publisher contact information, see author’s page at:

http://wilsonjamesauthor.blogspot.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, public or private places, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

Final Words

Other Titles

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to those who put themselves on the line, personally and professionally, with the hope they will find the success to make it all worthwhile. This book is also dedicated to my family, and to those who have been or will be left behind.

CHAPTER 1

I felt like I was awakening from a sleep. For some reason, I knew I must be on a plane, and I heard low voices around me. They were two older men’s voices, and it appeared they were talking about a young person. As I slowly became aware of my surroundings, I listened a little more closely to what they were saying.

It would be tough for any kid to go through, and there’s never a good time to lose your parents and the rest of your family, but to lose them now, just when he’s got this chance to go be part of the World Winter Games makes it almost impossible to cope with.

Yes. I see what you mean.

Pretty much the only way we got him on the plane was to give him some medication. With the amount I’ve given him, he won’t even start to wake up for another two hours, pretty close to landing time, I hope. The doctor told us to keep him pretty much out of it, so his body can rest and his mind can try to recover from the shock. I have to tell you that I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone take this kind of tragic event so bad. He was in terrible shape.

So why did you agree to bring him with your own son and the other boy, and be responsible for him?

Well, it was a tough call. Of course, he’d been practicing with my son and the other boy, so we knew him. The thing was that the social worker said that if we didn’t take him, he was going to go into the psycho ward of the kids’ hospital, and he’d certainly lose his only chance to go to Vancouver. After all, they hand-picked Aiden and my son and the other boy because they were born in 1998, and because they were such great skiers. My wife and I talked, and decided that it would not be right for Aiden to end up in a mental ward if there was any way to prevent it, and that we’d try to make this work. My own son was pushing me to do it, as well, and he has been terrific and supportive, so that made our decision easier.

Well, I’ve got to hand it to you. You’ve certainly taken on a lot. What about this medication that he’s on?

The doctor has told me that we have to keep him out of it as much as we can, for at least a week. That means four more days. Apparently, his mind has been totally unable to cope with the tragedy, and he’s totally shut down. The doctor likened it to being mentally dead. As you saw when we came aboard, he is kind of moving like he’s in a trance or something when we ease up on the medication. We are supposed to do that twice a day to make sure he eats and goes to the bathroom, and times like getting on and off the plane. The rest of the time, he’s basically sleeping and the doctor says that’s the best thing.

So, will he recover? This voice was full of concern.

There was a bit of a pause before the next voice answered. I don’t know. The doctor doesn’t know. I guess no one knows. They say there’s a chance that Aiden will recover slowly or more quickly, but there’s also a chance that he’ll never be able to function again. All we’re doing now is giving him the best chance we can. By taking him along and trying to see if we can get him skiing again, we’re hoping that the familiarity of doing something he loved and was good at will help. My son, Antonio, and the other boy, Joel, really want to help Aiden. I guess we’ll all just do what we can.

Well, Mr. Costanzo, I have to say that I’m impressed with what you’re doing.

Thanks. I really appreciate how Air Canada stepped up to help with the arrangements and how helpful you’ve been on the flight. Getting us these two seats for Aiden and making sure that the other boys are sitting together just across the aisle has really helped.

No problem at all. We’re just happy to make our contribution. I hope it works out for you and the boys.

I felt my covering blanket moved up a little close to my face, and the voices moved away. Now I was trying to figure out what was going on. My eyes were still closed, but my mind was staring to work.

I was now certain that I was on a plane, but I was not in a sitting position. I was lying on my side, in a bit of a fetal position, but my body did not feel like my own. I had flown a lot in the last few years, and I knew that my six-foot body did not fit well in airline seats, even if the armrest was up and I was laid out on more than one seat. Now, however, my body seemed to fit better, as if I was smaller, somehow.

The other thing that I couldn’t figure out was how I got onto a plane. The last thing I remembered before waking was being in my small temporary apartment in Vienna. As I thought back, I remembered that I’d eaten dinner and then had a brief inkling that I was feeling unwell. I had felt a massive, overwhelming and excruciating pain in my chest, and that was it. I could remember nothing more after that. I wondered why I could not recall getting myself to the airport and onto a plane. I was not supposed to travel back to Canada for another two months, at least, but here I was on a plane to Vancouver.

My body felt vaguely stiff, and I stretched a bit. Again, my body did not feel right. My body did not feel like my own.

I was really waking up now, and my head felt a little more clear. One other part of my body was calling for my attention, and that was my bladder. I was not sure when I’d last been to the bathroom, but I had to go now, or at least very soon. I was not sure if I really wanted to, but I opened my eyes anyway.

I was right about being on a plane. I could see the row of seats in front of my face and the rest of an aircraft interior around me. In the seat pocket closest to my face was the airline magazine for December 2009. I turned my head a bit, and noticed the blanket pulled tight up to my neck. I felt warm and comfortable, and I could see that I had two seats to lie on.

It was the two seats that confused me. I wondered how I could be comfortably lying on only two seats. My body seemed smaller somehow. That was the only way that I could fit lying down on two seats.

I saw a man sitting in the seat next to the two I was lying on. He looked just a bit dark-skinned, but with features that I thought of as being from the Mediterranean area. Perhaps Greek, or Italian, perhaps, and maybe aged thirty or forty.

Involuntarily, I cleared my throat. That caused two things to happen. First off, I didn’t sound like me. The sound I made was higher and not like my normal sound.

The second thing that happened was that the man looked down at me. It was a friendly look with a bit of worry and apprehension.

Aiden, the man said softy, looking genuinely concerned. You’re awake. Are you okay, kiddo? How do you feel?

He was certainly looking at me, but I was very confused. My name was not Aiden, but that was clearly what he was calling me. I didn’t think I was a ‘kiddo,’ either. I had not been a kid for over forty years.

The man must have read the confusion in my eyes. It’s okay, Aiden. Do you remember that you’re on a plane? You’re with me, and Antonio and Joel, and we’re on the plane to Vancouver. Do you remember that you three are the faces of the games?

I must have still looked bewildered, because I certainly was, and the man was being very kind to me.

Don’t worry, Aiden, he said in a very soothing voice. It will be okay. We’ll make sure you’re okay.

I smiled a bit at his words. I was still confused, but he was being very nice, and I appreciated that.

The man picked up on my smile, and he in turn smiled at me. Do you need anything right now, Aiden?

He was still talking to me, and why he was calling me Aiden, I didn’t know. What I did know, however, was that I really needed to go to the bathroom, and very soon.

I opened my mouth to speak. Bathroom. It was a whisper. I need to go to the bathroom, please. That voice was not mine. It was too high, like a boy’s voice.

Comprehension dawned on the man’s face. Sure, Aiden. We can take care of that. He reached to pull the blanket off me. Let’s get you sitting up, and then I’ll help you get to the bathroom, okay?

I just nodded, not trusting the voice that did not belong to me.

The blanket was pulled down and I saw a body that clearly was not mine. It was a small body. Again, I wondered what was going on. I was clearly in a boy’s body, and speaking with a boy’s voice. How could this be?

The main reached down to help me sit up. As he got me into a sitting position, he spoke again.

Are you okay, Aiden? Do you think you’re okay to stand up and walk to the bathroom, if I help you?

I looked at him and nodded my head. I decided to try my voice again. Yes. It was a little more than a whisper this time, but it was still a high voice.

The man stood up and moved his body into the aisle, and then reached a hand to help me. I kind of turned and stood sideways and started sliding out into the aisle myself.

I heard and half noticed a male flight attendant. Is everything okay, Mr. Costanzo? Can I help with anything?

The man who I now started to realize was Mr. Costanzo turned with a smile and said. No, I think we’re okay. Aiden needs to use the bathroom.

I reached the aisle and stood up properly. My eyes were at the about the level of Mr. Costanzo’s shoulder, so I was certainly shorter than I used to be. At least I felt pretty steady on my feet.

Briefly looking past Mr. Costanzo, I caught sight of two boys sitting in the window and outer aisle seats, looking up at me. Their faces were a mixture of concern and happiness.

Mr. Costanzo started moving down the aisle backwards and I started following slowly.

The bathrooms are right here, Aiden. It was just a few feet, as we’d been sitting in the row just ahead of the bulkhead.

Do you need any help, or are you okay on your own? Mr. Costanzo asked solicitously.

I managed to muster the ability to respond. No, I’ll be okay, thanks. Still a high voice, but much stronger.

The flight attendant was holding the door for me. You’re better off sitting, he said, in a quiet voice, Just in case the plane gets a little bumpy.

I glanced at him and nodded. Thanks.

Once I was inside, the door slid closed. I turned and locked it, and the inside light brightened. I looked to the toilet, and I was about to undo my pants and sit down when I caught sight of myself in the mirror.

I felt like I was going to faint. I whispered to myself, Oh, God. What is this?

What I saw in the mirror was not the 50-something grandfather I knew myself to be. What I saw in the mirror was a boy. Thin, with a pale, drawn and tired looking face, and light-colored hair.

My body forced me to respond to its needs so I pulled my pants down and sat. As I felt relief, I realized that I had really needed to go.

Sitting on the toilet, I turned my head and studied the face in the mirror. If I was using this body, what had happened to mine? Maybe it was a heart attack I’d had in the apartment in Vienna, and maybe I was dead. But if I’d come back and taken over this body, what had happened to Aiden, and who was he?

I recalled something I’d heard Mr. Costanzo, Antonio’s father, say to the flight attendant. The three of us boys had been born in 1998. The magazine I’d seen in the seat pocket was dated December 2009. That meant two things. First it meant that I was eleven years old, or rather that Aiden was eleven years old. It also meant that very little time could have elapsed since I’d collapsed at the apartment in Vienna, as that had been only the second day of December.

I wondered again about what had happened to Aiden. I didn’t feel right about having taken over his body. However, I thought to myself that it was certainly not my doing.

I remembered a few more things that Antonio’s father had said. He’d said that Aiden had suffered a great and tragic loss, and that his mind was ‘dead’ in a way. Maybe Aiden’s mind really was gone. Maybe with my physical body dead, my mind had somehow been put into Aiden’s body. It was all so confusing, and it didn’t make sense, but I had no other answers.

My reverie was interrupted by a light knock on the door. Are you okay, Aiden? asked Mr. Costanzo in a voice that was only lightly muffled by the door.

Yes, I called out. I’m fine. I’ll just be a minute.

No problem, Aiden. Take as much time as you need, he responded through the door. There’s no hurry.

Okay, I replied.

I grabbed the toilet paper and finished up. As I pulled my pants and underwear up, I had the briefest of glances downwards, and I realized that I really was a boy.

I used the sink and washed my hands and my face. Looking up into the mirror again, I felt slightly better, even if it was a stranger that I was looking at. My hair, or rather Aiden’s hair, was a mess, so I checked my pockets to see if I had a comb or something like that.

I found two things. The first was a school photo ID card. The boy in the photo matched the face in the mirror. I was looking at Aiden William Chandler, and I had turned, or was about to turn eleven on the 5th of December. The school was Riverside Middle School in Ottawa.

I also found a short, white comb. With a little thanks to whomever had put it there, I started trying to coax my short, dark blonde hair into some semblance of order. I splashed some water on my hand and patted my hair. Repeating that two more times, I tried again to comb my hair, this time with a little more success.

Looking at myself in the mirror again, I saw that Aiden looked a little more presentable, and I felt a lot better about that. I pocketed my ID and my comb and then took some paper towel and wiped up my mess.

With a final glance to see that I was ready, I unlocked the door and pulled it open. The flight attendant and Mr. Costanzo were both waiting for me, and their faces both brightened when they saw that I’d make an effort with my appearance. I supposed that if I’d been as out of it as I’d heard, I probably had not even thought about how I looked for some time.

With a big smile, Mr. Costanzo said, Well, you look much better, Aiden. Good for you.

I actually gave him a bit of a grin. Well, I needed that. Didn’t realize how much I needed to go.

Now the flight attendant spoke up. Uh, Aiden, you missed the meal. Can I bright you something to eat, or drink? Some cola, or some juice, perhaps? Maybe a sandwich?

I glanced over at him in appreciation for his concern. I hadn’t thought about my stomach until he mentioned it, but I was a bit hungry.

Um, yes, I wouldn’t mind something to eat, I responded, And maybe some orange juice, please?

The flight attendant smiled at me. Sure, Aiden. I can certainly get that for you.

I had another thought. Um, how long until we land in Vancouver? I addressed my question to both of the men.

The flight attendant was first to answer. About an hour and a half, Aiden.

So you’ve got lots of time to eat and have something to drink, added Mr. Costanzo.

You sure, do, said the flight attendant. I’ll bring something to your seat in about five minutes, okay, Aiden?

I nodded my understanding. Thanks. My boy’s voice was firm and strong now.

Now I turned to moved forward the short distance to our row of seats. The nearer of the two boys saw me and spoke.

You look a lot better, Aiden. How are you feeling?

I wondered which boy was which, and I knew I was supposed to have practiced skiing with these two so I should be friends with them. The nearer one had the slight darker skin, and looked a bit like the man. This must be Antonio, I thought.

I feel a lot better, I responded to the question. I think I’ve been pretty out of it. I hoped that would elicit some additional comment.

I saw some recognition and relief on the faces of the two boys. Clearly they saw I was in better shape than I’d been in some days. Or, at least, Aiden was in better shape.

Antonio followed up. Yeah, Aiden, you were kind of… um, lost, might be a good way of describing it.

I saw the other boy, Joel, I remembered, nodding his agreement in the background.

Do you want us to come over there and sit with you, Aiden? Antonio was taking the lead.

I thought about that for a moment. It might be good to get more information from them, but on the other hand, I didn’t know enough about Aiden, yet, and I might really make some mistakes.

Well, they’re going to bring me a sandwich and juice in a minute, so that’s okay. I’m still a little tired, I guess.

Antonio smiled. Sure, Aiden. No problem. Just remember we’re here for you, whenever you need us, okay?

Behind Antonio, Joel added, Yeah, Aiden. Just let us know, okay?

I had the thought that these two boys were being pretty nice and pretty mature about helping a friend. Aiden must have been a fortunate kid to know these two.

I gave them my best smile. Thanks, guys. I really mean it. Thank you very much.

As they responded with their own smiles, I moved to slide into my seat. Mr. Costanzo had been standing and watching the interaction between us boys, and looked pretty happy about things. He must have been relieved that Aiden was starting to come around and that maybe the plan to bring me along to Vancouver might have a happy ending.

Mr. Constanzo gave me a very warm smile. You make sure you tell me if you need anything, Aiden.

Sure, Mr. Costanzo, I said. Thanks.

Sitting back down in my seat, I kind of just put my head back and relaxed, hoping that I’d be able to get through the next hours and days without making a complete fool of myself.

A moment later, the flight attendant appeared in the aisle on the other side. He leaned across the empty seat and pulled my tray down.

Hi, Aiden, he said, as did his work. I’ve got some food for you. Is a ham and cheese sub okay?

I nodded, and kept back out of the way as he set out my sandwich and the juice.

Now, I’ll give you about ten minutes, and then I’ll bring some ice cream for you. It’s what the business class passengers got, and there’s a few spare. I’ll bring some for your friends, too. Is that okay?

I gave the flight attendant a grateful smile. Thank for being so nice to me, I said, meaning every word that I said.

For a moment, I thought his eyes were going to tear up as a wave of emotion crossed his face. Aiden, he said, I have to tell you that it is my very great pleasure to help you out in some little way. I’m sorry I can’t do more for you.

I thought about how he was helping me on the flight, and how Mr. Costanzo and the boys were helping me with much more, and how everyone must have worked to help Aiden out through his terrible ordeal. I only wished the real Aiden was here to know how much people cared.

There must have been a lot of emotion playing across my face. The flight attendant now made a move to lighten the moment.

Okay, then, Aiden, he said in a much more cheerful voice, I’ll leave you to eat, but I’ll check back with you a few minutes.

Thanks, I repeated again.

With him gone, I reached forward to unwrap the sandwich. My arms were certainly a little shorter now, and my hands looked so different. My hunger quickly became my major concern and I started devouring the sub.

I’m sure it was much less than five minutes before I was washing down the last bite with the juice. I don’t know when a simple submarine sandwich had tasted so good. The juice was full of flavor, too. It was like I was tasting things for the first time. Everything seemed to be more real, or bigger, or something that I could not quite put my finger on.

I glance across at Antonio talking to his father, and it was then I realized that my hearing was better, too. Then it dawned on me that my eyesight was better, or rather it was perfect. I’d needed glasses for reading for a number of years, and now I could see near and far perfectly. Having a young body with a young person’s faculties was really nice. I was really appreciating Aiden’s body.

I sat back and thought for a moment. I wondered if I was going to stay in Aiden’s body. Was this temporary or permanent? If I was going to stay in Aiden’s body, then I had to honor the memory of the boy who had been Aiden. I had to live for him and for me. While I had decades of conscious memories, I now had to live to do right by Aiden and what he had wanted to do with his life. I wondered what his dreams were, and how I might best realize those dreams for him.

One thing was certain. I was no longer who I had been. I was now partly me and partly Aiden. I had no idea how this had happened or even if this was something that happened to others. I simply had to accept what the situation was now, for however long it lasted.

CHAPTER 2

On the plane, my reverie was interrupted a few minutes later by the flight attendant bearing three small trays, each complete with an individual container of ice cream and one cookie. He quietly gave Joel and Antonio their trays and then moved over to give me mine.

I can get one for you, too, Mr. Costanzo, he said, almost apologizing.

No, no, Chad, Mr. Costanzo responded, with a smile. That’s fine. I just appreciate you looking after the boys so well. He paused. But a coffee would go well right about now, if you can?

Sure thing, Mr. Costanzo, the flight attendant replied. I can certainly do that.

Chad looked over at me. Do you need anything else, Aiden? Some more juice, or anything to go with that?

I thought for just a moment. Actually, some more juice would be very nice, thanks.

Chad looked happy that he was able to do something more for me. Good. Very good. I’ll be right back with the coffee and the juice.

I glanced at the other boys and Mr. Costanzo, and then turned to my dessert. In short order I cleaned up the ice cream and the cookie, and then quickly downed the juice that Chad brought. I had not realized how hungry I was, and I wondered how long it had been since Aiden had eaten a good meal.

That got me to wondering about what the whole tragedy thing was with Aiden’s family. I’d heard that his parents and his whole family had all been killed. That meant that he had at least one sibling. I wondered how it had happened. I also wondered some more about the skiing that I was supposed to be good at, and how much practicing I’d been doing. When I was a kid myself and then a young adult, I’d skied a bit, but somehow I didn’t think that I’d ever been as good as Aiden was supposed to be. I wondered how I’d deal with that when it came time to demonstrate Aiden’s good skiing skills.

Then there was the bit about going to the World Winter Games. I wondered what that was all about.

I knew that the Games were in my old hometown of Vancouver, and that they were to take place from the 12th to the 28th of February. I could only wonder what the involvement of Joel, Antonio and Aiden was supposed to be.

Thoughts of Vancouver got me thinking about my old self. My family, or rather, my old family, were there.

My mother was still alive, although she was in her eighties and in a nursing home. My wife, or rather the wife of my old self, was there. She and I had been raising our grandchildren. Now she was going to be a widow and she was going to be on her own with the two kids, Sara aged eight and Torven who was almost eleven.

We’d been in Ottawa ourselves for a number of years, and we’d had the two children with us for six years. With me now working overseas, we proceeded with a plan to move from Ottawa back to Vancouver, so that my wife would have the support of nearby extended family. It really helped for her to have relatives to help.

We had completed the move only a few months ago, during the six weeks that I’d had with my family during the summer. With my new job in Europe, I’d had lots of quality time with the family in the summer, and that helped counter the time away. Now I thought about how good it was that my wife now had some relatives to help.

As I sat back in my seat on the plane with my eyes closed in thought, I started to tear up as I thought about the fact that I’d never see my old family again. I