C.R. Daems - Kazak 2 - The Unthinkable (30 page)
***
It was a fourteen-hour flight to New Zealand, so we had a layover in Hawaii. We ate dinner in the hotel and went to bed early in anticipation of an early departure the next day.
We landed at the Queenstown Airport where a limo waited. The driver, a broad man of Maori decent pointed out the local attractions as we drove through Queenstown to the Lodge. The Matakauri sat on a hillside overlooking Lake Wakatipu and a looked out over the Cecil and Walter Peak mountain ranges.
Unlike a stateside lodge, there were no log beams and dark wood. In contrast, the walls and wood were white, the ceiling high, and the rooms modern looking. Each room had floor to ceiling glass windows with a spectacular view of the lake and mountains.
"Lynn, look at the view. With all this glass, it looks like we're outside, and look, a terrace. It's beautiful, even better than the pictures on the Internet." Clare wandered into each room and onto the terrace talking nonstop. I don't know what Witton was paying, but I would have paid triple to see her so happy.
The ten days flew by. We took a hot air balloon ride, a helicopter flight over the Southern Lakes and the South Island, a hair-raising Jet Boat Ride through the incredible Shotover River Canyons, took in a live performance by Queenstown's leading Kapa Haka group, explored Queenstown, and visited the spa several times. And fell in love again and again. Being with Clare was like drinking from the fountain of youth.
But like all fairy-tale vacations, midnight comes and the coach turns back into a pumpkin and life returns to normal. Fortunately, my normal life held everything I could wish for.
***
I was surprised when Witton called shortly after we returned from New Zealand, since it had only been three weeks and he usually waits for me to call him.
"Lynn, how are you feeling?" he asked. A strange question.
"I'm healed enough to take an assignment." Mentally I felt well thanks to Clare, but physically minimally functional. Clare stood shaking her head and looking ready to scream. I put my finger to my lips. This wasn't like Witton.
"Tell Clare to relax. It's not for four more weeks," he said. I could almost see him smiling.
"You almost gave me a heart attack," Clare shouted.
"Megan and Jody will graduate four weeks from now. You are going to be their mentor. Something we normally do with new Kazaks but never did with you. Somehow, you didn't seem to need or want one. The question is whether Megan or Jody is like you and can handle assignments without backup or need a partner. One of them will take responsibility for the next batch of women candidates. You will mentor the other one. They will be arriving here twenty-five days from today. I want you here when they arrive."
"That's not four weeks," Clare shouted but she was smiling.
"Enjoy the extra time." The phone went dead.
Yes, I appreciated the extra time. I had entered a new chapter in my life quietly without realizing it. I had found a home and a life-partner that I cherished. I felt complete. I didn't know what tomorrow would bring but it didn't matter. Today was perfect, and I needed to enjoy every second.