What We Search For (9 page)

“I bet you could!” I
replied, “So what are your plans from here? Are you going home to LA straight
away?” I asked.

“Yes, home time for me. I
have to get back to reality unfortunately.” She answered sadly. Nodding in
agreement, I stared off into the distance thinking of the opportunities I may
have missed.

We walked together in
silence until Amanda spoke up, “You should come and visit me in LA.” Snapping
myself out of my thoughts, I looked over at her, and she glanced at me smiling
shyly.

“I’d really like that.” I
said, stumbling over my words. We walked the remaining distance to her hotel in
silence once more and stopped in front when we arrived. Looking everywhere but
into her eyes we both spoke at the same time, and laughing awkwardly I insisted
she go ahead.

“I’m glad I got to see you
before I left. I’ve had so much fun I couldn’t believe I found you here in
Banff.” She said seriously.

“I’m just happy you found
me. It’s sad to see you go. I’m sorry we weren’t able to spend any time
together the last few days!” I said. Amanda leaned towards me and put her
finger on my lips

“Enough of that. We’ve
spoken about it and it’s already happened. There’s nothing you can do about
it.” She said, nodding. With her finger still on my lips, I leaned towards her.

“I know. Thank you for
understanding. I’ll miss you Amanda.” I whispered around her finger, as I
wrapped my arms around her.

She looked up and our eyes
met. There was something in her eyes I couldn’t look away from. I was being
drawn into them all over again as our heads came together. I kissed her lips
softly and she kissed mine. It was so gentle. So delicate.

Her lips tasted just as
sweet as the last time. We stood together for a moment, and to me that moment
lasted forever. Finally our heads parted, and we held each other with our eyes
locked until she peeled away.

“Goodbye James.” She said,
as our touch was broken.

“Goodbye Amanda.” I said
slowly, not knowing what else to say. I didn’t want to ruin this moment.

I watched as she slowly
walked back into the hotel, only to look over her shoulder once and give me the
warmest smile I had ever seen. A shiver ran down my spine as she went through
the doors and out of sight. Standing there a moment, I smiled and made my way
down the street. My giddiness had returned stronger than ever. Jumping in the
air and clicking my heels together I held my head high. Everything seemed that
little bit brighter.

My time in Banff remained
the same as before. It had been close to a month since Amanda left, and I
hadn’t had any contact with her since. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, but
more I didn’t know what to say. Our parting had been so bittersweet.

Back home, Sarah’s
condition seemed to be improving but she was still in a coma. It had taken my
mother and Alex multiple conversations to convince me to stay here for now, but
as soon as Sarah showed signs of coming out I would be on the first flight back
home.

Chris and Brad had done
their best to keep me occupied as we would go to the hill often, and snowboard
frequently. I would say I was actually getting pretty decent. It was a nice
feeling to accomplish something I had set my mind to. We would play pool nearly
every day, and go to the pub or clubbing on a regular basis. I was truly in a
strange routine.

Such a party lifestyle, I
wasn’t at all accustomed to, but it was easy to get stuck into. It wasn’t
exactly what I was looking for when I first came to Canada on my journey, but
it was something. A hiatus away from my hiatus. Sometimes you just need to let
loose and see how things play out, and this was one of those times for me. As
financially draining as it was.

Days blended into each
other and I would forget the date more often than not. It was on one of these
days I finally received the phone call I had been waiting over a month for.
Sarah was showing signs of waking up. This time it was Alex, her husband who
called me. He was nearly in tears.

“She’s waking up!” He
cried.

“Thank god!” I replied
happily, “How do you know?” I asked, emotion thick in my voice.

“The doctors said her
signs are improving rapidly, and they think she will wake soon.” He said. He
sounded exhausted.

“I’ll get the next
possible flight and be home as soon as I can.” I said.

“That would be great. She
will want to see you. We all do.” Alex replied quietly.

“I’ll see you soon Alex.”
I said, hanging up.

I got in touch with Brad
and Chris, and let them know how my sister was doing. They offered to drop me
at the airport in Calgary as soon as I had my flight booked. It didn’t take me
long.

“You didn’t have to do
this guys.” I said, as I watched the mountains pass by.

“Of course we did mate!
You would do the same for us if we were in your shoes. No doubt about it.” Brad
replied. Chris murmured his agreement, “Besides! Gives us a chance to get out
of Banff for a bit. I don’t know about you boys, but I’ve been feeling a bit
trapped lately. It’s a bit hard to describe.” Brad added, as he emphasized his
words with his hands.

“I know exactly what you
mean.” Chris said, looking over at me.

“Me too.” I agreed, “I
love the place, but it seems like we’re trapped in a bubble.” I added.

“That’s a good way to put
it! The Banff bubble! I think I’ll use that.” Chris said.

“Banff bubble huh. Time
seems slower and days pass by without even knowing, and you think nothing of
it. I wouldn’t change my little adventure for anything though. I’ve met amazing
people and I’m by far better off for it.” I started, “No matter where we end up
boys, I feel like I’ve made friends for life with you two.” I said, “I’d love
to come back, but I just don’t know what’s going to happen with my sister so I
can’t know for sure. Whatever happens. Wherever you boys end up, you’ll always
have a friend in me.” I finished. The car was filled with silence for a moment
as Brad and Chris took in my words.

“You too James. You’ll
always be welcome wherever I end up buddy.” Chris said finally. Brad wasn’t far
behind.

“I’m not much for speeches
mate but same with me. Hope we get to see you soon!” He said with a grin.

It was hard to
say goodbye to the guys after spending so much time together. We had become
fast friends, but I knew it wasn’t going to be the last I saw of these guys. I
waved as I walked towards the gate. I thought of all the fun times we had in
Banff and knew this wasn’t the end of my adventure, but instead, just the start
of another chapter.

Seat B row 15. The flight
home was long, uneventful, and exhausting. Exiting the plane in Adelaide
airport I walked into the terminal to be greeted by my mother waving. A tear
streaking down her cheek. It was hard to watch, and my throat choked up at the
sight of her.

Rushing over to her I
hugged her fiercely and held her for a long time. “I’m so happy to see you.”
She said, releasing her hold of me.

“I’m happy to see you too
Mum! It must have been a hard month on you. How’s Alex and Dad?” I asked
softly.

“They are doing alright.
Alex was a wreck at the start. Well, we all were at the start. The doctors
convinced us it was all positive signs for Sarah. We visit her every day hoping
for change and it finally happened two days ago. Your Dad has been in and out
as much as he can, but he’s been busy with work as usual. I don’t blame him
though, since we can’t all stop our lives.” She said. We moved toward the
luggage carousel and changed subject to speaking of the little things that
occurred while I was away. Collecting my bags we went to the car and left.

“Mum. Can we go straight
to the hospital please? I’d like to see Sarah as soon as I can.” I requested.

“Of course dear.” She
replied.

Arriving at the hospital
she led me through all of the corridors up an elevator, and into a private
room. Alex was sitting in a chair with Sarah’s hand in his, and didn’t see us
come in. I stood near the entrance just looking at my sister in silence. She
was hooked up to various tubes and monitors. My heart sank. It was not how I
wanted to see her.

“Alex! How are you holding
up?” I said, as I walked closer. He stood and placed Sarah’s hand back onto the
bed.

“I’ve been better James.
I’m glad you’re home. Sarah will be happy to see you when she wakes up.” He
said quietly. Giving him a quick yet firm embrace we slapped each other’s
backs, and a silent understanding passed between us. He moved to stand next to
my mother and I positioned myself in his vacated chair.

Sarah looked hollow and
lifeless, the most apparent difference was the weight she had lost. Her cheeks
far more prominent in her face than previously, and her skin was a few shades
paler. Her eyes fluttered now and then, which I assumed was a good sign.

“What makes the doctors
think she will wake up soon?” I asked, not looking away.

“She’s started showing
further signs of consciousness they tell me. Apparently, she woke up just for a
moment but lapsed.” Alex replied, with a touch of hope in his voice.

I watched my sister until
my mother’s hand landed softly on my shoulder. “We should head home. You need
some food and some sleep. We will be able to come back tomorrow.” She said
quietly. Nodding my agreement, I stood and leaned over Sarah and kissed her on
the forehead.

“I’ll see you soon sis.
You better wake up soon or I won’t be able to tell you about all of the
thousands of girls I’ve been seeing.” I whispered with a smile. For a second I
could have sworn I saw a twitch across her face. We left Alex in his chair and
made our way out.

It was nice to be home,
although I definitely wasn’t enjoying the difference in temperature. Coming
from the start of winter to the start of summer was not fun, but it was nice to
see Mum and Dad, even in such a stressful time.

The family house hadn’t
changed a bit since I was last here. Mum put me up in my old bedroom which was
now a guest room. The familiar surroundings made me cozier than I had been
since I left.

Canada was an amazing
place and I loved Banff, but it wasn’t home. Showering and changing I joined my
parents in the family room as the smells of cooking drew me in.

My father, John, sat in
his customary chair with his feet kicked up and socks on the coffee table. My
mother, Katherine, was walking between the sofa and the kitchen trying to catch
glimpses of the TV which had some sort of talent show on. Dad seemed to be
ignoring it entirely while reading a book with his eyelids so low that he was
either reading or asleep. It was sometimes hard to tell.

“Alright boys, dinner is
ready.” Mum said, as she moved hot items from kitchen to dinner table. Dad was
up without any hesitation, and made his way to the table to sit at the head. I
sat down next to him and he nodded in my direction.

“You been keeping out of
trouble Son?” he asked.

“You know me Dad. Do my
best to stay in trouble whenever I can.” I replied, smiling. He grunted and
gave me a wry smile.

“Glad you’re home. It’s
been a tough time for everyone.” He said quietly.

“Me too Dad, but hopefully
everything will be back to normal soon.” I added. He smiled at that, nodding
his agreement.

“We’ll have more news soon
I’m sure.” Added mum, as she joined us at the table placing down the remainder
of the food, “Let’s just enjoy dinner and talk of other things for now. It’s
been stressful enough. Tell us of your travels James.” She asked.

“Well, where to start!” I
said, thinking. I set to telling them of my adventures. I spoke of everything
barring  a few tidbits. I spoke of Amanda, and how I had met her at the LA
airport, and then again at Banff in a snowboarding lesson. I even added the
kiss for Mum’s benefit to which I was rewarded with an ‘Ooh’ and a ‘She sounds
lovely, when do we meet her?’ Laughing at that, I continued with my story.
Filling them in on all the friends I had made, and the experiences we had
shared. I had made the right decision to move to Canada.

I had only been gone for a
short time, but I already had more fun in that time than I’d had in the last
few years. Everyone’s mindset was so different. Instead of thinking about the
work grind or the daily commute, it was a community of like minded travelers,
all searching for something. Only now as I highlighted everything to my parents,
did I realize just how much I had enjoyed my time there.

Our meal was filled with
stories and laughter. Almost everything was like how it used to be in years
gone by, and I smiled at the thought. Exhaustion finally getting the better of
me, I excused myself and went to bed. International flights were not something
my body enjoyed.

Waking late the next
morning, Dad had already gone to work, and Mum was busying herself around the
house. She had already made some breakfast for me and set it aside. I ate
quietly and had a shower. I got ready, and Mum and I went to the hospital to
check up on Sarah. Alex wasn’t there yet, but after sitting with Sarah for a
while he arrived with flowers in a vase.