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Alex unbuckles his seatbelt. “If only we were that lucky. We might have been saved from twenty-four hours of torture.”
I look into his green eyes. “Seventy-two hours.”
He flicks his hand, and a muscle in his jaw spasms. “Why? Why would we spend so long in this godforsaken place?”
I summon all of my courage to keep my voice neutral and calm. “Your mother said you haven’t been back here since you were sixteen.”
The flight attendant opens the door and places the steps down.
He stands up. “There is a reason I haven’t come back. I have absolutely zero interest.”
Doubt creeps in. Maybe I’ve gotten all of this terribly wrong. But instead of caving, I release my seatbelt and stand up. “You’ve traveled the world, Alex. But your childhood still haunts you. Coming back here as an adult will allow you to gain some perspective and stop running.”
“I’m not running, Immy. I’m living the life that I want to live. There is a difference.”
I let a feeling of sadness wash over me. He didn’t have a good childhood, and this must be difficult for him. I picture a little boy with unruly hair and mud-stained jeans left to his own devices most of the time. His mother had sent several early photographs of him. “You organized adventures for me. I had to come up with something outside of your comfort zone. Obviously, you are adept at scaling mountains and fighting your way through the jungle.”
He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m not afraid to step back in time. I survived my childhood and can deal with whatever you have in store for me. But it won’t have the outcome that you’re looking for.”
As I step off the plane, I thank the pilot and flight attendant. Our backpacks and camping equipment are waiting near the aircraft. When I stop to retrieve my backpack, I watch Alex scan the horizon. I wonder what outcome he thinks I want.
He turns to me. “Are we really camping tonight?”
I nod and adjust the pack on my shoulders. “As a backup, I did reserve a room in a local bed and breakfast in case it poured down rain. But the weather looks reasonable.”
“Fine. Let’s do this. Lead the way.”
I take out my phone. “We have to walk a few miles, so I think we should take the road instead of trekking through the forest.”
He flexes his arm muscles and begins walking on the dirt road.
“Does this seem familiar to you?”
Alex shrugs. “I haven’t been here in years. But yes, the area hasn’t changed much.”
We walk in silence for nearly an hour. So far, we’ve passed open fields with stone walls and a few farmhouses.
“It’s a beautiful place to grow up.”
“Yes, if you like desolate backwoods.”
I take a deep breath. “This place is not so different from the places you visit on your tours.”
He stops walking and comes back to stand within inches of me. “I don’t know why you chose this adventure, but I’ve no interest in exploring the past. My childhood is best forgotten. This little expedition will only put a further wedge between my mother and me. She left me in this terrible place with a man who had no interest in being a father.”
I blink a few times to clear my eyes. I know this will challenge him, but that is the point. I remind myself to stay grounded and calm even though a feeling of nausea rises from my stomach. “This place is powerful, Alex. It made you who you are. You shouldn’t push it away or try and shut the door on your memories.”
“So, you are an armchair therapist now?”
“No. I’m not a qualified therapist. I do have some training in childhood issues as a teacher. That is not what this is about. It’s about looking at all of this from an adult perspective. You were a child when you left here.”
“Fine. Let’s embrace this walk through the past.” He turns and keeps walking.
I follow him along a footpath through a field.
“This will lead to the small village near where I grew up. The pub might be open.”
After another hour, we get to the pub. The village is quaint with holiday decorations still covering the doors and windows.
