Walking the Labyrinth

by Hart, Lois Cloarec

  “Hi, Mom.” Dale wrapped Gaëlle in an embrace that lifted her off her feet.

  “You look so tired, sweetie.”

  “You know how it is. First a puddle jumper, then stops in Brussels, London, and Toronto. I feel like I’ve been on a plane since last week.”

  “At least you don’t look like a scarecrow this time. I’ll have to thank Dechontee for taking such good care of my boy.”

  Dale winked at his mother and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Best to thank Janjay, Mom. She’s the one who kept filling my plate and insisting that I eat more. Obsessing over a dinner plate must be a universal maternal instinct.”

  Gaëlle slapped Dale’s stomach, then tugged on his arm. “Sweetie, I want you to meet a dear friend. This is Lee. Lee, this is my wandering son, Dale.”

  Lee stuck out her hand and got a firm shake in response. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “And you. My mom’s told me a lot about you.”

  “Well, she hasn’t stopped talking about you the whole time we’ve been on the labyrinth project.”

  “Aw, Mom, you’re going to bore the poor woman.”

  “Oh, hush. I talk about all my kids.”

  Lee added, “Not to mention her grandkids.”

  “And speaking of grandchildren, any news about you and Dechontee?”

  Dale slung his arm around his mother’s shoulder and steered her in the direction of the luggage carousels. “Not the kind of news you’re eager for, old busy-body of mine. Dechontee is studying like a madwoman and has no time for the likes of me.”

  Gaëlle sighed as she allowed her son to lead the way.

  Lee grinned and walked behind them. In a few short moments, she already liked Dale. He reminded her a little of Eli, mostly in the affectionate way he treated his mother.

  They collected the luggage and stowed it in Gaëlle’s Jeep Liberty. Lee sat in the back seat so mother and son could catch up on the way home. She was content to listen to their animated chatter as they left the city and headed north.

  When there was finally a lull in the conversation, Lee spoke up, “Thank you for the loan of your room the first week I was here. It’s a beautiful suite, and your bed’s exceptionally comfortable.”

  “You’re more than welcome. Mom did a fabulous job of renovating, though her room is even more impressive.”

  “Yeah? I haven’t seen it, but the entire house looks amazing for a hundred-year-old building.”

  “She has the home and garden gift, all right. You know, you could’ve stayed in my room the whole time. I wouldn’t have minded.”

  “Oh, I’m fine in your sister’s room, thanks.”

  “Speaking of my sister, have you heard from Britten since she left, Mom?”

  “Just a brief e-mail to tell me they arrived safely back in Paris.”

  “I can’t believe she didn’t even let you know that she was married. She has got to be the most inconsiderate—”

  “Dale, stop. She is what she is. Asking her to be something other than that is useless. You know that.”

  “Yes, Mother, I know. You can’t expect a kindergarten level soul to function as a university level soul.”

  Lee smirked. She apparently wasn’t the only one who had been exposed to Gaëlle’s metaphysical ruminations.

  Gaëlle patted Dale’s leg approvingly, and he chuckled.

  The drive home passed quickly as Dale caught his mother up on the latest developments with their solar panel project. By the time they pulled into the Germaine driveway, Lee had learned all about solar power, Chinese labour practices, Guinea politics and village customs, and tariff protections.

  The only subject that had been studiously avoided was the purse snatching. Before they left for the airport, Gaëlle asked Lee not to mention it. They’d stopped to pick up a replacement purse, and Lee knew that as far as Gaëlle was concerned, that was the end of the matter. Her failure to catch the mugger left a bad taste in Lee’s mouth, but she had decided not to obsess over the incident, no matter how great her misgivings about Gaëlle’s reaction.

  As Gaëlle pressed the remote to open the garage door, Wally peeked around the corner. When the Jeep stopped, Wally trotted up to Dale’s door.

  Dale climbed out with a big grin and punched Wally lightly on the shoulder. “How you doing, man?”

  “Eaglet home. No roam. No more?”

  “Not for a while, Wally. I’m not planning to leave for a few weeks at least.”

  “So good. Too good.” Wally cocked his head for a moment as if listening to an inner voice, and a wide smile broke across his face. “Coal fly. High, high. My, my, my.”

  Gaëlle was at the back of the Jeep. She cocked her head at Wally’s words, then shrugged and pulled Dale’s luggage from the vehicle.

  Dale hastily bundled Wally out of the garage and whispered in his ear.

  Wally nodded his head enthusiastically and patted Dale’s shoulder before trotting off.

  Lee wondered what the curious exchange had been about but shrugged it off as Gaëlle beckoned to her for some help with their luggage.

  The next morning when Lee got down to the kitchen, Dale was already finishing his breakfast.

  “Good morning, Lee. Can I scramble you some eggs?”

  “Thanks, but don’t get up. I can do it.” Lee busied herself with breakfast preparations. “I assume your mom’s already gone out to the labyrinth?”

  “Yes. She left about ten minutes ago. Was she supposed to wait for you?”

  “No. I generally give her time to do her meditation before we meet up for the day’s work.”

  “So you don’t join her in walking the labyrinth?”

  Avoiding Dale’s gaze, Lee stirred the eggs vigorously. “No.”

  “Have you ever walked it on your own?”

  “No.” Lee poured the eggs into the pan. “No offence, but it’s not really my thing, you know?”

  “No offence taken, I assure you. As you’ve no doubt heard my mother say, every soul has the right to its own path. I would never assume anything about yours.”

  “It’s just...” Lee fell silent. She had no idea how fully Dale bought into his mother’s beliefs and didn’t want to inadvertently insult either of them.

  “It’s just? I didn’t mean to put you on the spot, believe me. I simply thought with you having worked with Mom for what—almost two months now—that maybe you were on the same wavelength, more or less. I apologize if I misread the situation.”

  Lee turned slowly at the stove to face Dale. “I think the world of your mom, but I sometimes have trouble with her...belief system. It’s just so far from how I was raised and what I have always taken for granted about the world, about myself.”

  Dale smiled gently. “That’s okay. You don’t have to be in spiritual lockstep. If Mom didn’t like you, if she didn’t respect and appreciate you just as you are, you wouldn’t be working on this project with her. Mom never pushes; she just opens doors in case people want to step through.”

  “What about you? Have you stepped through her doorway?”

  “Actually, we pretty much stepped through together. She’s probably told you about Dad and Owen.”

  “Yes, and I’m so sorry that you all had to go through that.”

  “And I’m very sorry that you lost your wife. I know it’s only been a year or so for you. For us it’s over thirty years, so our experience with grief has a much different emotional resonance these days. Now we can look back on it and appreciate that grief and loss are prime learning opportunities, spiritually speaking.”

  Dale got a faraway look in his eyes. “But as young as I was, I remember those early months. It was a brutal time. Mom did the best she could for me and my sisters, but she was suffering so much. I have no idea how she got through. Thank God for big families because ours couldn’t have been more supportive. Grandma was here just about every day, making sure there was food in the fridge and things were ready to eat. My aunts were only a phone call away. One of them would drop
over at least once a week to take the baby for an hour or two so my mom had a chance to rest. My uncles always made sure to include me and Jill on outings with our cousins.”

  Lee dished her scrambled eggs and brought them to the table. “Your family sounds great.”

  “They’re the best. Which reminds me, I need to ask you a favour. Jill and I want to throw a big celebration for Mom’s sixty-fifth birthday, which is in less than two months. We know she’ll be expecting something on or around the actual date, so we decided the best way to surprise her is to do it early. It’s up to me to figure out how to get her to Jill’s place without arousing suspicions.”

  “That’s where I come in?”

  “Exactly. I thought maybe you could come up with some excuse to go out for dinner. Jill’s going to have Emmy G leave her favourite dolly here earlier that day. Emmy G will call and beg Grandma to bring it home. You can offer to swing by Jill’s on the way out to dinner. Et voila.”

  “Sounds like a good plan. I think I can help. We’re going to be finishing the labyrinth about then. I’ll tell your mom I’m taking her out for a celebratory dinner. She won’t suspect a thing.”

  “Well, she won’t as long as I warn Wally not to spill the beans.”

  “What was he on about at the garage yesterday? I’ve gotten a little better at deciphering Wally-speak, but even your mom was lost on that one.”

  “Wally just about gave away my big secret. Janjay and Dechontee are coming over to surprise Mom on her birthday. It’s their first visit to Canada, and they’re so excited about it.”

  “Okay, so ‘coal’ must be Janjay or Dechontee?”

  “I think in context it’s probably Dechontee, because their arrival is only half the secret. When they’re here, Dechontee and I are going to ask our mothers for their blessing on our union.”

  “You’re engaged? Man, your mother is going to be thrilled!”

  “I know. Janjay will be too. I thought we could just announce our engagement at the party, but Dechontee is big on elder respect. She wants both of our mothers to learn about our engagement at the same time and to put their official stamp of approval on it.”

  “Congratulations, Dale. From all that your mom has said, you two make a terrific couple.”

  Dale beamed. “Thank you. I can hardly wait for the big day. Oh, and I’m even considering inviting my maternal grandparents for Mom’s birthday.”

  “Gaëlle doesn’t talk about them.”

  “No, they’ve been estranged for forty years. But they’re getting on, and I’d really like to facilitate a reconciliation before they pass away. I’ve already touched base with them, just checking the lay of the land, as it were. I think they’d be open to accepting an invitation if I send them airline tickets.”

  “It’s really nice of you to go to all this trouble.”

  “Are you kidding? You’re the nice one. My part is easy. I’m not the one slinging old barn rocks just to make Mom happy.”

  “Believe it or not, I’ve really enjoyed it. And now I’d better get out there before your mom decides to convert her Cretan seven circuit to a Maltese eleven circuit.”

  Dale chuckled. “Sounds like Mom’s been educating you on labyrinths while you work.”

  “Your mom’s been educating me on a whole lot of things, believe me.” Lee rinsed her dishes and put them in the dishwasher. “See you later.”

  Dale waved goodbye and opened his newspaper. “Later.”

  Lee set aside her book and stretched luxuriantly. With the lengthening daylight, they’d been putting in extended hours. Lee doubted she’d ever been in better shape, but even with all her conditioning, she could still feel today’s effects.

  Gaëlle looked up from her laptop and smiled. “Calling it a night?”

  “I think so. It was a long one today.”

  “It was, but isn’t it exciting to be near completion? We’ve really accomplished something amazing, Lee. It’s gorgeous.”

  “It is, and I’d like to celebrate. How about tomorrow I take you out for dinner? Jill told me of a place in North Battleford that sounds really nice. We’ll get dressed up and go out on the town.”

  “Sounds lovely, but you know we don’t have to go that far. I’m happy just to go to Four Corners.”

  “Nope, we do that all the time. This time we’re celebrating somewhere special, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  Gaëlle laughed and surrendered. “Then I shall give a whole-hearted yes. But I think it’s my turn to treat.”

  Lee shook her head. “My idea, my treat. You can get it next time.”

  “All right. Done deal. Have a good sleep, and I’ll see you in the morning. Oh, if you hear noise in the middle of the night, it will be Dale. One of his old friends is getting married in a couple of weeks—I think for the third time—and the boys are having his stag party tonight.”

  “Thanks for the warning. I’ll keep the earplugs near.” Lee climbed the stairs to her room. As she undressed for bed, Lee noticed that her cellphone display showed a couple of missed calls. When she checked her voice mail, one was from Willem with a routine update. He’d made a point of keeping her in the loop during the months she’d been away. The other was from Marika, and that one she returned.

  Rhiannon answered the phone. There was a muted commotion in the background.

  “Hi, Rhi. How’s it going?”

  “At the moment, not well. Marnie had to have her shots today, and she is not a happy little camper. We put her down hours ago, but she just won’t settle. It’s Marika’s turn to try persuading her to sleep. So, how are you doing?”

  “Great. I was just returning Marika’s call.”

  “She was probably phoning to beg for sanctuary.”

  Lee laughed at Rhiannon’s droll tone. “Oh, c’mon, it can’t be that bad.”

  “Oh yeah? Take a tempestuous two-year-old, add in hated inoculations and a bag of candy that Marnie somehow nicked without us noticing, and I give you our tornado of a daughter.”

  “Well, I won’t keep you. Tell Marika I called, okay?”

  “Will do. Hey, Lee? When are you coming home?”

  “Soon. We’re almost done. Just half a circuit to go, plus the centre.”

  “Are you looking forward to it?”

  “What...finishing, or coming home?”

  “Both.”

  “Sure, I guess. It’s been a great experience. And I’m looking forward to seeing all of you again. I talked to Eli a couple of days ago, and it sounds like the final wedding preparations are going well. I need to buy a new suit when I get home, then I’ll be ready.”

  A muffled wail erupted in the background.

  “Go, Rhi. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

  “Thanks, Lee. See you soon.”

  With a smile, Lee set the phone aside and climbed into bed. She folded her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling, considering Rhiannon’s question. Was she looking forward to leaving?

  Working with Gaëlle was meant to be only a temporary situation while she pondered her life’s course. But Lee hadn’t done much contemplating of what was to follow. Instead, she’d thrown herself into the work and their blossoming friendship and took great pleasure in both. She knew she’d stay in touch with Gaëlle, maybe even visit from time to time. But it would be difficult, if not impossible, to sustain the intimacy they’d developed.

  Yawning again, Lee decided to set the issue aside. One day at a time, right? After she rolled over, Lee quickly drifted off.

  Lee stared out from the shore over the brilliant green waters in front of her. She knew this place. Someone softly called her name, and she turned.

  Dana sat on an ancient fallen tree, scoured white by wind and wave. She was sturdy and strong; her dark hair was lush and abundant—so different from Lee’s last memory. Her clear eyes reflected a deep, abiding love. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to see her there.

  “I miss you, Dana. God, I miss you so much.”
/>   “I know, sweetheart. But I am never absent from you.”

  Lee knelt in the sand at Dana’s feet. They leaned forward until their foreheads touched.

  “Stay? Please?”

  “You know I can’t, but I’ll see you again. Take care of yourself. I love you. Cherish love, Lee. Always.”

  Their lips met. It was so familiar, so ordinary. So extraordinary...

  Lee’s eyes jerked open. Her heart pounded wildly, and her chest heaved. She sucked in deep gasps of air and fought for control of her breathing. Her whole body was frozen; her limbs wouldn’t respond to her commands to move. Frantically, Lee’s gaze flicked around, and she realized her eyesight was inexplicably acute. She could see the numbers on the alarm clock when normally they were a blur without her reading glasses.

  3:33.

  Within moments Lee’s body returned to normal. Her breathing slowed; her heart resumed its normal rhythm; the clock’s numbers grew blurry, and she rolled onto her back, wiping her face with her hands.

  “What the hell was that?”

  Dana! She’d been with Dana. It was so real...

  Without thinking, Lee jumped out of bed and ran for the door. She had to share this experience.

  Lee bounded down the hallway and up the short stairs to Gaëlle’s attic suite. She hammered on the door and burst into the room without waiting to be bidden.

  Gaëlle sat bolt upright. “Lee? What’s wrong?” She fumbled for the bedside light.

  Lee darted across the room to sit on the edge of the bed, one leg folded under her.

  “Lee? What is it? What’s going on?”

  “I saw her, Gaëlle. I swear to you it wasn’t a dream.” Lee reached out and patted Gaëlle’s arm. “She was as real as this. I touched her. I kissed her.”

  An understanding smile spread over Gaëlle’s face. “You were out of body.”