***
A few miles away in the town of Chester a young man had just returned from Afghanistan having served in the armed forces there. He had signed up to see the world and to travel around a little as Nova Scotia, although rather scenic, was but a small part of the world and he wished to see more. Paul Machin had gone overseas and served his country well. He had also enjoyed the fact that he was actually helping the local people and protecting them from the draconian treatment that the Taliban doled out. He was a Master Corporal at the time and he led his team of men on various missions in hostile territory and saw things no human being should ever see. He and his team had come under fire many times and he had seen first-hand the ravages of war and sensed the loss one feels when a comrade is killed. Day in and day out he was subjected to the horrors of this kind of desert warfare and over time it takes its toll. Paul Machin was not the same man when he returned home to take care of his ailing mother and a sister recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Upon arrival back home he threw himself wholeheartedly in to taking care of his mother and his sister. He was also a frequent visitor to the local VA office to receive the follow-up help that he needed for his PTSD. They did their best to counsel him and tried to talk him through it all – but this is not an easy thing to do as these poor men cannot turn the off switch and forget all about it. It can come back to haunt them, not 24/7 as a rule, but quite frequently, and it may be triggered by the most innocuous things, like sounds or smells. Keeping the mind focused on other things often helps and it most certainly did in Paul’s case. His mother’s M.S. had progressed and that meant that Paul had to do most things for her during the day. His sister Margaret had recently undergone a radical mastectomy and had both breasts removed and she was in no shape to help out right now. She was awaiting reconstruction surgery, but somewhere along the line a problem developed as an infection had appeared that complicated things somewhat. Paul took it all in stride and did everything he could for them both. He would take Margaret to the hospital for treatment and follow-ups and pick up things from the store that she might need. It kept him pretty busy and this was extremely beneficial for Paul. He was pretty exhausted every night and so he slept well. The family and their friends all rallied round and did their best for Margaret and his mother, but they all knew that Lillian’s M.S. had now reached the critical stage and the end was near. They had no idea of how fragile Paul really was as he seemed such a tower of strength looking after both his mother and his sister. They were amazed by how well he had coped with it all. He really was an amazing young man. In addition to his compassion, Paul was also considered to be a hunk. He was very well built, square jawed and handsome and his body was muscular and military fit. He was a very attractive young man – but he was not on the market right now and the local girls were biding their time.
When Lillian passed away in her sleep one night it was considered a blessing. She was no longer in pain and suffering. Margaret had fallen apart in grief, but Paul stoically carried on. He organized everything, delivered a beautiful eulogy that was a real tribute to his mother at the funeral service. The church was not exactly filled to capacity as they were a small family and they did not have a large number of friends. Once the funeral was over Paul took care of all the legal requirements and notified everyone that needed to be notified. He gave no thought to the idea that his sister was also pretty ill and could possibly die too. Margaret was still grieving the loss of her mother and this took its toll on her too. Paul was doing his best to keep her spirits up, but it was an uphill battle and one he lost a few weeks later. Margaret too passed away in her sleep – but from an overdose of pain medication. The stoicism that Paul had shown previously now evaporated and he too now simply fell apart at the seams. He had lost his mother and his sister within a month of each other and he was now all alone. He was numbed by it at first as the denial phase kicked in. Then when the anger phase started, things just went to hell really quickly. His demons came back to haunt him now and he sought solace in drink. Paul’s friends didn’t know what to do for the best. They couldn’t let him stew at home and go quietly insane, but letting him get smashed every night to dull the pain wasn’t the answer either. He was on a downward spiral and they didn’t know what to do for him to pull him out of it. Veteran’s Affairs and the Legion had tried to help him and various medical specialties had been consulted too – but the demons kept appearing. Paul had seemingly lost the will to live, and those around him could understand why having been through what he had in the past few years. Then suddenly he was gone. The police called round to his house as they hadn’t seen him for a while, and he had been a regular visitor of theirs lately. In fact there was talk of them charging him rent on his cell he was there so often. When they called round to his house it was simply deserted. It was all locked up and looked neat and tidy as usual when they looked in all the windows. Paul had simply up and vanished – headed to God knows where and in a very fragile state of mind. The police put out a BOLO on him (be on the lookout for) – but no reports had come in. The police concluded that he was still alive at least – but they had no idea where he was. It would be some time before they heard about him again.
Chapter Two
***
Maureen tended to Mary over the Christmas period and made her as comfortable as possible. She had put up a Christmas tree and decorations and adorned it all with shimmering lights. It all looked very festive and cozy. They both knew that this would be Mary’s last Christmas and Maureen had done everything possible to make it a memorable one for them both. The presents were all wrapped up under the tree and many friends had dropped by and placed even more gifts under the tree. A bed had been set up in the living room now so Mary could see out of the window and also see the Christmas decorations and the crackling log fire too. Mary herself was in great spirits, although pretty weak right now. She would converse and joke with all her friends when they dropped by and to all intents and purposes she was quite happy. There was no sadness about her and she was doing her level best to cheer everyone else up. Maureen too was putting on a brave face and trying to show her mother that her mother’s efforts in trying to cheer up her daughter were in fact working. It was very painful for both of them, but they were doing their very best for each other. Christmas came and went and they had invited friends over for Christmas Dinner and an evening of card games. Everyone enjoyed themselves and it was indeed a memorable Christmas for them all. Mary’s health deteriorated early in the New Year and she passed away peacefully one afternoon in her bed looking out at the snowflakes as they fell gently down on her favourite chair outside her window.
When Maureen saw her mother looking out of the window with a sort of half smile on her face she knew that her mother had passed away peacefully. The angels had dropped by that afternoon to carry Mary up to Heaven, her pain and suffering here on earth was now over as her facial expression confirmed. She was finally at peace having lived a very good life and she had been loved by many.
Even when it is expected it still hits you hard and it did just that with Maureen. She went over to her mother, hugged her, and just sobbed uncontrollably. Helen and Maureen had planned for this day and they both knew very well it was close at hand, but one is never totally prepared for the impact that it has.
Helen came over immediately once she received the call from Maureen and now they were both sobbing on each other’s shoulders. When they regained their composure the funeral home was called and their prearranged plans were now put into motion. They had set it all out beforehand and now knew exactly what needed to be done, who had to be notified and what arrangements needed to be made. It all ticked along smoothly like Swiss Watch. Maureen had picked out her Mom’s best dress as it was to be an open casket affair at the funeral home. They had done a beautiful job in laying Mary out and she looked lovely. Everyone commented on it and lots of tears flowed that day. She had lots of friends and many of them spoke at the service and delivered some very powerful and emotional tribut
es to her memory. Maureen was totally overwhelmed of course and unable to speak. Helen spoke on her behalf and delivered a heartfelt eulogy that brought tears to everyone’s eyes with its grace and sincerity. It was a sad day and yet it was beautiful too as they celebrated the life of Mary McLeod, the things she had done and the friends that loved her. It was a day Maureen would never ever forget. At the reception after the service many people came up to Maureen and told her wonderful tales about her mother that she was totally unaware of. It warmed her heart to hear those stories and to realize just how wonderful her mother had been - not only to her, but to lots of other people too. They had shared a very close relationship and one that Maureen would now miss deeply.
Maureen now threw herself wholeheartedly into work. On the weekends she would go through the house and do her best to clean it up and get rid of things that were little more than clutter and of no particular sentimental value to her. She then went on a painting spree and painted the inside of the house to freshen it up. It was springtime now and the flowers would soon begin to appear so she busied herself in the garden getting it in order prior to planting her flowers. Helen came over occasionally to give her a hand in doing it and the place looked really nice now and very homely.
Helen had dragged Maureen into Liverpool a few times to dances and social events to see if there were any eligible men to be found. Unfortunately all the good ones appeared to be taken. There were of course the usual lounge lizards lurking around all too eager to get them into bed. Even in their deprived state they were not that desperate. However, Helen did meet a fellow teacher one day while she was attending a conference in Halifax and he was actually working at a nearby school in Liverpool too. That relationship was in its early stages, but it just might have potential as Helen put it. She felt a little guilty now as she was spending rather a lot of time with her new boyfriend and rather less with Maureen. She was happy and contented with life whereas Maureen was rather lonely now as she had nobody in her life other than herself and a few other acquaintances. She had asked her new boyfriend, Hamish Taggert, if he had any single friends, but apparently none sprang to mind - none that would be suitable anyway. It was now that Maureen started to spend more time at home on her computer. She was exploring all kinds of things on the internet and broadening her horizons on many fronts and learning all kinds of new things. It was on one of these explorations that Maureen came across a dating website. She looked through it and read one or two of the profiles and saw some of the pictures and thought to herself that she was not alone out there. Judging by what she had read there were lots of lonely people like her out there seeking someone to love and to love them back in return. With this in mind she decided to check out several more sites and see what was out there and whether it might be a worthwhile venture for her to explore and see if she could find Mr. Right on one of those sites. She mentioned this idea to Helen and Helen thought it was a good idea. She had heard of several women who had found men this way – but she also warned her to be careful. This was the internet after all and there were a lot of scams out there so be very careful and don’t give out your home address etc. Bearing all of that in mind Maureen answered a few of the ads she had thought to be promising. Having corresponded with one or two of them over a short period of time she soon weeded out those who were less than desirable and those that she did not have anything in common with. Some of the guys were very nice, but they were just not her type and others were downright creepy. She was just about to give up on this idea when one particular ad caught her eye. It showed a picture and gave a write up on the man and it sounded ideal. He was a forestry management engineer currently on a rural site in Ontario right now, but he was usually based in British Columbia. As these sites were rather remote he had limited chances to meet women. Their current location was not too far from a town and some limited shopping and social life. However, the camp itself had married quarters and they had lots of social get togethers in the logging camp itself he had explained. Maureen then decided to write to this guy and see what developed. He then wrote back and so the relationship started. He seemed well educated and knowledgeable and Maureen soon grew to like what she was hearing. He was saying all the right things and she just loved to hear them. He wasn’t overly flowery or flattering, just more matter of fact like, but he seemed genuine. When he offered to fly her out there to meet him, well, that just added a little extra zing to the mix. He had told her that she would not be the only candidate and that he was also flying two other ladies out too. This way, both he and they could meet and see if they wished to proceed further. This made perfect sense to Maureen. He had promised to meet them at the airport, put then up in a hotel for the night and they could take it from there or return home the following day. He would mail them the the airline tickets, in Maureen’s case from Halifax to Toronto return. When she did receive the tickets in the mail at her post office box as promised, Maureen was convinced that he was genuine. Who would waste a thousand dollars for nothing, she thought. Maureen then packed up her suitcase and was all set. She told Helen what was happening as she had kept her up to date from the start. Helen too was of the opinion that this was on the up and up and that Robert Graham the forestry management engineer was indeed genuine and real. Anyway, they were due to meet at Toronto Airport so what harm could there be in that. She had a return plane ticket and it was genuine so everything else ought to be too. Helen had read his e-mails and this man was educated and certainly not some lumberjack who was built like a barn door and just as dumb. No, this looked promising, assuming the other women failed to measure up. Fired up with anticipation, Maureen set off for the airport the following day. She had chosen her clothes carefully for this flight as she was to meet this man at the airport and definitely wished to make a good first impression. The other candidates would no doubt be doing the same – so casual flight attire was out for this trip. Robert had sent her an e-mail telling her that he would meet her at the airport and would be carrying s sign with her name on it. When she arrived at Pearson Airport she was met by a man with a sign, but it was not Robert. He escorted her to some seats where five other women were seated. They were all introduced to each other and told that some problem had occurred on the site and that both Robert and this other man Grant, who the other three women were to meet, had to stay behind to sort it out. They were then handed an I-phone and told to text each man to verify it. Back came the replies full of apologies and pointing out that they could simply return home if the wished and there would be no hard feelings. On the other hand this man they had just met could put them on a flight the next day up to Thunder Bay and from there they would be brought out to the camp – it was their call. They all decided to stay at an airport hotel overnight and be put on a flight in the morning to Thunder Bay. That evening they all got to know each other a little better and they found out that they were all in the same boat. They were all lonely and seeking companionship and possibly more if things worked out as planned. This excursion was a little adventure, but so far everything looked good and all promises had been delivered – with one minor glitch, but they could hardly see a problem at the site before it happened –right? That was just unfortunate they all thought. They were about to find out just how unfortunate – for them!
***
Over the meal in the hotel restaurant that night they learned a lot about each other and just how much they had in common. They had all had some unfortunate experiences with men in the past of one kind or another, but they still had hopes of meeting that handsome prince. Despite the evidence to the contrary, as borne out by their past experience, they still felt that this Unicorn existed and they could find him. Loneliness is the greatest fear humans have, followed by public speaking and these women were lonely and hated being in that situation. On top of that they were not getting any younger and, as they saw it, the sands of time were running out and their biological clock’s ticking was getting louder. It was quite an illuminating dinner, but it also reassured everyone tha
t they were not freaks and that others felt exactly the same as they did. They were not fashion models, perhaps, but they were all attractive and had good personalities and all of them had lots of love to give to the right man. As Maureen looked around the table she felt that she could be friends with each and every one of them. They were no different from her, lonely, for sure, but still with a lot to give and a long life ahead of them in which to give it. The photographs of the two men they were going to meet were ordinary and not underwear models, so that added to the belief that they were genuine. The man that met them at the airport had been hired by phone to meet them and been given instructions on what to do. Those that wished to go ahead would have tickets waiting for them at the desk in the airport the following morning. They would all be put up at the hotel overnight even if they didn’t wish to proceed further. All of this tended to reinforce the belief that this was no scam. Everything that they had been promised so far was delivered as they were told. As a result they now assumed that what lay ahead would be also and so they all decided to go on to Thunder Bay and then on to the logging camp site. They all had considerable excitement about this now. They had all got along well together and if in fact two of them were selected in the end they would at least have a friend there. This cheered them all up knowing that and as a result they were really looking forward to it now. They still had some apprehension of course and then there was the potential for being let down if they were not selected. This was a real romantic adventure and that was how they viewed it –if nothing came of it they had at least had a mini excursion out of it.
The following day they took a taxi to the airport and the man that met them the day before took them to the ticket counter to ensure they all received their tickets. These tickets were only one-way, but they just figured that they would get their return tickets in Thunder Bay if things didn’t work out. The man knew nothing and was unable to help them, he was just told to make sure they got their tickets and they did. He then bid them farewell and left. He was a nice man and had talked about his wife and kids and this too added to the picture of nice men being involved. Yes it was a lumber camp and the men would not be wearing suits and be as refined as bankers – but these two men were management types and even in a blue collar environment they would still be mannerly. Well that was the presumption anyway.