A Separate Traveller - England, France, Spain

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A bedtime story.

England is beautiful...what parts I get to see of it. I've seen the English channel from the white cliffs of Beaches Head. I've seen the green meadows dotted with white sheep heavily laden with their winter wool and frollicking spring lambs still unsteady on their legs. AND the sites of London are spectacular!

One day I go to a very strange place underground. There's lots of talking and laughing. I can hear Lynne laugh. You know the laugh I mean. The loud uninhibited guffaw after a fantastic joke. We leave the cold underground place. Thank goodness Lynne decides not to stay. We both would have frozen overnight. We get in the car. There's lots of discussion about where to go for dinner. We stop at one place but as it's getting late the kitchen was closed. Wait a second. Where is she going? Lynne's getting out of the car and is talking to the other people. Whew! Here she comes. I'd thought she'd forgotten me. Hello again Lynneelou. I feel lost when you're not around. We are driving again. More chatter and we stop at another place. 'It's nice and warm in there' I hear her say. Great! I feel a chill coming on. Wait a minute. She's leaving me again. I'm sitting somewhere in the back seat. Maybe she can't see me. I'm sure she'll find me. I can hear her again. Things like "I must have dropped them at the last place or maybe I left them in the bunker."

I'm here I'm here. I call out but she can't hear me. She 's back again and taking her bags from the car. Don't forget me! I'm calling and screaming as loud as I can but no one can hear me. I feel so alone. Lynneelou has left me. I'm in a strange land and I don't know anyone.

It's late and I'm sitting in the dark. It's cold and raining outside. I suppose I should be lucky that I'm in the car. What a long night. It's now daybreak and I can see around me. What's all this stuff? There's tools and old rags and a jacket. There's a noise. Here comes Lynne... She's come back for me. Yay Lynne, I'm here. Can you see me? What? Who's that? I've seen that face before but it's not Lynne's. There's a big man's hand... Don't touch me, leave me alone. Help! Help! Put me down. What are you doing? You're sqeezing me. Where am I? Oh hello! Who are you? You look like me but a different colour. What's your name? Why don't you talk to me? Where are we? It's dark in here but there's enough light to see you. At least it's warm. Why are you ignoring me?

Time has no meaning... I don't know what day it is. The other one like me doesn't speak. I am alone. Lynne is gone and I fear I will never see her again. It's feeling warmer now. Many days have passed but I'm only guessing. I'll go to sleep.

There's movement. It's the big man hand again. What are you doing? I see a bright light. Am I dying? I can't see cos the light is so bright. Oh, that's better. It took a while for me to adjust to the light after so long in the dark. What's he doing now? He's putting me on his face. Now he takes me off again and stares directly at me. How rude! Now he his picking up his phone. 'Hello Lynne, it's Rob.' Lynne! I heard Lynne's name. What's that? He picked me up and has kept me in his jacket for 3 weeks. 3 weeks! Is that how long I've been imprisoned? That's kidnapping you know, mister. There has to be some law against that with the Geneva convention or something for torture and starvation of a pair of eyes. I'll see you in court! But I won't say anything just yet. I need you until I'm safely back with Lynneelou. I'll keep quiet for now.

What are you doing now to me, my thief and captor? You're not going to put me in that are you? What's it for? Ouch! You're squeezing me again and rolling me around. I feel like a piece of fish wrapped in newspaper. That's it! You're wrapping me up. It's dark. I can't see and I'm feeling dizzy. Stop rolling me. I'm being jumbled around, I hear the car engine and it stops again. All I have are my other senses. Without sight I am nothing. I hear voices and a jumble of words... 'Paris...before Wednesday... no problem'. Is that where Lynne is, in Paris? Oh how could she enjoy Paris without me? I've always wanted to see Paris. Maybe I'll get to see it when I arrive.

It's cold and dark again. I can hear others around me but they are speaking in many other languages. French, Polish? God, where am I? I try to say hello, to find out where I am, but again, my cries fall on deaf ears. I hear something about an Australian turtle, but what does that mean? In what seems like many days, i've been rolled and dropped, scanned and sorted. I am so homesick for Lynne. This is enough travelling for me. I don't like it much any more but I must be patient or I'm sure I'll be locked up somewhere with a straight jacket and a padded cell. Wouldn't be much different to what I'm going through now.

I'm rolled and scanned again, more talking in foreign languages. When will this end?

9,999 bottles of beer on the wall, 9,999 bottles of beer. If one of those bottles should happen to fall, there'll be 9,998 bottles of beer on the wall........days pass.......3617 bottles of beer on the wall......

Oh, Lynne, Lynne where for art thou? Huh? More talking? 'Que es esso? Peregrina c/o Burgos', I hear? That sounds like Spanish. I know these words from Costa Rica? What is Peregrina? I'm in a Spanish country. I know Lynne was going to Spain. I'm supposed to be there with her. Maybe she's close. Oh no! I'm stuck in another cold, dark place.

More days pass....132 bottles of beer on the wall....oh, I can hear a voice. Something familiar. It's Lynne's voice but speaking in Spanish. Yay! Lynne! Lynne! I'm here, in here. Please please. I hear the sound of a drawer opening, I'm being lifted up and carried. I'm so excited I could wet myself. There's some noise now. The sound of sticky tape and bubble wrap being cut. I'm rolling around, I can see daylight and then......

Lynne's face! I'm home, oh joy! I'm so happy. Lynne looks very happy, too. Oh Lynne, it's so great to be home. Stop taking pictures! Quickly, put me on, put me on, I want to see what you see. Please don't leave me again. You're a sight for sore eyes. You wouldn't believe what I've been through. Did you enjoy Paris? The weather is really nice here. Tell me all about it. Why are you walking in Spain? bla bla bla........

I can see the beautiful countryside of Spain. Oh, I'm so glad to be home and joining Lynne once again on her travels. I'm sure I'll need therapy. I never want to go through all that again. Never!

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Photos

From England
Tower Bridge

to France
Eiffel Tower

To el correo de Burgos
Spain

and home to Lynne
Yippee!