This one I promise will be short 🙂
After the last two updates, I thought it was time for something positive to share. While I’m doing the hard work (of physiotherapy which is gruelling), the only luxury I have nowadays is of falling on to dreams which are also rare. The dream I’m going to share is totally unrealistic as my mum hates travel but I’m sure many sons and daughters would identify with it. Almost all travel outside of relatives is because I dragged her onto it.
In the dream, I am going to a Debconf, get bursary and the conference is being held somewhere in Europe, maybe Paris (2019 probably) 🙂 . I reach and attend the conference, present and generally have a great time sharing and learning from my peers. As we all do in these uncertain times, I too phone home every couple of days ensuring her that I’m well and in best of health. The weather is mild like it was in South Africa and this time I had come packed with woollens so all was well.
Just the day before the conference is to end, I call up mum and she tells about a specific hotel/hostel which I should check out. I am somewhat surprised that she knows of a specific hotel/hostel in a specific place but I accede to her request. I go there to find a small, quiet, quaint bed & breakfast place (dunno if Paris has such kind of places), something which my mum would like. Intuitively, I ask at the reception to look in the register. After seeing my passport, he too accedes to my request and shows me the logbook of all visitors registering to come in the last few days (for some reason privacy is not a concern then) . I am surprised to find my mother’s name in the register and she had turned up just a day or two before.
I again request the reception to be able to go to room abcd without being announced and have some sort of key (like for maintenance or laundry as an excuse) . The reception calls the manager and after looking copy of mother’s passport and mine they somehow accede to the request with help located nearby just in case something goes wrong.
I disguise my voice and announce as either Room service or Maintenance and we are both surprised and elated to see each other. After talking a while, I go back to the reception and register myself as her guest.
The next week is a whirlwind as I come to know of hop-on, hop-off buses similar service in Paris as was in South Africa. I buy a small booklet and we go through all the museums. the vineyards or whatever it is that Paris has to offer. IIRC there is also a lock and key on a famous bridge. We also do that. She is constantly surprised at the different activities the city shows her and the mother-son bond becomes much better.
I had shared the same dream with her and she laughed. In reality, she is happy and comfortable in the confines of her home.
Still I hope some mother-daughter, son-father, son-mother or any combination of parent, sibling takes this entry and enrich each other by travelling together.
Experiences in the community 