Saving Sandy

Chapter 29 - Meeting George Mallory, and the Inevitable

The day finally arrived. I stood at the train station in London with Sandy and the rest of his family who came to see him off. They wouldn't see him again since he would be so busy traveling around before setting sail for Everest at the end of the month. I had met all his brothers and his parents, and they all were glittering with happiness after finding out that Sandy and I were engaged... and that I would be going with him to Everest.

Yes, Sandy wrote Odell who wrote Norton, and Norton visited the Mt. Everest Committee based in London. They talked over my case, and I even had to make an appearance the day before. I told them of my experience on mountains and in Murren, and they all were equally impressed, and even more so when I said that my father had been to Everest recently. I would be the first woman, aside from the natives, to set foot on the mountain, or to ever be a part of one of these expeditions. I was told that I would make history.

"I love you, my boy," said Lillian Irvine, a woman who Sandy took a lot after in looks. All of his siblings were blondes, just like their mother. Their father William had brown hair and sadly couldn't see his son and his son's fiancée off on the greatest adventure of their lives.

"I love you, too, Mother," Sandy said and embraced the woman who was a few inches taller than me and looked around forty-five years old. Her aging features and crow's feet near her eyes and mouth were evidence that she was a hard-working mother of six. The oldest, Hugh, was about twenty-five, and the youngest, Thomas, was around ten. They were all a good-looking bunch, all the boys. I even noticed some passing young women ogle at the older ones, mainly Hugh, Sandy and Kenneth, who was around eighteen.

"Yes, we all do," said Hugh, and he brought his brother into a hug. All the older kids in the family were about the same height and build as Sandy. One could tell that they all were related. "Don't you die up there, you."

"I will try not to." He let go of Hugh and took Kenneth into a hug. "Stay out of trouble, Ken."

"You know that is a tall order, big brother. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Sandy hugged his two youngest brothers, Alexander, who was about thirteen, and then Thomas. He instructed them both to not be shy around the girls and to be men about it all. I chuckled at that. Lastly, he embraced Eve who was there with Dick. Hugh had his wife there as well.

"Be safe, you hear me? I love you to the moon and back, so do not not come back."

"I promise I will do all that I can to stay alive. We both will. And I love you to the moon and back, too."

He was referring to me and him. I wiped a tear from my eye as the lot of them embraced Sandy and Eve in a group hug. They were such a close family. It really hurt to think about the history that I knew about. I could only imagine their devastation when they received word that Sandy perished on the mountain.

The large family came out of their group hug, and a few of the brothers came up to me, their almost-sister-in-law. Lillian said while hugging me, and I was reminded of my mother, "You take care of my boy, Katie. Take care of each other on this trip."

"I will, I promise. I love him too much to let anything happen to him."

"And I am sure he can say the same of you." We came out of our embrace, and she put a hand to my cheek, giving me a loving motherly look. "I am so happy he found you. I was never fond of Marjory, so you are a breath of fresh air."

My throat tightened. "Thank you, Lillian."

"Please, you can call me Mother now."

I hugged her again. "Okay, Mother."