>> back then <<
To be back in Canada felt weird for a moment actually. It was like coming home and leaving home at the same moment. It made think of all the times leaving had happened in my life before.
And it made me obvious again that it wasn't that easy to know where your place is - where you belong. Canada or England?
The now covered-in-white-Ontario with it's wide landscape - shining blue waters and a similar sky - it found it's way into my heart the last years - and it takes now a lot of space there.
On the other hand England - cute tiny houses, British accents and the red busses - combined with tea drunken in cottages with nice little gardens and apple-trees.
Toronto wasn't my favorite place in Canada - but it was still a city I liked.
London instead was really a city I felt connected to. When we lived in Suffolk, we used to drive to London all the time - mostly the week-ends, and mostly for concerts. It was really fun actually - and it was one of the times we were a real family.
[Flashback]
"Mum? Mum, have you seen my yellow raincoat? You know the one I use to look like a fisherwoman."
"I didn't, darling. - Maybe you'd put it in the hallway's closet?"
"As I wouldn't have looked there already", I say and roll my eyes. Although, I walk to the mentioned subject and open it again. "See, there's nothing!"
My mum's looking over my shoulder. "Uhuh. Hm." Then, she makes a determined move with her hand into the closet and with a triumphant smile, she shows off the coat that's shining in a bright yellow. "There you go, Mandy!"
I roll my eyes again. "Thank's mum."
"You're welcome." She imitates my ironic tone.
"Mum? Do you think, Uncle Ted's gonna have some more space to chill and talk, this time?"
My mum smiles a bit sad. "I hope he has. I'd need to talk about several things with him, too."
I put on my coat. "What things, Mum?"
"It's about his job. And about us planning to move to Canada."
"You did tell him not yet?!" I look at her frowning.
"It's not like my brother and I have lot's of opportunities to - in your words - chill and talk. At least, that wasn't the case the last weeks."
"Oh yeah, and you couldn't have called him."
"Definitely not", my mother pulls over her scarf and takes her hat. "Ready to go? - Your dad's surely already waiting for us. - Let's hope that the streets are free and the rain's not developing into snow."
"Ahh, I love snow", I give her a happy-face.
She smiles back. "I know."
***
"Hi dad!"
"How are you, honey?! Everything's' alright kiddo?"
I nod. "Ready to scream your voice away?" I ask, and he grins. "Sure. I've already practiced. You'all wanna hear?"
Mum and I change a look. Then we say unisono: "No!"
Dad's starting to sing either way: "Howahowahowaheyhowahowahowahey!"
For a second we just listen bewildered to the very alternative cover version, then mum and I start singing too. Now, the car's filled with my dads more more less harmonic voice, my mums nice Sopran and my own not bad sound.
It's the sound of a happy family.