Page 185 - Reason To Sing by Kelita Haverland
P. 185

Chapter Thirty-Two


            imagine, the group moves on to  Yellowknife, North  West
            Territories, and then down the Pacific coast to the Queen
            Charlotte Islands. This stop is the absolute highlight of the
            tour for me.  These islands possess biological and cultural
            treasures that are duplicated nowhere else on earth.  They
            harbour the largest sea lion population in BC and are home
            to whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and sea otters. What an
            unforgettable experience; something profoundly spiritual for
            me. I feel enriched and renewed.


                                        ~~~


            Our Northern expedition is such a hit with the Canadian
            Defense Headquarters we are invited to take the same show
            on  a  month-long  overseas  tour.  Our  destinations:  Germany,
            Cyprus, Egypt and Israel. I’ll arrive home just in time for
            Christmas. This is going to be the trip of a lifetime!
               Most everyone on the tour is single and by the end, nearly
            everyone is sleeping with someone. Me included. I willingly
            partake in copious amounts of free alcohol which lead me to
            the bed (and intentions) of a much older man. He is, in fact,
            the one in charge of the entire tour. Major Howard, with the
            National Defense Headquarters.
               The ‘wild girl’ part of me soon embraces the whole ‘live in
            the moment’ philosophy. At first, I feel tentative and shy. But
            since most of the French dancers have little or no inhibitions, I
            follow their lead. By the end of the tour, I don’t appear to have
            many left either. The ‘good girl’ who has never dared push any
            boundaries (except for Jake and that was such a quiet, intense
            relationship) is suddenly off the rails! Plain and simple, I am
            rebelling.
               After a lifetime of responsibility, now is my time to sew


                                          171
   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190