Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Day 9 - Family reunion
Ludlow to Ellesmere - 45 miles
For the second consecutive morning, we awoke in a comfy spare bedroom with awful
hangovers. It wasn't how we imagined our penniless voyage to John O'Groats would take
shape, but we were more than happy with how it was unfolding.
Monica was already in the kitchen when we went downstairs.
'Thank you very much again for letting us stay,' said Ben.
'It was my pleasure. I hope you were alright with just a double bed. I don't want to pre-
sume you're gay,' she said, completely out of the blue.
'No, we're not a couple. Ben keeps trying to seduce me but I'm not going to give in to
him,' I replied.
'Well, whether you're gay or not, it doesn't matter to me. Help yourself to breakfast.'
We sat at the table in Monica's kitchen for nearly two hours.
She had been a little wary oftelling ustoo much about herself to begin with -and rightly
so - but after she realised our good intentions, she relaxed completely.
She told us all about her life, and how she had been a nurse during the war, and had had
a baby with a Canadian soldier at a very young age. She had regrettably given the baby up
foradoption,asshefeltshewastooyoungtolookafterit.ShethenlatercametoLudlowon
horseback to visit friends who lived in the town, and had stayed there ever since.
In2005shereceivedaletterfromherdaughter-theninherfifties-whohadmanagedto
track her down. The daughter lived in Canada but flew to Ludlow straight away as soon as
Monica suggested it. The two have been extremely close ever since, and Monica has visited
her daughter in Canada several times.
'That's incredible,' I said. 'And how does your daughter feel about being adopted? Is
there any sort of resentment?'
'None at all. She completely understands how hard it was for me. Things were very dif-
ferentbackthen.Andbesides,shewaslookedafterbyanamazingfamilyandasfarasshe's
concerned, they are her parents, but she has definitely found a new friend in me and we are
both enjoying getting to know each other.'
'That's really lovely. What about you? Do you have any regrets?' asked Ben tentatively.
'Yes, of course. Never a day went by when I didn't think about her, and how I had given
her away. It changed my whole life. That's why I never married. I didn't ever feel anyone
wouldeverbeabletounderstandmeproperly.AsIsay,thingswereverydifferentbackthen
- it's what I had to do. We're making up for it now, though. She's coming over again next
week with her family. She's got two children of her own. They think it is great having three
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