Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
“This may come as a shock, but it is important not to fight back. Please relax Jonathan,
OK?”
“Yes, fine,” I replied, still a bit testy after my grueling knuckle drilling. He now stood dir-
ectly behind me and took my head in his hands and very slowly and carefully rolled my
head all the way to one side, and then to the other. So far, so good. Then he did something
that completely took me by surprise. It happened so fast I had no time to react. He suddenly
twisted my neck painfully all the way to one side and all the way to the other! I heard crack-
ing sounds, and I cried out in shock! But not in pain, I couldn't feel any pain. Oh great I
thought, he's severed my spinal cord!
He asked me to sit up and turn my head as far as I could. I felt no pain! I turned it the other
way and still no pain; I could almost turn it three hundred sixty degrees with no pain. I
beamed in wonder and relief, “I don't feel anything! What happened?”
“You had whiplash and a severely knotted neck muscle that kept pinching on a nerve in
your spine; we have relieved that now, and it has freed up the pinched nerve.”
I stood up, delighted to have my neck back again, and tossed the neck brace that I had worn
for the last ten days into the trash on my way out after thanking and paying the good doctor.
This was a turning point in my life. As I sauntered down the main road, I saw the ocean out
in the bay. Sailboats were sailing a club regatta at the Royal Cape Yacht Club. The wind
was keen and crisp. The sun was warm on my face; life wasn't so bad! Maybe I could be a
part of it after all this had been sorted out. I was alive. I was young, and I had an ocean go-
ing boat! The idea of sailing and cruising without Judi seemed a possibility after all. I had
not really thought much about that, but now I started to imagine how it could be possible. I
could advertise for one or two crew and maybe get them trained in sailing Déjà vu as well
as Judi could. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to lift the black cloud off my
shoulders.
I knew Judi was afraid of taking a baby to sea in a home-made boat, and I couldn't blame
her for that. The idea was very irresponsible. But I could sail to any place I wanted to, and
perhaps one day I could sail to California and meet up with Judi and Dylan. I wouldn't have
to lose my beloved son for long. I could still be a part of his life somehow, and I could
still see my dream come true after almost ten years of working so hard for it. Surely people
would understand that?
Now, with this germ of an idea growing in my heart and mind, I felt renewed enthusiasm
and vigor. I could imagine the impossible again. There was a lot to do. I had to pay for
all the damage I had caused and, in so doing, would lose a lot of my savings. But I still
had some sort of boatyard and I threw myself into my work. I cleaned out the shop, com-
