June 5th, 1970
It was mid day and the thick envelope I had received in this morning’s mail was still on the counter, unopened. I had spent much of the past week wondering what it could be that Cameron would send me— and though we'd spoken since, he gave no hints— but now that it was time to find out, I found myself apprehensive.
‘You can’t call him at midnight again.’ I bit my lip and grabbed the envelope and a letter opener before heading to my bedroom.
I sat cross-legged on the bed and carefully opened the envelope. Two more paper envelopes were inside, along with a handwritten letter. I opened the envelopes first and gasped.
Inside the first one must have been five hundred dollars in Canadian bills. I opened the second envelope and a plane ticket fell out. Too shocked to look at the ticket yet, I opted for the letter he'd included.
Dearest Emily,
Enclosed is a ticket to come join me on the tour we will be starting in mid-July. The ticket is for the 23rd of June. I've included some cash so you can be safe and sound getting to the airport in Canada.
I will meet you at the terminal when you arrive, and we will have approx. two weeks before hitting the road in England. Then to France, Germany, Holland...
I know there will be shows until at least early October in Europe, and then we are to return to Scotland for a few local shows.
I hope you accept.
With love,
Cameron
I stared at the letter, my mouth gaping. "You might just like what I’ve sent," he had said, and he was right.
I was happy Cameron had done this, but shocked as well. I had expected him to say he would come here for my birthday in August, or vice versa, not that he was ready and willing to bring me on tour with him.
'I suppose it's a good thing I quit my job,' I said to myself with a chuckle.
I slowly counted the money and saw I'd been wrong— there was more than five hundred here. In fact, there was enough to cover my rent for nearly the rest of the year, and get myself to the airport on the twenty-third. That gave me about two weeks to figure all this out, but first, I had to call Cameron.
I got up from the bed and brought the envelope and all its contents with me to the kitchen. I placed them on the table and sat down while dialing for the operator, who then had to dial Cameron’s number twice before there was an answer.
My heart sank when I heard a woman’s voice, until I realized it was Sylvia.
"Emily! You must have gotten his letter! So, are you coming?"
"Could I talk to Cameron? Is he there?"
"Of course! The boys are just in the studio. I'll go get him," she informed me.
After a short minute, Cameron picked up the receiver.
"Emily?"
"Hi, Cameron," I said. "How are you?"
"I'm doing well, we are just here celebrating the finished product."
"The album's done already?"
"Yes, and it's a banger! We plowed through it."
"That’s wonderful, Cameron." I paused for a moment, not sure what to say. I finally settled on something simple. "I got your letter."
"I'm glad to see that premium post means premium service," he quipped. "What have you decided?"
"I'll come," I said, and saw him smile in my mind. "I just don't know how I'll do all this."
"I thought you'd say that. Don't worry too much."
"You've got it all figured out for me?" I joked.
"Some of it," he chuckled. "Keep some money for the trip to the airport, and give the rest to your sister to pay your rent when the time comes. Let your landlord know and make sure your fridge is empty when you leave."
"And you'll be at the airport waiting for me when I arrive," I added.
"I will."
"Alright. I guess I'll see you in two weeks, Cameron. But we'll talk again sooner than that."
We said our goodbyes and hung up. I nearly burst into tears. What had I done, agreeing to leave the country for three months?
'You followed your heart,' I said to myself. ‘Now call Liliane.’
My sister was at my door within the hour. I’d told her over the phone that Cameron had invited me on tour with him, but that was all I said.
“Tell me everything,’” she demanded when she walked into my apartment.
“Here.” We were sitting at the kitchen table and I handed her the padded envelope. “Look inside.”
She pulled out the letter along with the rest of its contents and looked at me, shock evident on her face. “Is this a real plane ticket?”
“Yes.”
“Holy shit.” Liliane paused and flipped through the money. “How much is here?”
“Around seven-fifty.”
“Holy shit,” she repeated. “Will you go?”
“I’ve already called him.”
“You called him? What did you say?”
I stood and put the kettle on. “Do you need a cup of tea? I need a cup.”
“Emily. What did you tell him?” Her voice was firm and she enunciated every word.
I turned around and looked right at her. “I said I would use the ticket.”
“You what?”
“He loves me, Liliane. Don’t look at me like that! I know it.”
“How do you know that?”
“He told me. Before we left Scotland.”
Liliane stood and walked towards me. “He could be saying anything just to get you over there!”
“Why would he do that?” I snapped back. “Why would he give me that necklace, if he’s just using me?”
“What necklace?” Liliane’s face changed completely. I’d forgotten that I hadn’t told her of my last night with Cameron.
“This necklace.” I went into the bedroom and took it out from my jewellery box. “It was his mother’s,” I explained when she gasped at the beauty of it.
“It’s beautiful.”
“And so is he,” I told her. “He has a pure heart; he loves me. And I love him.”
Liliane looked up at me and handed back the necklace. “You do?”
“I do,” I said with a nod. Deciding to keep the letter I’d read on the plane from her still, I spoke about feelings instead. “You know when you just... know something, deep in your heart?”
“Yes.”
I felt a sharp pang of sadness. Liliane must know that feeling— she’d told me that’s what had made her take my beatings from our father.
“I’m sorry, Lil. I have to go. I want to.”
“I just want you safe,” was all she said.
“I will be safe. Just trust me.”
“I do trust you,” she said as the kettle began to whistle. Liliane took it off of the stove and I went back to my bedroom to put away the necklace.
By the time I reentered the kitchen, she had poured two cups of tea and put them on the table. We sat, and I took the opportunity to speak.
“If I give you six hundred bucks, will you pay my rent up until October for me?”
“You’re painting again,” she noted, her eyes locked on the wall behind me. There were a half dozen canvases nailed to the wall, drying. “You haven’t painted since Gran got sick.”
I noticed her eyes watering. “Lil? Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” She turned to me. “And yes, I’ll pay your rent for you. I’ll need a key though, and the landlord’s phone number.”
“I will get you all that. Thanks, sis.”
‘You can’t call him at midnight again.’ I bit my lip and grabbed the envelope and a letter opener before heading to my bedroom.
I sat cross-legged on the bed and carefully opened the envelope. Two more paper envelopes were inside, along with a handwritten letter. I opened the envelopes first and gasped.
Inside the first one must have been five hundred dollars in Canadian bills. I opened the second envelope and a plane ticket fell out. Too shocked to look at the ticket yet, I opted for the letter he'd included.
Dearest Emily,
Enclosed is a ticket to come join me on the tour we will be starting in mid-July. The ticket is for the 23rd of June. I've included some cash so you can be safe and sound getting to the airport in Canada.
I will meet you at the terminal when you arrive, and we will have approx. two weeks before hitting the road in England. Then to France, Germany, Holland...
I know there will be shows until at least early October in Europe, and then we are to return to Scotland for a few local shows.
I hope you accept.
With love,
Cameron
I stared at the letter, my mouth gaping. "You might just like what I’ve sent," he had said, and he was right.
I was happy Cameron had done this, but shocked as well. I had expected him to say he would come here for my birthday in August, or vice versa, not that he was ready and willing to bring me on tour with him.
'I suppose it's a good thing I quit my job,' I said to myself with a chuckle.
I slowly counted the money and saw I'd been wrong— there was more than five hundred here. In fact, there was enough to cover my rent for nearly the rest of the year, and get myself to the airport on the twenty-third. That gave me about two weeks to figure all this out, but first, I had to call Cameron.
I got up from the bed and brought the envelope and all its contents with me to the kitchen. I placed them on the table and sat down while dialing for the operator, who then had to dial Cameron’s number twice before there was an answer.
My heart sank when I heard a woman’s voice, until I realized it was Sylvia.
"Emily! You must have gotten his letter! So, are you coming?"
"Could I talk to Cameron? Is he there?"
"Of course! The boys are just in the studio. I'll go get him," she informed me.
After a short minute, Cameron picked up the receiver.
"Emily?"
"Hi, Cameron," I said. "How are you?"
"I'm doing well, we are just here celebrating the finished product."
"The album's done already?"
"Yes, and it's a banger! We plowed through it."
"That’s wonderful, Cameron." I paused for a moment, not sure what to say. I finally settled on something simple. "I got your letter."
"I'm glad to see that premium post means premium service," he quipped. "What have you decided?"
"I'll come," I said, and saw him smile in my mind. "I just don't know how I'll do all this."
"I thought you'd say that. Don't worry too much."
"You've got it all figured out for me?" I joked.
"Some of it," he chuckled. "Keep some money for the trip to the airport, and give the rest to your sister to pay your rent when the time comes. Let your landlord know and make sure your fridge is empty when you leave."
"And you'll be at the airport waiting for me when I arrive," I added.
"I will."
"Alright. I guess I'll see you in two weeks, Cameron. But we'll talk again sooner than that."
We said our goodbyes and hung up. I nearly burst into tears. What had I done, agreeing to leave the country for three months?
'You followed your heart,' I said to myself. ‘Now call Liliane.’
My sister was at my door within the hour. I’d told her over the phone that Cameron had invited me on tour with him, but that was all I said.
“Tell me everything,’” she demanded when she walked into my apartment.
“Here.” We were sitting at the kitchen table and I handed her the padded envelope. “Look inside.”
She pulled out the letter along with the rest of its contents and looked at me, shock evident on her face. “Is this a real plane ticket?”
“Yes.”
“Holy shit.” Liliane paused and flipped through the money. “How much is here?”
“Around seven-fifty.”
“Holy shit,” she repeated. “Will you go?”
“I’ve already called him.”
“You called him? What did you say?”
I stood and put the kettle on. “Do you need a cup of tea? I need a cup.”
“Emily. What did you tell him?” Her voice was firm and she enunciated every word.
I turned around and looked right at her. “I said I would use the ticket.”
“You what?”
“He loves me, Liliane. Don’t look at me like that! I know it.”
“How do you know that?”
“He told me. Before we left Scotland.”
Liliane stood and walked towards me. “He could be saying anything just to get you over there!”
“Why would he do that?” I snapped back. “Why would he give me that necklace, if he’s just using me?”
“What necklace?” Liliane’s face changed completely. I’d forgotten that I hadn’t told her of my last night with Cameron.
“This necklace.” I went into the bedroom and took it out from my jewellery box. “It was his mother’s,” I explained when she gasped at the beauty of it.
“It’s beautiful.”
“And so is he,” I told her. “He has a pure heart; he loves me. And I love him.”
Liliane looked up at me and handed back the necklace. “You do?”
“I do,” I said with a nod. Deciding to keep the letter I’d read on the plane from her still, I spoke about feelings instead. “You know when you just... know something, deep in your heart?”
“Yes.”
I felt a sharp pang of sadness. Liliane must know that feeling— she’d told me that’s what had made her take my beatings from our father.
“I’m sorry, Lil. I have to go. I want to.”
“I just want you safe,” was all she said.
“I will be safe. Just trust me.”
“I do trust you,” she said as the kettle began to whistle. Liliane took it off of the stove and I went back to my bedroom to put away the necklace.
By the time I reentered the kitchen, she had poured two cups of tea and put them on the table. We sat, and I took the opportunity to speak.
“If I give you six hundred bucks, will you pay my rent up until October for me?”
“You’re painting again,” she noted, her eyes locked on the wall behind me. There were a half dozen canvases nailed to the wall, drying. “You haven’t painted since Gran got sick.”
I noticed her eyes watering. “Lil? Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” She turned to me. “And yes, I’ll pay your rent for you. I’ll need a key though, and the landlord’s phone number.”
“I will get you all that. Thanks, sis.”
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for your message!