2Promises

by Phil Armstrong

  “Beautiful,” thought Beth her cheeks hurting from the fixed smile on her face.

  Once past the American falls the boat started to pick up steam, the engines roared louder and the boat started to strain against the fast flowing current. The boat pressed on and the plume of spray hid the upcoming falls. It was difficult to see through the spray. The combined force of the wind and water hit the passengers full on. People huddled together and pulled their raincoat hoods over their heads for protection against the wet spray. The boat still powered forwards. Breaking through the wall of spray the sound of crashing water was deafening, exciting and heart pumping. Beth gritted her teeth but still had an enormous smile on her face.

  “This is awesome, wow, what an experience,” she thought.

  The best was yet to come. The Captain took the boat right into the whirlpool letting the powerful engine strain against the current until the engines were flat out and yet the boat remained stationary. From this point Beth could see the falls in all of its thunderous glory. She stared upwards into a 172 feet high circular wall of fast moving water. It crashed onto rocks below generating the plume of spray high into the air. People on the boat were soaked and the noise was indescribable. The once mighty looking boat seemed tiny and underpowered when matched against the force of Niagara Falls. People laughed, huddled and gawped at the sheer power of the falls. Beth tried to imagine going over the top and crashing onto the rocks below in a wooden barrel! The boat finally gave up and let the current take it back down river giving the group another great view of the falls. A second rainbow glistened across the Horseshoe Falls and everyone pointed to the colored masterpiece. This was nature at its most powerful and it’s most majestic. Only once, due to an ice flow clogging the river upstream has Niagara Falls stopped.

  Old photographs document this dry winter scene. A “thundering silence” was how local residents described it. The water was flowing with great force as the boat fought its way back to the base of the falls to afford its passengers another stunning view. The Captain could only go so far due to the submerged rocks and the force of the current sweeping the boat backwards. After three valiant attempts the Maid of the Mist VI succumbed and let the current sweep the boat back downstream to the docks. It was exhilarating the whole experience shook Beth to the core. This was the only way to see the falls to appreciate its size and power. Her life now was about helping others and collecting new experiences. This was an experience she would never forget and was well worth the time and the effort spent getting here. The boat docked and Beth felt the strong sun drying her wet skin and raincoat. She took the plastic raincoat off and rolled it into a small ball. She threw it into a collection bin as she stepped off the boat. She also felt a swell of energy and her cheeks flushed.

  “Incredible,” popped into her mind.

  “I agree Subra,” thought Beth.

  Subra had clearly enjoyed this experience and had fed on the raw energy. The ride lasted about 25 minutes but it seemed longer. Beth and the group were ushered back to the gift shop full of tacky items. Tammy wanted the group to see the falls from above to appreciate the sheer drop of the water. She escorted Beth and the group along the promenade to a fantastic vantage point where the water literally disappears. The river that feeds the falls was moving extremely fast she could see it pouring around Goat Island. Further upstream Beth could see the rusting hull of a grounded ship. Looking across the falls she could see people on the American side walking on a gantry. She looked down the river at the Rainbow Bridge cutting through a beautiful rainbow of many colors. The sun was strong and people were in a good mood.

  “This was an awesome day,” thought Beth.

  Beth could see the little white boat with hundreds of tiny blue cladded passengers crammed onto the deck. The boat was powering towards the whirlpool. Beth could not believe she had just done this and could not take the smile off her face. A small blue and white helicopter hovered over the top of the Horseshoe Falls before taking off at great speed. The constant noise of the falls continued to bash Beth’s ears. Tammy interrupted the bliss.

  “Thanks guys the bus is here and you need to get on as quickly as you can. I do hope you enjoyed your visit, we enjoyed having you, come and see us again.” She waved her arms and ushered the group onto the bus. Beth smiled at Dave the driver as she passed him and took the same seat.

  “You can’t tell me that wasn’t amazing,” shouted Dave into his mouthpiece with a high degree of excitement.

  The group responded with a spontaneous round of applause. Beth was feeling energized her hair matted and a little wet. The mini bus pulled away into traffic and retraced its route back to Toronto. People settled into the comfy seats for the return journey. Beth started to recall billboards, houses and business signs that she recognized from her journey to the falls. The journey back was swift and the inside of the bus was calm and quiet. For some reason it seemed faster on the way home. Some passengers slept, some just stared out of the window trying to come down from the natural high. Beth thought about her day and how marvelous it was to collect that experience. She would never forget the sheer power of the water on the boat and against her face. Her thoughts turned to how far she had come in her life, no longer the clumsy shy girl who needed to focus. She smiled as she remembered Subra’s reaction to the falls he enjoyed it too. She could not have imagined weeks ago in Haworth that she would have been staring into the might of Niagara Falls. Beth started to think about what she needed to do when she got back to the hotel. She would need to shower and change quickly. Her flight to Brussels would not be too bad. She would be spoiled by the yellow jackets. Beth had no real expectation of Belgium other than good chocolate and finding the portal.

  What would she find in Schelle? What would Hoshi be like? How quickly could she find the portal? All of these questions danced through her mind. Beth could not sleep but the mini bus pressed on regardless. Dave was silently focused on the road as traffic increased closer to Toronto. Soon the traffic was heavy and moving fast. Illuminated billboards signaled a proximity to Toronto. The mini bus turned a corner and exposed the first city view with the CN Tower shining in the fading sun. Beth recognized this view as her first glimpse of Toronto when she came in from the airport. The mini bus soon dropped onto an off ramp that took them down to street level. Long shadows were cast by the tall condominiums and office towers. Dave spoke into the microphone.

  “My first drop off is for the lady at the InterContinental, it’ll be coming up here on the right.”

  “That’s me,” thought Beth glancing at her watch. It was 3.15pm, she had a short amount of time to shower and be ready for the airport pickup at 4pm. Beth felt the bus pull over to a stop and recognized the hotel entrance. She grabbed her backpack and headed to the front of the bus. “Thank you,” she said smiling at Dave the driver.

  “My pleasure,” said Dave beaming back at Beth reminding her of Sanjeev.

  Beth nodded to the doorman and entered the hotel. She made a direct line for the tourist desk and saw Yvonne on the phone. Yvonne caught Beth’s eyes as she moved towards the desk.

  She quickly completed her call, “How was it?” she asked.

  “Awesome,” replied Beth just about to hurry her along.

  “Good, well I know you don’t have much time but suite 202 is available. The towels are fresh just use this,” said Yvonne offering Beth a plastic card key.

  “Thank you so much,” said Beth taking the key.

  “You’re welcome now go and drop the key back with me when you’re done,” said Yvonne.

  Beth showered quickly. She washed her hair and pulled it into a ponytail. A quick change of clothes and she was on her way. It was 3.50pm when she entered the elevator to get to the ground floor.

  “Feeling better?” inquired Yvonne.

  “Much better, thanks,” responded Beth returning the key. Beth felt energized, ready to tackle the next leg of her journey to Brussels and Hoshi.

  Yvonne picked up the phone “M
iss Martindale is ready,” she said nodding to the phone and the recipient of her message. “You’re all set, just see the doorman and have a great flight. Come and see us again.”

  “I have a strong feeling that I will” said Beth cheerfully, “again thank you for your help today you made the day a wonderful end to my Toronto visit.”

  “You’re most welcome,” beamed Yvonne.

  “I do like these Canadians,” thought Beth.

  Beth strode confidently around the escalator cut away and out through the doors. As she exited the hotel the doorman greeted her and took her backpack. He placed it deep within the trunk of the limousine and closed it with a thud. Beth slid across the shiny black leather into the rear seat. A young Arabic looking man with a thin black mustache turned to greet Beth.

  “Which airline please?” he said with a thick accent.

  “Jet Airways to Brussels,” replied Beth.

  “Thanks, terminal one,” was his response.

  The doorman closed the passenger door with a smile and the limousine pulled away into traffic. The young man focused on his driving and did not talk with Beth during the drive to the airport. She said goodbye to Toronto knowing that she would be back. Beth knew she would explore the city, the Tower and see Sakura again, perhaps meet her husband. Familiar sights flashed by, the Skydome, the modern windmill, the plant based advertisements, the 427 and the lake views. It was not long before Beth was seeing airport signs. Soon she was entering the maze of roads that snaked their way into the various terminals. The limousine pulled up to a busy curb designed to disembark travelers so they could enter the airport terminal.

  “This is you Miss, you’re on account so you’re fully paid up have a nice flight.”

  “Thanks,” said Beth walking to the rear of the car.

  The driver had managed to get there first and was handing Beth her backpack. He smiled awkwardly. Beth wheeled away in the direction of the terminal. Beth walked through the glass sliding doors to enter a large modern terminal. The terminal was brightly lit with an arched glass roof resembling an aircraft hangar. In front of her was a large panel with all the flights and their associated check in desks. Beth retrieved her itinerary.

  “Flight 9W229 leaving at 18:10, where’s that?” Beth squinted at the board before recognizing her flight at gate C. Beth looked down the check in hall; it was large, wide and organized in a semi circle. It was modern with high white tiled poles sporting black signs and contrasting bright yellow letters. She could see a yellow C in the distance and started towards it. Beth plotted a path between the passengers, families, luggage and a million other obstacles before she made it to aisle C. She turned into the wide aisle to see passengers in orderly lines waiting to get their boarding pass. Beth saw a familiar and welcome sight a well-groomed Indian woman in a smart long yellow jacket.

  She beamed a smile and in a crisp Canadian accent asked Beth “Business class Miss?”

  “Yes,” replied Beth handing the woman her itinerary.

  Beth was shown into an empty priority line and was checked in quickly and efficiently. With boarding pass in hand she made her way through security with relative ease. Once inside the secured area she started to notice the artwork strategically placed. Dancing figures suspended high above within a large skylight. The figures were made of glass and colored blue, yellow, red and green; it reminded Beth of the rainbows she saw in Niagara Falls. A week ago Beth would have been intimidated at the prospect of navigating her way through a large international airport. Today she felt confident and in control. Any doubt she might have had was now easily erased. She only had to think about the challenges the young girls faced in the Golden Tree to put her small challenges into perspective. Beth’s timing was good. She waited about ten minutes before business class was called to board ahead of the remaining passengers. It was the usual immaculate routine with the yellow jackets; a warm welcome, Champagne, juice and water. Beth settled into her pod and watched movies until she felt tired.

  The cabin was now dark and peaceful. There is something about a night flight where all is calm. The consistent low drone of engines and air circulation lull you to sleep. Beth felt her eye’s getting tired and she snapped the entertainment screen back into its holder. She removed her earphones and pulled the warm blanket up to her neck. She reclined the seat to sleeping position.

  “Time to chat with Subra,” thought Beth.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 14: Hoshi - Truths, Falsehoods and the Pyrenees

  Beth slipped quietly into sleep. The thick airline blanket provided needed warm and protection from the cool air conditioning.

  “How are you my old friend?” asked Beth. Subra’s energy came through louder and clearer than of late. “You enjoyed the Maid of the Mist, I could tell,” thought Beth.

  “I really enjoyed that experience. I managed to feed from the pure energy from the falls and the people. It was like having a large meal! A thing of beauty is a joy forever. It’s faith in someone and enthusiasm for something that makes life worth living.” Subra sounded charged.

  “Subra, Schelle and IN DEN VOS; this lead seems a strong one to me. I’m good to go and chase this, right? I mean, there’s no certainties but I know I don’t have much time,” thought Beth feeling concerned.

  “Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties. The portal will come to you when you’re ready to receive it. Look how much you’ve grown already, how you feel about yourself and your outlook on life,” explained Subra.

  Beth paused and thought deeply, “No, that’s not good enough. I need to be ready soon so I can find the portal before it’s too late. I don’t want to fail you due to my limitations.”

  “I seldom think of my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers. Focus on what you want not on what you don’t want,” said Subra steering Beth in a different direction.

  Beth switched topics in one fluid thought, “I’m looking forward to the challenge of meeting Hoshi but I’ve got this nagging feeling that she’s barking up the wrong tree.”

  “One must be fond of people and trust them if one is not to make a mess of life. The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. Beth you must trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might well be your own instead of someone else’s,” responded Subra. Beth knew the quotes Subra selected had deeper meaning and she often tried to find the deeper side to his responses.

  “I need to learn from my mistakes and then they’re not mistakes. Life’s about learning, collecting experiences and helping others,” she summarized.

  “Wisdom is knowing what to do next; skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it. A woman uses her intelligence to find reasons to support her intuition,” said Subra gently moving Beth to a better place.

  “Got it. Use my intuition and back it up with facts and reason. I haven’t formulated my strategy with Hoshi yet but when a woman tells the truth she is creating the possibility for more truth around her,” thought Beth.

  “Adrienne Rich, good quote. I believe you’ll have to box clever and do subtle adjustments in your approach as the conversation unfolds,” advised Subra.

  “You’re right, sometimes honesty doesn’t work, it takes two and she seems the type who will be comfortable lying.”

  “Lying is done with words and also with silence,” offered Subra.