I had a flash, red, quilted bomber jacket for the journey back to England, so that kind of distracted me from the gravity of what was happening. We never had anything new... or red; much too flashy, but I did that day, so I didn't really care about anything else. A clever parental strategy? My Mam would have done anything to ease our minds so maybe, or just a Geordie Mam gettin out the best fo' th' jerney. Not unlike the philosophy of making sure you had clean knickers on when going out in case you got knocked down. Ahm not having anyone sey I don't look after me bairns.
But yet again, my life was taking a monumental turn, only this time it would be a long time, and many tears, before it changed hemispheres..again.
Many years later, I would return only this time I would make the decision for myself and it would be out of grief and the new found realisation that I couldn't waste another minute, for both of us. Now I had my world in my hands. That world was my first son.
