Title: The Journey
Author: Susan Downham
ISBN: 978-1-62420-079-3
Genre: Women's Fiction
Excerpt Heat Level: 1
Book Heat Level:
Everyone has secrets, including Katie. These secrets gnaw at her insides and leave
her raw and exposed. Katie makes the
physical and emotional journey home to Mt. Isa, Australia to attend the funeral
of Alistair whom she shared her childhood with, and who she once believed was
her first true love. It is this journey when the secrets are revealed that
forces Katie to remember Alistair and the secrets they shared. But as she admits her past to herself she
risks losing everyone. Is she strong enough to deal with the truth of her own
life and hold on to everyone she truly loves?
EXCERPT
When I
decided to write about Alistair and Katie I first thought I would write a
beautiful short story retelling their amazing love story, how deeply in love
they were, and how they were truly meant for each other, and send it off to a
woman's magazine. As I started to put my pen to paper, I realized there was more to tell, much more. Alistair and
Katie really did love each other. I'm sure few who actually knew them would
argue otherwise, but just to tell you about a one-dimensional relationship
between a man and woman would be only telling a small part of their story.
Katie deserves more than that.
Katie and I
met quite by chance a good few years ago and our unique friendship just
developed. There are a few years between us and we have completely different
lifestyles, yet in all our differences we found common ground and since that
first meeting have become firm friends.
I'm not too
sure when I decided to write about Katie and Alistair. It was probably about
the time Katie began counselling. She'd call me after her sessions almost as if
she was asking my permission to tell a sixty-two-year-old lady about her past
life.
Katie needed
to justify herself to someone for dragging the past up again, and I was the
person she turned to for reassurance. When I told Katie
I started to write about her life
with Alistair, I expected her reaction to be
horror but, instead she was quiet, voiceless on the other end of the phone.
"Katie,
if you don't think I should, just say so."
"What
are you going to write about?"
"You
and Alistair," I replied.
"What
about us?" She was fast and to the point.
"About
the incredible love you had for each other."
"Oh."
Then the silence again.
"If you
don't want me to I won't."
"It's
not that, Sue. I'd like to write about Alistair. I've tried. I thought it might
put things into perspective for me, but it just sounds as if I'm rambling and I
can't show Alistair as anything more than a God-fearing angel. Even after all
these years he can do no wrong. Write it, write about Alistair and me, but do
it as if I'm writing it. You be me and tell it like it was."
"Even
the ugly bits, the really shitty bits?"
"Yes.
I'm not ashamed. I've got regrets, you know that, but don't we all? If I could
turn the clock back I'd make some changes, but I can't, so it's better to just
get on with living and not waste time and energy wishing to change things that
happened a long time ago."
"Do you
want updates?"
"No. I
trust you. Somehow I think you will do the right thing."
"I hope
I can."
"Sue,
do me two small favors?"
"Sure,
whatever you would like."
"Change
the details that will have people pointing fingers."
"Dates,
names and places do you mean."
"Yes,
tell them about who we were back then but not who we are now. I can't go
through the humiliation again."
"I
understand, Katie, what's the second thing?"
"Make
me beautiful."
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