The Key

Life has a way of throwing many curve balls. No one knows this better than I. Fifteen years ago, both my parents' life was swiftly and tragically snuffed out, leaving me the “text book” orphan at the tender age of three. I don’t remember much of them...only faint echoes of my mother's contagious laughter and my father’s hypnotic singing voice that would lull me to sleep. Mom was in the final stages of expecting the little brother I never knew. While in their haste to hurry to the hospital to deliver him, their truck was hit by a drunk driver, killing all involved. People all over town said this was the day that turned my beautiful Nan’s hair completely white from the excruciating shock and sadness she had endured that day. She said she kept it that way as a morose reminder of how frail and precious life always was. I was lucky to be left to the mercy of my beautiful Nan and her free spirit kid brother, Uncle Moe. If it truly wasn’t for these two, I surely would have had a cursed life. Uncle Moe was near my father’s age when he was forced to taking on the role of “Dad” to me, and was around for most of the important life stages - like teaching me to ride a bike (much to my Nan’s chagrin) and how to climb the old oak tree like a chimp in order to reach our ponds swing rope where I ultimately learned to master the biggest splash that could be heard from miles away. That's where my bravery ended, and stagnated once I set foot off our property line. As I got older, he started taking off on occasion to travel and dirt dig, not surprising...as it was always in our blood line. My family’s ancestry was filled with all sorts of professions involving numerous great adventures... archaeologists(like Uncle Moe), engineers, and many high-ranking brave military career members. Nonetheless, I was destined and most reluctant to follow in their foot steps.

Growing up in small, but an old town in Wisconsin was like many stories being flogged by generations of teens before me. Gossip was the main course, followed by a heaping side of persistent Neanderthalic bullying, finishing with an overflowing glass of putrid knowledge that my future ladened with unrealistic fear meant... I was stuck here. Mean and petty, hopefully diluting as we approached maturity was all I could hope for. Wasn’t really anyone’s fault but mine, as fear of living life to its fullest was essentially my own undoing. I was always the “safety first” kid. Nan definitely helped shape this infuriating, yet understandable character flaw of mine. After her greatest loss in life, she made it abundantly clear that my wellbeing was her main life’s focus. For example - licking the wooden spoon dripping with chocolate ganache when we would bake her world-famous cake was completely forbidden, as I could potentially die by choking on a spoon splinter...yes...she was that relentless! She loved me deeply and it showed in everything she did. Needless to say, it made it very difficult to make many friends being labelled as the “fun destroyer.” Like...who knew calling the fire department on the cretins determined to set ablaze our school would render me friendless since Grade 8? Yes... I, Emma Louise Barker, made the lethal and critical mistake of betraying the group of kids that held the power of my social existence in their miniscule hate filled hands. It made life from that point on near intolerable, being branded the outcast by these degenerates. It wasn't al bad... I did somehow manage to gain the affections of a few locals and neighborhood kids that stood by me over the years that made life bearable. Maddy Anderson and her twin brother Matthew my neighbours and my best friends since I could remember. These two afforded me protection from the window licking high school horde and I loved them both for it. We were thick as thieves and I truly had everything one could ask for in my bubble world.

Graduation was only days away, and frankly, it couldn’t come soon enough in my mind. Oddly enough, my 18th birthday was the day after this grand event. Nan spared no expense to these combined occasions and Uncle Moe was going to be home from his latest fun filled jaunt from Greece to share in the festivities, and I couldn’t wait to hear all about it!

Being the 'fraidy-cat kid and the social pariah did have its advantages, as I obtained several scholarships due to focusing on academics rather than the barbaric beer pong challenges like most of my peers. I decided to follow family tradition and go to UWL for its accredited archeology program while not straying too far from Nan and the comfort of home. Uncle Moe was my inspiration and the hours upon hours of listening to his wild tales of new discoveries and close call escapes from danger. Living life vicariously through him was equivalent to air in my lungs...but from the safety of the cocoon in our parlor. I knew I would be satisfied with working within the confines of the archaeological lab dusting off relics and investigating their lineage behind a desk. Yup...that was my calling, and I was completely fine with that.

Graduation came and went without a hitch thankfully, and Uncle Moe managed to swing a deal and obtain the most incredulous vintage Bentley convertible to chauffeur Maddy, Matt, and myself around for the entire day. I thoroughly enjoyed the jealous filled scowls from the heathens as we proudly paraded among them. We looked damn fine...and it was the biggest “F You” before the greatest reset button of life was hit and we were all on equal footing. No more would I be forced to see their nasty...petty mugs daily! GOAL MET! He also surprised us with numerous bottles of higher shelf champagne to celebrate this milestone. We drank so much throught the evening, that the last thing I could recall was stripping off our fine attire down to our skivvies...and diving into our pond where I...the everlasting "Fun Destroyer...apparently finished off an entire bottle to myself and awoke the next afternoon in my water-logged bed in my underwear with a throbbing headache! Great...just how I wanted to start my out my journey into my adulthood...hungover and half naked! I felt sheepish as I had become what I loathed! Maddy and Matt wouldn’t let me live this down! I turned to my nightstand to grab my phone and noticed the hand written note wishing me a “Happy Birthday” and that when I finally roused from the booze ridden slumber, my immediate presence was required downstairs. I let out a remorseful chuckle and headed to my shower to cleanse off the evening before and get for the day.

Uncle Moe and Nan were seated at the dining table...Nan trying hard to suppress her disapproval and Uncle Moe...trying to suppress his laughter. Hard to imagine these two ever being related at how vastly different their personalities are! I sat down across from them both while hand picking at the fruit salad brunch Nan had prepared for me. Uncle Moe cleared his throat and regained his composure to obviously announce some birthday surprise. Every year was the same pretty much and I expected no less this year. “Emma...you are now a young woman...and have made your Grandmother and I extremely proud of you. It has been a privilege to be part of your life all these years watching you grow and mature. We wanted to reward you with a different kind of present this year...being your last here at home before you leave to begin your next chapter in life.” He pulled out a large manilla envelope and passed it to me across the table. I gazed upon the plain envelope with a skeptical and quizzical look as this was nowhere near “the normal” I was so used to...not even a bright red decorative bow! “Okaaaaay...thanks guys....” I sarcastically muttered. Uncle Moe and Nan both looked at each other with a knowing smirk on their faces. I slowly tore open the envelope and pulled out its contents. An old used black notebook held together by an elastic band that I immediately recognized as Uncle Moe’s travel diary, a strange key with a tag attached saying “FIND ME”, and another smaller envelope which contained airline ticket to Cairo, Egypt and $5000.00 cash. I was stunned and I felt the panic start to bubble up! My exact thoughts were - They actually want to kill me...how am I supposed to do this?! Travel....to and not to some safe place...but to Cairo...WTF!!! Don’t they watch the damn news?! Son of a …

They must have noticed my face turn white and my jaw drop when Nan and Uncle Moe both opened their mouths to speak simultaneously, but Nan took the mic while she placed her hand on her baby brother's. “We know this is a big step to ask of you, but we both feel it’s for the best.” Nan said in her comforting tone. “We have another surprise for you, we asked Maddy and Matt to accompany you, so you won’t be entirely alone.” Uncle Moe then got up and flung open the French patio doors that lead from the outside courtyard and ushered my two sneaky and underhanded betraying friends in. “You both knew about this?! How could you?!” as my voice cracked with anger. They knew I was about to verbally unleash a spanking the likes they’ve never seen! Maddy chimed in “Em...this will be exciting, and it’s everything you’ve dreamed about but were too chickenshit to do. Your parents wouldn’t want you to live like this, barely leaving your front door let alone this crappy little town! Don’t let fear hold you back anymore, it’s your chance to live fully and besides.... WE (as she looked over to Matt) won’t let anything happen to you! You DO trust us, right? Uncle Moe and Nan shelled out $20,000.00 for this too...not pushing the guilt trip, but also Em....you need to know that Matt and I are not going to carry you through life as your everlasting shields!” Ugh....she went there, she knew what to say before I could even open my raging cuss filled lips! She was right, I had to overcome my unnatural phobic outlook on life and this was the “both feet first” moment. If I was going to do it, now was the time! In that moment I accepted my unknown fate. “Alright...guys...I get it, you are all right!! It’s time I face my freaky demons and prove to myself and to all of you that I can do this! I need to live, not shirk away into oblivion and nothingness...” I choked out. They all moved in to embrace me as I sobbed. Acceptance is the final stage...and I have definately arrived.

Not a week after my emotional epiphany, the day arrived. It was time to board the flight to Cairo where we’d embark on the quest set out before us by Uncle Moe. I clutched his weathered black notebook tightly in my hands as we were about to cross the threshold into my crazy scary adventure. Uncle Moe and Nan... accompanied by the twin’s parents (my second home) were there to see us off. Uncle Moe waited patiently to hug me and I could tell he wanted to offer some final words before we went through security. He leaned in with tears glistening in his eyes and whispered “the key to happiness is in your possession...it’s up to you to unlock the tightly sealed door and enter my girl....” I felt the sting of my tears roll down my cheeks as I knew exactly what he meant. I embraced him one last time as Maddy beckoned “It’s time to go or we will miss our flight!” I hurriedly scooped up my carry on and ran to catch up to Maddy and Matt waiting by the gate. I turned one last time to take a lasting memory photograph of them knowing that the moment of my greatest adventure began with them. How it finishes? Well...that is another story in itself!