Chapter 14 – GO!

Louisa awoke with an exciting thought in her mind, "Today! My trip begins today." She stretched her arms over her head and then ran her fingers through her hair. "I am ready, ready, ready for an adventure," she said out loud. She knew she needed this new experience, this challenge to keep her mind from straying to thoughts of Martin every 15 minutes as it had each day since school had ended. Last night she had walked over to see him to confirm that he would be driving her to the Bodmin Train Station this morning. Martin had been cordial to her. He had been concerned that she looked tired, but she felt he just had been acting as her doctor. When she made the discovery of a hobby of his, he had even told her a few things about it. He had driven her home. But there had been no feeling of warmth between them. It was all business.

Could she possibly expect this ride with him this morning to be any different?

When she had asked Martin for a ride several weeks earlier, she had asked him to drive her only to the train station. There was no way she would have asked him to drive her all the way to London. He was much too busy. And he had not offered to drive her that far either. It would only add to the discomfort she'd felt in his company recently. Martin never told her how he felt, but that was just Martin being Martin and she knew he felt the same unease.

Besides, she loved riding the train whenever she got the chance. To be transported from her small Cornwall village to one of the biggest, most bustling cities in the world in a matter of hours was magic to her. And the magic spell of this trip was only beginning when her train arrived at its London destination Her reservation for tonight at her favorite hotel and her airline ticket to Chicago tomorrow had been handled speedily by the International Teacher Exchange Council as soon as she'd informed them of her travel plans. She might not even call anyone she knew in London, but just enjoy her short time there tonight on her own.

Louisa quickly dressed. She had one more errand to do in Portwenn that she had thought of just before she fell asleep last night. She'd been thinking about meeting new people, young and old, in the days to come. She looked forward to telling them about her life in England. Postcards, she suddenly thought. I should buy some postcards of Portwenn and the Cornwall coast. Then everyone can see how lovely this part of England is.

Lousia just glanced at her teapot before rushing out her door. She had decided to treat herself to a quick breakfast of tea and a Chelsey bun, one last delicious taste of England, at the pastry shop.

It wasn't long before Louisa was headed back home, carrying a small package of postcards. She had a nice assortment, she thought, of country landscapes, the beaches and tall cliffs along the ocean, the fishermen's boats out at sea. Shops in villages and sheep in the fields. These would help her students and fellow teachers in America understand a bit more about this area where she had grown up and which she felt would always be her home. She wondered what postcards she would find in Illinois to send back to Joan, her teacher friends ... and, and Martin, of course ... well, maybe.

Lost in thought, Louisa was suddenly aware that someone was calling her name. The voice was unmistakable.

Bert was standing by the door of his restaurant. "Louiser," he called out again.

"Hi Bert."

"You're off to America soon, eh?

Louisa replied, "Actually, I'm leaving today. Taking the train to London. Flying over tomorrow."

Bert smiled, "You've got exciting days ahead of you."

"Yes, yes I do. I'm so lucky to be chosen for this teacher exchange program."

Bert had a compliment for her. "I can't think of anyone who deserves this more than you do."

"Thank you, Bert, that is so sweet. I won't really believe it until I am in the air and look down to see the Atlantic Ocean underneath me."

Bert's gaze remained gentle as he looked at her. He had always liked Louisa, ever since she was a little girl growing up in Portwenn. The villagers had known the disruptive home life she was living through. Everyone had sought ways to show her kindness and to let her know how special they thought she was. They still did.

"Thank you, Bert, that is so sweet. I won't really believe it until I am in the air and look down to see the Atlantic Ocean underneath me."

Bert would not be Bert without a bit of teasing, so he chided her. "Now don't turn into a Yank. Come back to us."

Louisa laughed as she replied, "I'll probably only want to eat hot dogs when I return."

Now it was Bert's turn to laugh. "Ah, there's an idea for my restaurant. Bring some back ... for me, a souvenir."

"Okay, Bert, I'll see what I can do!"

He had one last thing to say to her, "I'll keep an eye on The Doc for you." There was a great difference of opinion in the village about whether Doc Martin was the right man for Louisa or not. Bert was in favor of that match.

Louisa abruptly stopped laughing and her reply was sharper than she meant it to be. "Whatever for?" she demanded.

"Now don't get touchy. Anyone can see ..."

Louisa cut him off. "I've got to run. Bye, Bert."

"Bone Voyage!" Bert called after her.

Very soon Louisa heard Martin's knock. He was right on time, as usual. Louisa opened the door and motioned for him to come in. He paused a moment, then said "Good morning, Louisa. This was the time we agreed on, wasn't it?"

"Hi Martin, I've got just a few more things to do."

He stopped just inside the doorway. "Louisa, you should have been ready long before this."

She replied, "Oh, Martin, I know, but …" and then Louisa quickly ran upstairs to her bedroom. Martin glanced around and saw that Louisa was leaving an immaculate, uncluttered home. Of course, he approved of that.

He heard her steps hurriedly coming down the stairs. Now a carry-on bag hung over her shoulder and she had a jacket slung over an arm. She stooped to pick up a magazine on a side table and slipped it into a pocket of her carry-on bag. She grabbed her purse from a chair.

Then Louisa stopped and now for a moment it was her turn to take a last look around the room. She had a quick thought, would her life be changed after this trip? Nonsense, she told herself, just get going. "I think I'm ready," she said as she turned to face Martin.

"Shall I take this now?" he asked as he picked up a large suitcase near the door.

Louisa replied, "Yes, thanks."

Martin motioned to her carry-on bag, "I'll take that too."

Louisa handed it to him. As she put on her jacket, she heard him say, "Got everything, toothbrush, tickets, passport …?"

Louisa grimaced. "Yes, Martin, I do have a toothbrush. My bad breath problem has been solved." Oh no, she had spoken quickly and shouldn't have said that. But did Martin even remember the disaster of their first kiss? She hadn't been thinking of that at all these past days.

He merely mumbled, "Uhm, that's good" and headed outside.

Louisa followed, locking her front door as Martin put her luggage in the boot of his car. He held the passenger door open for her and she thanked him as usual.

Martin slid into his seat and looked at her with his grave eyes. It seemed that he wanted to say something, but he was silent.

"It's kind of you to do this for me, to take me to the station." Her tone was gentle and she gave him a smile.

He glanced away, "I'll just continue on afterwards. I made arrangements for a meeting in Truro." He started the car and they made their way through Portwenn. Martin stared straight ahead, but Louisa waved at several people who noticed their passing.

As they crested the top of the hill, Louisa looked out over the sea and her village of Portwenn. She could not help exclaiming, "Oh, Cornwall is so beautiful. I want to help my new students learn about this big wide world, and perhaps when they're older … they'll even come here to England to see me!" She decided not to tell Martin about the postcards she had just bought this morning.

Martin glanced at her and then back at the road. "How old are these students?"

Louisa shrugged her shoulders, "A range … probably ages five to eight or nine. It doesn't matter how old. These students were selected for additional schooling, to help them catch up a bit. And summer school is supposed to be fun!"

Martin snorted at her last remark. "School … fun! Fun, did you say? I never had a day of fun in any school in my life!"

Louisa was beginning to realize that there were deep wounds in this man. Such telling remarks came infrequently from Martin, but at times so suddenly, so forcefully that she almost hurt inside for him. She wanted him to beg him to tell her more, but she remained calm. She found out after asking just a few questions that she would get no further information from him.

For Louisa, school had been her refuge when she was growing up. Her mother wasn't around and her father rarely asked how her day at school had been. Louisa's school reports were always excellent, but her father did not attend meetings with her teachers. Now that she was a teacher herself, she understood what an important role her teachers had had in her life. That is what she hoped to be for her students.

"Martin, I'm sorry that was your experience. I try every day to make it a good day for all my students. It isn't easy. It takes lots of planning and patience. But I love it."

They rode in silence for a while and Louisa kept making mental pictures in her mind of the countryside she was seeing pass around her. Louisa had not expected this ride with Martin to Bodmin Train Station to be light-hearted, but she did not want it to be awkward either.

Louisa glanced at her watch. "Just think, this time tomorrow I'll be in Chicago, Illinois in the U.S. of A."

"Maybe, you could ..." Martin began, then stopped.

"Yes, Martin, I could ... what?"

"Maybe you could let me ... us, someone ... know when you have arrived safely. An email perhaps?"

So that's what Martin had been planning to tell her. Yes, Louisa wanted say to him, I want to tell you everything. I want you to get to know me and I want to know everything about you. Oh, why did it have to be so difficult with talk to him. Or to get him to tell her anything. Then, in her nervousness, she often found herself talking more than she meant to … telling him what a student had said happened at home after his older sister and her boyfriend stayed out all night, about the order of books that had finally arrived, how she didn't get around to eating all the fruit she bought so it spoiled and had to be tossed out.

But this was new. They had never sent emails to each other. She wondered how that would work out.

She heard Martin asking her a question. "After Chicago, you're going to … someplace … Millville, Millersville or something. And what's with this "ville" ending? Sounds French."

"Yes ... maybe immigrants from France settled there. In Millersville."

Then Martin brought up something they had talked about before. "Why didn't you pick the school in New Jersey? Think how close to New York City you would be."

"You know me. Just a country girl at heart. I'd choose a village any day."

Martin replied, "That's what I'm afraid of."

Louisa wanted to know what could possibly be the meaning behind his statement, but she decided not to pry. Martin had never said he was afraid of anything ... except for seeing blood.

Louisa could not help exclaiming, "I'm so excited!"

"I'm not," Martin replied.

"Martin, you would be if you were coming with me. I don't know why you won't come along and talk to the doctor in Chicago trying that new surgical technique that you were telling me you read about."

Martin's eyes remained on the road. "I'm not a surgeon anymore."

"Thanks for driving me to the station."

"Eh ... it's the least I could do."

Martin resumed his full concentration on his driving.

Louisa had told herself not to ask this, but she could not help herself. "Will you miss me?"

Martin finally turned his head to quickly look at her. "Yes, I will."

Louisa felt a warm glow spread over her cheeks. "Oh, Martin, that's nice to hear. And I'll miss you."

Martin shared his thoughts about that with her. "Those bloody children will keep you so busy you won't miss anything!"

Soon they were at the Bodmin Train Station. Martin lifted Louisa's suitcases out of his car and brought them to her standing on the sidewalk in the sunshine. He noticed how her ponytail bobbed up and down as she bent over to pick up her carry-on bag. Martin pulled out the handle of her suitcase so it was ready for her to pull.

"Can you wait?" Louisa asked.

"No, no. My meeting."

Louisa held out her hand to him and he took it. "Thank you for helping me. You do such nice things for me, Martin."

Martin again hesitated before replying, "Er ... you're welcome. Goodbye then." He started to walk around his car to the driver's door.

"Martin ...," Louisa quietly said.

Martin turned and walked a few steps back to her. She moved to give him a kiss on his cheek.

He turned his head and her kiss landed on his lips. Louisa held her lips there for a few seconds and then murmured, "Hmmm, this is nice."

Martin lifted his head and said, "Have a good trip, Louisa. " Then he lightly put both hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face the train station. She heard his footsteps walk away and the car door shut.

She felt the warmth where his hands had briefly touched her shoulders and there was a pang in her heart. Why was she leaving him? She turned to watch his car drive away.

Louisa sighed. "Goodbye, Martin," she said. She grabbed the handle of her suitcase to pull it behind her.