John lived a quiet life in beautiful Geelong; his world revolving around his family, teaching and writing. Suddenly in early 2000, life tragically turned upside-down when, he had to rush Eddie, his wife of thirty years, to hospital. Diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, Eddie had a mere 10 weeks at home before passing away. A freelance educator, John immersed himself in his work. By October, 2001, he was in real need of ‘time-out’. A friend suggested he tour Italy.

A Trafalgar tour, The Best of Italy did the trick. As Mary explored the museums, bought Venetian glass, rode the gondolas and sampled wines, John happily drifted from one day’s crowded schedule to the next. While Mary knew of John’s presence, she never really saw him. John, on the other hand, was very aware of Mary. Though romance was the farthest thing from his mind, John knew that Mary was very different.  But, the couple barely spoke to one another. Along with the others, they shared Pompeii, Capri, Venice, Florence…, enjoying the comfort of a luxurious coach, the guide’s informative commentary and the occasional glass of vino.

 

The last night in Rome saw all in the bar having a drink, saying their goodbyes and making the usual end-of-tour promises… John, beside Mary, risked a final comment, “You know Mary, I have just one regret from this tour; that we didn’t get to know each other better. I feel we were truly destined to meet.” This one-liner opened the gates…. On parting, John asked Mary if she would email him after her return to America. What began as a few hesitant threads soon became a colorful tapestry. The doors to their respective hearts were opened.

 

 “The greatest risk of my life,” says John,

“resulted in my greatest reward”.

 

Toward the end of November, John asked Mary to visit him in Oz. The very Catholic, career-minded, conservative mother-of-five, responded as one would expect, “No way, Jose!” She did, however, throw the challenge back at him. So John, after checking on his dwindling savings, went to see his travel agent. “If you can find me a flight to Minneapolis; one that will get me back to my family by Christmas, I’ll take it”. There was one such seat left.

 

The surprise in Mary’s dining-room on that Thanksgiving Day, when Mary (always host to her children and their respective families) nervously, but bravely, informed all of the impending arrival of Aussie, John, can only be imagined; “But, mom, what do you know about him?”  “Have you had him checked-out?” John’s family! Well, … “Dad’s lost his marbles!” mumbled a stunned, teary, seven-month pregnant daughter, Jodie.

 

Their meeting, late at night, in the snow-bound Minneapolis / St Paul airport will forever be engraved in their common memories. Tired (from 25 hours of travelling), apprehensive, nervous and filled with self-doubt, John hesitantly walked through the suddenly-deserted airport. Mary, having left her two cats snug in her heated home, stomach churning and heart aflutter, harbored similar thoughts.

 

As he walked toward the baggage carrousel, John spied Mary, looking just as he’d seen her waiting for the coach in Italy, snug in a warm, white parker. There was no hesitation on the part of either. They ran together… Hugged…. “I still vividly recall,” says John, “looking over Mary’s shoulder and seeing, walking toward us, this absolutely gigantic, gruff-looking Negro wheeling a trolley. He looked at us and broke into a huge, friendly smile. I knew then, everything was going to be fine….”

 

The days became a blur of non-stop talking, animated questioning interrupted only by comfortably quiet moments. Walking the snow pavements of Mary’s neighbourhood in sub-zero temperatures, they held hands, hugged, laughed, cried. Mary and John shared confidences, secrets, dreams. They got to know each other. Mary and John, whom friends would readily have described as cool, rational, clear-thinking, professional, both now believed in magic. It was, indeed, their destiny to be together. Within a few days they were engaged. It all seemed so natural, so obvious, so necessary!

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John returned home to be with his family for Christmas.

Again the emails flew and the telephone bills subsequently soared. During this time, while also busy proof-reading his new books, John lived long days writing more poetry, doing routine household chores, readying his home for Mary, planning their wedding…. Mary prepared for her second big travel adventure within six months; one that would change her life for good. She left her home, her family, her cats and her career. She arrived in Australia on 14th March, 2002, Valentines Day.

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John, bearing a large heart-shaped banner in one hand and numerous red, white and blue balloons in the other, greeted Mary noisily at the airport. She was, still none-the-less, appropriately surprised, when she arrived at John’s home in Grovedale to find it decorated brightly with balloons, streamers, flowers and welcoming posters. The couple was married in   St Bernard’s Church, Belmont (March 16) by Fr Peter Foley; who in his homily argued, “Romance is not just for the young” (John admits to being 58). From having only two children and one grandchild less than twelve months ago, John now has seven children and six grandchildren (with one more on the way).

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Does life ever slow down

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Immediately after the wedding, John and Mary left for India, where John conducted his seventh annual program of workshops. Within a week of returning to Oz, they headed off to America for a hectic five months to say final farewells to Mary’s family and friends and to sell her townhouse. While a large percentage of Mary’s life possessions went to charity, a container, filled with her remaining worldly goods, was shipped to Oz. “The hardest part of coming to Australia with John,” says Mary, “apart, of course, from leaving my parents, children and grandchildren, was going through my house and selecting, from treasures I’d taken a lifetime to collect, what to leave behind

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Mary wonders where her yellow brick road will lead…

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Back in Australia, since November, life has continued to be a frantic magic-carpet ride. Having bought a block of land at auction, they have begun planning their new home. But life has not been without concerns. Immigration would not relent. And so, the couple combined their savings and in January flew back to Washington DC for three days to collect the ‘magic’ visa that would enable them to remain in Oz. After less than a dozen words (but with the stamp in her passport), they were on their way back home to a new shared life in Australia.

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Hand in Hand, Mary…

 

It’s there, just out of reach,

In view, but untouchable,

A future, filled with promise,

An opportunity presented to few.

Of good times and bad,

Moments both memorable and forgettable,

Of daily life extraordinary and humdrum,

Of adventures large and small just waiting to be had.

But the love that will carry us to the story untold

Is more precious than anything the future could hold.

Beyond conception mere breaths ago,

Laughably, impossibly unrealistic, beyond chance….

The impossible is ours for grabs.

So, hand in hand, arm in arm and hearts interwoven,

We’ll embrace the future, a gift from the unknown,

In optimistic ignorance.

 

One of John’s poems to Mary            

 

 

Ps      We have been married twenty-four years now.

          Yeah!!!