Going to Kanada

A Story by Sharrumkin

Linda thinks of going to Canada.

Going To Kanada

When Mike told Linda that he was from Kanada she was left mystified. She could not find it on a school atlas until Mike told her that it started with a C and not a K.

“But you pronounce it as K?”

“We do.”

“Then why not spell it that way?”

Mike shrugged. “We spell it with C. We always have.”

Linda shook her head. “English is strange.”

Then she spotted it in the Atlas, looming above the United States, a huge land. Second biggest country in the world said Mike. It was also, one of the emptiest, with fewer people than her home island of Luzon.

“Where are you from?” she asked Mike.

He pointed at a small peninsula sticking into Lake Ontario.

“Prince Edward County. A small town called Picton.”

“Pict . . .?”

“He was a British general who died at Waterloo; a long time ago. Settlers named the town after him. A lot of places in Canada got their names that way.”

“Prince Edward?”

“A son of George III I think.”

“So you are British?”

“Canadian. We became a country in 1867.”

“But you have the British queen?"

"That's true. When you take your citizenship oath you swear allegiance to the queen of Canada.”

“But she is the queen of Britain.”

“And Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea and a bunch of other countries; it’s a little confusing until you get used to it.”

Linda frowned. “You are part of Australia?”

“No, no. We are completely different countries.”

She thought back to the rare moments when people had referred to Canada. People ate raw fish, wore furs and lived in ice houses. Linda doubted that she would like living in Canada.

Twice Linda had said no to Mike’s proposing. Each time the Filipina ladies had asked her in frustrated astonishment; why?

“I do not know him. Maybe he is Australian?” She had heard of a Filipina being murdered by her Australian fiancé. Canada? Australia? What was the difference?

Back in the Philippines everyone knew of the U.S., of China, and of Japan. Most people knew of their neighbours, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. Many knew of Britain and France but Kanada?

A month later, Mike mentioned that he was thinking of going back to Canada when his contract ended. “There’s nothing to keep me here, except for you. Will you marry me?” he said expecting to be rejected again.

Linda thought about what he had said. She imagined Nigeria without Mike. True June was a half year away but it would come. Then what? A lonely bed; Linda the spinster; people laughing at her; she would be alone in Nigeria without Mike. “Yes Mike. I’ll marry you.”

Another month passed. Mike got some books from the Canadian High Commission in Lagos. They included a short history, a map and guidebook.

Linda stared at the map. Across most of it, she saw rivers, lakes, and boundaries but no settlements. Where are the people?

“In the south,” said Mike. “Near the border. That’s where we’ll be.”

Every night, before going to bed she would read about Canada, Mike answering any questions she had.

“Ten provinces like in the Philippines” she noted. “Two territories. What are they.”

“The Yukon and the Northwest Territories; they are ruled from Ottawa.”

“Oh.Why?”

“Not very many people.”

“Oh.”

Lying beside her Mike she tried to imagine what life would be like for her baby and she in this strange new land. She remembered the great mountains. Would there be mountains near Picton? She would like to see them. Perhaps they could take an afternoon and drive to the mountains.

She nudged Mike.

“Huh?”

“How far are the mountains from Picton?”

“What mountains?

“The big ones in the west.”

“The Rockies? Uh, maybe five days travelling.”

Linda sat up. “Five days?”

“Yeah. Maybe more. Two full days across Ontario. We have to stop for gas, meals and washrooms. A day for each of the Prairie provinces. Then there’s the weather. Never quite sure what it’ll do. Five, maybe six days. It’s a big country Linda.”

“Yes.” She sank back down. Five days? Maybe another day to reach the Pacific? Suddenly Linda felt very small. Turning she clung to Mike.