The Longest Walk

Have I had any romantic notions about autumn in my mind today (which, thankfully, I didn’t), it would most definitely have been blasted out of my being during the longest walk home I’ve had in my life.

The wind, dear reader, was blowing at 68km/h with blasts of 89km/h. And the regular, mundane 15mins walk from Gerstein library back home was blown into epic adventure proportions by that wayward westerly wind. Even as I type now, I’m still slowly wearing off the clouds of doom that had gathered around my head. I’m thinking (and hoping) that blogging about this experience will lead me to see the humour in it faster. :P

Part I: 4:20p.m. Dawning Gloom
I was studying in relatively peaceful surroundings at Gerstein when I noticed the seeming violence by which the trees oustide seemed to be shaken by the wind. I had intended to stay in Gerstein until at least dinner time, but as I didn’t bring any warm sweaters with me, I decided to go home while it was still bright. Little was I to know the ‘adventure’ that was in store for me.

Part II: Attacked by Leaves
After I walked down the stairs at the MedSci building and rounded the corner, I noticed the noise that the flags outside the Ontario Provincial Government building were making. This was no ‘fluttering’…they sounded like they were being whipped. My eyes fell unto the dead leaves littering the ground and I thought of the French song Les Feuilles Mort (i.e. ‘the dead leaves’, but it’s usually translated as Autumn Leaves). Then, as I was walking past the fence at the construction site, a sudden violent gust of wind struck. The leaves that were lying on the ground on the left of me were whipped up and horizontally (yes, horizontally!) slammed into the fence that was on my right. Hapless me was caught right in the middle. But I came out of that path relatively unscathed, and was still able to walk pretty briskly to the edge of College St.

Part III: Grab the lamp-post! The tree! Anything!
I normally do not cross College St. at the traffic light, because that would require a small detour from the shortest path home. So, I was at my normal ‘crossing spot’ and had just put begun to step off the curb when a second giant blast of wind struck. With one foot yet to reach the ground, the blast from the wind blew me off-balance. Thankfully, a smallish, rather sorry excuse of a tree was growing pretty near me to my left. As I was blown toward it, I grabbed hold of it and scrambled back on to the pavement. Deciding that it was too risky to jaywalk in this kind of wind-condition, I attempted to make my way to the traffic crossing which was probably a mere 10m away. But in that short walk, I stopped three times because walking meant losing balance. There were three other strangers making the same ‘trek’ towards the traffic light, all who stopped as many times as I did.

Part IV: Walk, stop. Turn. Stand. Walk…stop. Turn. Stand…
After crossing College St., I had hoped the worst was over and I started making my way to Murray St. (that street parallel to University with all the hospitals). But the wind had other things in mind… it began its longest ‘blast’ yet. And I was trapped on the pavement on the south side of College St. for what seemed like an eternity, not being able to walk more than two steps each time before being forced to turn and stand still. The wind blowing from the west was carrying leaves and small debris which was being whipped painfully into my face. Even walking/standing with my glove-covered hands in front of my face did not help. Each time I stood still, I was thankful for two things: 1. it wasn’t cold…the temperature was about 14 deg. and 2. I had my laptop in my back-pack and the added weight really helped to stabilize me and keep me on the ground. Making my way through the parking-lot behind 600 University (Bank of Montreal) was another adventure. And walking down Murray St., I had to stop and ‘hide’ behind lamp-posts at least twice. But I could already see the light at the end of the tunnel. My apartment building rose ahead of me, tall, strong….safe. I thought of how it would feel to enter those doors and I gritted my teeth and forged forwards.

Part V: Denied Entrance…on a Full Bladder
When I finally arrived at the back-door to my building, I was almost beyond relief. But then, when I reached into my backpack for my keys, my heart sank. I didn’t have them. Wanting had locked the door behind me when I left home today, and of all days, I had to forget my keys on such a day. I called home…nobody answered. All was not lost, I thought… the concierge will have the master key and will let me into my apartment. I made the strenuous walk against the wind down Simcoe St. and the concierge let me in through the main door. Alas! Because the front desk was undergoing renovations, they have temporarily stopped keeping the master keys there. The keys were in the office and today being Sunday, the office was closed. So…there was no master key. Are you beginning to get the gist of how ‘lucky’ I am, dear reader? *resigned shake of the head*

Part VI: Rescued
I called Wanting to find out what time she was coming home…she said it wouldn’t be for at least another hour. By this time, thunderclouds had pretty much settled into my mind. How frustrating was this?! I finally managed to enter the building, but I can’t get home. I was annoyed with myself for my forgetfulness and I really needed to use the bathroom! Reluctantly (only because I was loathe to disturb people hard at work, especially those whose good hospitality I seem to have imposed on rather frequently of late), I called the next hotline I can think of. Chez Chew. So, here I am, sitting at the table opposite Hui Mei, typing on my keyboard. Not only did I get to use the bathroom, but my nutritionist-cum-sleep monitor also gave me a cup of warm water as well as a cup of hot ginger tea. And, as it turns out, I’m staying for dinner as well. Not just any dinner, mind you, but one prepared by Chez Chew’s much beloved and celebrated resident chef. (How did I get so lucky?!)

So, I suppose… the longest walk of my life didn’t end too badly after all… I’m starting to feel better already. And the various delectable aromas that are wafting from the kitchen into my nose hold promise that my evening will only get better!