Page 53 of The Wish
CHAPTER 21
Only the dim light from a lamp casts shadows around Alex’s home office. Tonight, the bank of monitors and screens which normally light the room in a kaleidoscope of colour are blank. From his bed, Max watches Alex sitting with his back to the screens, talking on his phone, making notes on a small pad. Ending his call, he turns to Max.
‘Come on, boy, time for your last trip outside tonight. I’ve got an early start tomorrow and so do you – we need to get some sleep.’
The first hint of light is visible on the horizon as Alex pulls up in his car outside the hospital’s main entrance. The dull flashing of a nearby ambulance in the emergency bay is a reminder that this building never sleeps. A security guard approaches and after a brief conversation he nods for Alex to head upstairs; he can leave his car where it is.
The swishing noise of the doors opening into the ward seems too loud and Alex is struck by the quiet: it’s usually so alive with buzz and activity. He passes two cleaners who barely glance at the intruder and makes his way to the nurses’ station. The charge nurse looks up at him, surprised.
Having explained his plans to her, the charge nurse gently wakes Jesse and waves Alex from the room. Helping Jesse from the bed she and Jesse look for clothes from the nearby cupboard. A few moments later they appear beside Alex, Jesse dressed injeans, a jumper and jacket. A beanie on her head, shoes and socks on her feet. Together they leave the ward.
The security guard is waiting by the car and opens the door for Jesse once Alex unlocks it. He throws her a wink and a smile as if he is in on the adventure with them, and Jesse climbs in. As they leave the hospital grounds Jesse turns to Alex.
‘So, where are we going?’
‘You’ll see. It’s a surprise.’
They drive silently through the nearby suburbs, Jesse gazing out the window at the sleeping town. Alex drives through the gates of a park, making his way down tree-lined roads before pulling up in front of a small building. There is no sign of life. Parking the car, he runs around to open the passenger door, and gestures for Jesse to get out. Grabbing a camera bag from the back seat, shutting and locking the doors, he slowly walks off and Jesse follows.
‘Why are we here?’ Jesse asks, a note of anxiety in her voice.
‘I wanted to do something special for you,’ he tells her, carrying on walking – he’s in a hurry to get to their destination.
Jesse stops walking, uncertain if she wants to go on. Alex doubles back to her.
‘It’s a surprise.’
His voice is calm, and reassures her that everything will be OK.
Taking her hand, he leads her to the back of the building where a large hot air balloon, fully inflated, is waiting.
‘Alex, what have you done, why are we here?’ Jesse puts her hands over her mouth in delight.
‘Do I really need to tell you?’
‘Yes. No. Oh my gosh, is this for us? Are we going in that?’ Jesse asks pointing at the beautiful balloon in front of her.
Alex answers her by leading her to the balloon, scooping her up and placing her in with the pilot, then climbing in after her.The pilot forces a shot of helium into the balloon startling Jesse, who clings to Alex as the balloon slowly rises.
‘Where are we going?’ she squeals.
‘I know you love the ocean, and your mum said you were fascinated by balloons, sooo . . .’
The pilot hands Alex a blanket which he wraps around Jesse’s shoulders. Slowly the balloon rises. As it clears the tree line, the ocean gradually comes into view. Jesse leans out over the edge of the basket looking at the approaching water below them, lost in the moment.
The balloon sails to the coastline and follows it, out past the suburbs, until they reach a point where there is ocean on one side of them, forest on the other. Alex gestures to the spectacular panorama, his camera recording the scenery around them and focusing on Jesse looking out, laughing, oohing and aahing. Several times he tries to get Jesse to sit on the small chair in the corner of the balloon basket, but she refuses, preferring to stand, watching over the world below them.
Jesse goes quiet leaning out of the balloon.
‘Hey, how about not leaning out so much? I don’t want you falling out,’ Alex says jokingly.
‘I won’t. Look, we’re coming up to my home, it’s just a little further on. There, there, can you see it? The one with the blue roof, and look, there’s the swing Sam and I play on.’
Alex follows Jesse’s gaze and sees the home with the blue roof and the swing in the backyard leading to the beach at the end. Feeling her hand grasp his arm and the slight shuffle closer to him, he gently puts his arm around her shoulder. Silently, they watch the Morgans’ home as they slowly fly past it and it disappears from view.
‘It looks like an amazing place to grow up in,’ Alex finally speaks.
‘It was. It is.’
