“Do you want to sit up front?”
asserted
you → want → ?
My son, Albie, looks at me, eyes wide.
asserted
eyes → look → me
We’re flying back from Milford Sound in a tiny plane, the snow-covered mountains of New Zealand’s South Island beneath us.
asserted
We → fly → us
On the flight out, another passenger had scored the coveted seat beside our pilot, Paul.
asserted
passenger → score → pilot
Albie had spent most of the journey next to me, pointing out mountains, taking photos and nudging me every time he saw something he thought I might somehow have missed.
uncertain
I → spend → something
Paul had noticed.
asserted
Paul → notice → ?
For the return flight, he invites Albie into the cockpit.
asserted
he → invite → cockpit
Within minutes, my 10-year-old is fairly convinced he is flying the plane.
asserted
he → fly → plane
Paul talks him through what’s happening and treats his new co-pilot with appropriate seriousness.
asserted
what → talk → seriousness
Albie sits taller.
asserted
Albie → sit → ?
Every so often he looks back at me with an expression that says, quite clearly, can you believe my life?
asserted
you → look → life
I take photos from a few rows behind.
asserted
I → take → photos
The day before, a helicopter flight and snow landing we’d been looking forward to had been cancelled because of the weather.
asserted
we → look → weather
Albie had been devastated in the particular way only a child can be devastated by something you’ve repeatedly explained is entirely beyond your control.
asserted
you → devastate → control
Now he is flying a plane.
asserted
he → fly → plane
Or so he tells everyone afterwards.
asserted
he → tell → everyone
I don’t correct him.
asserted
I → correct → him
I’ve travelled alone with my son for years and, without really noticing it happening, have become extremely good at being the only adult.
asserted
it → travel → years
I can navigate airports carrying an unreasonable percentage of our belongings.
asserted
I → navigate → belongings
I can change plans, find food he’ll eat in almost any postcode and convince him that whatever has gone wrong is probably part of the adventure anyway.
asserted
gone → change → adventure
We’re a good team.
asserted
We → ’re → ?
But on this trip around New Zealand, three men we meet along the way give me something I hadn’t realised I was missing.
asserted
I → meet → something
We’re travelling towards Mount Cook when we stop to play in the snow.
asserted
we → travel → snow
Albie is desperate to get among it.
asserted
Albie → get → it
Rhys, our guide, doesn’t just stand back and watch.
asserted
Rhys → stand → ?
He starts kicking at the snow, smashing a snowball and encouraging Albie to do the same.
asserted
He → start → same
Within moments, they’re playing.
asserted
they → play → moments
I stand back and watch my son light up.
asserted
son → stand → ?
There’s something about the way Rhys treats him that I notice immediately.
asserted
I → ’ → that
He doesn’t talk down to him.
asserted
He → talk → him
He doesn’t tolerate him because he happens to be the kid on the tour.
asserted
he → tolerate → tour
He meets him where he is.
asserted
he → meet → him
Later, Albie turns to me.
asserted
Albie → turn → me
“Why can’t you meet a man like him, Mum?”
asserted
you → meet → him
Nothing like having your romantic choices assessed by your primary-school-aged child halfway through New Zealand.
asserted
choices → have → Zealand
I laugh, but his question stays with me.
asserted
question → laugh → me
A few days later, we drive to Glenorchy.
asserted
we → drive → Glenorchy
It’s one of those spectacular stretches of road that demands you look around you while simultaneously requiring that you absolutely do not take your eyes off the road.
asserted
you → ’ → road
I’m driving our campervan.
asserted
I → drive → campervan
There’s a particular mental load that comes with being the only adult travelling with a child.
asserted
that → ’ → child
…and 39 more, not listed.
The Aporia
