Willem was tired by the time his flight arrived at the O.R. Tambo airport in Johannesburg. It was early summer in this hemisphere. He’d left most of his winter clothes at a shelter in Banff Township. Winter there could be quite harsh from what he’d heard. He and Jack had plans for winter hikes and even a weekend camping in the snow. Jack had a four-season tent. Will’s heart clenched when he thought about his former lover. He collected his luggage, loaded his rental car, and headed north towards Pretoria. He’d stay with his parents until he decided what to do with himself. The short ride flew by, unlike the three-hour trek he used to take to visit Jack. The scenery couldn’t be more different. He’d grown attached to the mountains, boreal forest, and Jack. He was far away from all that now. I
