December Part Two...

Returning to Nottingham

On the morning of 20th December it starts to really snow in Manchester. It was touch and go as to whether I’d even leave as every time I opened the car boot to pack it filled with flakes. After about an hour it stopped and I skidded the car around onto the drive to pack trying not to take out the neighbours wall.

It was freezing cold trudging back and forth from the house but after an hour I had managed to jam every last bit of my worldly possessions in and went for a last look around the house with my housemate Jo.

I’d lived the house in Prestwich for 6 years and I hadn’t ever seen it empty. It’s weird looking at a room that you’ve lived in with no pictures or familiar items strewn about. I have a 6ft cardboard Stormtrooper that I used to scare my previous housemate and landlady Hannah with. I decided to leave him poised, pointing his gun strategically on the first floor aware that Hannah will definitely shit herself when she saw it. I knew my time in Manchester was complete. I gave Jo a big hug goodbye and dropped the keys off with my neighbour who in his old age didn’t really get it when I said I was “going” but either way he gladly accepted a pile of spare keys and after setting the alarm for the last time I shut the door and posted my own key through the letterbox.

It took me 3 hours to get to Nottingham in the snow and blizzards which for 120 miles isn’t so bad. Once in I was force fed tea and food by my family. I’ve probably put a stone on since I got home. Peroni has a lot to answer for too.

On Tuesday 22nd I went to Nottingham city centre with my best pal Jamie. I grew up with him and he’s more a brother really. We were wandering about looking for gifts in House of Frasier when I got a text off my mum asking me to call her. She told me that my Grandma (Nan) had died. I met up with a pal who was expecting me but made my excuses and came home. Later on that day one of my aunties called to say the earliest that the funeral could take place was 4th Jan. It’s a VERY long wait… 2 weeks in total yet mostly I was worried as this was the same date as my immigration interview in London and I really didn’t want to miss the funeral.

The next day I was up really early to drive my dad to the city hospital for a heart operation (no I’m not making this up). It had been re-arranged to 23rd after being cancelled for the 9th. It doesn’t rain – it pours. After some Christmas shopping I got home and telephoned the lawyers in Encino who advised me to do the same as before. So I called the embassy and sent them an email to ask again for a new date. They were great and managed to move it to 29th December. Which means I won’t miss my Nan’s funeral and I can pay my respects. It’s been hard as I’ve not grieved whatsoever. I almost want to get the interview done so I can just get on and mourn. There is no right or wrong way to mourn I guess. The text from Hannah calling me a "f*cker" about the Stormtrooper cheered me up though.

Dads heart operation was a success and it was all done through cameras and wires going in through veins in his groin. He joked when they were shaving him that he should have had a Brazilian. I was nearly sick when I heard this. Poor nurse! He was wide awake throughout the operation and was asked if he knew any jokes. Anyone who knows my dad will be aware that this is a bull to a red rag….

As the dates have changed I’ve not been able to speak to my lawyer prior to leaving Nottingham (Christmas, the weekend and the time diff means I can’t speak to him until 7pm tomorrow earliest) so I’m just filling out forms I think need doing and hoping a shirt and jeans will not offend US Embassy people.

So that pretty much brings us up to speed. The last week has been both horrendous and great. I’ve got my family around me and when I’m not being grumpy I think they like having me around. Perhaps the emotions of everything have hit me hard with all the other stuff going on too and as of the 29th I’ll be able to unwind properly… I really hope so anyway.