Father Simon,

I am old, but I was once young and slightly stupid – a stupidity that was masked by some intelligence that my parents decided was worthy of a Grammar school education. The work at Grammar school was hard, and the homework unrelenting. Then, when I was 14, my parents decided it would be a good idea if we all went to live in Canada and they became wrapped up with all the necessary preparations.

The day of our big move came and we travelled to the airport with every single one of my mum's family, who came to wave us off. What a send-off - you can imagine the hugs and kisses and tears as we went off to board the plane. However, once we arrived in Canada, it soon became clear that we were missing one of our many pieces of luggage.

My parents searched everywhere, tried the airline, but alas, we were still a case short. In the end they resigned themselves to the fact that the case must have fallen from the rickety roofrack of the overladen car on the journey to the airport. Unfortunately, it was the case containing my sister Maria’s beloved Teddy Bear, and, just days before her birthday too, a load of her wrapped birthday presents. One of the gifts she’d been especially looking forward to was a ‘pop-in light-up picture maker’. She’d wanted one for years. My parents had spent many a weekend trawling the UK’s top toy shops to make sure they found one which was top of the range, and just right for her. When she found out, she was distraught, and my parents tried to console her with a new bear and a Canadian picture maker, but well Simon, they just weren’t the same. Poor Maria was left with inferior presents, and still bemoans the fact to this day. In fact, the story of the lost case still rears its ugly head at many a family occasion, some 40 years later.

Well Simon, it is here that I need to beg for forgiveness. You see, once I’d found out that we were emigrating, I decided I no longer needed to work hard at school. I paid little attention in class, and homework wasn't given much thought at all . But I hadn't thought ahead at all, and at the end of my final year at school in the UK, my parents received my truly appalling school report. Needless to say, they went ballistic; it was really bad, but in the rush to get ready for our big move, I forgot about it. Shortly before we left for good though, I helped my mum pack our cases for the plane and was horrified to watch her carefully put my school report in there with some other items. Well there was no way I could allow my new Canadian school to discover my atrocious record. So, checking in at the airport, I spotted the case in question and so my plan was hatched. Yes, I am afraid to say that I deliberately left the case behind in the UK, causing years of heartache for my poor sister, and allowing myself a clean start to a successful education overseas, at a school where I went on to excel in many disciplines.

So now, having kept this myself for years, I am hoping for the ultimate forgiveness from my sister - for ruining her birthday and blighting the rest of her childhood – and from my parents, for the sheer anxiety caused over years, and extra costs incurred.

Love,

Jodie.