REVELATION-final1

swiftly out of sight, entered a building, came out a few minutes later and resumed my escape onfoot. But the cruiser reappeared once again at snail’s pace. With nowhere to run this time Istooped to ask a lady a question so I would have an excuse to turn my back on the street and looklike a local engaged in a friendly conversation with a neighbor. It worked.I then crossed the street and headed towards a nearby depot for freight trains, but as I did that thecruiser showed up again and from the corner of my eye I could see the cop looking suspiciouslyin my direction. By then, however, I was already a good 50 meters away from the road and halfwayinto into the park that separated the road from the train yard.As soon as the cruiser disappeared I jumped over the fence and into the train yard, then walkedbriskly to get out of sight and continued between the trains. A few hundred meters away I leftthe yard and went towards a large building that looked like a hopsital so I could hang out thereuntil the coast was clear. I did just that for about an hour and then took the first bus downtownso I could buy a warm outdoor jacket, gloves, a backpack and then find a quiet place to think andplan.After I did my purchases I sought refuge in a Catholic library and asked the clerk to give meguides on convents and monasteries in Quebec. I wrote down a few addresses and then ponderedif I should lay low for a few days in such a place, but decided instead to wait for nightfall and tryto get my car back, hoping the cops never found it.As soon as the sun went down, I returned to the place where I had abandoned my Mercedes andlooked from a safe distance to see if any cops lay in wait. Seeing none I took a deep breath andwalked towards it, opened the door as quickly as I could and drove away slowly, while my heartraced faster than a bullet train.Relieved to get my car back and not have to rely on public transportation, I made my way to theapartment where I was to go with my friends earlier in the day. I was again fed and encouragedto stay overnight so I could rest since I had not slept in 36 hours, but I insisted on continuing onmy journey so I could take advantage of the cover of night.Two hours into my drive and just before reaching Quebec City a blizzard came on in full forceand made driving a serious challenge but also gave me the cover I needed to be unrecognizableby road cameras. Feeling safe I took to the highway and headed north towards the GaspéPeninsula, a lonely and wild part of Canada beaten by fierce winds and ravaged by storms.Throughout my drive I thought about my children and dreaded the thought of getting further andfurther away from them. I fought my yearning for them and told myself to stay strong and notgive in to emotions lest I should crumble under their weight and be unable to continue to fightfor what is right and just, all the while tears ran down my cheeks in a never-ending stream.I imagined myself holding Ben and Oliver in my arms again under the palm trees on the shore ofa tropical beach in Costa Rica or Brazil. But I knew that years would pass before I could see my146