Of Pharaohs and Princes

“They say the Pharaohs built the pyramids Do you think one Pharaoh dropped one bead of sweat? We built the pyramids for the Pharaohs and we're building for them yet.” - Anna Louise Strong

Merv and I spent a few hours at the Art Gallery of Ontario today visiting the King Tut exhibit. It has been thirty years since the exhibit was last in Toronto and though I saw it then, today it all seemed brand new. I was amazed when we were in Rome last month as I looked at art that was two thousand years old. But the pieces I saw today were close to a thousand years older and were created with an artistry that made those early Roman pieces look primitive. It has been quite a number of years since I last visited the AGO. It is a very different gallery than it was before it's addition and renovation a couple of years ago. It is truly magnificent. I will make it a point to visit more often.

When we finished at the AGO, we headed to Guelph to take our prince out for dinner. Merv had sourced a restaurant on-line before we went. When we arrived at Turtle Jack's we found a large crowd and a long line. Trusting that was a sign of good food, we waited about forty-five minutes for a table. The food took another half hour to be served but it was hot and very tasty. The truth is none of us really minded the long wait. It stretched out our time together and gave us a chance to talk and catch up. Jacob looks great. His hair is all grown in and looks perfect. His colour is back, eyes and skin are clear and while still a bit skinny, he looks like he has regained a couple of pounds. I sighed with relief when I saw him.

In just two weeks, Jacob will be home for Christmas. I can hardly wait. He is moving into the home stretch of his first semester at school, still doing well and starting to make plans for next year. He would like to move out of residence and share an apartment with some friends but he hasn't worked out the logistics of that yet. For one thing, he doesn't want to share with the guys who want to share with him. He says he likes them well enough but has no interest in living with them. He wants to share with people who are more like him and more like his friends from Bayview Glen. He knows what it is like to have friends who support one another and share values. He wants no less for himself now. Merv and I are both impressed with his judgment and maturity.

As always, the short hours we had together evaporated all too quickly. I think I have one more lunch or coffee visit in me before I pick him up for the Christmas holiday. My eyes were welling up and my throat was tightening as I hugged Jacob goodbye. I'm trying but it's still hard.