Shortly after the Fifth Estate's "Riding on Risk" episode aired in the fall of 2009, I received many letters, emails and telephone calls from viewers who wanted to thank or praise me for saying what I'd said, to encourage me to "keep up the fight". But there was one person who stood out.
There was just something about the tone of his early letters that seemed a little more, how shall I put it, "adoring" (?) than I felt comfortable with. Not that I am particularly comfortable with any of the admiration I've received, but his communications did not stop with one or two. He'd had his own "issue" with feeling poorly served by government, had fought his own quiet "battle", and seemed to see me as a heroine, sent to save Canadians from a lack of accountability.
I tried to be cordial, then I was cold. But the frequency of his messages and calls did not slow down. Communication was not made easier by his thick Chinese accent, which served only to make him seem stranger. He said things like "in my imagination, your gracious character is like a queen". He seemed to like me a little bit too much. But, he lived in Alberta. There was nothing to worry about.
I did feel uneasy when he sent a dozen long-stemmed roses at Valentine's. But when he sent more roses on Mother's Day I was downright creeped out. I stopped answering any of his messages. I ignored him.
Then he caught me off guard, and about a month ago, I answered the phone. I told him I was taking a break for my health and family. I told him he had to leave me alone. I told him I could not help him. I guess he did not understand.
About a week later I got an email saying he was coming to BC. I ignored it.
Then, two days ago, the phone rang at 7am. Without my glasses on, I can't see the call display, I was half asleep. Who would call me so early? It had to be important. I picked up.
He was on his way to the airport, flying into Victoria and renting a car. He would be here, in Campbell River, by late afternoon. He wanted to go for dinner, to see the memorial on Quadra, to finally meet me, whom he "had longed to meet".
Yeah. So I told him it was early for me, that he had woken me. I embellished some half-truths and said I wasn't available, that I might be out of town overnight. I told him he had made me very uncomfortable. I hung up.
He called again a few hours later. I didn't answer. He left a message saying I should not feel uncomfortable. He was at the airport, on his way, he hoped to see me that evening.
We began to only answer calls from "friendlies", known numbers on the call display. We went to a movie, the early show, and came home to more messages. Now he was here, at a motel, in Campbell River. I did not return his calls.
Yesterday morning, he called from the motel at 8.30am. I didn't answer, but did immediately run outside and move my car so it looked like there was no one home. We went to the lake for the day. I ignored calls to my cell. When we got home, there were no messages although I could see he had called. Last night, the phone was quiet.
I thought I'd gotten lucky. I thought he'd left.
When I woke up this morning, I washed my face, threw on a sundress and stumbled down the stairs to let Polka Dot out for her peepeepoopoos. I went to go make coffee but had to turn back right away because P-Dot was going nuts, barking like crazy and clearly livid.
I poked my head out the door and saw a little old Chinese guy at the bottom of the steps to my porch. P-Dot was in attack mode.
Turned out he was now on his way to Vancouver, so I got off easy, I think, with a handshake, a photograph, and only a few minutes of adoring looks, and barely understandable one-sided conversation.
It was not until he left and I headed back into the house that I noticed the flowers, gift (large box of Royal Ginseng Jelly!) and of course, note:
"My Dear Lady Kirsten:
I missed you so much since I got here yesterday. I have not been able to reach you by phone. I have to leave tomorrow morning for Vancouver. I say again. You should not worry. The whole world won't hurt you. Your heart and your soul have won the respect of Canadians for your commitment to public good. Continue your good work and God's blessings always with you.
I missed you so much my dear heroine."
So what think you, my dear AvCanadians? Stalker, or just a creepy old guy?
- Drawing done by my teenage son's girlfriend, and inspired by my "admirer's" words.
Meet Kirsten Aerowitch and her trusty sidekick P-Dot the rescue dog. - Superheroine 2.jpg (76.13 KiB) Viewed 2261 times
