Sliding Doors by Joy Kluver

 It was a 'sliding doors' moment. If you've seen the film then you'll know it's a 'what if' moment. What if Gywneth Paltrow had caught the train and what if she hadn't. For some, it's incredibly serious - waking up late for work in New York on September 11th 2001 or, more recently, denied boarding an Air India plane. 

For me, the 'what if' relates to my grandfather. He emigrated to Canada in 1921, aged 20, to work on the railways. A family member in the UK became very ill so he returned for her. He then stayed, met my grandmother and the rest is history. But what if he hadn't returned? Obviously, I wouldn't have been born. There would have been another wife, other children, grandchildren, great grandchildren.

My grandfather died when I was six. I didn't really know him but the desire to go to Canada - to see the land where he had been - has always been strong. This summer, I finally went there with my family. We had a whirlwind tour in two weeks, covering 1600 miles in Ontario and Quebec. There wasn't much time to think about my grandfather but there were two moments when he came to mind. The first was in Toronto. Near the CN Tower, we found some old carriages and trains. One had Canadian Pacific on it and was the dining car. My grandfather worked as a chef. Had he been in that actual carriage? I'll never know.

The other was in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. It was Canada Day and it was a privilege to share it with Canadians. During the day, we listened to speeches from Prince Edward on behalf of the King, and Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister. Both reiterated the sovereignty of the country and the pride of the nation was evident. In the evening there was a huge firework display and it was then that I had an emotional moment. I understood why my grandfather had emigrated. He hadn't had the best start in life and he took the opportunity to start again in a country that was only just over fifty years old at the time. It must have been a huge adventure to cross the Atlantic Ocean to live in an unknown land.

'What if' is the question we ask most of our characters and plot when we write. Sometimes the answers turn the book on its head and we go in a completely different direction from the original plan. Sometimes, it's dangerous for a character. But if we never ask the question, change won't happen and things can become stagnant. As far as I'm aware, I don't think my grandfather ever left the country after that. He was a bus driver during World War Two and in his forties by then. I wonder if he ever hankered after the adventure of Canada again. I, for one, definitely want to go back.