(831) Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie

In page 162, we find " The party of travelers had arrived at the place of no return. Hilary had gambled with death and lost. And she knew now that Jessop's disgnosis had been correct. She no longer wanted to die. She wanted to live. ..."

Hilary realized all these within a few moments. We are of course talking about a fictitious character in a Christie story. According to what Christie wrote, her characters belonged to her. She might have seen them in a public place like a bus or a restaurant. Within a brief time of observation, she selected them for the next story. But if she had a chance to know them or meet them again, then it won't work. She would have to look for other people or go on to another idea.

In 1990 I went through the valley of the shadow of death. It was Elizabeth that pulled me from dying inside. For quite a few years, the wish to end it all revisited.  For me, the will and zest to live again came when I moved to my airy five-bedroom detached house with wonderful neighbours. It took me months to feel human and alive, getting up in the morning became a joy instead of a dreadful duty. At the happiest point of my stay in Silver City, I had thirteen chickens to care for. That was also the period of time I attended the training for home tutoring a dyslexic child. A whole  lot of suppressed memories came back. I saw my checkered past in a boy I was tutoring. As his disability was being corrected by an expert using the Davies' Method, I felt that my life has turned full circle.