Nish, p.14
Nish, page 14
My sister is getting impatient, the telephone receiver in her hand.
“Uh … He didn’t give it to me.”
“Leon!” my sister almost shouts, a little discouraged.
“He said it was best to come by. We’ll just have to go in person with Joce.”
“Yeah, okay. Let’s do that. What time is it now? Do you think he was at the council?” my sister asks, getting more and more upset.
“I have no idea.”
“You’re something today … Meli, we’re going to the council. And you, Leon, go and get Joce. Oh no, we’re all going to get Joce first. Hurry up, we’re waiting for you!”
“Okay, okay. Stop freaking out! I’m getting dressed …”
There are exactly twelve houses that separate us from Joce’s house. In less than four minutes, we’re there. My friend’s house doesn’t look like much. The sagging front porch needs to be straightened. The window overlooking the street is cracked, and the path leading to the house looks more like quicksand than a driveway.
“Are you going to go get him?” Elo asks me once we’re outside Joce’s house.
“Yeah, okay. We don’t need to get Melina’s beautiful shoes dirtier.”
Melina rolls her eyes. I do my part. I knock on the door and enter. Joce is on the couch reading a comic book. The house is unusually quiet. His mother is in her robe doing the dishes.
“Kueï! Hi, Joce, are you coming? We’ve got some news.”
“Give me two minutes. Come on in!”
Joce’s house has a particular smell emanating from the basement. His father usually works on hides outside, under a big plastic cover — a kind of shelter that serves as protection. Afterwards he brings them inside, and a certain smell always remains in the air and on Joce’s clothes. On his hockey gear especially.
“Is it okay, Mom, if I leave?”
“Yes, go ahead, I’m going to take a nap anyway.”
“Okay, Mom, see you later!” Joce says as he puts on his hoodie and boots.
“Iame!”26 I call out to Joce’s mother.
“Where are we going, exactly?” asks Joce.
“Come on, you’ll understand. You haven’t heard anything, have you?”
“About what?”
“Come!”
Melina and Elo are still waiting for us in the street.
“Kueï, girls!” says Joce. “Well, what should I have heard?”
“We’re going to Ariel’s house! To the council or to his place, we don’t know yet. He called,” explains my sister impatiently.
“Yes, there are rumours,” adds Meli. “They say they found part of your cousin’s snowmobile at the bottom of the mountain.”
“Ah, so that’s the call my mother received! She came back sad and sent everyone out with my father today. I didn’t want to go.”
“Should we start with the council?” Joce shrugs.
“Well, we can go see if his truck is there.”
The band council is a bit like the town halls of the South. Sam talked about it a bit in his video because his father is a councillor. He even taught us some things. For example, in the South, municipalities don’t deal with education or health, whereas in our band councils, we take care of schools, clinics, Elders’ homes. It’s pretty different, really.
The council’s parking lot is still full, but one by one the employees are starting to emerge from the small building. Ariel’s truck is nowhere in sight, so we head to his house.
“He’s here,” my sister says as she spots his truck.
“Well, let’s go!” says Joce, waving us on.
Ariel, who probably saw us coming, welcomes us by sticking his head out the door.
“Kueï! You’re in luck! The house is quiet. My sister went to pick up the kids at the daycare. Come on in!”
Ariel steps back to let us all in and invites us to sit at the table.
“Do you have any news?” asks Joce, who must be curious to learn more.
“Yes, a little. In fact, after your discovery, Joce, I went to see the chief of police at the Sûreté du Québec. He went to see the mine officials, who investigated to find out what the hood of John’s snowmobile was doing there.”
“And?” my sister asks, raising her eyebrows.
“There’s nothing extraordinary about it. They found it on the mine’s property and put it with all the other garbage, where you found the dump. The problem is, with the media and everything, the mine had cleared the land a few days earlier and sent the waste south by train to a proper landfill. We don’t have it anymore. We didn’t find it at the landfill either,” says Ariel, placing his elbows on the table.
“Is that it? And what about the rumours that his snowmobile was found at the bottom of the mountain?”
“No, that’s not all, Elo, you’re right. In fact the Rangers said that we would go back and search in the woods in the spring. With the help of the mine managers who told us where they found the hood, we had a better clue of where to look. We went to the mountain on Wednesday. We found a lot of the snowmobile in pieces. He probably had an accident.”
“But where is John?” asks a slightly uncomfortable Meli.
“That we don’t know. We haven’t found anything. No clothes, no traces of him, not even his helmet.”
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” adds my sister, clearly skeptical.
“It’s not the first time this has happened. In 1986, there was also a disappearance like this around here,” says Ariel. “A real mystery!”
“And with the wolverine around …” adds Meli. Then she realizes what she has just said and blushes, confused.
“Meli!” my sister reprimands her, throwing an accusing glance at her friend.
“You’re not kids anymore, so I’ll be honest with you. It’s sad, but it’s a possibility,” says Ariel, removing his elbows from the table.
Joce, who leans back in his chair like he’s been punched, is really struggling. I’m not sure what to say to my friend as he stares at the floor.
“Now what?” I ask, trying to break the gloomy mood.
“The investigation is still open, and if we get any more details or clues, we’ll poke around. Otherwise …”
“Otherwise that’s it?” asks Elo, raising her voice.
“I know this matter is important to you. Especially to you, Joce. It’s important to the whole village. We all loved John. His loss has created a huge hole in our lives. I will always look for him. Whenever I go into the woods, especially on the mountain side, I will think of him. I’ll still be here if you find anything else. But right now … we’ve pretty much done all we can do,” Ariel concludes, bowing his head, frustrated.
As we leave Ariel’s house, I can see that my friend’s gaze has gone blank. We were at the bottom of the mountain a few months ago, when we had our accident. If we had kept going just a little bit, we might have seen him. Maybe he was hurt and we could have saved him. I know my friend is thinking about that too. Then Joce suddenly snaps out of it.
“A body doesn’t just disappear. They found the snowmobile, but not him? My mother was right. We don’t know everything.”
“It’s really sad, this whole situation! And on top of that, with the wolverine eating the carcasses,” adds Melina, who obviously didn’t get the message.
“I’m going to go set traps with my dad to catch that darn wolverine. He won’t get away with it,” says Joce while we all look at the ground to avoid the mud holes as we walk.
The return journey is silent, except for a burst of laughter when Melina puts her white sneaker in the biggest mud puddle of the whole village and comes out with a brown sneaker. She lets out a big F bomb. We can’t help but burst out laughing, even Joce.
Melina goes back to her house, then we leave Joce at his place. I’m alone with my sister on the way to our grandmother’s house.
“Eka pitama, eshku eka pitutshein!”27 I hold my sister back by her coat sleeve.
“What?”
“What do you think about all this?”
“Well, I think Joce is right to be upset. It’s disgusting, this whole thing. And that darn wolverine. Melina has a point, even if it wasn’t really the time to say it.”
“Do you think the rumour is true?” I add, probing her with my eyes.
“I don’t know, but a human being doesn’t just disappear, does it?”
Kukum’s house is full of life. She made her famous macaroni once again. I am always happy to see my uncle, my aunt and my cousins. The oldest is barely eight years old, but he already talks like an adult. His accent, when he speaks in Innu, is different from the accent here. Sometimes he introduces a word or two of French in his sentences, which reminds us that he was raised in the South. My aunt tries to maneuver in this northern environment that she knows little about but that she faces each visit. Blond, she stands out a bit in this space filled with black hair and dark skin. She is the only one who doesn’t speak Innu, and conversations are usually in French so that she understands.
“I heard that there’s a wolverine in the vicinity. Is that true, kids?” asks Uncle Alan as he puts the placemats on the table.
“Yes, we saw tracks. My friend and I even saw it this winter in the forest. We had an accident because of it.”
“An accident? Were you hurt?” my aunt asks.
“No, no, nothing too serious.”
“They didn’t catch it?” said Alan, looking for the cutlery in the drawer.
“I don’t know if anyone really went looking for it,” says my grandmother.
“But now Joce and his father are going to trap it,” my sister intervenes while my grandmother offers us a drink.
Then the phone rings. It’s my mother.
“Leon, I have to go shopping tomorrow for your party. What would you like? And your sister?”
“A new video game console would be great! Elo? What do you want for your birthday?”
“Pass me the phone.”
“Wait! What about Dad?” I ask my mother, realizing that I didn’t even ask her.
“Everything is fine. He’ll talk to you after.”
“Well, okay, Elo, phone … Bye, Mom!” I say, and hand the beige handset to my sister.
“Hi, Mom, do you want to know what I want for my birthday? Actually, what I’d like most is to go see Dad. It’s been a long time. And my grandparents too. And Aunt Emilie.”
I can’t hear what my mother says, but I’m sure she still says it’s too expensive.
“But the train …”
Elo is silent.
“Alan is here. I could go back on the train with them? And they’ll take care of putting me on a bus to Quebec City once we get to Sept-Îles? Say yes, Mom. I’m not eight anymore,” pleads Elo, who has obviously thought of everything. “They’ll be done by then. At worst, I’ll do them earlier. I don’t mind if there are one or two left. I’ll be able to get organized. Come on …”
I hear my sister begging my mother to go to Quebec City and, honestly, I hope my mother says yes. It was good to see my father and my family again. I can’t wait for my father to come back for good and for us to finally be together again, for life to start again. But deep down, I know that things have changed forever.
Elo hangs up, and I try to read the expression on her face.
“So, did she say yes?”
“She said maybe,” says my sister, unable to hide her smile.
She knows as well as I do that my mother will say yes.
25 Is Eloise there?
26 Goodbye!
27 Wait before you go in!
Chapter 11
The Surprise
ELOISE
“It’s your turn to open your present, Eloise. Hold on, though, Dad wants me to Skype him.”
“Okay, I’ll do it!” says Leon, who seems to be in on the act.
Our birthday celebration is in two parts. In three parts, if we count our real birthday, which is June 8. First, a birthday dinner with Kukum, my uncle and his family, my mother and of course my brother, and then a party with our friends in the basement. Leon puts the computer on the basement table, and the whole family gathers in the frame.
“Okay, that’s it. Kueï, Dad!”
“Happy birthday, my loves! I’m sorry I can’t be there, but I have some good news. I’ll probably be able to come back at the end of July. That’s good, right? I miss you all so much!”
“Almost two more months?” I say, a little disappointed.
“We’ll talk about it again, my darlings. Now it’s time for presents and a party! Eloise, Mom is going to give you your present,” says my father, who looks happy.
I don’t want a gift. I want to go see my father. Right away.
My mother hands me a red envelope. I open it. Inside there’s a train ticket to Sept-Îles and a bus ticket to Quebec City.
“Mom! Dad! Thank you! When am I leaving?” I say, jumping into my mother’s arms and almost knocking over my cousin in the process.
“Your Aunt Emilie and your grandparents have also contributed,” adds my mother before being cut off by my uncle, who couldn’t keep the secret any longer.
“You’re leaving at the same time as us, on June eleventh. In five days.”
“Yesssss!”
“We knew you would be happy. This way your father’s return won’t seem so far away,” my mother said. “You had good arguments. You thought about everything, didn’t you, my dear!”
Then I hear my father’s voice from the computer. “You’re going to be the ray of sunshine that will get me through the last treatments. I can’t wait to see you, my Eloise.”
“Me too, Dad! Oh, I’m so happy!”
This is the best gift I could have gotten. I haven’t seen my father for two months. I want to tell him about everything: John, the wolverine, maybe Joce. I want to look into his eyes, to hold on to him like when I was little. Even watch the Stanley Cup finals with him if I have to.
“Thanks again, everyone. This is the best gift ever.”
With that, there’s a knock, then the door to the main floor opens and I hear footsteps. I recognize my friends.
“Dad, our friends just arrived. Let’s talk tomorrow, okay? Or tonight, if it’s not too late?”
“Yes, sweetheart. I love you guys. Leon, are you happy with your PS4?”
“Yes, I love it, Dad. Thank you. See you later!”
Melina, Atikush, Joce, Elliott and Sam come down to the basement all at the same time. Leon and I go and welcome them.
Melina gives me a present from her and Atikush. We sit on the floor, since there are no more chairs left and the sofa is full. It’s a beautiful pair of earrings with porcupine quills and beads.
“Do you like them? Atikush made them!” says Melina, very proud.
“Is it true, Ati? You’re so talented! They’re beautiful! Thank you, sisters!” I hug them both.
“I have something for you too, Elo, but I’ll give it to you later,” Joce says in my ear.
“We have something too, Leon, but it’s in a bottle behind the arena later,” says Elliott, whispering so my family won’t hear.
“Stop the nonsense, Elliot,” Joce interrupts him.
Elliott plays it cool. “So? Are there cake and balloons?” he adds, looking around.
“Elliott …” says my brother.
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop.”
The evening passes in the blink of an eye and ends with the movie It by Stephen King. Joce sits down next to me and puts his arm around my shoulders, which Atikush, who is sleeping over, doesn’t fail to notice.
The next day, when everyone is still asleep, I get up determined to help my mother clean up, probably because I am so happy to be leaving for Quebec City. I start by picking up the plates, bowls and glasses. I take down the garlands and put them back in their usual place. Then I sweep the floor and wipe the counters. Once that’s done, I go down to the basement to put the couch, the cushions and the carpet back in place. On the small desk that is meant as a place to do our homework (but that we never use because we prefer to use the kitchen table or our room) there are a ton of papers and envelopes. I begin to arrange them so that they form a nice pile. A letter from Quebec City catches my eye.
To the parents of Leon and Eloise McKenzie,
Unfortunately, as our admissions list is already full for the coming school year, we regret to inform you that we cannot proceed with your application, despite your children’s good academic performance.
If you wish to reapply for next year, we strongly encourage you to do so before the December 12 deadline for the regular program, and in October for the hockey option. However, if any spots become available, please be assured that we will contact you as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
The Administration
The letter is from the Académie Saint-Louis in Quebec City.
I drop the letter on the floor and collapse on the couch in shock. What does this mean? My parents want us to move? They’re sending us to Quebec City to live with our grandparents? Our aunt? As boarders?
I stay there for a long time — I don’t know how long exactly. It’s Leon who wakes me up from my trance. I hear his elephant-like steps on the basement ceiling.
“Leon, come downstairs!” I say quietly.
“Of course, I will let you play with my new console,” he answers me, not willing to move.
“No, that’s not what I want to talk about. Come here and I’ll tell you!” I insist from the first step.
Leon comes down the stairs, a bowl of cereal in his hand.
“It’s early. What’s up with you?” Then my brother, probably from the serious look on my face, understands that something is going on.
“Sit down.”
“You look so serious! You’re white as a sheet.”
“I found this this morning while cleaning up. Look. More importantly, read it!”
My brother scans the letter like I did half an hour earlier. He looks at me, question marks in his eyes.
“We’re leaving? We’re moving? Is it Dad?”
“That’s what it sounds like.”
I feel tears welling up in my eyes.
