Dearly Departing by Geoff North (book reader for pc txt) 📕

“Maybe sharing it with me will bring you some peace of mind.”

He shook his head and wept a bit more. “Never told anyone. Not your mom. Nobody.”

“It was an accident. Your parents forgave you. Now you can forgive yourself.”

He stared at his daughter with a terrible look of guilt. “They didn’t forgive me. I never told them. I lied. Said I saw the fire break out from the back yard. I’ve kept that secret for so long.”

She tried to hug him, but Raymond pushed her away again. They stayed that way for a long time, leaning against the hood, the cold prairie wind blowing over them.

Dawn finally went to the driver’s side and sat. She pulled the seat forward and turned the key in the ignition. There was a loud grinding noise four feet ahead of her. Ray sat in the seat next to her. She tried again, the car squawked, but the engine wouldn’t turn over. Ray reached quickly and pulled her hand from the keys before she could attempt it a third time. “Sounds like the starter’s screwed. When’s the last time you had this thing serviced?”

“What do you mean by serviced? I take it to the garage all the time for gas and stuff.”

“Gas and stuff… You have no idea what looking after a vehicle means, do you?” Ray took a deep breath, rubbed his temples, and shook his head. “Okay, forget what you know or what you don’t know about cars. Pop the hood.”

Dawn looked at him as if he were speaking a different language. “I… don’t know how to do that.”

Ray sighed again and reached past his daughter’s knees, finding the hood release lever. “Okay, let’s go see what we can see.”

Chapter 9

Ray suspected the starter was fine, but the alternator was more than likely shot. He checked the oil—bone dry—and closed the hood. Dawn’s car wouldn’t be going anywhere for quite some time.

“Can we call someone?” She asked from the side of the road. “You know, like those guys that come and pick you up when your car breaks down.”

“Roadside Assistance? I guess we don’t have much of a choice.”

No sooner had Ray spoken the words when a big semi rumbled to a stop beside their broken down car. Its long trailer was filled with cattle. Dozens of the animals were pressed up against the thick aluminum bars, their black wet noses pressed between the slats, their brown eyes terror filled. The passenger window on the cab slid down, and a bald head appeared. “You folks need a hand?”

Ray shook his head. “We were going to call for a tow truck when you pulled up.”

“You’re looking at a three hour wait at the very least.” The driver grunted, his head dipped down momentarily, and the passenger door opened. “Put the call in for a tow, and feel free to ride with me. I’m going as far as Calgary if that helps any.”

Ray looked at Dawn and spoke quietly. “Normally I wouldn’t accept rides from strangers, but I have no desire to sit here and wait that long. You okay with that?”

His daughter shrugged. “Works for me.”

The trucker’s name was Murray Bertrand, and he talked non-stop from the broken Cruze all the way through the rest of Saskatchewan, and into Alberta. Ray and Dawn didn’t mind. It was a pleasant, though boring, break from the heavy thoughts weighing them down.

“End of the line,” Murray announced. He’d pulled over to the side of the highway on the outskirts of Calgary next to a turnoff into an industrialized area. He pointed straight ahead. “The Chevy dealership you called is three and a half blocks that-away. I know a few of the mechanics, good boys. They’ll set you up with a courtesy ride if you want. And then there’s a car rental place right opposite, if you prefer. Don’t sound like your little Cruze will be fixed in time if you’re in a hurry to get all the way to the Okanagan.”

Ray wasn’t in that big of a rush. “Any decent hotels nearby?”

“There’s a Best Western a couple more blocks north of the dealership. It’s been fun riding with you folks. Thanks for listening to my tall tales. Hope all goes well with your mother.” He stuck his hand out and Ray gave it a quick shake.

They watched him drive away and then started walking. “Nice guy,” Dawn said, slinging her pack over one shoulder. “Boring stories, but a nice guy.”

At least his stories weren’t like mine, Ray thought darkly. No one got killed in any of them.

The mechanics were good boys, as Murray had promised, but Ray wasn’t convinced they were all that honest. Dawn’s Cruze wouldn’t get towed in until later that night, and even though they only had Ray’s description of the problem, they were already making astronomical quotes. They bypassed the courtesy car and went straight across to the rental place before settling into a couple of rooms at the Best Western.

“You didn’t have to get me my own room,” Dawn said, as they locked their doors and headed out for something to eat.

“There’s nothing worse than sharing a hotel room with your father.”

“Well, there are a few other things.” She laughed and whacked him on the shoulder. “You gotta stop throwing money around like this.”

“It’s only money.”

“That sounds like something Mom would’ve said.”

“Yeah,” he replied quietly as they started across an intersection. “She sure loved spending my money.”

There was a Burger King and a Subway to choose from on the next block. They could’ve gone back for the car and driven to some place nicer, but they were both starving and tired. Subway it was. “How much farther to Grummy’s?”

“You mean the hospital,” he corrected. “It’s about