Chapter 14

The line of parents extended out the door and down the hall. Excited children pointed to artwork on the walls or showed their parents spelling tests and creative writing assignments.

Mr. Ryckle was talking with parents. Leigh couldn't tell if he was delighted or terrified by the turn out. Who knew that the way to get perfect attendance at parent/teacher night was to have rumours circulating the teacher was a potential ax-murderer?

"Yes, Mr. Beauchamp, Jamie has been doing very well. His reading is excellent and his math skills are right where I would expect them to be at his grade level."

"Jamie is excited about school for the first time in ages," Mr. Beauchamp said, "He came home and told us all about how we need to take care of our brains. He's even wearing his helmet while riding his bike." He shook his head as if the last were a miracle of immense proportions. "I'm glad he's in your class. If you need any help with anything, just let me know. I just wish I could get his older brother as excited about school."

The rest of the conversations were pretty much the same. If the parent didn't bring up the subject of Leigh's brain or her illness, the children did. An astonishing number of people offered to help in some way. Leigh planned to go home and figure out how to use the parents in the class. William's parents looked, and smelled, like they had drunk too much for supper, but they weren't disorderly, and even they offered their help.

The parents chatted to the people next to them in line and nobody seemed to be in much of a rush. It was a pleasant change from nights in the city where parents would stand looking at their watches and tapping their toes with impatience.

The evening wore on and the line got shorter. Anna brought her kohkom to talk to Leigh.

"I am so glad to see you looking well," Leigh said.

"Thank you, it is good to be able to use both Cree medicine and white medicine." She grinned widely. "My son in Winnipeg complains he only sees me when I am sick. I told him to come north to visit me."

"Anna told me you are teaching her birch bark biting."

"Yes, is part of her spirit, she is a good girl. She is learning to be in your world as well as mine. She will be a bridge."

"I'm sure she will, but we adults have to leave her enough room to be herself too."

"I like you," the old woman said, "Anna will bring you by some time and we will have tea."

Anna beamed as if this was the best possible outcome of the night so Leigh made a note to arrange that cup of tea sooner instead of later. Leigh looked up from writing the note to see Georgia holding the hands of two women.

"Hello, Mrs. Dalrymple," Georgia said, "I would like to introduce my Mom, Brenda Cassidy and my Dad, Ruth Cassidy." Leigh shook hands with the two women. "My Dad told Mom after my little brother was born that he didn't want to be a man anymore. He's transgendered. That means she's really a girl even if she has a penis."

"We don't need to go into all the details, Georgia," Ruth said.

"Dad, if Mrs. Dalrymple can talk about her brain, you can talk about being a woman inside."

"You're right," Ruth said, "But there are some words you just don't drop into polite conversation."

"Being polite is so boring," Georgia said, and the three women laughed.

"We are so glad you are teaching Georgia," Brenda said, "She has been telling us all about you. You are quite the inspiration."

"Thank you, Georgia is a delight and a challenge," Leigh smiled at Georgia. "I have to work hard to keep up with her."

The Cassidys were the last in line, so after they left Leigh sat and made notes while her memory was fresh.

"Mrs. Dalrymple," She lifted her head to see Mr. Ryckle looking at her. "I am going to lock up, please call your husband for a ride home. It is dangerous to be out late alone." He turned to leave and changed his mind. "You did well tonight," he said then walked out of the room.

"Wow," Leigh said softly to the empty room, "That was a compliment, thanks."

She finished up the notes and called Jim who said he'd be there in a few minutes. Leigh didn't want to stay in the classroom for another minute so she bundled her notes together and got dressed for the cold. She'd wait outside for Jim and get some fresh air.

She stepped out the door and heard it latch behind her before she missed the weight of her purse on her shoulder. It didn't matter too much except her cell phone was in it. But Jim was on his way, she didn't need it.

"Excuse me." Even though the voice was soft, Leigh squeaked and jumped back. She dropped her notes and put her back to the door.

"Sorry." Leigh struggled to return her voice to normal. "You startled me."

"I'm Joe, Tom's dad," the man said.

Leigh detected a slight odour of alcohol, but nothing like some of the other people who'd come earlier. Joe's face was covered with atrophic scars. He looked like some of the photos she'd seen of natives who'd survived small pox.

"Let me help you with the papers." He crouched down and picked up her notes, handed them to her, then used the handle on the door of the school to hoist himself upright

"Tom's told me a lot about you."

"Did he tell you that I'm not allowed to see him no more?" Joe punched the door. "The social worker said I was taking him out of school too much. His mom kicked me out, saying I was useless. She said I hit her and hit Tom." His face contorted and he punched the door again. The glass cracked under his fist. "I never hit my boy, never." Blood dripped off his hand into the snow.

Maybe Jim will have a first aid kit in the truck.

"Sorry." Joe lowered his head. "I just wanted to meet the teacher who convince my Tom that reading wasn't a waste of time."

"Tom is working very hard at school, Joe," Leigh said, "But I don't think he's going to forget what you taught him."

"I wish I'd stayed in school and learned to read."

"You still could. Learn to read, I mean. I helped with an adult literacy class back in the city." She wasn't sure if he heard her. The lights of Jim's truck appeared, and Joe walked away around the corner of the school.

Leigh waved at Jim and walked out to meet him.

"Who was that?" Jim asked as she climbed into the truck.

"That was Joe, the father of one of my students."

"If it's the Joe I think it is, he's got a temper."

Leigh thought of cracked glass and blood.

"You might be right, Jim, but I think there is more to him than his temper."

The drive home was quick. Leigh made tea, then she and Jim sat in the living room and watched Mythbusters.

"What's that thing that Adam's riding?" she said.

"It's a Segway."

"It looks neat, maybe I should get one."

"We'd have to put snow tires on it. It would be easier to get you a skidoo."

She put her head on his shoulder.

"I would need a good helmet; Jamie would worry about my brain if I didn't wear one." Jim laughed and put his arm around her.

The thump startled both of them. Her reaction was to clutch Jim. Jim's reaction was to step jump up and snatch his gun from the holster on the kitchen table before throwing open the front door. Nobody was there, but there was an ax buried in the door.

Jim called dispatch and a car appeared within minutes. He wouldn't let Leigh near the door or any of the windows. Not that she had any great desire to go running into the night after whoever had left the ax in the door.

The red and blue lights from the police cars lit up the night and brought their neighbours out to investigate. As soon as they learned that the police weren't there for them, they disappeared again. From the little Leigh could see from behind Jim's back, they were young men.

"I didn't realize that we had neighbours on that side," she said.

"They moved in while you were away," Jim said. "I think they work for an exploration company. Marie will check to see if they saw anything."

"Nobody saw anything," Marie said after the other cars left, "The young men next door tried to pretend that the smell of weed had nothing to do with them, but their curtains were closed and most of their lights off. I doubt that they even knew anything happened until the lights started. I hope they didn't flush too much of their stash." She laughed and flipped the page in her notebook. "The old folks across the road had gone to bed. She's got Alzheimer's and he has a heart condition. It would be sweet if it weren't tragic. The other folks beside them are away. The old girl said they usually go south around about this time. The other trailers are empty."

"Thanks, Marie," Leigh said, "I will sleep better knowing you're around."

"And I will be around," Marie put her notebook in her pocket. "I'm putting this place on my patrol route and I'll get the others to do the same."

"Great." Jim put a pair of gloves on and wrenched the ax from the door. "You can have this as a souvenir."

"And here I thought you'd never give me anything." Marie carefully took the ax and laid it on the back seat of the truck. "Maybe we'll get prints, but I'm sure they were wearing gloves on a night like this." She climbed into the truck and drove away.

"Let's get to bed," Jim said.

"Only if you're there to keep me safe," Leigh said.

"Do you think I would give anyone else that job?" Jim closed the door and stuck a chair under the knob. "I'll have a new door up before you get home from school."

"That would be nice," Leigh said. "I don't want to be reminded of axes right now."