Olivia's Mine (26 page)

“Is there something I can help you with?”
Olivia asked her, not wanting Sarah to be late for work.

Sarah looked around the store. Margaret was
just leaving with a bag of groceries and finally she would have
Olivia all to herself. She approached the front counter and
whispered to Olivia, even though they were now alone in the
store.

“I know you work here by yourself for a bit
on Wednesday mornings, and I wanted to get a chance to talk to you
alone. I can’t really do that over at the mining office.”

“It must be important,” Olivia said.

“Well, it’s really none of my business, and
you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I was wondering
how long you went out with Frank before, you know, he popped the
question.”

Olivia tried not to smile. Sarah had been
seeing a lot of her brother Jason, and although she doubted
marriage had crossed his mind, apparently it had crossed Sarah’s.
Jason had been finding excuses to come for quite some time but she
doubted her eternally wandering brother was ever going to settle
down despite Sarah’s letters to him. Olivia saw her drop an
envelope in the mail chute every day after work.

“Well, that was a little different,” Olivia
began, “we were childhood sweethearts, so I guess in reality, it
took him years.”

Sarah looked crest-fallen.

“Oh, don’t give up hope Sarah. Your day will
come.”

Sarah was not to be dismayed.

“What about your sister Emily? She didn’t
know the veterinarian long before she married him, did she?”

“Well, no, I suppose not.”

“Hmm,” Sarah smiled.

“Sarah, what are you up to?”

“Oh nothing. A girl just can’t wait too long
you know, that’s what my mama says. I got a call from Jason after
Mr. McMichael left the office yesterday. Jason said he’s coming up
with Frenchie for a visit tonight and he’s got a big surprise for
me.”

“Well,” Olivia cautioned. “Don’t get your
hopes up. My brother has promised me some surprises in my day and
they’ve been whoppers. He promised me a pony for my seventh
birthday and he got me one all right. One of his broken pieces from
his Civil War army toy set. The legs were broken off a horse piece,
and that he said, was my pony. I cried for days as I recall.”

“Still,” Sarah smiled, brushing off the
warning. “You never know. I’d like to order these white shoes from
the catalogue please, in a nine. Yes I have big feet. Mama says
it’s a good thing I wasn’t a breach baby. Aren’t they lovely
though, the shoes I mean? All smooth satin.”

“Sarah,” Olivia began.

“They’re just white shoes Olivia. Every woman
should have a pair of white shoes shouldn’t she, you know, just in
case?”

“Just in case?”

“Yes. Just in case.”

Before Olivia could reason with her anymore,
the door chimes sounded announcing Lucy’s arrival. Sarah put a
finger to her lips to silence any further conversation. Olivia gave
her a cautionary nod.

“Thank you so much for letting me sleep in
Olivia,” Lucy exclaimed. “I don’t know how you managed to get
McMichael to give you the late start, but thank you.”

“Ah, those would be the benefits of being a
part-time employee. You remember those times, don’t you Lucy? Not
having to show up to work until noon.”

“You look awful,” Sarah commented.

“Thanks for that,” Lucy said.

“No,” Olivia said, “she might not have been
tactful, but she’s right. You do look awful.”

“I just can’t get any sleep these days.
Frenchie has been coming over more and more and he and Margaret
have been staying up until all hours of the night. I used to think
his songs were charming, but I’m telling you, I’m ready to kill
him.”

“Oh it can’t be that bad,” Olivia
commented.

“Oh really? Last night he was teaching her a
French song. Something about dancing under a bridge, I gather. They
were dancing around the room all night. ‘Sur la Pont D’Avignon’. I
can sing the silly thing all by myself now, and I don’t know any
French.”

“Oh, how romantic,” Sarah sighed.

“Not at two in the morning! Neither of them
has to get up early the next day. Not since Margaret retired.”

“Maybe you should move out,” Sarah
offered.

“The girl is right,” Olivia said. “You don’t
need to be the third wheel. Sarah, why don’t you ask McMichael if
there are any vacancies coming up at any of the houses.”

“It’s a great idea Olivia, but I don’t know
about living by myself. I’ve never done it. I went straight from my
family home to one with Marty.”

“Don’t you think it’s time you left home?”
Olivia asked Sarah.

“It is. But I’ve got my own plans!” Sarah
laughed as she exited the shop. “Goodbye now!”

“What was that all about?” Lucy asked.

“Don’t ask,” Olivia sighed.

“Well, thanks but no thanks. Living with
Frenchie or living with Sarah? I don’t know which one will put me
back in the hospital first.”

“I have to go,” Olivia apologized. “Sorry to
leave you on your own.”

“That’s okay. Akiko will be here in a few
minutes. She’s teaching me Japanese. Isn’t that neat?”

Olivia smiled.

“You’ll be speaking three languages before I
know it. English, Japanese and French. I only wish her husband were
as keen to teach. I hear he’s giving McMichael some trouble in that
regard.”

Harry had recently been given the task of
teaching all the new recruits first aid. McMichael had noticed that
quite a few of his seasoned staff were reaching retirement age, and
wanted to be well prepared. McMichael had learned a lot from the
landslide. He insisted that not only the English-speaking
Canadians, but also a selection of men who spoke different
languages be trained in first aid. Harry was the most experienced
man, having safely attended to the men for years, so the job fell
to him. That was a tough request for Harry. Olivia had overheard
McMichael reprimanding him about it.

“Yes,” McMichael had said, “you are going to
teach Yan Li how to clean a wound. You are going to teach him, and
Sam George, and Philippe LaFleur and Carlo Masteroni.”

“But they do not speak English.”

“You clean the wound; you stick a bandage on
it. How much talking do you have to do? Do I have to remind you
that until recently your own wife did not speak English?” McMichael
barked back.

“Okay. I will teach the Indian, the
Frenchman, and the Italian. But not the Chinese.”

“This is not open for negotiation Harry. You
will teach Yan Li. Or you will be on the next boat back to
Vancouver. Take your pick. You know damn well Yan Li speaks
English. He’s Chinese but he speaks English. Stranger things have
happened you know.”

Interesting, Olivia had thought. Yan Li was
the grandson of old Mr. Li, Jimmy’s friend. The prejudice had not
apparently been passed down from Harry to his son. That was a
wonderful thing. It must have been Akiko’s influence, and yet, she
was the Yada who had not been born in Canada.

“Well good luck,” Olivia said to Lucy.
“McMichael sells earplugs down at his store, maybe you should go
get some,” she laughed as she headed out the door.

Lucy pondered it for a moment, then thought
the better of it.

Over at the mining office, McMichael noticed
Sarah pouring just one cup of coffee.

“Where’s Olivia?” he asked. Lately he had
been having a cup of coffee with Olivia mid-morning and he found
himself looking forward to it.

“Wednesday,” Sarah said.

“Oh yes,” McMichael remembered. He found
Sarah staring at him.

“Is something wrong, Sarah?”

“No sir,” she said, smiling.

McMichael realized that Sarah had picked up
on the fact that he was enjoying spending time with Olivia. He knew
that might have appeared inappropriate to some.

“Would you like to have coffee with me
Sarah?” he asked.

Never in all their years together had he
asked her to have coffee with him before.

“Um, no, actually. I’m a tea drinker. I don’t
think it’s quite the same.”

Sarah, McMichael mused, could be quite the
diplomat when she wanted to. She dodged that one with decorum.

“Very well then,” McMichael said. “Just don’t
say I didn’t ask.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

That afternoon, Frank asked Olivia if she
would like to have lunch with him.

“I beg you pardon?” Olivia said.

“Well, according to the schedule,” Frank
said, “we both have lunch today at one. Why don’t we spend it
together, out on the picnic table? It will give us a chance to
talk.”

What was that all about? Olivia wondered,
having agreed to meet her husband. True to his word, Frank was
waiting at the table for her. They both pulled out their lunches
they had made and bagged themselves.

“Trade you my apple for your cookies,” he
said, in a peace offering of sorts. It was the most he had spoken
to her in quite some time.

“Okay,” Olivia agreed, making the exchange
cautiously.

‘Liv,” Frank began, “I wanted to have a
chance to explain. Things have been crazy between us. I want you to
try and understand. It was bad enough when you opened the store
without telling me. Okay, maybe I didn’t take you as seriously as I
should have, but I didn’t know it meant that much to you. I’m sorry
for that. You shouldn’t have had to go to your father for the
money. That was my fault and I take responsibility for that and the
unfortunate wedding incident. And the misunderstanding about the
bolts and the drill bits.”

Olivia could feel her eyebrows raising.

“But when you started working at the mine,”
he continued, “that was a whole new kettle of fish. The guys are
giving me the business. Asking me who wears the pants in the
family. I’m looking like a fool.”

“Well I didn’t see you rushing to help me out
the other day,” Olivia noted. “I wondered whether you had put them
up to it.”

Frank smiled.

“I wish I had thought of that, but no, I
didn’t. You were holding your own all right.”

“I didn’t ask for the job Frank.”

“You didn’t have to take it.”

“I kind of did, Frank.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Well, maybe I wanted to,” Olivia
admitted.

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to, but
did you have to actually do it?”

“Frank, we’re going around in circles.”

“I know, I’m sorry. Just, try to remember I’m
your husband. I need respect from the men. I don’t need them
laughing at me.”

“I’m sorry if they do.”

Frank paused.

“One day, I may have to call upon them to
save my life. Maybe yours.”

It all made sense to Olivia. Frank was
suffering from a bad case of male ego. His pride was bruised.

“Frank, this job is not forever. The
installation is almost done. It will be over soon,” Olivia said,
offering an olive branch.

“And then what?” he asked.

“And then,” Olivia paused. “I’ll go back to
the store, I guess.”

“What about starting a family?”

That was a curve Olivia wasn’t expecting.

“Okay Frank. What is this all about?”

“What do you mean? We always talked about
having a family. Liv, we’ve been married a few years now. Don’t you
think it’s time to give it some thought?”

“Well, I don’t think that’s going to happen
Frank. You haven’t made love to me in months. I seem to recall that
is a necessary part of the equation.”

“Sometimes I think you care more about your
“jobs” than you do about me. I’d really like a son, Liv. Someone to
pass the family name along to. A son with chestnut hair like
yours...”

He ran his hands through her hair.

“Frank, this isn’t the time or the
place.”

“No, it
is
the time and the place. Neither of us can make
a scene. We’ve been silent to each other too long. Wouldn’t you
like that? Wouldn’t you like to become a mother?”

It was something Olivia had wanted
desperately, but she had all but given up hope. Tears started to
well in her eyes.

“Just think about it Liv,” he said, rising
from the table.

It was hard for Olivia to concentrate on her
job at all that afternoon. Even Sarah noticed that she was
unusually quiet.

“Is something wrong Olivia?” she asked.

“No, I’m fine. Just a little out of sorts.
Nothing to worry about.”

“Why don’t you come down to the dock with me
at five and meet Jason?” Sarah offered.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Olivia
answered. She had a feeling the night was not going to go exactly
as Sarah had hoped. Still, she wasn’t ready to face Frank at home
yet. She had been thinking about him all afternoon and wondering,
why the sudden change of heart?

“Okay,” she sighed. “Maybe I’ll come along
for a few minutes.”

Perhaps a glimpse of young love would be
inspirational, she thought to herself.

Frenchie’s boat had been right on time. Sarah
ran down the dock to meet Jason, who was equally as eager to see
her. He threw his arms around her, sweeping her off her feet.

“Maybe I’m wrong,” Olivia thought to
herself.

“Oh, Sarah,” Jason said, ignoring his sister
completely. “I have the biggest surprise for you.”

“I know, I know,” Sarah said. “I can’t wait
until you can tell me.”

“I’ll tell you now. Olivia will find out
sooner or later.”

“Jason,” Sarah said, “don’t you think you
want to ask me in private?”

“Oh, there’s nothing to ask,” he said. “I’ve
already done it.”

Sarah looked dumbfounded.

“Done what?”

“Purchased the old mercantile building. I’m
going to open a moving picture house here in Britannia. Isn’t that
great?”

“Agh!” Sarah gasped in disbelief. “Olivia,
cancel my order.”

Sarah stormed away in tears.

“What did I do?” Jason asked, perplexed.