Chapter 47

Harvey

Harvey enjoys parties. He likes the activity and the smells, but mostly, he likes the crumbs that are dropped on the floor. He spends most of the time under the food table. Maggie’s mother calls him Hoover for good reason.

As people drift away from the games room, Harvey follows Maggie when she goes to talk to Austin. “Do you need any more help cleaning up?” she asks. The recycling and garbage bins are piled with paper plates and cups.

Austin shakes his head and bends down to give Harvey some attention. “Things didn’t turn out how I thought they would,” he says with a laugh. “I got the surprise, not Grandpa!”

“I can’t believe he’s really leaving,” Maggie says.

“Yeah, me neither.”

When the head scratch is over, Harvey wanders away. There are so many smells. Seeking something familiar, he detects a musky scent: spicy and exotic. He follows his nose to its source.

“Hello, Harvey,” Mrs. Fradette says. She’s sitting on a chair with a napkin on her lap. She empties the crumbs on the floor for Harvey. This is enough of a reason for Harvey to stick close to her. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you? And you have your Maggie. You’re so lucky.”

Harvey doesn’t understand the words Mrs. Fradette whispers, but he gives her another lick of approval because he realizes it is her smell Maggie comes home with.

“There you are!” Maggie says to Harvey. Then she looks at Mrs. Fradette. “My dad texted that he’s running late.”

Mrs. Fradette perks up. “We could finish our chat.” Maggie’s feet are light as she and Mrs. Fradette head back to the suite. They settle into the same spots as they had before, with Harvey lying at Maggie’s feet.

“You didn’t really give up on being a mechanic, did you?” Maggie wants to know.

Mrs. Fradette sighs. “Well, I had my return ticket for the Monday train back to Winnipeg. But it wasn’t just the garage I was saying goodbye to.”

“Peggy!” Maggie says.

Mrs. Fradette nods. “My little fawn had grown! Ronny couldn’t believe she was as tame as she was. She came to my call and ate out of my hand. I think she’d have slept in my bed if I’d let her. Pépère had promised he’d let her stay in the yard and keep an eye on her, which put my mind at ease.

“The problem that was weighing on me was the garage and how to tell my dad I wanted to stay. The night before we were supposed to go, I lay in bed with my suitcase packed and my stomach in knots. I knew that if I got on that train without saying anything, I’d regret it.”

Harvey feels Maggie tense. “What did you do?”

Mrs. Fradette sighs. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“I chickened out. I couldn’t go through with it. The morning of our departure, Aunt Cecile, Uncle Joe, and their boys came to the house to see us off. Dad called for me to get in the car. My heart was heavy as he loaded our suitcases into the trunk and Yvonne climbed into my lap. Everything in me was crying to stay. Pépère got into the driver’s seat of the Plymouth and put the key in the ignition. When he turned the key, the engine turned over, but the car didn’t start.

“Dad checked his watch. There was only one train back to Winnipeg and it left promptly at ten in the morning every Monday. ‘Hmm,’ Pépère said. ‘Strange.’ It was strange because Pépère kept his car in pristine condition. It ran like a dream.

“‘What do you think it is?’ Dad asked.

“‘Don’t know,’ Pépère said. He got out of the car and popped the hood so he could have a look. The rest of the family was still on the front porch watching all this. Michel and Yvonne were already wiggling around on Ronny’s and my laps.

“We could hear Pépère and Dad talking. I kept waiting for Pépère to slam down the hood and the two of them to get back in the car. All of a sudden, I heard my name. Ronny and Mom looked at me. ‘Dad’s calling for you,’ Ronny said.

“I slid Yvonne off my lap and opened the car door. Dad was seething beside Pépère. ‘Your grandfather won’t fix the car,’ he said. I stood there, my eyes as big as saucers. ‘He says you have to fix it.’

“I was too scared to move a muscle. What if I couldn’t fix it? I looked at Pépère, but his face was stern as stone. Dad huffed and crossed his arms. By now, everyone on the porch had come to see what the holdup was and I had an audience, which didn’t help.

“I took a few steps closer to the engine and did a quick survey. Things looked to be in order. All the connections were correct. Fluid levels good. I remembered the sound the engine had made. I’d heard that noise before and racked my brain to recall whose car it was and what the solution had been.

“That’s when it came to me. The car had been a 1938 Dodge. ‘I need tools,’ I said.

“‘Well, what are you waiting for?’ Dad said, glancing at his watch. ‘The train will be here soon!’

“Mom had insisted we wear traveling clothes and I felt ridiculous racing across the yard to the garage in my shiny church shoes and dress. She was going to have my hide if I got it dirty, so I grabbed a smock from a hook as well as the tools.

“I steeled myself as I began the repair and hoped I was right about what I thought needed to be fixed. We didn’t have time to waste on a mistake. Behind me, I heard Dad snort with disbelief. After weeks of Pépère’s teaching, I knew my way around an engine better than he did.

“‘Start her up,’ I said to Pépère.

“He got back into the car and I held my breath. The engine rumbled to life. There was clapping and wide-eyed surprise from my father. ‘Hot dog!’ yelled Ronny. He ran up to congratulate me. ‘Pépère knew you’d be able to fix it,’ he whispered in my ear. I let the hood of the car slam into place. Behind the steering wheel, Pépère winked at me.”

“They’d planned it!” Maggie says.

“Yep! By the time we got to the station, I’d made my case to Dad. He’d stayed silent for the whole car ride. He was a careful man and fiercely protective of us. I didn’t know it at the time, but it wasn’t letting me work at the garage that was the hard part for him, it was leaving me behind.

“‘She’s got a knack for it. She’s been a big help these last few weeks and she’s a quick learner,’ Pépère said as we pulled up to the train station.

“Dad still didn’t say anything as we all piled out of the Plymouth and hauled our suitcases out of the trunk. The train pulled into the station and I knew we didn’t have much time. If I was going to be allowed to stay, he needed to tell me before I boarded the train.

“My stomach was twisted up something awful. It felt like the course of my life depended on his answer.”

Mrs. Fradette pauses. Maggie’s hands are in tight fists as she waits for Mrs. Fradette to finish.

“‘Your mom might need your help with the little ones so she can get the house in order,’ Dad said.

“‘Aunt Winnie will be a better help than I am,’ I shot back. “‘You’ve got an answer for everything, don’t you?’

“Every part of me was begging please, but pushing it any further was going to get me in trouble. Finally, Dad looked at Pépère. ‘She’s really got a knack for fixing cars?’ he asked.

“‘Better than any boy I’ve worked with.’ I was glad Alphonse wasn’t around to hear that! I glowed at his words though.

“Dad took off his hat and ran a hand over his slicked-back hair. I took a breath. ‘If your grandparents agree, you can stay on for the summer.’

“‘I can stay?’ I shouted. ‘I can stay! Yahoo!’ I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him, then did the same to Pépère.

“‘Who ever heard of a girl so happy to be rid of her family?’ Mom asked. She was smiling, but with tears in her eyes.

“‘I will miss you,’ I said. But I knew that garage was where I wanted to be.”

“They really let you stay?” Maggie says.

Mrs. Fradette leans across to pat Maggie’s hand. “They sure did. That was the beginning of everything for me. All thanks to the flood.”

Harvey can’t read Maggie’s mind, but if he could, he would know that Maggie is in awe of Mrs. Fradette. As one of the few female mechanics of her time, Mrs. Fradette was a trailblazer.

Maggie is also thinking what an excellent essay this will make.