Chapter 30

Patty’s house is immaculate when Mom and I walk through the door. A spread of fruit, cheese, crackers, vegetables, and several pitchers of juice has been arranged thoughtfully on her tiny table and kitchen counter. Her nicest glass tumblers and stacks of napkins and small white plates are waiting for us as well. A few padded folding chairs have been added to the living room. I recognize them from Patty’s back hall as having been stashed in her spare room.

The scene warms my heart and makes me angry at the same time. Patty has tried her best to be hospitable and I can perfectly picture the sneer on Professor Mann’s face when he walks in. I won’t say a word to Patty, though.

“Patty, you’ve been busy!” says Mom. She smiles broadly while combing her hands through her auburn curls. She doesn’t know Professor Mann very well, either.

“Best foot forward, right? I know our family meeting is going to go well, but it doesn’t hurt to set the stage,” says Patty.

I smile as enthusiastically as I can, but no words of false hope come to mind. A rapping on the glass panel of Patty’s screen door halts my train of thought.

Behind Mom and me stands the entire Mann family: the Professor and Radhika with Bryce and Mitchell behind them. I hadn’t noticed that Mitchell is nearly as tall as his father. I must have overestimated Professor Mann’s height. Radhika’s ironed hair and perfectly drawn maroon lips complement her silky cream blouse. Profes-sor Mann is wearing a crisp pale blue collared shirt and dark denim — very informal for him.

“Good afternoon! Welcome! Please come in,” says Patty as she steps around Mom and opens her outer door.

“Hello. Thank you so much for having us,” says Radhika. Professor Mann remains silent.

“Hey,” says Bryce to me. He smiles and it’s like a rush of cool water relieving a sunburn. Maybe the worst is over and everything is all right.

“Radhika, it’s so lovely to see you. And you too, Bryce.” Mom extends her smile to Professor Mann and Mitchell as well.

“Ladies, I’m going to excuse myself,” says Professor Mann, addressing Mom and Patty, getting blank stares in return. “But not before I apologize to Katelyn.” I am struck dumb by the idea.

“My tone and conduct last week were not appro-priate. I’ve since discussed this matter with my wife and son. I see no reason why the children can’t maintain their friendship through emails or other correspondence. But I can’t condone what my wife is about to disclose. I want no part of it. I’ll wait in the car.”

“I’m coming with you, Dad,” says Mitchell. This is just as well as far as I’m concerned, although now the clock is ticking on our visit. Professor Mann won’t want to wait very long.

“Oh, uh, sure. That’s …” Patty is still processing, look-ing at her lovely snack arrangement.

“Let’s have a seat,” says Mom, gesturing towards Patty’s sofa. Radhika and Bryce sit down. Mom and I sit in the folding chairs facing them on the other side of the coffee table.

“Where to start?” says Radhika. She opens her clutch and scoops her hand inside. My heart lurches. A gold oval locket! The metal has a pattern etched on the front. It could be Akasha’s!

“Bryce confided in me about some of what Katelyn’s been going through the last few months. I wasn’t entirely surprised; I hope you won’t take that the wrong way. My dear, you have always been a sensitive little soul.” Radhika smiles warmly at me, and then looks to my mom.

“I thought I was assisting Katelyn with a summer school project, helping her do some research on the Komagata Maru. Because my great-grandfather was on that boat, I turned up what I could find to help her out.”

As Radhika speaks, my heart is pounding in my ears. I look at Bryce. He’s blushing, but not from looking at me. He looks embarrassed by what his mother is saying.

“I got interested again myself, so I continued looking through everything my mother saved from her father’s journey to Canada. Among my family photos and letters, I found this locket. Bryce told me Katelyn had been looking for a locket because she believes another girl’s spirit is looking for it. I can’t say what this means, but I’ve always wondered why my grandfather kept a locket with his photo … and a girl who isn’t my grandmother.” Radhika opens the locket and passes it to Mom.

“I don’t know what to say.” Mom examines the photos in the locket. My chest is so tight I can barely breathe as she passes it to me.

“It’s them!” I blurt, before clamping my hand over my mouth. I look around the room at every face staring at me. I look back at the locket. I haven’t seen Akasha or Sanjay’s faces anywhere but my dreams.

A closer look at Sanjay sends a flash of pins and needles through my limbs. The wheels in my head all lock into place at that moment. Akasha doesn’t want justice or her locket. She wants Bryce. She wants Sanjay back!

“Can I see that?” Patty reaches towards the locket and instinctively I pass it to her.

“Careful though, it’s a family heirloom,” says Radhika. Bryce is looking even more humiliated. Patty examines the open locket, but quickly returns it to Radhika, who closes it and pops it back in her clutch.

“Sorry, I know this is weird,” I say to Bryce. “Wait, there’s something else!” I run to my makeshift bedroom and fish my drawings out of my backpack.

“They’re not great, but they’re as close as I could get without having her model for me.” I pass the drawings to Radhika, who examines them with interest. “Here’s the locket too.” I pass the last sketch over.

“Can this possibly get more bizarre?” says Bryce. He scratches his carefully gelled messy bangs.

“Have some fruit, hon. There’s juice too,” says Patty. She rises to start a plate for him, still a caregiver at heart.

“Are you able to scan these for me? Or make some photocopies? Bryce can give you our mailing address,” says Radhika.

“I’d love to do that. This is weird. I spent half the summer shut in a group home just for talking about this. Now it’s … real,” I say, unable to conceal my disbelief. I know this turn will bother Mom.

“Sweetie, that’s not why we had you there,” says Mom. I wonder who the “we” is in her mind. She shoves her hand back into her curls and leaves it there for a moment while she thinks.

“You thought there was something wrong. I know that. It’s okay,” I say flatly.

“As much as I’d like to explore this strange connection a little more, we do need to get going.” Radhika rises and Bryce sets his plate of fruit on the counter.

“We’ll keep in touch. I promise. Dad’s not going to freak out again, and if he does, Mom’s got my back,” says Bryce.

Radhika opens the front door with her smooth, graceful arm. Bryce is following her, but pauses to look at me. I take a chance and grab him for a hug. I have to reach up now that he’s nearly a foot taller than me. And it’s goofy having our mothers watching us, but I won’t see him for who knows how long. Professor Mann certainly won’t be bringing him back to the Kootenays for visits.

“I miss you already. But I’m glad we’re going to stay friends,” I say, still hanging on. Bryce is hugging back, which I know is awkward for him.

“Don’t worry. It’s all good,” says Bryce. A hint of a crack in his voice tugs at my heart. He pulls away and I let go.

“Thank you again for having us,” says Radhika. She smiles and starts off down Patty’s front steps.

Bryce follows, but when he reaches the sidewalk, he turns back to wave. He grins and his brown eyes light up. I wave back and I watch as the Manns’ black suv pulls away from the curb and speeds off down the street.