by Patrick Lee
At the base of the Dam, Superintendent W.R. Scalf introduced President Truman. He stepped back and stood next to his friend Al Sutter and his secretary Mary Metcalf. As the President made his way to the set of microphones, Scalf gazed up at the completed structure. He vividly recalled the day the first concrete poured from the massive bucket onto the pad where they now stood. Quick visions of men working in all kinds of conditions roared by. Mammoth challenges faced and met marched quickly through his mind’s eye. Stomach-turning accidents that claimed lives and destroyed families sent faces racing across in front of him. The crowd’s loud applause welcomed the President of the United States. W.R. Scalf refocused his attention. Harry Truman stood only five feet away from him.
A white hard hat covered the President’s head as he spoke to the crowd of dignitaries and politicians. “One brand new heavy industry plant, a chemical plant at Silver Bow, has already been built to operate on Hungry Horse electrical power. A major aluminum plant is to be built near here, and it too will use Hungry Horse electricity. New industry is coming in, in other words, before the dam is even finished. There isn’t the slightest doubt that this electricity will be used, that you people will get new production and new jobs and new prosperity out of it, and that your government will be repaid every cent the dam has cost, with interest.”
At 11:15 later that morning, the President pulled a switch that acknowledged the start of the first of four 71,250 kilowatt generators at Hungry Horse Dam. Five-thousand people listened to his fiery speech at Flathead High School in Kalispell. The twenty-minute speech blasted the Republicans and the Montana Power for dragging their feet about building Hungry Horse Dam. “The Republicans are tools of the special interests. Public power is as much a part of the country today as the public school and the forest service. If the Republicans win this election, it will be a long time before you will see another dam like Hungry Horse.”
Al Sutter chewed the antacid pills and shot rolls of film while his assistant continued taking notes. The press passes allowed him to stand on the floor of the gym right below the stage. Twenty minutes later, the president drove back to Columbia Falls and boarded his train for the final stop at the Whitefish train depot. And then Truman departed west.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
A month later, Tomas sat on a bench in the Whitefish Train Depot and held Anna in his lap. The first snow of the season appeared two days earlier and the temperature read 18 degrees on the thermometer outside of the train station. Anna toyed with the zipper on Tomas’ winter coat. She stared at his zipper as she quietly spoke, “Where’s Seattle, Uncle?”
He rubbed her knee, “It’s near the ocean. Remember I showed you on the map. Not too far away.”
“I wanna go too.”
The last few weeks sped by as Tomas helped Katya around the house and babysat Anna whenever his sister needed to do something away from the house. The time with Anna was bittersweet. Their relationship took a turn upward. He turned all of his attention to the family and fought the reoccurring thoughts of what happened with David and with Nolan. He questioned himself over and over about whether or not he should turn himself in. But as John Nolan slowly recovered, Tomas renewed his promise to not expose the truth. His stomach flipped as the clerk at the counter announced that the westbound train entered the yard and would leave in about ten minutes.
Mikhail and Hannah stood arm in arm a few feet away. She flashbacked to their wonderful train trip weeks ago. John Nolan nervously entertained Katya near the front door. Small band-aids replaced the mummy wrap bandages on his right arm. The stitches on his forehead and cheek sealed the worst cuts. He kept the serious wound on his thigh covered with a heavy bandage. “Now listen to me, Kat. It ain’t no lie, if you honest to God believe it’s true. That woman flirted with me first. I never started it. Her husband had no right.”
Katya faked a laugh. Her nervous attention focused on her daughter and her brother. “John Nolan. You’re a Butte cur. A loveable one for sure. But still a cur.” She kissed his unscarred cheek and walked over and sat down on the bench next to Tomas.
“Mommy. Uncle’s going to Seattle.”
She snuggled closer. “Yes, honey. He is. And we get to see him at Christmas right here at this train depot.”
“Will I get a present?”
Tomas grinned, “Butterfly. I’ll bring you the biggest present they have in Seattle.” He spread his arms to show how big the present would be.”
“No. Bigger Uncle. Bigger.”
He sat her down on the bench next to him and stood up. His arms spread across in front of him and made a six-foot span. “How about this here big?”
Anna jumped into his arms. “Yes! That big.”
Other train passengers picked up their bags and walked toward the door to the train. The clerk bellered out, “We’re now loadin’ for Spokane, Pasco, and Seattle.”
Katya took Anna from Tomas. He’d cried enough the past few months, and he wouldn’t cry today. Not today. He promised himself to be strong. The promise didn’t expect the words from his father as they sauntered together to board the train. Once outside, Mikhail motioned Tomas to the side. In a very clear voice Mikhail said, “Proud of you son. Real proud.” They embraced after Tomas dropped his green suitcase. Through his tears Mikhail spoke as he kissed Tomas on the cheek, “I love you, Tom.”
His promise not to cry broke. Tomas never heard those words from his father until now. Nor did he ever speak those words himself. “I love you too, Dad.” The sight of the two men embracing caused an avalanche of emotions from the rest of the family.
John Nolan picked up Tomas’ suitcase and smirked as he spoke, “Holy Shit! Two big ugly bears hugging the shit out of each other. Wait ‘til I tell the boys at the Aluminum Plant about this. A perfectly good woman there to hug and the big Bohunk hugs his boy. Christ, haven’t learned him nothin’. Not one goddamn thing.”
The group laughed and his timely humor broke the stomach-churning scene. Nolan handed Tomas his bag and limped toward the last train car. As they neared the steps, Nolan stopped, focusing his eyes on Tomas’ red eyes. “Remember Kid. It’s our secret. Never tell nobody. And one more thing. While you’re in the Navy, nail one of them China girls for me. I heard their snappers go sideways. I gotta know for myself. Follow?”
Tomas shook his head, laughed, and rolled his eyes. “Give me a hug, Uncle John. Our secret, I promise. Thank you. I love you very much, and that’s one more secret.”
Katya interrupted their moment, “My turn Little Brother. Get over here.” After one more emotional embrace with his sister, he walked over to his dad one more time. He reached up and kissed Anna who draped her arm around her grandfather’s neck. The conductor yelled, “All aboard.” Tomas stretched his arms to show Anna how big her present would be and boarded the train to Seattle to begin his great adventure in Shorty Davis’ Navy.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
September 10, 2007
Montana Veterans Home
Columbia Falls, Montana
Columbia Falls police detectives Danford and Raiman walked with the personal care attendant Steve toward the picnic area of the Montana Veterans Home. As they walked, Detective Danford spoke to the young man, “You say this man wants to confess to a crime from way back in the 50’s?”
Steve clipped the pencil to the snap on his clipboard, “Yes, Sir. That’s all he told me. That’s him over there sleeping in his wheelchair by the birch tree.” He led the detectives and stood in front of the man slouched over in his wheelchair. “Mr. A. I got the police for you like you asked.” Steve gently shook the man’s arm, “Mr. A., Mr. A. It’s me, Steve.”
Detective Raiman placed his fingers on the man’s neck and searched for a pulse. He checked his wrist. No pulse. His eyes turned and faced Steve. “Sorry son, this man’s dead.”
Steve knelt in front of the chair, “No. Not Mr. A. It can’t be.” He covered his mouth, and the tears streamed down his face. “What was his name, son?”
&
nbsp; After he gained some composure, Steve mumbled, “Thomas John Anzich.”
“Does he have living relatives nearby?”
“Yes. His niece and her kids and husband come by often. She was just here earlier this morning to visit him.”
Detective Danford wrote the name on his notepad. “Are you sure you don’t know what he wanted to confess? Not that it makes any difference now.”
“No. He only talked to me about his wonderful travels in the Navy. Mr. A. traveled all over the world. He retired from the Navy after twenty-five years before he started to work at the Aluminum Plant. He’s lived in Columbia Falls for the past thirty years or so before he got cancer last year.
Detective Raiman moved closer to Tomas and touched the faded tattoo of an orange butterfly on Tomas’ forearm. “Neat tat. Don’t expect to see a butterfly on a Navy man’s arm. Usually a snake or woman or something.”
Steve sobbed again as he pulled the blanket up over Tomas’ body, “He told me it was for his niece. I guess he called her Butterfly.”
“So he never married?”
“Oh ya, he was happily married for a long time. His wife died a few years back. She couldn’t have kids, but it didn’t matter. His niece’s kids were like their kids, I guess. They sure love him anyway.”
Steve wheeled Tomas’ body inside to the infirmary. As he removed the blanket, a faded photograph drifted to the floor. Steve picked up the photo and smiled as he looked at two older men, two women, and a smiling, young man. The other men and women in the photo also smiled. This must have been one of his favorite days. He read the aged inscription on the back, “Polebridge, North Fork, August 1952. Dad, Uncle John, Hannah, her mother, and me.”
About Patrick C. Lee
Patrick “Paddy” Lee was born and raised in Dublin Gulch in Butte, Montana. While living his adult life in Kalispell, Montana, Lee continues to remain closely connected to his Butte roots and values the diversity of the people and the history of Butte. The loss of the Butte neighborhoods to the Berkley Pit mine and the monumental construction of the Hungry Horse Dam are of special interest and significance to Lee. This is his second novel.
His third novel titled, "Power Switch" is scheduled for release in July 2012.