Bridgetown's Eleventh Hour

by Shirley A. Roe

  Walking back to her car, as was her habit, she stopped to watch the fishermen below the bridge. On the bank, three boys were pulling an odd looking contraption toward the river. Sarah deduced that it was one of the entries for the ‘Wacky Boat Race’ that was held every July 1st on Canada Day. The boys pushed the flat bottom creation into the water, but the front began to sink. They quickly rescued it and pulled it back toward the parking lot. “I guess it is back to the drawing board,” Sarah said out loud as she laughed at the antics below.

  “Good morning Sarah.” Sarah turned to see Mrs. Oliver, the president of the horticultural society coming toward her on the bridge.

  “Good afternoon Mrs. Oliver.” Sarah corrected, “It is already two o’clock. My, those are lovely flowers in your basket.” Sarah admired the marigolds and zinnias that peeked their colorful heads over the top of the basket.

  “These are for the town hall. I have to get them planted today. Two o’clock you say? Where has the day gone?” The white-haired, Mrs. Oliver increased her pace as she crossed the bridge. Sarah decided that she too, had better get busy. She walked back to her car and drove home.

  Chapter Five

  Matt unloaded the bulldozer from the trailer. He had six men working today and they hoped to have all the trees planted by four o’clock. He had another date with Christine and he didn’t want to be late.

  He drove the dozer out to the back lot of Martin and Schultz Chemical, lowered the blade and started to move earth around. It was a hot and humid morning and he wanted to get most of the work done before it got too hot. He had to level out the area to the south so that the trees could be planted. A small elevation to the north side would give the area a very aesthetic appeal when more trees were planted on the slightly higher plateau. He made three passes when a man came running from the plant shouting and cursing, arms waving in the air. The other men stopped working and stood and glared at the man. Matt shut the machine off and jumped down. His six foot four frame towered over the older man.

  “What are you doing? Get that machine out of here right now!” Alvin Cooley was perspiring heavily from running and he was still waving his arms in the air wildly.

  “What seems to be the problem, Mr. Cooley? We just have to move some earth and then we can get busy planting these trees.” Matt wiped the perspiration from his forehead. He didn’t understand the man’s apparent distress with the situation.

  “Stop, right now and please, get that machine out of here. No machines, do you hear me? No machines!” Alvin was panting and his face was red. Matt thought Alvin was going to have a heart attack.

  “You had better calm down Mr. Cooley. Here sit down on the track and relax for a few minutes. The machine makes the job go a lot quicker. It will take us a week if we have to move all this earth by hand.” He was trying to reason with the man, but there seemed to be more to it than Cooley was saying. Matt watched the look on his face turn from anger to distress.

  “Just get the machines out of here. I don’t care if it takes two weeks. Move it now.” Alvin had regained his composure, but he was still sweating profusely. Matt looked at him. He was about to argue, but thought better of it.

  “You’re the boss Mr. Cooley. The machine is out.” He turned to his crew. “Boys, looks like you had better get those wheelbarrows and shovels from the truck. This is going to be manual labor all the way.” The men groaned. It was already sweltering hot and the last thing they wanted to hear was that. Grumbling, they went to the truck for the equipment. Matt hopped up onto the dozer and turned the machine back toward the trailer. Executives! Oh well, this is going to cost Martin big time. More labor and more time, Mr. Harrison will be happy.

  Alvin returned to the air-conditioned plant. He sat at his desk breathing heavy. He wiped his brow with his handkerchief. Finally, he picked up the phone and dialed Charles Martin’s extension. “Martin, I need to see you now.”

  “Alvin, I was just about to leave for the afternoon. I promised Mrs. Martin that I would take her to the theater this evening.”

  “I will be right there. Don’t leave, we’ve got trouble.” He hung up and headed for the offices on the fourth floor.

  Charles Martin stood staring at the phone in his hand. “He hung up on me! What is the matter with that man?” He sat behind his desk and waited, thinking that his father had hired Alvin Cooley years before, but he didn’t particularly like the man. He didn’t have to wait long. Alvin pushed the door opened, his face was red and he was breathing heavily.

  “Cooley, what on earth? You look like you’re about to have a coronary. What is the matter?” Alvin sunk into the leather chair in front of Charles’ desk. He took a few deep breaths before he started to speak.

  “We’ve got trouble. You and those damn trees are going to cause more trouble than you can imagine.”

  “Trees! Is that what this is about? Good grief Alvin, I thought something terrible had happened.” Charles was about to stand up and leave the office when Alvin’s next words stopped him dead.

  “They just drove a bulldozer over the back lot. A very heavy piece of machinery just drove over the old dumpsite and all because you decided to plant trees. Do you know what this means?” Alvin’s breath was returning to normal, but he was furious.

  “A bulldozer drove over the dumpsite? But why? Who uses a bulldozer to plant trees?”

  “Harrison’s man said it was faster. I just stopped him but you had better hope I got that machine out of there in time. If the weight of it caused anything in that dump to collapse or break through, we have big troubles.”

  “What did you tell him? We don’t need any landscaper getting suspicious. I hope you were tactful, Alvin.” Now it was Charles’ turn to perspire. He loosened his tie and removed his jacket. “That is just what I need, with this bloody environmental campaign in full swing.”

  “I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen. You better pray that nothing was disturbed.” Alvin wanted to make his point. He knew this was a bad idea. “The machine is gone and the workers are going to finish the project with wheelbarrows and shovels. At least they can’t do any damage with them. The dump is under at least ten feet of earth so even with a three foot hole, we are fine.”

  “All right Alvin, thank you. It appears you have saved the day and you are right, we should have been more careful. Everything is on track and if it costs more to have the trees planted by hand, then it is worth every penny. That newspaper article made a big deal of us planting trees, so we have to move forward or look like liars.”

  “We are all right now, but you had better keep a very close eye on things from now on. Good night, Charles.” Alvin wiped his forehead again, and stood up. He walked out of the office without another word. Charles fell back into his chair. His hand came up to his face, wiping across his open mouth before he rested his chin on it. They had just had a very close call and thanks to Alvin, disaster had been averted. The phone rang shaking him from his reverie.

  “Hello, Charles Martin here.” It was his wife. “Yes darling, I am leaving now.”

  Charles Martin left the office and forgot all about what had happened out in the back lot. Alvin Cooley would not forget.

  Matt picked Christine up at seven. They stopped at the café for a late supper. “Wait until I tell you what happened out at Martin and Schultz today.” Matt put his fork down and took a long drink of his cola. “I thought the old guy from the plant was going to have a heart attack.”

  Christine looked up over her plate of pasta. She set her fork down on the side of the plate giving him her full attention. “Old Mr. Cooley? What happened?” Matt told her all about the incident at the plant and she found it all very strange. “I did think he was a little off during the interview, but why no machines? I don’t understand.”

  “Neither do I, but Mr. Harrison said we will just have to charge them double, because now it is all manual labor. He was happy when I went back and told him. Too bad, I liked driving that big monster.”

  “Wha
t would a machine do, that manual labor wouldn’t?” Her mind was racing.

  “Maybe there is a toxic dump out back of the plant and he was worried that my machine and I were going to unearth it,” Matt joked.

  “Oh God, don’t say that around Jack. He will start a protest and make them dig up the back forty to prove it isn’t toxic.” They both laughed but somewhere in the back of her mind, Christine was still curious. They finished their meal and chatted about other things. Matt asked her about her articles.

  “Tomorrow I’m interviewing the dry cleaner and the wine making shop. I love working for the Banner. I didn’t think I would like it this much, but I really feel good about it.” Christine ordered another coffee and they sat for another hour, relaxing and enjoying each other’s company. They discovered that they both liked canoeing and agreed to rent one of the canoes in the park on Sunday and go paddling.

  A few days later, Christine told Sarah about the strange incident at Martin and Schultz. “That is funny, why no machines?” Sarah asked.

  “I don’t know, that is exactly what I said, but Matt is okay with it because his boss is charging double and everyone is happy. How is the campaign coming?”

  “Actually it is going very well. We have new labeling and a new logo. I am going to have the local TV station come out and shoot a short documentary and,” she looked directly at Christine, “I am using your article as part of my presentation.” Christine looked very pleased. She smiled at Sarah, who asked, “How are you doing with the other interviews?”

  “I interviewed the dry cleaner and the wine making shop on Tuesday and tomorrow I have the bakery and Food Mart. It seems everyone in town jumping on the environmental bandwagon. I’m having a ball doing this and I really love live journalism. It is a lot different than writing a novel.”

  The women walked through the park. Sarah stopped and picked up a plastic water bottle from the path. She deposited it in the closest bin. “Some people!” She saw Christine looking at her strangely. “It comes from living with Jack for three years. I can’t walk by litter without picking it up.”

  “There is nothing wrong with that. I was just thinking you sounded like him just then.” She laughed. “He left for Manitoba this morning. Did you know?”

  “Yes, he called me. I was very surprised, but we did agree to be friends. That makes me feel much better.” Christine was happy to hear that Jack and Sarah were still friends because she loved both of them.

  “Did I tell you that Edna and Dan are expecting a baby?” Sarah turned out of the park and through the walkway to the street. Christine followed.

  “That’s great; they have been trying for so long.” Sarah stopped to retie her running shoe. Christine took a drink from her water bottle while she waited. “When’s the baby due?”

  “Sometime in January or February, I think. Edna will make a great mother and Dan just got a promotion.” The two of them walked onto the street and continued around the block. They passed the water treatment plant. “You should see if Dan would give you an interview about the town’s water. It would be a good article, even if we both drink bottled water now, thanks to Jack.”

  “That’s a great idea, thanks, Sarah. I’ll call him next week.” Christine took another sip of water, “Bottled water is chlorine free, and I just like it better. Do you want to go out to the east bridge and through the high school field?”

  “Sure, let’s make this a good walk.” They picked up the pace. As they passed the east bridge, a group of people were gathered in front of the trees. They all wore binoculars and carried small books and notepads. One of the women waved to Sarah and Christine as they walked by.

  “Hello Mrs. Harrison, any interesting birds today?”

  “Hi Sarah, and Christine, I wanted to thank you for writing that article on the Bird Watching Society last week. We have four new members now.” She nodded toward two women and two men at the edge of the group, they waved to the women.

  “You are very welcome and enjoy the birds. Bye everyone.” Chris answered. The two friends continued on their walk, chatting and enjoying the day.

  “Isn’t her husband the landscaping company owner that Matt works for?” Sarah asked.

  “Yes, Matt hinted that his boss’ wife was the head of the bird watchers and wanted an interview, so I called her.”

  “Looks like it helped get new members and it probably got Matt some brownie points with the boss and maybe a raise, nice move.” Christine gave Sarah a sideways look. It seemed everything was about career advancement with her these days. Christine interviewed Mrs. Harrison because she was an interesting person and it was a nice gesture. She certainly didn’t think it would get brownie points for Matt! How could two friends think so differently?

  Chapter Six

  Jack was gone for a month. He returned the day before the July first, celebrations. His buddy, Bernie was excited about the boat he was entering in the Wacky Boat race. He and the veterinarian had built it with plastic barrels and wood. They had wooden cows, pigs, dogs and cats around the perimeter and a sign promoting the veterinary practice on the front and back. Jack told him he would be there to cheer him on.

  The next morning twelve ‘wacky’ boats and their crews waited on the shore of the river. The sun shone brightly in the sky and the temperature was comfortable but not too hot. The riverbanks were filled with spectators, young and old. People lined both sides of the stone bridge, vying for a good vantage point. Several local businesses had entries blazen with advertising. The local pub had a float with a large beer bottle at the back and several scantily clad waitresses on board. The Food Mart had a floating watermelon with a man dressed like Carman Miranda, wearing a huge hat overflowing with fruit and a skimpy sarong, standing in front. The capacity crowd was incredibly loud. Sarah, Christine and Matt settled on their blanket at the top of the bank. A man dressed as a clown plodded by in huge shoes, yelling, “The roar of the crowd and the smell of greasepaint.” The three of them laughed out loud.

  “It is going to be a good festival this year.” Matt sat between the two women and they watched the chaotic preparations for the race. All three were dressed for the heat of July. Sarah wore a lime green short-sleeved shirt and a long strand of green and pink beads around her neck. Her shorts were a darker shade of green with two patch pockets. On her feet were sandals in lime green with tiny jewels along the straps. Casual to Sarah was daytime chic. Christine, on the other hand wore cut off jean shorts, a white tee shirt that said, “I’m here to party!” across the front, and a pair of brown leather sandals.

  “At least the weather is co-operating; sometime it can be too hot in July.” Christine moved closer to Matt, resting her hand on his thigh. His long legs were stretched out in front of him. His hand came up to cover hers.

  The water was calm and clear for the moment, soon to be invaded by floats of many, colors and sizes. A string of red markers was strung across from one bank to the other. Behind it was the marshal in his small rowboat, his megaphone in his hand. The boats lined up on the shore and the staging horn sounded. Each crew pushed their boat into place in front of the starting line. There were four paddlers allowed for each boat. The boy scouts had four canoes tied together and their best paddlers on the outside ready for action. Their flag was flying proudly from the center of the float.

  “On your mark, get set, GO!” shouted the marshal and they were off. Bernie’s boat took the lead first, but it was soon overtaken by Food Mart’s floating melon. The race was one mile down the course of the river to the third bridge. People lined the riverbank on both sides and the second and third bridges were as crowded and noisy as the first. Sarah, Christine and Matt left their blanket and walked along the shore following the boats. Everyone cheered for his or her favorite team. The butcher shop boat sunk at the half mile marker. The huge beer bottle tipped over, to loud boisterous cheers from the crowd, as the waitresses leapt on top of it and rode it like a stallion. At the finish line, Jack was waiting and cheering as he saw
Bernie and the vet’s boat making a move on the lead boat. He could see Bernie’s red hair, soaked with sweat. His big arms were paddling hard. “Come on Bernie.” He jumped up and down on the bridge shouting at his friend. “Go, Bernie, go.”

  The race ended with the boy scouts taking the golden cup for first place in a hard fought victory, and Bernie and the veterinarian taking second. It was great fun.

  “Congratulations Bernie. Great race, let’s go to the beer tent and celebrate.”

  “That sounds good to me, Jack. Isn’t that Sarah over there?” Jack and Bernie turned towards Sarah, Christine and Matt, who were just coming from the podium where the winners received their trophy.

  “Jack, Bernie! Congratulations on a well fought race, Bernie.” Christine was the first to arrive offering a proud slap on the back for six foot five, Bernie. She had to reach up to do it. “Way to go Bernie.” He beamed with pride. He had always had a crush on Christine. Matt and Sarah followed offering their congratulations.

  “We were just heading for the beer tent for a celebratory drink, care to join us?” Jack directed his invitation to Matt. Sarah and Christine were included in the invitation, but he felt more comfortable speaking to Matt. Being friends with Sarah was not as easy as Jack had expected.

  “I’m in, ladies?” Matt looked to Christine and Sarah for confirmation.

  “Why don’t you go Matt, Sarah and I want to check out the booths first. We will meet you in the beer tent in half and hour.” Matt nodded and set off with Bernie and Jack. The three men laughed and joked as they walked away.