Bridgetown's Eleventh Hour

by Shirley A. Roe

  “Thank you, I didn’t feel comfortable going.” Sarah looked at Christine appreciatively.

  “I sensed that. You and Jack will have to get used to seeing each other. Bridgetown is not that big.” She put her arm around Sarah’s shoulders. “Let’s go see what they are selling over at the craft booths.” The two women looked at the jewelry, the paintings, and the other arts and crafts that were for sale. Sarah noticed Mr. Martin and his wife, shaking hands with people at the fair. “He looks more like a politician than a chemical magnate.”

  Christine chortled, thinking the same thing. “Good for your campaign though. If he decides to run for mayor, you are a shoe in as his marketing and publicity manager.” Sarah giggled. They continued to walk through the fairgrounds passing people they knew. Mr. MacIntyre waved to Christine, Edna and Dan stopped to chat, and even Mr. Cooley and his wife were enjoying the day seated on a park bench. The entire town was out enjoying the sunshine and the festivities.

  The beer tent was bustling with thirsty fair goers. Matt, Jack and Bernie found some chairs at the back of the tent. “Great race. This is always fun.” Matt took a long drink of his cold beer.

  “I like the fireworks at night,” Bernie added. “Jack is supervising the fireworks show, so it should be good.” Jack laughed at Bernie.

  “Such confidence. I just want to make sure they clean up the mess afterwards. Last year the ground was covered in burnt out fireworks, matches, and litter. It took two days to clean the park up. That is not happening this year.”

  “Not with you on the job.” Matt and Bernie laughed loudly. “Another beer, gentlemen?” It was Matt’s round, and he headed for the bar.

  “Is that Christine’s new boyfriend, or is he Sarah’s new fellow?” Bernie asked Jack pointedly.

  “Sorry, big guy, but Matt is with Christine.” Bernie looked disappointed. “Just us two losers, together forever.” Jack clamped Bernie’s shoulder and picked up his beer. “To us.”

  Bernie joined him in the toast clicking his bottle against Jack’s “To us.”

  That night the fireworks show was one of the best. The park was full to overflowing. Sarah, Matt and Christine found a square of grass and spread their blanket. Bernie came to sit with them and the show was spectacular. Rock and roll music blared in the background. The crowd “oooed and aaahed” at the starbursts of red, green, blue and white, and the night ended with a bang, a very loud bang from the last of the fireworks. It almost deafened Jack, who was standing close by. ‘Oh Canada’ blared from the loud speakers and the crowd roared and cheered. Bridgetown’s population was filled with camaraderie and a feeling of safety that only a small town gives.

  Chapter Seven

  “Where are you going this early, Bernie?” Jack was surprised to see Bernie sitting at the breakfast table at five a.m. He was an early riser, but Bernie didn’t usually roll out of bed until seven-thirty.

  Bernie ran his hand through his red wavy hair, as he yawned. “There’s an emergency at the veterinary surgery. I have to be there by six.” He yawned a second time, this time stretching his long arms high in the air, his knuckles coming very close to the ceiling. “The coffee’s made.”

  “Thanks. I have to go and see about the job with the Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network this morning. It’s local so at least I will be in town for a while. I know you miss me when I’m gone,” Jack joked.

  “I don’t miss your snoring. I could hear you all the way down the hall in my room last night. I can’t understand how Sarah stayed with you for so long. It woke me up from a sound sleep.”

  “It’s sinus congestion. I only snore when my nose is congested. I’ll pick something up at the health store today. Don’t want you losing any of your beauty sleep,” Jack teased.

  Bernie left after breakfast and headed for the vet’s office on Quinn Street. The vet was already there when he arrived. “Morning Doc, what’s seems to be the problem?”

  “I have three sick dogs, all brought in yesterday. I think they may have been poisoned. Can you go and get the outside kennels ready? We may have more cases later today.” Bernie worked with the doctor all morning and two more dogs and one cat arrived, all with the same symptoms.

  “Diarrhea and vomiting, it could be anything, but I will have to observe them for a few days. Make sure they get plenty of water, Bernie.” Bernie filled all of the water pails and cleaned the kennels well before he left for the day.

  Jack was home when he arrived. “What was the emergency?”

  “Something’s going on with the cats and dogs in town. They all have the same symptoms, diarrhea and vomiting. Doc is not sure what it is. How did your interview with the toad people go?”

  “Great, we are investigating the disappearance of the Jefferson salamander in our Ford River system. It will be a great assignment. And you will be happy to know, they are paying me so I can give you next month’s rent by Friday.”

  “Hallelujah and it’s your turn to get the groceries on Saturday.” Bernie laughed.

  The following week, Bernie was sad to report that all of the dogs and cats died and the vet still didn’t know what was killing them.

  Christine was in the local charity shop doing an interview, when Bernie stopped by to look at the latest t-shirts and jeans on offer. He always bought his work clothes at the charity shop, because they were quickly stained at work and this way he could throw them out. Bernie watched his money very closely. “Christine, how nice to see you. Shopping or working?” Christine looked up at the tall, red haired man and smiled.

  “Bernie, how are you? I’m working, are you shopping for more work clothes?”

  Everyone in town knew that Bernie shopped at the charity shop.

  “I am. What do you think the dogs and cats will think of this psychedelic tee?” He laughed holding a very wild print shirt to his chest. “Of course, we are losing more than we are saving these days.”

  “What do you mean?” Christine knew that Doctor Burns was one of the best vets in the area, dealing with both small domestic, and large farm animals.

  “Last week we had several dogs and a couple of cats come in with diarrhea and vomiting and unfortunately, they all died before the Doc could diagnose them. We are still waiting for the test results. Sad situation, people are very upset at the loss of their family pets.” Bernie looked very disturbed. Christine knew that he was a real animal lover and understood why he was so upset. She had just heard more bad news and relayed it to him.

  “The ladies here were just telling me that Mrs. Oliver, from the horticultural society was taken into hospital this morning. I hope she is okay.”

  “Mrs. Oliver is one of the people that lost their pet. Her cat, Chester died a couple of days ago. I hope that wasn’t the cause of her illness, she was very close to Chester.” Bernie picked up a couple of shirts and a pair of jeans and took them to the counter. He looked back with longing at Christine, who was finishing her interview with Marty, one of the owners of the charity shop. Bernie was smitten with her.

  “That is all for now Marty. You are doing a great job of recycle and reuse with the charity shop. Look how many pieces of furniture would have ended up in the waste dump and instead, someone else can use them. Not to mention all the clothes, toys and kitchen utensils that you sell.”

  “We try Christine. A lot of people don’t have money for new things and this is a good place for them to shop.”

  “Thank you for the interview and it should be in Monday’s news.” Christine packed her notes away in her briefcase and headed for the door. Bernie left right behind her. He stood on the sidewalk and watched her walk down the street until she was out of sight. Releasing a heavy sigh, he turned in the opposite direction and went to his car.

  Jack stopped at Food Mart and picked up four cases of bottled water that was on sale. He never drank tap water and finally convinced Bernie that bottled water was better.

  “Stocking up for a big event?” Jack turned just as Sarah turned into the aisl
e.

  “No, just the usual weekly groceries. It is so hot this summer, Bernie and I are going through cases of water. I have finally convinced him to take bottles to work.”

  “That is a great price. I think I’ll take two cases.” Sarah reached for the water but Jack chivalrously lifted two cases and put them in her cart.

  “Don’t want to mess up that manicure.” He laughed as he turned back to his cart.

  “Thank you, what are you working on now, Jack?” Sarah picked up a few apples and placed them in a bag.

  “Jefferson Salamanders in the Ford River system, I am also investigating Spotted and Blue spotted salamanders. Their numbers seem to be drastically reduced this summer and we found a couple that were deformed. That is never a good sign.”

  “Sounds like a very interesting project.” She placed the apples in her cart.

  “Are these organic Sarah? You know you should be buying organic.” He took the apples out of the bag and examined them.

  She just glared at him. Snatching the apples from his hand and stuffing them back into the bag, she turned away. “None of your damn business! Sorry to rush, but I need to get over to the television studio and look at my documentary slash commercial. Bye, Jack.” She was trying to stay calm. He was infuriating. Jack watched her go. She looked very sexy in her summer sundress and high- heeled sandals. He gave his head a shake and turned to finish his shopping. Organic carrots and peas were plentiful this time of year.

  A woman in the aisle turned to him as he watched Sarah stomp away, “Excuse me, I just overheard you say organic apples are better. Can you tell me why?” Jack turned toward her with a big smile. Now this is more like it, an interested audience and one of my favorite subjects.

  “I would be happy to.” Jack proceeded to tell the woman about toxic sprays, fertilizers, GMO foods and she was completely captivated by every word. “I don’t suppose you have seen the movie, Food Inc.? It is one well worth watching and you can rent it at the video store. Pick up a copy and watch it with your family. I guarantee you won’t buy anything but organic, local foods from now on.” Several more shoppers stopped to listen. “Did you know that most of our food comes from China? Our shelves are flooded with imports while our farmers suffer the consequences. Big Brother and Big business don’t give a damn about the little guy; it is all about money, money, money.” He spoke to his captivated audience for more than half an hour.

  Christine, Matt, Sarah and a friend of Matt’s went to the concert in the park. Matt’s friend, David was a very nice looking young man and Sarah found him comfortable to be with. For some reason she did not find his blond hair and blue eyes, sexually attractive. He looks too much like me, she thought to herself.

  “There are Edna and Dan, I am going over to say ‘hello’ before they leave.” Sarah walked towards her sister and brother-in-law. “Hi Sis, Dan, wasn’t this a great concert?”

  “It was one of the best this summer. I loved the pianist, she was very good.” Edna gave Sarah a hug and Sarah noticed that her sister’s pregnancy was starting to show beneath the Walmart t-shirt and the polyester pants.

  “Is everything going well with the little one?” Sarah reached over and patted Edna’s bulge.

  “Great, we are so happy.” Dan interjected. “Finally, we will have a son or daughter to take to the park, and teach to fish.” Dan was an avid fisherman. “But I haven’t been catching much lately. There were a couple of dead fish on the bank this morning. Some kids probably caught them and then left them for the seagulls.”

  “I am sure you will have a fishing buddy in a year or two, Dan.”

  “See you later Sarah,” chirped Edna as they turned to leave the park. Sarah returned to her friends. It was a warm evening and the park was full to overflowing.

  “They’re so happy and I am really pleased for them. Does anyone feel like a beer at the pub?” The three others agreed and they were soon settled at the bar enjoying a cool refreshing beer.

  David turned to Sarah and asked, “We are all getting together on Sunday for a baseball game. Care to join us Sarah?” Matt looked at Christine and winked.

  “Baseball! Oh dear, no thank you.” Matt smiled and Christine kicked him under the table.

  Later that night Sarah settled in front of her television and watched Toronto Fashion Week. She surprised Christine when she announced she was going home early. Sarah just wasn’t interested in David and the mention of baseball made her cringe. Besides, she didn’t want to miss Fashion Week on television. She knew Christine wouldn’t understand. She picked up her steamy cup of tea and focused on the new fashions by Mark Jacobs, Jimmy Choo and Donna Karan.

  On Sunday the gang got together and played baseball in the park. Bernie was the shortstop, Jack took the catcher’s position so that he didn’t hurt his back, Matt was pitcher, Christine on first and David on second. Some of the landscaping crew and three nurses formed the other team along with the mechanic from David’s garage. A couple of others joined in and they all enjoyed it immensely. Sarah was not missed.

  The following week, Jack gave a presentation to the Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network and members of Natural Resources Canada and Environment Canada. The meeting was held in the assembly hall in the town hall. It was a capacity crowd. Jack stood in front of a large screen holding a laser pointer.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for inviting me here today. My name is Jack Giovanni and I like to call myself, a Steward of my Environment. Many years ago, I asked myself, ‘Jack, do you love this planet enough to dedicate your life to saving it?’ and Ladies and Gentlemen, my answer was ‘yes.’ Today we are going to talk about one of the important creatures that inhabit our planet.

  The Jefferson salamander or Ambystoma jeffersonianum, rely on vernal pools, which are temporary bodies of water that fill with water from melting snow, storm water or groundwater and usually dry up in midsummer. Adults live in moist, loose soil and under logs or leaves. They lay their eggs in clumps attached to underwater vegetation. These species need unpolluted breeding ponds that do not dry up in summer. Habitat loss and degradation caused by urban development, draining wetlands and industrial pollution of waterways are the cause of the decline in salamander numbers in southern Ontario.” Jack took a long drink from his bottle of water. “Today populations of Jefferson salamanders are small, isolated pockets, which are at risk of local extinction due to floods, fire or other environmental catastrophes.” Jack continued for another fifteen minutes, showing pictures of habitat and salamanders. When he concluded, the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

  Two days later, Jack arrived at the riverbank to find a man with several test bottles and a large briefcase. Jack recognized the logo on his jacket and knew that he was from the Department of Natural Resources. “I honestly didn’t think the Canadian government worked this fast. I am pleased to see the extinction of the Jefferson salamander means something to you people.” Jack greeted him sarcastically.

  “I am afraid it is more than the salamanders we are concerned about, although that did tip us off. There have been several cases of illness at the local hospital.” The man held out his hand. “Gerry Wilson, Quality Control Inspector.”

  “Jack Giovanni, zoologist at your service.” Jack offered his hand. “I was in that hospital a couple of months ago and I had C-diff. That is what is probably wrong with everyone else; you boys should do something about hospital cleanliness.”

  “We are worried about a water contaminant.” He added a chemical to a jar and then poured some of the water into it.

  “What kind of contaminant?” Jack watched him with interest.

  “Keep this to yourself but we are looking for O157:H7.” The man continued to fill jars with water and label them.

  “O157:H7 is a very dangerous type of E-coli, are you sure?”

  “We don’t have the test results yet so keep this quiet; we don’t need a panic situation on our hands. We want to have the facts before we take any action.” He walked
back to his truck parked at the side of the road and Jack followed him. Jack asked more questions but realizing he had already said too much the man remained silent. He drove off leaving Jack staring after him.

  That night, Jack told Bernie what he had witnessed. “Water contamination, then that is what might have killed all the dogs and cats.” Bernie was upset.

  “I think you should tell Doctor Burns so that he might be able to make a diagnosis. If it is the water, tell him to give the animals bottled water only. You have to keep this quiet, Bernie, but the vet needs to know.” Bernie agreed to tell Doc Burns.

  “I am going to go to the hospital tomorrow and snoop around.”

  The next morning, Jack had a better idea. Instead of going to the hospital, he went to Christine’s apartment building. He rang the bell. “Hello?”

  “Chris, it’s Jack, can I come up?”

  “Jack? Come in.” The buzzer sounded and he opened the door. Taking the stairs two at a time, he was soon at her door. She opened it, wearing her robe.

  “Sorry, to disturb you but I need to talk to you right away.” He rushed in, just in time to see Matt, with a towel around his waist coming from the bathroom.

  “Looks like I did disturb something, sorry but this is important.” Christine went to make some tea. “Matt, get dressed, you should hear this too.” Matt disappeared and soon returned fully dressed in a pair of cut off shorts and a t-shirt.

  “What is going on Jack?” Christine deposited three cups of tea on the table and sat down opposite Jack. Matt sat beside her, pushing a stack of car magazines out of the way. Jack filled them in on the incident at the river and at the veterinarian. Both of them were shocked and worried.

  “I was going to go to the hospital, but then I remembered that you have been conducting interviews around town. I thought you could go to the hospital and under the pretense of wanting an interview, you could find out how many cases there have been in the past week.” He looked at Christine hopefully. She pulled her robe tightly around her waist.