Retrieval of Memeries Past
Retrieval of Memories Past Beneath the unshielded glare of the midday sun, he slowly sat down atop the houses front steps. The day itself was calm and warm, one of the few days of summer that lacked the usual prairie wind. The town before him was quiet and calm as well, a direct reflection of the prairie weather. No children ran about screaming in their usually excited manner. No vehicles prowled the nearby streets. Only the occasional birds pierced the silence with their short lived cry. For the time being, he was alone and without distraction. He was not a particularly old person, as he was only now considering moving away from his parents. Yet, he had spent enough of his years in the town to conceder it home. Although he felt excited at the prospect of moving out, a part of him clung to the memories of the past. Although the town itself, the building and roads, were mere constructs, soulless monuments that lasted only as long as they were maintained, he felt an attachment to them. He felt as though they were themselves alive and knowing. He shifted on the hard, cold, steps, trying to understand the source of the attachment he felt. He wondered how people could so easily pick up and move away, leaving their home behind them without a second glance. Looking away into the cloudless blue sky, he thought of how his mother could leave the beauties of north-western Alberta behind and come to the flat waste that was Saskatchewan. Pondering as he was, he failed to notice the sun disappear beneath newly appeared clouds. The clouds came and went in Saskatchewan, earning the province the title of �land of living skies�. The disappearance of the sun eventually brought him back to awareness. He looked up, used to seeing them move and change in the air. Before his eyes they darted and danced in unique ever changing patterns. Although he was used to the quick changes in the sky he was always astonished by the erratic dance of the clouds. Before his eyes they disappeared from view, leaving as quickly as they had come. He sighed deeply. Even the clouds have no attachment to location. They went where they would, when they would. He fidgeted again, and then he relaxed. Looking into the nothingness above him, he wondered. The train ride from Vernon to Saskatoon had been an experience Marie never wished to repeat. As the train had traveled, she had been able to witness the drastic change in the land. Trees became grassland, lakes of water turned to lakes of wheat. Even the varied landscape of Alberta became the stereotypical flat, empty wasteland that claimed all but the most extreme north of Saskatchewan. Already she felt homesick. She couldn�t help but compare the different things she had seen to the memories she had of home. This place felt so completely different that she was more than a little nervous about coming. Without realizing it her hand pulled a letter from her blue jeans. Having grown up on the farm she had never seen the need for skirts or their like. Jeans were comfortable, and serviceable. The letter was an acceptance to Kelsey, for her request for enrollment in the nursing program. It was the only reason that she had come, and she hoped, was worth the trouble of the traveling. Although she was interested in helping others, and nursing was appealing to her, it was not her first choice. Yet, she was from a farm and didn�t have enough money to pursue her real interest in numbers. She thought back to when she had made her decision to enroll. Nursing had been slightly appealing to her, and it was also the profession that offered the most in the way of benefits and pay. Thus, she had accepted that her true dreams would never be possible, and she went for what she could attain. The trains whistle blew signaling that they had finally arrived in Saskatoon. She quickly forgot her daydreaming and gathered up her things. She had always considered herself a realist, as she accepted whatever fate through her way and tried to make the best of it. Looking around she saw that the train was now a hive of activity. The few people like her were sitting in their seats, holding their luggage before them, waiting. The rest were a mix of the nervous, the confused, and the emotional. Some of the girls that had come down to Saskatoon with her were in tears, already missing their loved ones. Others waked the isles, anxious to get to the dorms. These were the ones who had either been shipped away by parents, or who had completely left their past behind them. They were only interested in the future. She was a mix of the bunch, a little homesick but also wishing the future forward. It was her goal to obtain her degree, and then return home to practice it. From the front of the train she heard the muted call of the conductor ordering the people off. Slowly the mass of people around her got themselves organized, and they began to edge forward to the exit. Beyond the door awaited a new experience at Kelsey. She would live in the dorms, and deep down, she hoped it would be similar to home. She had grown up at the farm, and despite the chores and work, she had rather enjoyed it. She liked the isolation it offered, and when her father wasn�t around to stop her, she enjoyed working the land itself in the field. �Was he simply against a girl doing a man�s job?� She wondered. �Or was he afraid that the land would somehow claim me. Well, if it was the latter he was a smart man. I don�t know what it was about the farm, but I miss it already. It�s an odd thing. I said goodbye to my family, but a part of me wishes I�d said goodbye to the house as well. Why does it feel like a part of me is still there�?� With a sigh she continued to step forward, one foot at a time. Just as her body was moving, so too was her mind. Staring ever forward, she wondered� As her younger brother William walked around the corner of the barn she jumped down from the roof. William, or Billy as he was called, was the only one of her five brothers that was younger than her. At seven, he was a sheepish, jumpy, and full of energy. He was also frightened very easily. Just as she had though, when she hit the hay bale beside him he jumped straight into the air. At the look on his face, she started laughing. 'That�snot funny� He gasped as he tried to keep his heart from leaping out of his chest. She found this even more amusing, and her laughing redoubled. There were so many places to lay ambush at the farm that it as almost impossible for a person to be ready. From the high stacked hay bales, to the assorted sheds � all being in various stages of disrepair- The choices for mischief was endless. Her father didn�t like his children playing in these places, as he thought they were dangerous. She knew better though, and between doing chores or school work, she found herself exploring the property. She even enjoyed taking Billy along with her. Aside from the obvious pleasure she had in tormenting him, they were closer to each other than they were with their older brothers. 'Today I�m going to see what�s behind the wire fence.� She declared proudly. At that, Billy�s face managed an expression for both eagerness and dread. �But Dad said that were not support to go back there!� he protested. �That and Ma looked mighty eager to give her new wooden spoon a try out.� She rolled her eyes at that and said, �That�s only if we get caught. Besides, there�s got to be something back their or they�d not have told us not to go there.� Without waiting for him to think of something else, she ran off. Behind her Billy struggled to keep up. The fence wasn�t very far from where they were so they arrived quickly. Without hesitation, she ducked under the lower strand of wire and set out. �The area looks nearly identical to the cow pasture,� she thought, �but theirs no cows�. The sound of charging hooves brought her back to reality. That, and Billy�s screaming. From across the field a cow was running toward the two. Only this cow had horn. 'The bull!� Billy screamed in recognition. Without waiting he ran. Their father had bought the bull earlier that month and had discovered shortly thereafter that it had a wicked disposition. She quickly followed Billy�s example and ran. As they ran they heard the sound of the bull escalate until they could nearly feel it�s breath on their necks. Somehow they made the fence, diving underneath it as the bull rammed the wire behind them. The posts grounded in protest at the abuse, but the ground held them firmly in place. The Bull quickly lost interest and walked off. Laying down panting for breath, the two hugged the ground in mutual appreciation. An odd insight came to her as she lay on the ground. What was this place like before her parents had come and built upon it. Existed and breathing heavily, she wondered� Thunder crashed overhead momentarily breaking the steady sound of water dropping against the newly repaired roof. Inside of the small farmhouse a single it lantern warded off the darkness. Beside it, Peter and Ida huddled wishing away the storm. The house was freshly built and due to its rural location, it was not yet hooked up to the electricity lines. The summer had not been kind to them. Although both Peter and Ida had grown up on farms, they could not seem to be able to build anything that stayed up. The most recent failure had come when Peter had constructed a small shelter for any animals that came over. It had blown down during the first windstorm. They both sat in each others arms, weary eyed, and thinking. 'If it weren�t for your parents we would be starving right now.' Ida said, breaking the silence. It was a fact that they were both keenly aware of. 'For now, they�ve agreed to help us out,� Peter replied. 'Before we can expect to be successful we need to build. Just look at our home! I had more room in my cabin in the army!' 'We�re not carpenters Peter,' Ida reminded him. 'We can only do so much.' 'When the weather holds I�ll start practicing,� Peter declared. 'We need pens for the animals anyway. I refuse to live in this.' He waved his arm in front of him. 'You deserve better.' He had a determined edge in his voice 'I�m happy just being with you,' she replied. Peter sat up. 'Once I get a little better, I can ask my brothers to help us built. Aside from a real home, we need a barn. If we are going to get animals, they need real shelter from this weather.' 'I�ll help you,' Ida said, determined. 'No, women,� Peter replied, his tone light and thoughtful. 'Not while you�re carrying our first child.� They both smiled at that. The coming baby was the main reason Peter had bothered his family for aid. Even feelings of pride from self-sufficiency were replaced by concerns for their child. They needed to build fast and hope that the land was willing to support them. Once they had a barn, they could borrow a horse or two. Even with their earnings from the war they still couldn�t afford the new farming machines. They were going to have to start out the traditional way. 'At least you have land under you now,' Ida said thinking back. �I was worried sick whenever you went out on the water.� Instead of replying, Peter remembered. Nearly immediately after the war ended, Peter and Ida married. They had both been involved in the war effort in Canada. Peter served aboard a minesweeper that patrolled the Halifax area. Ida had contributed as a cook, feeding the often ravenous troops. The two had defied the odds in meeting. Peter was from Laclabish Alberta, while Ida was raised in Quebec. Yet they had both found themselves drawn to Halifax as the war continued to rage in Europe. They had known each other for nearly two years before the war ended and they married. They had waited because nether wished to celebrate a moment of joy during such a horrific war. Now that they were a couple, they planned on moving west. Peter was adamant about starting a farm near his hometown. He claimed that the area would be a perfect spot to start a family, and, more importantly, the land was cheap and they were far away from Halifax and reminders of the war. Ida agreed fully, although not for the same reasons. She simply wanted for them both to be happy, and to her, simply being with him was happiness in itself. Using the money that they had both gained for their services to Canada during the war, they quickly secured train tickets. They agreed that they would first stop by Ida�s family to inform them of the good news, and then continue on west till they came to Laclabish. There they would meet with Peter�s family, and with their help, buy land and start a farm. Walking to the train station, they were the perfect example of Canada being a home for all nationalities. Peter was easily recognizable as Ukrainian by both his appearance and his accent. Ida was somewhat less obvious as Peter, but her French accent told of her origins. Neither cared how odd of a couple they made, they were both madly in love and that was all that mattered to them. 'Tell me again about the farm, Peter,' Ida asked as they found their seats on the train. Peter had been transfixed on the topic ever since they had decided to build it. 'After I build the house, we�ll get some animals from my family. They won�t mind helping us start out.' Peter was very fond of animals. 'Cows, chickens, we�ll have them all. We will be near the town too, so our children can go and get educated.' They smiled at each other, love in their eyes as the train began to move slowly forward, traveling unerringly west. The sound of hooves approaching brought Peter back to reality. He had been resting atop the barns newly constructed roof when he drifted off. After many attempts and failures, he had finally improved his carpentry skills enough to begin building. With the help of his brothers, they had raised a barn sturdy enough to withstand the weather. Now that he had shelter, his brothers were willing to lend him animals so that he could begin to farm. Before they came any closer, He hoped up to his feet and quickly shimmied down the barn to the ground below. He was determined to greet them properly. It was not a small thing they were doing for him. Horses were expensive to buy and to maintain, yet he need not have to worry about the cost. Family looked after family after all. Marie and Billy cleaned off the dirt as they ran back to the house. They were all ready late for supper and they knew they were going to be in enough trouble for that. There was no need for their parents to know that they�d disobeyed them and ventured into the bull yard. When they got to the house, they both stopped and cleaned off as well as they could, and went in. Inside at the supper table they found that everyone was already eating. Silently, they sat at their places. The supper proved uneventful. Being the last to start eating they were the last to finish. They were stopped short before they could leave however by their mother. 'So what did you think of the bull?' She asked innocently. The two froze in place. How did she know? they both though in unison. �I bet it�s soil!� Marie thought to herself. �The stuff just didn�t come off. It's like the land itself is against us!� The nursing course was proving interesting. Already she had seen things that she never though was possible for a person fail at. Yet fail they did. Some seemed to wish to fail with great zeal. Thinking of the day before, she recalled one girl. They had been learning how to properly inject a needle into a patient. The instructor said to use a dart-like motion. A girl had taken it literally and thrown the needle �dart-like� into her unlucky partner. She shook her head at the memory. For her, her time at Kelsey was turning out to be a mixed bag. The course kept her occupied so that she had very little free time. She was concerned with her marks and thus kept them high. �It was a good thing too,� she thought. �If I ever ran out of things to do I�d go insane. This place is so dull compared to the farm! Well, except for when the �special� bunch blunders and makes it interesting.� She smiled t herself at the memory and shook her head again. The sudden feelings of raindrops hitting him caused him to open his eyes. He had unrepentantly fallen asleep on those cold steps. He was not surprised at the sudden downpour of rain, even though it had been sunny and clear before he�d drifted off. This was Saskatchewan and the weather did what it willed. Standing up slowly he stretched out his stiff back. Although the steps had not seemed overly uncomfortable at the time, they had left his muscles aching. Funny how these things can due that, He mused. These constructs, this land itself can either work with you or work against you. I suppose this is why they can develop a bond with a person. They have a sense of personality, or bearing. Different homes feel unique, never the same as others. Some land refuses to bare vegetation while others are so rich crops in them seem to leap out to the sky. Suddenly he chucked to himself. I�m about to move out, he though slowly, and I�m thinking of the ground as a living creature. What�s next, belief in pixies and fairy-godmothers? Am I going to become paranoid when I�m walking outside, what with man-eating garden gnomes prowling around...? Thinking further, he smiled devilishly. Why not? Without another though he looked up at the grey sky, blinking away raindrops as they fell on him, turned to the door, and went back inside.
