cry.
A few years later, she became pregnant and the RCMP charged my grandfather with rape. But the judge let him off. John Marcynuk, sitting as a witness for the defense, lied and said that Katherine slept with all the men in the area. She was thirteen at the time.
Social Services sent her to a place for pregnant girls. One day an unfamiliar car pulled up in the yard and she climbed out, wearing a new dress and carrying a baby. “His name’s Matthew.” Katherine handed the baby to my grandmother.
That was the last my uncles saw of Katherine for more than four years. Viktor was certain at the time she left that Grandfather would take down the rifle by the back door and go after her, all the way to Winnipeg.
Without thinking, Viktor blurted, “I’m next.”
“You’re going to leave?” Alek rocked back and forth. “You’ll forget all about us like Katherine did.”
“What are you talking about? Mama gets letters.”
“Once-in-a-blue-moon letters.”
“When Matthew starts school, I’ll go to Winnipeg. Maybe Aunt Sonia will let me stay with her. I could work on the CPR, drive trains. Once I save enough money, the rest of you can come live with me. Mama, too.”
“Viktor, you know women can’t leave their husbands. And there aren’t any railroad jobs. The soldiers took them all.”
“Then I’ll go to British Columbia and join a logging crew. And you won’t be alone. You’ll have Mama, Matthew and Karl.”
“Karl punched my arm yesterday when I accidentally bumped into him. Gave me a huge bruise. He’s getting mean as the old man.”
Then, as if he’d heard them, my grandfather started his favourite song, a sad tune from the old country.
Alek jumped to his feet and rushed to the ladder. He re turned with the axe they used for chopping firewood. He looked at Viktor.
Viktor laid Matthew onto the floor, careful not to wake him, then strode to Alek and gripped his shoulder. “ You’ll do it ?”
Alek looked away.
Viktor hated his father enough to want him dead. But to actually lift the axe – lift it high and swing it, again and again – that kind of savagery required the same brute temper that burned in his father’s skull. And as if they both had the same thought, Alek and Viktor looked at Karl.
It took hard shaking before Viktor could wake him, and soon as Karl opened his eyes, he jumped to his feet. “Is he coming?” When he saw Alek standing with the axe, Karl shook his head. “I’m not doing it. Old man said you’re supposed to chop wood today.”
Viktor and Alek moved in closer. Alek lifted the axe. “The old man.”
Karl’s eyes bugged. “You’re going to kill him?”
“Take the road and go around the bush,” Viktor said. “Come up by the river. He’ll never see you.”
“Why me?”
“You’re strongest. The old man wouldn’t stand a chance.” Alek pressed the axe handle against Karl’s palm until his brother took it. “Think about Mama. Doesn’t she stick up for you when he gets mad? Doesn’t she let him clobber her instead of you? What about that time he chased you with the rake? Next time, it won’t be the rake. It’ll be the rifle.”
Karl looked out the loft door. Squinted. “I told the bugger. I said, ‘You come after me again, I’ll do you.’ I told him.” He turned toward the ladder, started forward then stopped. “And I told the Mounties I had to hit him with the shovel because he came after me with the rake but they locked me up. I’m not no stupid bohunk like they said and I’m never going back to jail.” Karl shoved the axe at Alek.
Viktor crouched next to him. “We’ll get rid of the body where the Mounties can’t find it. No body, no crime. We’ll smear the body with gear oil and cow shit, stick it in a grain sack and spread that with oil, too. Dig a hole in the cream shed and put the separator over top. Tell Mama that the old man had an accident and we had to bury him to keep the Mounties from blaming us.”
Alek knelt next to
A few years later, she became pregnant and the RCMP charged my grandfather with rape. But the judge let him off. John Marcynuk, sitting as a witness for the defense, lied and said that Katherine slept with all the men in the area. She was thirteen at the time.
Social Services sent her to a place for pregnant girls. One day an unfamiliar car pulled up in the yard and she climbed out, wearing a new dress and carrying a baby. “His name’s Matthew.” Katherine handed the baby to my grandmother.
That was the last my uncles saw of Katherine for more than four years. Viktor was certain at the time she left that Grandfather would take down the rifle by the back door and go after her, all the way to Winnipeg.
Without thinking, Viktor blurted, “I’m next.”
“You’re going to leave?” Alek rocked back and forth. “You’ll forget all about us like Katherine did.”
“What are you talking about? Mama gets letters.”
“Once-in-a-blue-moon letters.”
“When Matthew starts school, I’ll go to Winnipeg. Maybe Aunt Sonia will let me stay with her. I could work on the CPR, drive trains. Once I save enough money, the rest of you can come live with me. Mama, too.”
“Viktor, you know women can’t leave their husbands. And there aren’t any railroad jobs. The soldiers took them all.”
“Then I’ll go to British Columbia and join a logging crew. And you won’t be alone. You’ll have Mama, Matthew and Karl.”
“Karl punched my arm yesterday when I accidentally bumped into him. Gave me a huge bruise. He’s getting mean as the old man.”
Then, as if he’d heard them, my grandfather started his favourite song, a sad tune from the old country.
Alek jumped to his feet and rushed to the ladder. He re turned with the axe they used for chopping firewood. He looked at Viktor.
Viktor laid Matthew onto the floor, careful not to wake him, then strode to Alek and gripped his shoulder. “ You’ll do it ?”
Alek looked away.
Viktor hated his father enough to want him dead. But to actually lift the axe – lift it high and swing it, again and again – that kind of savagery required the same brute temper that burned in his father’s skull. And as if they both had the same thought, Alek and Viktor looked at Karl.
It took hard shaking before Viktor could wake him, and soon as Karl opened his eyes, he jumped to his feet. “Is he coming?” When he saw Alek standing with the axe, Karl shook his head. “I’m not doing it. Old man said you’re supposed to chop wood today.”
Viktor and Alek moved in closer. Alek lifted the axe. “The old man.”
Karl’s eyes bugged. “You’re going to kill him?”
“Take the road and go around the bush,” Viktor said. “Come up by the river. He’ll never see you.”
“Why me?”
“You’re strongest. The old man wouldn’t stand a chance.” Alek pressed the axe handle against Karl’s palm until his brother took it. “Think about Mama. Doesn’t she stick up for you when he gets mad? Doesn’t she let him clobber her instead of you? What about that time he chased you with the rake? Next time, it won’t be the rake. It’ll be the rifle.”
Karl looked out the loft door. Squinted. “I told the bugger. I said, ‘You come after me again, I’ll do you.’ I told him.” He turned toward the ladder, started forward then stopped. “And I told the Mounties I had to hit him with the shovel because he came after me with the rake but they locked me up. I’m not no stupid bohunk like they said and I’m never going back to jail.” Karl shoved the axe at Alek.
Viktor crouched next to him. “We’ll get rid of the body where the Mounties can’t find it. No body, no crime. We’ll smear the body with gear oil and cow shit, stick it in a grain sack and spread that with oil, too. Dig a hole in the cream shed and put the separator over top. Tell Mama that the old man had an accident and we had to bury him to keep the Mounties from blaming us.”
Alek knelt next to
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