Olivia's Mine Read online

  Harry’s eyes fluttered awake.

  “What’s happening?” he asked weakly.

  “They’re coming,” Yan said. “They will be through soon.”

  Harry tried to sit up.

  “No,” Yan said. “Lie down, save your strength.”

  “I want to tell you something,” Harry said, undeterred. He reached up and felt the bandage on his head. “I want to thank you, for saving my life.”

  “That’s not necessary.”

  “I think it is Yan. You know, I did not want to teach you first aid. I did not want to teach you anything.”

  Yan remembered how Harry had patiently taught others the basic skills, but grunted his way through it with him. His grandfather had told him that Harry held some funny beliefs about his fellow Orientals. He explained it was a lot like sibling rivalry, the more alike they were, the more they wished things were different, each one trying to find their own identity.

  “I did not like you,” Harry admitted.

  “I think that was obvious. What did I ever do to you?”

  “Nothing,” Harry said. “I like you now.”

  Yan smiled.

  “Jimmy kept telling me, you’re a good guy. I didn’t listen. He likes your family. Perhaps that was part of it. He spends more time with your grandfather than he does with me.”

  “Well, we are twins now, yes? Like brothers. You pushed me into the safety room. A little too hard maybe. See, I have a gash on my leg where I hit the ground. I wasn’t paying attention. That wall almost crushed me when it came down. Look, you can’t see the place where I was standing before you gave me the shove.”

  Harry saw the bandage underneath Yan’s ripped open pant leg. He then glanced at the pile of rubble that had once formed the wall of the tunnel. It was as if an earthquake had ripped through it.

  “This mountain is awake,” Harry thought to himself.

  “You saved my life by doing that,” Yan continued, “and then the rocks came tumbling down and that big one over there hit you on the head. You passed out. I took care of you, just like you trained me. I wonder, if that had been me, unconscious, would you have saved me?”

  Harry looked into Yan’s eyes and saw his own.

  “I believe so,” he answered honestly.

  “I believe so too,” Yan answered, “so now we are twins like I said. We were not born at the same time but we escaped death at the same time. We owe each other our lives.”

  “Humph,” Harry grunted. He would have to think about that.

  “You need more training,” Harry said, placing two fingers under the gauze and stretching it a bit. “The bandage is too tight on my head. It’s giving me a headache.”

  “You must be feeling better,” Yan answered. He passed him some water.

  “Here, sip slowly.”

  Harry suddenly realized how thirsty he really was. He eagerly took a few gulps.

  “Do you not listen to anything I say?” Yan said smiling, passing him a wet rag. “If you start to feel sick, don’t blame me.”

  “What’s this?” Harry asked.

  “The rest of my pant leg. I have soaked it in the water leaking through the walls. Use it as a cold compress. It will help that bump on your head go down.”

  Yan thought for a moment he almost saw Harry smile.

  “Very good, thank you.”

  “Where did you learn English?” Yan asked him.

  “I learned it as a boy. How about you?”

  “Me too. We have that in common. My grandfather, he also speaks English, but he doesn’t like to do it in public. He thinks people will laugh at him.”

  “Jimmy understands him,” Harry offered. “Jimmy doesn’t always understand his mother, but he understands your grandfather.”

  Harry paused for a moment.

  “It was difficult for my wife to learn English,” he admitted. “Perhaps I was not patient enough with her when she was first trying. It was hard to see her struggle. But she was determined. She is learning more and more words every day. But we have to work on her pronunciation.”

  “I think perhaps Jimmy understands more of your wife’s English than he admits.”

  “True,” Harry said. “He is a teenager. He understands what is convenient for him. In English, one word can have many meanings. That confuses my wife. When Jimmy is mad at his mother he will try to confuse her. And what is that saying? The apple does not fall far from the tree as they say. Maybe I do a little of that myself.”

  “So when we get out of here, are you going to tell your wife how proud of her you are?” Yan asked.

  “No,” Harry laughed. “The yin and the yang, yes? I am the boss of the Yada household. It would upset the delicate balance of the home if I said something like that.”

  “Harry Yada, you are full of it,” Yan said. “I know you are proud of Akiko. She does not have to work long nights anymore. She educated herself in a new language and got a good job with daytime hours. My daughter Diane, she looks at your wife and knows her future will be full of more hope. She does not have to be a cleaner. She wants to be a teacher. She knows it is possible. I am proud of your wife.”

  He took a sip of water.

  “And your son...Jimmy has a friendship with an old man. Do you know how unusual that is? Particularly for a teenager? He never misses lunch with him on Saturdays. They sit on the back porch having soup whether the weather is hot or cold. I think it’s what’s keeping my grandfather alive. Even I do not see him that much. I am proud of your son.”

  The drills above them suddenly stopped, sending an eerie silence into the space inhabited by the two men. The men held the silence for a few moments, each of them deep in thought in his own private world.

  A shiver of dread passed down Harry’s spine as he considered the fact that after all this time in the mine; the rescue may have been called off.

  “If we get out,” Harry whispered, following the quiet, “I will tell them both how proud of them I am, I promise.”

  “When we get out,” Yan insisted, “I will have lunch with my grandfather. Maybe even every other week. I promise.”

  The two men shook hands.

  As if on cue, the silence suddenly was broken by the sound of more activity.

  “Listen,” Yan began, “the voices, they’re close.”

  The two men started to yell.

  On the other side of the pile of rubble, the same conversation began to play out.

  “Listen,” Frank said. “Can you hear them? They’re alive! Just on the other side of this pile of rock. Jason, go back up and tell the others. I need all hands down here. We’ve found them, and they’re alive! Billy, bring Bertha over here!”

  “Hearn should take a look at this wall of rock before we start her up,” Billy said.

  “Good man,” Frank said. “You’re absolutely right. I wouldn’t want to kill them this close to getting them out of there!”

  Jason headed back up the tunnel as fast as his feet would take him.

  Outside the shaft, the solemn crowd prepared for the worst. Sarah had come by bringing some breakfast for Jimmy. He had continued to refuse to go home, preferring to try to sleep on the ground outside the shaft with only a few blankets and pillow. He was only sleeping for a few hours at a time, she noticed, and now she could see that he was getting a cold.

  “Jimmy, please,” she began, “go home and get some rest. I’ll call you the minute I hear anything, I promise. You need to change out of your wet clothes. You’ll catch pneumonia. Go on, off you go.”

  Before Jimmy had a chance to protest, he could hear Jason calling to everyone from within the tunnel.

  “We heard them,” Jason said excitedly as he stepped outside the mine.

  “Them?” Sarah asked.

  “My father?” Jimmy hoped.

  “Yes, them. Two voices. They’re both alive!”

  “Sarah, quickly, go get Akiko!” Jason said.

  “Did you see them?” Jimmy asked.

  “Jimmy, listen t
o me. We did hear two voices, but we don’t know what kind of shape they are in. They’re behind a thick pile of rocks. They may be injured. I need you to go get the doctors and bring them here. In the meantime, I need to find Hearn so he can take a look at the rock wall and tell us how to best clear it with the new drill.”

  “The drill from the boat?” Jimmy asked.

  “She’s a beauty Jimmy; she’ll have them out of there in no time.”

  I’ll go get the doctors,“ Jimmy said, running off towards the hospital. “And I’ll go tell Mr. McMichael. It’s my job.”

  Sarah thought that just for a moment, she saw Jimmy start to cry.

  “This is good news, no?” she asked Jason.

  “It sure is a lot better than silence.”

  Frank emerged from the tunnel, completely covered in mud.

  “That Bertha,” he stated, “she’s one hell of a drill. She got us through twice the rock today. We should have them out by morning.”

  Sarah clapped excitedly.

  “In time for the wedding,” she sighed. “It’s going to be a glorious day after all.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  As the dawn broke over the majestic mountains, Britannia was waking up with a new found hope.

  The Beachcomber opened a little earlier than usual. Lucy carried over some cheese scones that Maggie had baked the night before.

  “You take these up to the store,” she said, “and make sure those wonderful Bower women get some. I met Grace at the café last night and we chatted for hours like old friends. I said I’d look after the lad for them during the reception. Let the family have a good night to remember. They’ve been a Godsend.”

  Olivia already had the tea brewed. She expected her mother and Emily to arrive any minute. Sister Anne had gone to Akiko’s with Daniel. Akiko had been so touched by Anne’s kindness that she invited them over for some origami lessons.

  “The infamous Beachcomber,” her mother said, the door chimes announcing her arrival. “It certainly caused quite a stir when it opened, didn’t it? There were so many people here during the rescue, I didn’t have a chance to properly look around. It’s quite wonderful darling!”

  “I am quite proud of it,” Olivia beamed.

  “And so you should be. Emily, look at all these spices!”

  “We bring them in from Chinatown in Vancouver. We’ve got quite a selection of teas as well. We’re drinking chamomile today, it’s Jimmy Yada’s favourite.”

  “It’s really wonderful Olivia,” Emily chimed in. “It makes me wish I had a head for figures so I could do something like this myself.”

  “Well I couldn’t have done it without Lucy here, and of course Akiko.”

  “I still haven’t met Akiko,” Grace said. “Maybe after the wedding, when she’s had a chance to catch her breath, we can have a little chat. Anne says she’s delightful. Goodness we’ve all been so busy here; we haven’t had a decent chance to talk ourselves. How are you, Olivia?”

  “You know, tea is fine and dandy, but I could murder a cup of coffee. Lucy, could you take me to this café I keep hearing about? I’m not very good at directions, I’m afraid. But do save me a scone for later mother.”

  Sensing that Emily was trying to give her mother some time alone with Olivia, Lucy took the hint. “I suppose I could sneak away from work this once. I think Olivia and Grace can manage.” The two women left the store.

  “Your sister does not know the meaning of the word discretion,” Grace announced. “Still, it gives us a few moments together. How are you feeling Olivia? I understand you’re expecting.”

  “Do I show that much?” Olivia asked.

  “No, but your father found out. He finds out everything.”

  “I’m fine thank you. I haven’t had much morning sickness.”

  “Is Frank happy about the baby?”

  “Of course.”

  “And are you?”

  “Yes of course, why do you ask?”

  “Olivia, I would have to be blind and stupid not to have noticed the change in your husband over the past few years. I am neither. I worry about you.”

  “I know that we were going through a tough time, but things are...well things are just a lot easier now that I’m not working for Aaron at the mine.”

  “I told your Uncle that was a bad idea. He should have had more sense. Are you planning on staying on here at the store after the baby is born?”

  “Yes. Lucy and Akiko have agreed to be flexible with their work hours, so everything should work out fine.”

  “Well my darling, your life is certainly going to change. I hope it turns out to be everything you ever hoped and dreamed. We’re always just a phone call away, you know that. If Frank gives you any trouble, you just holler, and I’ll be on the next boat up. At least with Jason living here, you’ll have some family support.”

  “Mother, really, everything will be fine. Can we please change the subject?”

  “That John McMichael is a nice man.”

  Olivia laughed aloud.

  “What?” her mother exclaimed. “He’s polite, he’s thoughtful...”

  “Maybe to you.”

  “Well, he certainly can keep his wits about him in a crisis. And he’s quite handsome too. If your sister weren’t a Sister, I’d be doing a little matchmaking!”

  Olivia laughed some more.

  “Have another scone mother. I do think you’re beginning to lose your mind.”

  Grace laughed.

  “It is good to see you Olivia, and you do look happy.”

  Olivia smiled. She was content.

  Later that morning, a crowd had gathered outside the mine entrance as word of the imminent rescue spread. It had been eight long days since the men were first trapped. The fact that they were alive was regarded as a miracle.

  As Olivia and McMichael stood outside the mine entrance awaiting word of the rescue progress, they heard cheers coming from beneath the ground. Jimmy, close by as always, grabbed a helmet and ran into the tunnel.

  “My son!” Akiko cried, looking at McMichael helplessly.

  “Let him go Akiko,” McMichael assured her. “He’ll be safe enough.”

  “Can you hear them?” Olivia said excitedly. “It’s good news! I can’t believe it, it’s good news!”

  Jimmy was gone barely a few minutes before he was back at the mine entrance. He was grinning ear to ear.

  “My dad. He’s okay!” he said, running into his mother’s arms.

  Akiko eyes swelled with tears. She hugged her son tightly as the emotions ran from her.

  Overcome with emotion himself, McMichael turned hugged Olivia.

  “Thank God,” he said. “It’s truly a miracle.”

  Realizing what he had done, he released Olivia from his embrace.

  “Pardon me Olivia,” he said. “I was overcome.”

  “I understand Mr. McMichael,” Olivia said, herself overcome with relief. “No harm done. This is the most wonderful news we could have hoped for.”

  But from the corner of the mine entrance, Frank had witnessed the brief embrace. His breathing began to quicken and he found it hard to contain his rage. While the other men were bringing out Harry and Yan, Frank turned his back on them, staring blindly into the rock.

  “I’ll get him,” Frank vowed.

  Chapter Forty

  At Sarah’s home, Lucy was pinning up the loose strands of the bride’s hair.

  “You look stunning,” Akiko said.

  “I know!” Sarah said excitedly.

  Lucy rolled her eyes, but she had to admit that indeed, the bride was beautiful.

  “I am about to become Mrs. Jason Bower,” Sarah sighed. “I never thought this day would come.”

  “Well it has,” Lucy smiled. “And you’ll only be missing two people from your guest list.”

  Harry and Yan had been brought out of the tunnel earlier that morning in fairly good condition, but were being hospitalized as a precaution. Yan had been able to walk out,
but the men had carried Harry out on a stretcher, as his strength was weaker than the younger man’s was.

  The dark cloud of doom that had hung over the community had been lifted and there was an immediate celebration.

  Rudy stood on the street observing as people were openly raising their spirit glasses to good tidings. Then men had come out of the tunnel a few hours ago, but there was an ongoing impromptu parade in the streets as neighbours celebrated with neighbours.

  “You want me to do anything about that?” he asked McMichael.

  “I’m sorry Wolanski, what were you saying? The sun seems to be in my eyes.”

  “And the money from the beer is lining your coffers,” Aaron Bower laughed.

  “Well then, everything worked out for the best, didn’t it?” McMichael added, and raised his own glass of rye to the heavens. “Frenchie,” he said as the Captain walked by, “come. Let me buy you a beer for transporting this wonderful family and our new Bertha so safely to the mine.”

  Frenchie stopped dead in his tracks. Did McMichael just offer him a drink? He had known the man for many a year and that had never happened before aside from the one night long ago when he and William had saved the life of the sailors.

  “I suppose I could find it in my heart to drink to the rescuers,” he said.

  “Well come on then gentlemen. Please join me in the bar. You too Rudy, I do believe you’re officially off duty.”

  McMichael’s rarely seen burst of light heartedness was brought to a halt as Frank, having drank more than his fair share of ale, had him in his sights.

  “You!” Frank said, pointing at McMichael. “Come here you bastard!”

  The street was suddenly silenced.