Chapter 11
Quinn sat next to his grandfather on the wide tractor seat. He kept his head down and eyes on the ground that moved past as they drove to the back fields. His grandpa had insisted he come out to the fields with him today, even though all Quinn wanted to do was stay in the room they had given him and stare up at the ceiling. It’s where he had spent every day since his parent’s funeral.
He had just had his eighth birthday and his dad and mom had promised him a trip to the Calgary Stampede for his present. He was so excited to make the trip down to the city and could hardly wait the month and a half until they were going. He had been having a sleepover at a friend’s house when his grandpa had shown up and taken him home. It was really weird because his grandparents lived an hour away and they didn’t babysit him normally. When they had gotten home, he was surprised that his parents weren’t there waiting for him.
It was then that grandpa had sat him down and explained about the car accident and that his mom and dad would not be coming home. He had run through the house, checking every room for them, unable to believe that they were gone. His grandpa had finally caught up to him and tried to hold him but Quinn had hammered at him with his small fists and screamed that he was a liar. It wasn’t until he saw the tears streaming down the older man’s face that the fight drained out of him and he collapsed.
After that, everything was a blur and Quinn felt like a zombie. He was frozen all through his extended family members gathering and through the funeral and burial. He didn’t want to think or feel. All the things he would no longer have in his life with his parents gone was too much for him to process, so he locked it all deep inside and went through the motions and did what he was told.
After the funeral, his grandparents sat him down and explained that he would be coming to live with them and his home would have to be sold. It was that final thing that finally broke through his paralysis. Not only had he lost his family but now he was losing his home and moving away from everything he knew and it broke him. He didn’t have many memories of what happened after that but it was a blur of screaming and crying. He remembered clearly looking over his grandpa’s shoulder back at his home as he was carried away to the truck but that was all. It had been five days since then and Quinn had not spoken a word since.
“I love this view. There’s nothing more satisfying than looking out over my plowed and planted fields, knowing that I’m providing for my family with my own hard work. One day this will all be yours, Quinn. I hope you will come to love it as well,” his grandpa told him.
Quinn looked up from the passing field and scanned ahead. The plowed field ran ahead in rows that looked like they had fuzzy green moss growing on them and Quinn realized that it was the crop just starting to grow. Further, in the distance, the field ended at a forest that went as far as he could see. White-topped mountains rose against the horizon. It was pretty and the air smelled sweet with the scent of freshly turned earth. Looking out in the distance, Quinn felt the beginnings of a peace settle into him.
“You know, your father used to run through these fields like a banshee. He was always up to some project or adventure. He went camping by himself back in those trees and would have his friends over for all kinds of games. You could be happy here, Quinn. I know it doesn’t feel like you will ever be happy now but in time you will. Your mom and dad wanted everything for you. They would want you to enjoy life and not grieve forever. I know your dad would be happy to see you running the same fields he did. Just give it a chance, son.”
Quinn felt tears fill his eyes and quickly blinked them away. He thought about his dad camping in the woods as a boy and wished they could do it together. He was lost in thought when his grandpa said, “Now, who do we have here?”
Quinn’s head came up and he saw four kids standing at the fence line waiting for them. There were three girls and one stocky boy. As they got closer, one of the girls yelled out a greeting. She had red-gold hair that gleamed in the sun. “Hey, Mr. D. Who you got with you there?”
Quinn’s grandpa stopped the tractor beside the group and shut it down so they didn’t have to yell. “Hey yourself, Alex. This here is my grandson, Quinn. He’s come to live with us. What are you kids up to today?” he smiled down at her fondly.
The kids all studied Quinn with interest and curiosity. It wasn’t often that a new potential playmate moved into their area. They all knew what had happened to Quinn’s parents and the meet was a setup by the adults to try to draw Quinn out.
It was Alex who answered him. “We’re headed back into the forest to build a clubhouse. We got hammers and nails and a hatchet. It’s going to be our home base for the summer.” She looked to Quinn again and then to her friends. “Hey Quinn, do you want to come with us? We could really use someone else to help us build.”
Quinn felt a surge of excitement. Go into the forest and build a clubhouse? With no adults? How cool. He was about to jump down when he remembered his parents and his shoulders sagged. How could he go off on an adventure when his parents were dead? He looked down at his feet and stayed silent.
“Dude, I’m seriously outnumbered here and if you don’t come, these girls are going to totally boss me around. Help a brother out?” the stocky boy pleaded.
“Yeah right, Josh! We’re the ones that will end up doing most of the work while you mess around. Seriously, Quinn, our friend David is away and we need at least one boy who can pull his weight,” said the brown-haired girl, with piercing grey eyes.
“Just give it a chance, Quinn,” his grandfather said quietly, so only he could hear.
Quinn looked into his grandpa’s eyes and saw such love and hope in them. He felt his heart lift. He turned and looked down at the kids waiting for his answer and slowly nodded his head. The boy named Josh gave a whoop and did a funky little dance on the spot and the girls all smiled up at him.
Alex waved him down off the tractor. “Let’s go! We brought a lunch so we’ll feed him Mr. D. and we’ll have him back by supper. Come on, guys. We’ve got a lot to do!” She turned and headed towards the tree line.
Quinn climbed down the tractor and ducked through the fence. The three girls had already made it almost to the trees but the boy, Josh, had stayed waiting for him.
“Alright, dude! You really saved my bacon. They still have us outnumbered but at least now I’ve got some backup.” As the two boys followed the girls into the woods, Josh leaned over and stage whispered, “What do you know about cherry bombs?”
That summer, Quinn’s new friends slowly pulled him back to life. They filled a part of the void that his parents had left in his heart. He slowly built a new family with his grandparents and friends and he did everything he could to help them and keep them safe.