Kimberly, British Columbia
Dec. 9th, 2023
Jodie and Jimmy continued on Gerry Sorensen Way towards the Kimberly Conference Center. Jimmy noticed his snowshoe was coming untied. When he stopped to bend down to tie it, he heard a woodpecker tapping on something not wood. He tied his snowshoe laces, stood up, and looked around.
It didn’t take long to find it, as there was a small explosion from where the woodpecker used to be.
Which was up above them about 20 feet away. The transformer explosion broke off the lower line crossing over the road to the housing development on Dreamcatcher Way.
They probably would have been under it if Jimmy hadn’t noticed his shoe was untied.
“Let’s hope that’s why the universe has sent me all these signs today.”
“The day’s not over yet, dork. I guess we better keep our eyes open. You should call this in.”
They noticed the woodpecker was a red-shafted northern flicker as they passed it on the ground underneath the power pole.
After the 911 call, Jimmy and Jody moved on, as there wasn’t much they could do. The line was barely in the road on the Dreamcatcher development side so they continued to the Kimberly Conference Center and turned up North Star. Jimmy started whistling their Al Jolson song as they passed the loading ramp on the left for the KUMR.
“They should make a “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” runaway train version.”-Jody
That got them both laughing, considering Jimmy’s day so far.
Once inside the maker’s market, they sought out Pie & Mighty, grabbed a couple of New Zealanders from Claire, then looked around to see where the stage was so they could watch Maddisun. Jody stopped at the Dipper Ceramics table and stared at a pink ceramic mug with a vulva protruding.
“I promise you, you’ll find me with that mug practicing on it with a cup of cocoa and too much whipped cream, just warning you now Jody.” -Jimmy, whispering in her ear and then moving along leaving her there blushing in front of the artist.
“Oh my gosh, what did he just say to you?” Dipper Ceramics owner Dannika
“Something about me finding him in the morning practicing something in particular with that pink mug.” -Jody, still blushing. She followed Jimmy over to the Foragers Finest table.
“Morels for dinner tonight with the New Zealanders?” -Jimmy
“And?”-Jody
“Butter” -Jimmy
“Dork. Pay Abbey, Jimmy. We’ll get some asparagus at Stoke Market on the way home.”-Jody
Around 3 PM, Jimmy and Jody found a spot to listen to Maddisun. That’s when they saw them. The Secondary brats were here. They were heading out to the parking lot and hopefully were leaving so neither of them had to worry about another “almost” run-in.
Maddisun began to play The Pretender’s “Chain Gang”. Jimmy knew its history well enough to know it might affect Jody. Her Dad had been the guitarist in their band, while Jimmy played bass and their friend Tommy played drums. After a show in Alberta, Jody’s Dad OD’d. He’d struggled with meth his whole life, and while most of the band had dabbled at times in just about everything, the death of Robert, Jody’s Dad, hit the band hard, then Jimmy got a DUI a week later, losing his commercial driver’s license. That was five years ago.
Jimmy scooted his chair closer to Jody and put his arm around her for the rest of the song.
They decided to head home after Maddisun’s set as the market was closing, and on their way out they noticed the secondary brats were still in the parking lot.
“Better keep an eye out for those girls. Let’s walk on the opposite side of the road on the way home.” -Jimmy, noticing they were still listening to Bryan Adam’s “Reckless” album in the Jeep they came in.
While they could have taken the shuttle, they decided to walk. They knew the trail well enough and it was cold but not unbearable. The walk kept the blood flowing from the music, seeing Emma Kade and Maddisun doing what they loved had ignited Jody’s desire to start playing music again.
“Jimmy, let’s get the band back together.”
Jimmy stopped, at first, Jody was a little worried, but he held a finger up.
“Here they come.” -Jimmy
“They’re not gonna stop in time Jimmy!” -Jody
That’s when the Jeep full of secondary brats flew past them on North Star and waved. Ironically, the girls were screaming along to “Summer of ‘69”.
“Jimmy quit, Jody got married!”
The young girl driving, Jimmy thought her name was Kate, saw the stop sign and locked her brakes. It was icy. She wasn’t going all that fast, but the Jeep slid through the intersection in slow motion at Gary Sorrensen Way and into a snow bank on the other side.
The girl’s screams as they slid across the road had turned to laughter. Everyone had survived unharmed, and Jimmy and Jody walked up to them.
“You girls all okay? No one hit their head?” -Jimmy.
“We’re, oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed. I guess we had that coming for almost hitting you earlier. I’m so sorry!”
Not very quietly, Jody muttered “Hosers.” Which made everyone laugh.
“That’s so vintage! I’m Kate, thank you for checking on us, you could have kept walking.”
“No offense but I’ll walk home a little more peaceful knowing you’re in front of us. Do you know how to put the Jeep in four-wheel drive so you can back out of this snow bank?” -Jimmy.
Kate nodded. Jimmy and Jody stepped back and Kate backed out onto the road.
“Squeeze in, we’ll give you a ride!” -Kate, with a big smile.
“We were headed to Stoke, we need some asparagus. We were heading there before home.” -Jody.
“Tell you what, Kate, we’ll take that ride if you pick something other than Bryan Adam’s “Reckless” to listen to.” -Jimmy
“Have you heard Maddisun’s new song yet?” -Jody
A girl in the back answered. “No we missed it, we were getting stoned in the parking lot after Emma played and spaced out. Hi, I’m Lucy. Get in!”
Jimmy and Jody removed their snow shoes, laced them to the roof rack, and climbed into the Jeep.
Kate drove down into Townsite more carefully than she ever had before. At Stoke Market, as Jimmy was untying the snow shoes from the roof rack, Kate asked him a question.
“Jimmy, didn’t you used to drive trucks? My Dad’s looking for a driver. Obvs not gonna be me! I can give him your number if you’d like! I feel terrible about earlier.”
Jody nudged Jimmy in the side. Kate’s Dad had a shipping company. Jimmy gave Kate his number, and after grabbing some asparagus the two of them headed home for a decadently buttered meal of their New Zealanders, morels, and asparagus. Later that night, while Jody was breaking in the strings on her new Godin, Jimmy finally answered her question from earlier about the band.
“I’ll never be as good a musician as you deserve, Jody. Get the band together. I won’t be in it. If Kate’s Dad does call, there will probably be enough work for me to cover the bills. I sold my bike because it wasn’t a part of a dream. Music is your dream, Jody. Follow that passion.
“Put Maddisun’s new song on for me Jimmy, let me think about it while I break these strings in.” -Jody
Later that night, well, she is a rock star, so early the next morning, as Maddisun finally laid down in bed and closed her eyes, she wondered if she would dream about Running Wolf’s card game with Coyote The Trickster again.
Throughout the first part of the year, whenever she had a show in the Kootenays, Maddisun would wake up the day of a show after a dream about that card game. Even the wily coyote can learn a lesson or two from time to time, and as fast as that coyote was, there was a reason The Kootenay Kid’s name was Running Wolf.
She could run. Run circles around you. Run you down. Run you ragged. Run you right off the ledge.
Maddisun giggled a little as she drifted off, picturing the coyote flailing in the air where a ledge used to be. “Meep Meep!” she thought, thinking wait, where else have I heard that?
The Jukebox at The Diner: “Night Shift” will return…
With “Reckless” Part Three aka “Maddi The Reckless”…
Um. I just wrote a little of it…
I have no idea where this is going!
Here’s a sneak peek of…
Maddi The Reckless
A little over 10 years ago…
Kimberly, Britsh Columbia.
“Fuck purple chongos. I gotta pee.”
Maddisun and some friends were at a ski condo near the Kimberly resort that her Dad had rented. They’d been dancing all night listening to some vintage Cali Bay Area Hip Hop. N2Deep, Paris, Tupac, and Digital Underground.
They were surely feeling that “California Love” that they had smoked along Gerry Sorenson Way when they weren’t cutting through Trickle Creek Golf Course or the Nordic Club. They were heading for the Boundary run.
No one remembers whose idea it was to go night skiing. At least no one owns up to it these days.
They had made decent time ascending the ski run on foot, considering everyone had to stop to pee. At this very moment, it was Maddisuns turn. She stepped inside the tree line, unhooked the straps of her bib, and bent down behind a Pine. Her friends could see the steam coming from behind the pine. Then, everyone remembered the one thing they hated about asparagus.
“Girl! That’s some Gorilla Funk you’re brewing over there!” -Maddisun’s friend “Roxy”.
Whose name has been changed for privacy. =j
“Wrong Gorilla. It’s Guerilla.” -Maddisun
“Sorry.” -Roxy
“Why do you say sorry that way?” -One of the boys that had come with them. Neither Roxy nor Maddisun remembers their names, only that they looked like Rob Van Winkle clones and one of them wore a Montreal Expos cap backward with “High Roller” engraved on the back with two gold dice between “High” and “Roller”. It was such a ridiculous clown show that it entertained them enough to let the dorks tag along. Also, they had that California Love and Gin.
“Shush it Stateside.” -Maddisun
Maddisun came out from behind the tree. A large clump of moss broke off the tree she was peeing by and landed in front of her. It was one of the Rob Van Winkle clones they were with that screamed like a girl. It was fucking hilarious. Maddisun knew what it was. The clown show from the States did not. Maddisun and Roxy laughed. The Rob Van Winkle clones did not. Then Maddisun and Roxy noticed the same thing. They had chosen Boundary because it was pretty wide and open.
“Oh shit. I can’t tell if we’re on Boundary or School House Run.” -Roxy
“Why does that matter?” -One of the boys. (It’s a preview, I’m leaving them nameless.)
“To tree or not to tree, that is the question.” -Maddisun
Here’s a link to First Voices where I got the Ktunaxa phrases I used.
https://www.firstvoices.com/ktunaxa/categories?types=phrase
Here’s one more link to the Golden BC Museum page on the first people of the Columbia Valley.
https://www.goldenbcmuseums.com/first-people-of-the-columbia-valley/
I hope my use of the Ktunaxa language and culture inspires you to learn more about the Indigenous people of “The Kootenays”
=j
"Those were the best days of my life..."