The Mystery of Maple Creek

Chapter 2. The Dine Club

Chapter 2

The Dine Club

(Perspective: Hellen Mayweather)

This was the second day we lived here. The fresh air around kind of reminded me a little of Calgary. I just had to get used to this new hometown.

Early in the morning, I got up from bed and lent my dad a hand. I hadn’t even taken a shower yet. I didn’t much care for my look anyway. Nobody cared here since I was the only woman.

We still had to repair a few broken lamps in this house. Anyway, it didn’t take long to fix them.

Afterward, I made bacon sandwich for me and my dad. Once he finished drinking his black coffee, he invited me to visit mom’s graveyard.

I hurriedly took a shower, and then dressed in my only long black coat. I let my long wavy blonde hair fell hanging down my back.

We got there in fifteen minutes by car. The cemetery was located just behind the hills.

This was the first time I ever visited my mom’s grave. It had been twenty-four years since I didn’t see her. The melancholia stroke right into my chest when I saw her gravestone. I could feel the pain throbbing from inside my body.

While my dad won’t let his tears fell down. He just tried to look tough in front of me. But the truth is; he just as fragile as I was.

“It seems only yesterday we got married. And suddenly, she left us,” said my dad, while crossing his hands on his torso jeans. “Diana will be missed.”

Once I put a bouquet of fresh flowers on my mom’s grave, I stood still next to him.

“I was just a baby when she left. I didn’t get to know her well in person, but I always feel so closed with her,” I murmured.

“Yeah, that’s because we both love her so much,” my dad said. His voice was shaking.

After a while, we returned to the parking lot. Before he got into the car, he said to me, “Hey, Hellen, let’s get to the Dine Club tonight. I’m sure you also want to meet the locals there.”

I narrowed my eyebrows bewilderingly and muttered, “The Dine Club?”

“Yeah, I know, the name is fancy. It’s the only local pub and restaurant in town. Larry will be there tonight. I have promised him, I will buy him a drink,” said my dad, with a big smile.

I wasn’t aware that it was actually a restaurant name. I thought this Dine Club would be like a book club gathering, except they had people who were fascinated about food. However, he seemed excited now. At least he won’t be sad for too long after visiting mom’s graveyard.

And thus, I nodded to agree. “Oh, great. Sure, Dad. Let’s go there tonight.”

***

We went there around eight p.m. when half of the town lights on. Once we got there, the parking lots were full of cars and motorbikes. My dad managed to park our car in the corner.

As I closed the car door, I observed around for a second. I noticed the place had a pole sign covered with neon lights. And I could hear loud party music being played from the restaurant. Maybe this was the most crowded place in Maple Creek.

As if my dad could read my mind, he muttered, “Wait, until you get inside. It’s wilder there.”

As soon as we entered the front door, I heard people hollering out to one another. My dad was right, this place doomed.

The 70s song played in the background. Some people danced cheerfully. And some people were tossing out their glasses of white wine. While the others were playing at the pool table game.

I saw lots of people as old as my dad here. But only a few youngsters joined the party.

For a moment, I felt almost invisible standing among all of them. And then my dad invited me to see his old friends. I wondered which one the old guy named Larry.

When my dad mingled between them, a man in his fifty greeted him excitedly.

“This is Larry Wilder!” my dad shouted out. They tapped each other’s shoulders for a couple of times. “Hey, buddy! It’s been a long time, huh? When was the last time I saw you?”

I had pictured him exactly what he looked like now. He wore a brown vest, tartan clothes, and a hat. He simply dressed like a local fisherman. But so did the other three guys at the table. They were all had grey hair and wrinkled skin.

Although I was told that my dad was the same age as them, but my dad only grew a few grey strands among his dark brown hair. And he still looked energized, as if he was still forty.

“Roland Mayweather! It’s so nice to see you here! You finally came home!” Larry said as he hugged my dad yearningly.

I instantly grasped the air when his eyes shifted at me. I felt awkward at the moment.

“Oh, wait, this must be Hellen, right?” He asked, and then he looked at me in such a surprise. “Oh, my God. You were only a little baby when the last time I saw you here.”

An old guy at the table also shouted, “Look at you! Turn into a beautiful woman already!”

“Hey—” I said, waving my hand at them. “Nice to see everyone’s here.”

“How old are you now?” Larry asked, out of curiosity.

“I am 27-year-old, and still trying to figure out what I should do in my life,” I was glad, the others laughed along at my dry joke.

“This is my only daughter. Her pretty look takes after her mom, but her great spirit takes after me,” my dad joked as well. “Hellen has been helping me out. We’re going to continue a fish market business here—”

And then my dad and his friends start talking about business. Once they forgot about me, subsequently, I left them to walk toward the bar table.

I didn’t know what I should do here, actually. I felt stranded like a total outsider.

For a while, I tried to sit steadily on a bar stool. Since I didn’t know what to order, I ended up telling this young bar waiter to bring me the best menu. His curly hair was blonde like mine, except that the color looked much natural on his pale face.

I thought he would make me a special drink like a blue lagoon soda or something. But then he just gave me the same simple white wine like what everybody had here. I quickly paid him in cash.

The music got louder by the time. My head started feeling dizzy. I probably had sitting quietly here for about ten minutes and so. Doing nothing, but just gazing around.

I just realized there was a man in a red hoodie sat right beside me. His head rested on the bar table with hands curled up. I thought he may be asleep there. But when I kept staring at him, then he moved.

As he sat back straight, he glanced at me bewilderingly. I quickly stared away.

He didn’t say anything at first, and neither did I. Once he took off his hood cap, he suddenly talked, “Hi, there. I don’t think I see you here before.”

His voice sounded manly and tougher than his look. I was surprised.

And then he asked me again, “Are you new in Maple Creek?”

“Yeah, Buzzer. Get a room, please!” that male bar waiter snapped at him and chuckled, as if this was funny.

He rolled his eyes and immediately talked apologetically to me, “Sorry about that. He’s an arse sometimes. He’s Ronnie, my annoying cousin, by the way.”

The way he said the word arse, his accent sounded so Gaelic. Maybe he was half Irish.

I chuckled back and said, “Nah, it’s okay. I know he’s just joking, right?”

“My name’s Noah Jarlath. What’s yours?” he asked, changing the topic.

“Hellen Mayweather. Nice to meet you,” my voice sounded flat, as if I wasn’t interested in this conversation with him. But the truth is; I was just feeling a bit gawky.

He paused for a second, staring at my face. I wondered if there was something wrong with my look. I only put on a little powder and soft pink lipstick. I didn’t really dress up. I wore a simple blue-green tartan clothes and denim jeans. I even had to tie my hair back since I forgot to brush it. And I hoped my rose perfume didn’t annoy him or everyone around me.

I narrowed my eyebrows bewilderingly and asked him, “Is there something wrong? You keep staring at me, it’s just…”

He suddenly grasped the air. He got surprised when I caught him.

“No, I mean, you are…” and now he stumbled within his words, “You’re beautiful. That’s what I want to say.”

His cousin secretly chuckled at him. He still sat in the corner of the bar table. And I had to smile, so this whole atmosphere wouldn’t feel too awkward between us.

Noah pretended to clear his throat before he asked me again, “So, is it your first time here?”

His cousin suddenly shouted exaggeratedly, “WELCOME TO MAPLE CREEK! WHERE THE PAST IS PRESENT!”

“That’s our hometown’s tagline. A lot of history has happened here,” he murmured. Sometimes, he stole a glance peevishly at his cousin who kept teasing him.

I nodded and chuckled. “Yeah, I can see that. There’s a colonial influence in town. And it’s my second day here, actually.”

“Oh, wow, I should congratulate you. Welcome to Maple Creek,” Noah said politely.

Before the conversation ended, I was still curious about one thing, “Hey, you said your name is Noah Jarlath. Are you like—Irish? I heard some ancestors from British colonial used to be here.”

His lips formed a little smile as he answered me, “Yeah, that’s correct. My parents are native to this homeland. And Jarlath is the lineage name of my ancestors.”

“That’s interesting. I got to meet the natives here, like you are,” I said.

“My family is not only the native to this town. There’s also the Wilder family, one of the old British colonies,” Noah told me as he pointed out his index finger at Larry. “You will also meet others if you come here often.”

“Sure, I would certainly come here often,” I said, chuckling along with him.

“So, where do you come from before you got here?” Noah was still curious.

“Calgary city,” and so I answered him. “Yesterday I moved here. My dad and I are wanting to open a fish market in town—”

“Wait, your dad—” he suddenly shouted and looked surprised, “I mean, the only fish market owners in town after Larry Wilder, is Ronald Mayweather. Oh, God, I just realize that you…”

I nodded, confirming his curiosity. “Yeah, I’m his daughter. Hellen Mayweather. Didn’t I tell you—my name?”

He quickly glanced at my dad, who still enjoying his reunion with Larry and the others.

I chuckled again and asked, “Did my dad’s fish market really that famous here?”

Noah stared back at me. He paused to smile widely. “Don’t you know? After your dad closed his fish market some years ago, the people here had to catch fish on their own. Until Larry decided to open up his business.”

I flinched a little. I remembered there was another building next to my dad’s market. It had a signboard with the flying fish symbol on it. I just realized that it was Larry’s market. And I didn’t know that my dad was the only one who opened this business before Larry did.

“But, you know, Larry is getting older now. He’s probably too tired to continue the business without help,” Noah added. “But it seems, they are happy now that your dad is back.”

I followed to stare at my dad for a moment. And there, I saw a group of old men gathered and laughed out loud together. I could feel the good atmosphere around them.

When I looked back, Noah was doing it again. He stared without blinking at me.

I had to wave my hand at his face. When he finally woke up from his reverie, he blinked gawkily at me and muttered, “Oh, sorry.”

Noah surely had a sweet pretty face. His look reminded me about those princes in fairytale dreams. But something about him seemed strange. It was like he had his own world sometimes.

However, since I didn’t know anybody here, I hoped we could be good friends.