He howled, curled over himself but still standing on the trail in my way. I leaped to the branch and pulled it loose, bigger and heavier than I anticipated, and I brought it down, hard, against his knees. Now he screamed. The crack may have been the branch or his bone—either way, he dropped to the dirt. I flung the branch and ran, furious tears making my vision sharper, to the lodge where Jane ran out to meet me.
She took me to the kitchen and sent a grad student and an office clerk to bring Natan from the trail while I washed my hands and face, then sank down in a chair.
“But he didn’t touch you?” she asked again and again.
“No,” I said. “Because I got to him first. He was too close, I didn’t like it, and he is always awful. He is inappropriate and terrible with kids, and I don’t care if he…” I nearly called her on the family mess. But I loved this job. I wanted so badly to stay. Jane wasn’t a bad person. She was just one more adult who could not figure her shit out.
She nodded. “Do you want to call the police?”
“No.” Louder than I intended.
Never. Never police. He’ll say I attacked him; they’ll arrest me. I am so close to freedom—NO.
“No police,” I said again. “But I’m not coming back if he’s still here tomorrow,” I said. “Or ever.”
“Okay,” she said, relieved. “All right.”
There was shouting outside.
“Oh no…” Jane went to the window. “Oh, Sean.” She went to the door.
I stood and grabbed my bag. “I’m going out the back,” I said. “Okay?”
“Muiriel—”
“Please, just no police, okay? Tell Sean I went home; make sure he’s okay? Please?”
She nodded and stepped out the door. “It’s not Sean I’m worried about,” she sighed.
—
I rode the bus home, my head bouncing against the window. Two texts from Sean. Three, four. I responded, I’m fine just went home sorry talk later, and then I texted Kira.
Are you okay?
In a while she wrote back.
Yes, I think so. I’m sorry.
FOR WHAT?
I’m embarrassed.
NO. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. We will figure this out they are not in charge of your life and by the way how was Elliot
You know you can just say BTW for by the way
Whatever. You sure you’re okay
I am. Thank you. Elliot is…I can’t type it but he is good. See you tomorrow.
You know you can just type tmrw.
I half smiled and turned off the phone.
At Francine’s I walked up the porch steps, and she called from the henhouse in the backyard, “You’re home early—how was Salishwood?”
