Loathsome Hero

Peter Gringage was notable wherever he went, however not for the reasons people would like to be known. He was a large misshapen youth of fourteen who easily could have sat in a bar drinking with the adults. Served by a waitress with out question, just so she wouldn’t have to stare at him. It was as if a character stepped off the screen of a B-list monster movie and began walking around our town. There were jokes told behind his back or as he walked by. They were stupid, lazy, and unimaginative words meant to hurt. I laughed at them along with everyone else.

In short, Peter Gringage, did not fit in.

The first time I laid eyes on Peter was when he showed up in class one day. Wearing a shirt that refused to button all the way, walking on a pair of undersized work boots with the fronts cut off so his toes could poke through, like he was wearing sandals. More than one person snickered as he tried to fit into his desk.

Rumor had it his parents sent him to help work the farm with his uncle, old man Gringage the town drunk. Another rumor had it, the court ordered him there because he killed his sister, by accidently crushing her.

My dad said never listen to rumors. But this one must be true because my best friend Wally’s father, is a fireman in our town, said his brother knows a friend who lives near the place Peter is from, who’s cousin was one of the first responders to arrive on the scene and saw the whole thing.

We made sure to avoid him once we heard that.

Summer of 1967 was living up to its reputation. Throughout Canada, parties, carnivals, and parades were preparing for the July 1st. celebration of our countries centennial. Every city, town, village, and hamlet were encouraged to hold events. The brain trusts of our towns fathers, and mothers, decided to hold a pageant celebrating the history of our town, and what better then to have the children play the parts of our forefathers working in the coal mine. They were going to submit the film to Canada Vignettes, video shorts high lighting everyday life of Canadian citizens.

In truth I believe they thought it would save the mine, which was slated for closure next year. 'Happy birthday Wellington hope you enjoy today because one year from now you’ll be a ghost town.'

The town hired a professional to film it. We were all given overalls, helmets and made up to look like real miners. Except Peter, I overheard Mrs. McMillan, the mayors wife, say he was already dressed for the part, chuckle then whispered to the cameraman not to capture him in the video.

As I mentioned, my friends and I avoided Peter as much as possible. Except today, today I didn't have any choice, none of us did. A mine collapse doesn’t differentiate between people when it decides to cave in. It traps everyone caught inside with out prejudice.

They were all hoping for a brilliant video that would stop the mine from closing. Instead, what they got were nine students and a teacher trapped under ground. I remember goofing around, everyone calling out, listening to our echoes run down the abandoned shafts, being teenagers. Suddenly I felt rumblings of the earth, followed by tremors, small bits of rocks raining from above. Then a crash, louder than anything I heard before or since. A blast of wind tossed me aside like a balloon caught in a current, throwing me against the wall. I saw stars, then everything went blank. When I opened my eyes again it was dark, I mean so dark I couldn’t see my hands in front of me. And breathing was like sucking air through a full vacuum cleaner bag.

The ringing in my head was so loud it took me awhile to discern voices, my first thought was ‘Where is my sister.’ I yelled for Anna. Suddenly a dim light pierced the blackness, someone found their flashlight. Soon other voices blended with mine as everyone cried out, weeping mixed with pleas of help. Quickly I placed my kerchief over my mouth, trying to orientate myself, until it dawned on me what happened, earthquake.

We were trapped in a pocket within the mine. Rock behind, rock ahead, swallowed in darkness.

Dust from the collapsed mine, filled our lungs, choking us with every breath we took. A damp musty smell mixed with the scent a fear permeated in the gloom. Just when it felt like things were calming down, a pebble hit me in the head, then another. Fearing another cave in, I fumbled in the dim light for my helmet, which managed to be close to my feet. Placing it upon my head and turning on the attached light. The noise of rocks falling and rolling wasn’t another collapse, it was Peter, pawing away like an animal, tearing up the rubble. His elongated arms and massive hands were tossing rocks aside like they were pebbles. My first thought was he is going insane, until I saw a foot, then a leg where he was digging. I jumped in to help. The only thing I heard was my breathing and our teacher Mr. Kolcher yelling for us to stop. He had no clue students were buried under the mass. In a matter of seconds, we found two people. Duggy who was coughing therefore alive and Yvonne who was dazed, bleeding from the head and her right foot was bent in a direction it was never meant to face.

Mr. Kolcher, grabbed my arm, spun me around, and yelled. “Stop digging your going to cause another cave in.”

Shaking him off me, I noticed Peter still digging. It was then I realized, my sister was not among us. Climbing amongst the ruins, sure I heard her voice, I started tossing rocks until I could not lift anymore, they were too big. Peter pushed me aside like a doll. Somehow he began to lift boulders that three of us couldn’t possibly budge.

Thankfully, I saw a tiny hand. She was laying in a space between a beam and the floor. It was what saved her from being crushed, but also what prevented us from rescuing her.

Anna called out for me. “Jacob, help me.”

“We have you Anna, don’t worry.” I didn’t know if that were true or in moments the whole thing would shift, and she would be compressed between beam and boulder.

In all his wisdom Mr. Kolcher started pulling everyone away from the pile of debris, saying we need to wait until the rescue team comes. Even the youngest of us knew that in the attempt to dig us out, the entire mountain of rock would collapse and bury her.

I moved towards Anna. Kolchers' soft hands gripped my collar. “Jacob, leave it.”

The place became quiet, the only sounds were the settling of dirt and Anna pleading. I moved forward once more. Mr. Kolcher began shaking me so hard, I bit my tongue. In a panicked voice he started to scream for me to stop moving, or it will kill us all. A metallic taste filled my mouth. I spit the blood into his cowardly face.

I thought it was because he shook me that I felt the ground move, but it was another tremor. Falling to my knees I reached towards Anna. Her scream melded with the creak of timber as I watched the creosote-stained wood begin to slide. Helplessly I watched as my sister was slowly being crushed to death.

Some nights when it is quiet and dark I still hear her scream.

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End Part 1- Continue on with Loathsome Hero- conclusion

Thank you,

Jason