On Fire (21 page)
“Someone's coming,” he said. I looked where he was pointing and saw a figure moving toward us from a little shack off by itself. We stood there and watched as the figure became more Howard-shaped every minute.
“Howard!” Dan called. He waved his arms. I thought Howard saw us but he didn't change his pace.
Dan did, though. He began to jog forward.
“Wait!” I yelled. I put on a burst of speed and caught up with him. I'm supposed to be the greeter, after all. I belong in the front line.
“Howard!” Dan called again.
We both called it out together. “Howard!”
A gust of wind hit us then and it started to rain â not really hard, but not joking around, either. We were all soaked by the time we got together.
It didn't matter, though. As far as I was concerned, all three of us were weatherproof.
There are many fine people working in our mental health systems. I appreciate their efforts and in no way do I mean to disrespect the work they do.
Other appreciations go to:
My granddaughter, Erika Jessen, a beautiful young woman of fifteen who is the inspiration for Matti. Erika first learned she had Tourette's when she was in grade three. If I have misrepresented what it's like to live with T. S., the error is entirely mine.
My son Stefan, who has allowed me to write about his experience as a patient in Alberta Hospital when he was eighteen.
Holley Rubinsky, who showed me what it was like to be out on Kootenay Lake in a small boat and helped me get to the other side. She also allowed me to have a close encounter with one of the bears that hung around her house in Kaslo, B.C., in the summer of 2012.
Larry Badry, fire chief and paramedic unit chief of Kaslo, who gave me insight into the multiple hats he wears in his small town.
The people of Gold Hill, Colorado and Slave Lake, Alberta. They survived fires in their communities and were willing to talk about it.
My partner Joseph has lived with me living with this story for four years.
Mary Woodbury in Edmonton and the Mitchells in Columbia Falls, Montana. At various times they loaned me a quiet place to work.
As always, my mentor and friend, Glen Huser.
Thistledown Press for once again seeing value in my manuscript. Without the persistence of small presses like them, many fine books would never be published or read.
Finally, to my editor, R. P. MacIntyre who has an incredible nose for where a story wants to go. Thanks for patience, encouragement and vision. You are the best.
The quote beginning, “Hey, Crazyred . . . ” is from
Dante's
Divine Comedy
, the section called Inferno, Canto XXII, Lines 40-42. Translation by John Ciardi.
Dianne Linden's two previous young adult novels have won critical praise.
Peacekeepers
(2003) was a finalist for Alberta's R. Ross Annett Award for Children's literature in 2004, and the Ontario Library Association's Red Maple Young Reader's Choice Award in 2005.
Shimmerdogs
(2008) was a silver medallist for the Governor General's Award for Children's Literature in that same year and a finalist for the R. Ross Annett Award in 2009. Dianne Linden lives in Edmonton.
Visit Dianne at
www.diannelinden.com