“A different province?” Samuel pinched his lower lip. “She could be thousands of miles away!”
Chickadee’s shoulders slumped.
“Hey, you got us two new clues, Chickadee. Now we know what she looked like.” Atim shook her shoulder roughly until she reluctantly smiled.
“She’s a real person to us now,” Otter told his cousin. “I can’t wait to find her.”
“Now, we can go back to the adoption registry and, hopefully, unlock that info!” Samuel looked off into the distance, already planning next steps.
Meher allowed them to put what they found on the memory stick. They printed out Auntie Charlotte’s class photo.
“What’s wrong?” Meher asked Chickadee after seeing the frown on her face. The boys gathered around and waited for their cousin’s answer.
“I don’t know. After seeing her face…she looks like my grandpa.” Chickadee looked at the ground and then back at Meher. “She seemed so sad in that school. And Grandpa said he wasn’t allowed to speak his language while in residential school. Now, none of my cousins speak Cree….” Chickadee trailed to a stop.
“Yes?” Meher reached out and squeezed her arm.
“My grandpa says, there are many roads to walk after we go on our final journey from this world. Sometimes, we have old Cree souls, like reincarnation. Sometimes, we’re our ancestors.” The boys nodded. They had heard the same lesson.
“Yes. I have heard some Elders express this before.” Meher’s face was serious.
“Well…what happens if your soul speaks Cree, but your body speaks English?”
Meher looked at Chickadee, impressed. “I don’t know, but it would explain much of the need for healing that many residential school Survivors feel. My people, from India, are also working through their own healing process due to colonialism. But the difference is, we always outnumbered the colonists. This is why we were able to take back our lands.”
“I think bringing back the language is an important part of that healing. In our family, the older generations speak Cree, but no one in our generation does. We can’t let the residential school system win,” Sam said, in agreement with his cousin.
“We need to speak the language of our souls,” Otter added quietly. Atim nodded.
As the Muskrats were getting ready to leave, Meher took Chickadee aside. “You have great computer skills. You’d make an excellent researcher, Chickadee.”
Chickadee blushed.
Meher gave her a friendly hug. “You’re not very used to getting compliments, are you?”
Chickadee stared at the floor and shrugged.
“That’s okay. You’ll get used to it. Keep doing what you are doing. Ask questions, find answers, push for details. I’d like to see you here at the university one day.”
Chickadee was grateful and slightly embarrassed at the same time. Quietly, she thanked Meher for her words and her help.
After quick good-byes from the boys, the Mighty Muskrats were soon waiting at the bus stop to head back to Auntie Sadie’s.
Chapter 17
Red Tape Tangle
“Well, that’s that. We can go wander around the mall today!” Atim said, as they sat on the fold-out bed in Auntie Sadie’s basement.
“No.” Chickadee frowned. “We have new info we can use. Besides, Harold said we aren’t allowed to go to the mall anymore. We can go to the post-adoption registry and see if we can find out more about Auntie Charlotte.”
“I don’t know.” Atim fell back on the bed and held his head. “Can’t we take a day off?”
“The trail is still fresh, right?” Chickadee looked at Otter.
Slowly, Otter nodded.
“Look, Grandpa gave us this mission. Grandpa!” Chickadee searched the faces of her cousins. “I don’t know, but if we could find his little sister…maybe it would pay him back for all he has given us, right?”
Finally, Sam and Otter nodded enthusiastically.
“Oooohhh, all right!” Atim groaned. “We’ll go to the post-adoption registry.”
The other Muskrats jumped off the bed and started getting ready to go. Atim slowly followed.
ó
“You again!” the security guard at the registry building said with mock indignation as he recognized Chickadee from earlier in the week. “Who are your friends?” The old man stood, walked over to the elevators, and pressed the button for them.
“My cousins,” Chickadee said. “You were so kind the first time, I had to come back.”
“Well, we’re happy to have you. Second floor, again?” The guard stood with his fists on his hips and grinned down at them. “We don’t get too many kids coming to the post-adoption registry.”
“We’re looking for our auntie. She was taken in the Sixties Scoop.” Samuel also waited for the elevator with his fists on his hips.
“Well, I hope you find her.” He looked at Chickadee. “You made it home okay the other day?”
Chickadee squinted and put her head to one side. She stuck out her hand and waggled it back and forth.
“The city takes some time to get used to. I was a farm boy long ago.” He chuckled. “When I first moved here, I remember I could never sleep in the city because of all of the noise. Then, one day, I went back to the farm for a visit. And I couldn’t fall asleep because of the quiet!”
Ding! The elevator doors opened. Atim and Otter stepped in.
“Bye!” Chickadee and Sam said as they joined their cousins.
“What goes up, must come down.” The guard waved as the doors closed.
“Was that weird?” Samuel raised his eyebrow at the others.
Otter held up two fingers close together and whispered, “L’il bit.”
“It was uplifting.” Atim guffawed. He poked Chickadee with his elbow. “Get it? Because we’re in an elevator.”
“Yeah, I got it.” She elbowed Atim back.
The elevator doors opened. They walked in a huddle to the counter and Samuel rang the bell.
Janice popped her head around the wall and then stepped into the public service area when she saw Chickadee.
“Hello, Chickadee. Are these your brothers?” Janice smiled at the boys.
The Muskrats giggled.
“Cousins.” Chickadee grinned. “But they’re like brothers. Most of my boy cousins are.”
“That must be nice.” Janice leaned on to the counter. “How can I help you?”
“We found Auntie Charlotte’s year of birth.” Chickadee’s voice was cautious, knowing it wasn’t a full date of birth. “We were told she was born in the spring of 1951.”
“Well…Mrs. Yenna is here. I have to speak to her about it. Give me a sec.” Janice disappeared.
Mrs. Yenna appeared and studied each of the children in turn.
“Have you found your family-member’s date of birth?” she asked when she recognized Chickadee.
“Well, we have the season and the year.” Chickadee looked hopeful as she handed the lady hard copies of the documents they had found. The woman took the papers and read them. She typed the information into the computer.
Chickadee hated being on the hind end of a computer screen. However, reflected in the lady’s eyeglasses, Chickadee could sort of see the computer screen. She could tell it blinked blank as the computer searched for the data that was put into its system, and then, after a few moments, a long stream of information scrolled out. The lady read, her eyes skipping back and forth across the document. The Muskrats waited quietly.
Finally, Mrs. Yenna huffed. She looked at Chickadee. “I’m sorry, we still do not have enough information to distinguish your relative from others.”
“What?” Chickadee’s voice held a touch of anger. She took a deep breath.
Samuel stepped forward. “My cousin Chickadee has done an amazing job of finding the informat
ion that we have so far, and in a short period of time. What’s stopping you from giving us what you have?”
“There are strong rules around privacy. We need a full date of birth. There are two people in your community who have the same name. We need a full birth date to make sure we’re telling you about the right person.”
“Was the other person born in the same year?” Chickadee probed.
“I can’t tell you that.” Mrs. Yenna shook her head and slipped out of the chair. “Please, come back when you have all the information required.”
Chickadee’s shoulders fell.
“Ma’am, is there any way you can help us?” Atim pleaded.
“I am bound by the rules that govern the registry,” Mrs. Yenna said, as she walked away.
The Muskrats gathered around each other.
“What do we do now?” Chickadee’s face was full of sorrow. “I wanted to find her for Grandpa. Now, we’re stuck…and that lady knows more than she is saying!”
“She does.” Otter looked over his shoulder to make sure that Mrs. Yenna wasn’t standing there. Janice watched the Muskrats with a face full of inner conflict.
“It’ll be okay, cuz. Grandpa will understand.” Atim gave Chickadee a one-armed hug.
Samuel was staring off into the distance as he tried to think of next steps.
They heard a loud sigh. “I can’t….” Janice shook her head. She closed her eyes and covered half her face with a hand. She opened her eyes and it was obvious a decision had been made.
She looked at her watch. “Today I’m eating lunch at the Sub Station down the block at noon. You’ll find it if you turn left out the front doors. Okay?” She looked at the Muskrats seriously.
The Muskrats nodded in unison.
“Have a good day.” She turned on her heel and disappeared from the client services area.
The Muskrats hustled out of the little room. They all shared the feeling of wanting to get some place where they could talk openly. The door to the stairwell was close by. Atim opened it.
“Ho-leh!” Atim smacked his leg as they walked down the stairs. “She was trying to tell us something, right?”
Samuel laughed at his brother. “You’re quick, Sherlock.”
“Her heart was hurting,” Otter said, sincerely.
“She was nice, right from the beginning.” Chickadee’s brow furrowed. “But she’s scared of her boss, right?”
The boys nodded.
“So, what do you want to do?” Sam asked his cousins, already knowing the answer.
The other Muskrats laughed at the question. There was no other choice than the Sub Station.
Chapter 18
An Ally Takes a Risk
The Muskrats waited on the concrete steps of the big office building that held the sandwich shop. Eventually, they saw Janice walking toward them. She waved excitedly once she spotted them.
After quick hellos, Janice pulled a piece of paper from her purse.
“I couldn’t stand by and watch that happen,” Janice said apologetically to the Muskrats. “The information is there, and you have a right to see it. I don’t know, sometimes I feel like we make this harder than it needs to be.”
“Did you quit your job…?” Chickadee stepped toward Janice, worried.
“Well, no.” Janice looked at the ground. “I have bills to pay, I can’t do that, but I can give you this.” She held out the piece of paper.
Chickadee took it and began to read.
“Mrs. Yenna is a by-the-book kind of person.” Janice shrugged as she spoke to Samuel. “That’s probably why she’s good at a place like the adoption archives. She’d fire me if she knew I gave you that.”
“Knowledge is power.” Sam’s brow furrowed. “They’ve got it all locked up.”
“Yes, and that’s what I can’t be a part of. If we really want to create reconciliation with First Nations people, we have to realize that the power is one-sided. And the only way there will be healing is to give some of it back,” Janice said.
“This paper says Auntie Charlotte was sent to Alberta for adoption. She was in the care of an old lady. But then the woman passed away. She was in her late eighties, so probably just old age. But then, that’s it.” Chickadee continued to study the paper.
“I read it myself,” Janice said through tight lips. “She was there, but then she was gone. I looked for more information under that name, but if there is other data, it isn’t in this province.”
Chickadee was disappointed they had hit a dead-end. But Janice’s help made this disappointment easier somehow.
“It’s funny, Mrs. Yenna wouldn’t tell you anything, but that didn’t stop her from talking to me about it. She says it wasn’t uncommon for adopted kids to be passed down to a close relative of the adoptive family. She said, sometimes, the children were even renamed.”
“So, that’s it?” Chickadee frowned.
“Yes, I guess. The trail ends when she left the system.” Janice gave a half smile and a one-shoulder shrug.
“Even if she is still alive, she’s probably thousands of miles away!” Chickadee squeaked.
The young lady from the registrar nodded sadly.
“Grandpa will be happy to know she grew to be an adult,” Samuel said.
“We don’t really know if she did,” Janice cautioned.
“Is it likely?” Samuel raised an eyebrow at her.
Janice thought for a moment and then nodded slowly. “I hope you find her. I hope…you know, the Canada I want is one where we don’t have First Nations families looking for lost loved ones. As a Canadian, I believe that our country will be better off when your communities are better off. I just…want to do my part, you know?”
Otter was closest to her, so he gave Janice a hug.
“Thank you!” Sam said to her. “I guess we might as well get along, right?”
“Listen, I brought this too.” Janice brought out a handful of papers married with a staple. Samuel reached out, so she handed it to him. “These papers, your grandpa can fill them out. That would let the registry know that if your great-aunt wants to reach out to him, he would be open to meeting her.”
Samuel’s eyes went wide. “You mean, if she has a similar request in right now, we could find out her information?”
“Yes!” Janice smiled.
Chickadee clapped her hands. A smile spread from ear to ear.
“I have to go.” The young woman turned to Chickadee and touched her arm. “I hope this gives your grandfather…something.”
“It will!” Chickadee assured her with a smile. She hugged Janice and watched her walk away.
Chapter 19
Muskrat Maelstrom
“Unless we’re going to go to Alberta, we’re at the end of the trail.” Atim’s hand made a cutting motion through the air.
Back at Auntie Sadie’s, the Muskrats had a case meeting in the basement. Samuel studied the papers while his brother sat on the edge of the mattress and played an old video game on an ancient TV. Otter and Chickadee leaned against the back of the couch and watched Atim play.
Chickadee shrugged. “Janice gave us some hope. She gave us these papers. Maybe Auntie Charlotte is looking for us too.”
“Looks like Grandpa would have to sign them. He’d be her ‘if possible, closest biological relative,’ right?” Samuel pointed to a line on the paper.
The sound of Auntie Sadie’s voice snapped them out of their thoughts.
“We’re home!”
Immediately, their younger cousins’ footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs in a tumble. Nitanis took a running leap onto the bed. David moseyed into the room behind her.
“My mom is going to take you guys to the Exhibition Fair tomorrow!” Nitanis’s eyes were bright with excitement.
“We’re still going to day care,” D
avid moped.
Auntie Sadie appeared in the doorway of the rec room, her hands weighed down with grocery bags, she smiled at her niece and nephews.
“Hey guys. So, you can go to the Ex tomorrow. Harold has the morning off. I was going to get him to take you, but I can drop you off and pick you up later. Cool?” A ripple went through her eyebrows when she didn’t get the expected reaction.
The Muskrats looked at each other. Their aunt still didn’t know their money had been taken by Brett and the bullies.
Chickadee glared at the boys.
The boys looked at each other guiltily but didn’t say anything.
“Thanks, Auntie,” Samuel said. “I think we need some time to talk about it.”
“All right.” Auntie Sadie sounded confused. “You guys okay?”
“Doing great, Auntie!” Atim took his hand off the controller long enough to give her a thumbs up.
“Love you, Auntie.” Chickadee waved.
“Ookaaay.” Auntie Sadie’s eyes narrowed as she stepped behind the wall and jogged back up the stairs to get dinner started. David and Nitanis ran after their mother.
“We need to tell her!” Chickadee whispered angrily.
“We could just go and hang around outside the fair. And then be there when she comes to pick us up.” Atim nervously shook his head.
“Do you think Harold would go for that?” Samuel raised an eyebrow.
“Doubt it!” Otter snickered.
“Well, she’s not going to be happy if we tell her we lost all our money!” Atim hissed.
“She’d never let us go out with you watching us again, that’s for sure.” Samuel shook his head at his brother.
“I guess, we haven’t been, you know, too smart,” Otter said with a sigh. “Wovoka’s Wail is playing tonight.”
“Ahh, poop!” Atim covered his face with his hands and then slouched forward. When he stopped rubbing his eyes, he looked at his cousin. “Sorry, Otter.”
The Case of the Missing Auntie Page 8
