To my mother Barbara and my father Willis Laronde First and foremost
Chapter One The last thing Misko wanted was to move away from the city But her dreams those strange visions were rooted here and kept tugging at her to come home Now that she was standing at Kokum’s door she wasn’t sure she had made the right decision But there was no turning back She remembered the door was never locked so she gently pushed it open and pulled her bags inside Kokum she whispered Kokum she repeated a bit louder An elderly woman shuffled toward her Kokum It’s me Miskobimizh she said peering into her grandmother’s face Kokum hadn’t looked this old six years ago Her cheeks still pushed up against her eyes when she smiled She did seem a bit shorter though or maybe it was because 1
2 Sandra Laronde Misko was now 12 and had grown so much The woman reached out her wrinkled hands first placing them on Misko’s shoulders and then gently touching her cheek It was the same cheek that still seemed to sting from the months-old slap After it had happened Misko was surprised there was no red hand imprinted on her face Right now in front of her grandmother she instinctively sucked in the air between her teeth She had developed this strange habit since the slap her breath getting caught in her throat whenever she thought of that troubling time or anything stressful for that matter Here you are Little Chickadee you’re such a big girl now her grandmother murmured And Misko relaxed a little recognizing her childhood nickname and Kokum’s soft voice A pot was on the stove with a stew waiting to be heated She saw two bowls and a loaf of bread on the counter Thank you Kokum I didn’t feel like eating on the bus Misko liked that she was now old enough to take this trip alone but the night of the slap was still very much in her memory She was feeling a little nervous but had said nothing to Auntie Madeleine Of course I’m sure Misko had said I’m not a baby Definitely not a baby anymore Auntie Madeleine had sighed Still baby or not Auntie Madeleine arranged for the bus driver to watch over Misko and to make sure that she sat
She Holds Up the Stars 3 close to him up front on the bus He was the same bus driver who used to drive a young Madeleine between Winnipeg and Caribou Lake for holidays for many years Starting to feel hungry now Misko turned on the burner and stirred Every time she turned around her grand mother was watching her We usually make this stew with moose meat but we got none right now said Kokum Misko filled the bowls and carried them to the table Maddy still like to cook asked Kokum as they sat down at the table Yes but she doesn’t let me help Misko sighed She said she can do it faster if she does it herself Kokum huffed Always bossy that one Auntie Madeleine had said nothing to Kokum about starting a new job with longer hours The kitchen looked like something staged for a catalog not a place where you prepared food Likewise Misko said nothing about how Auntie had cut her own long hair short gotten a whole new wardrobe of silk blouses and stylish pantsuits or started coming home long past suppertime They began ordering a lot of takeout back in Winnipeg which was exciting at first but Misko missed homemade meals On the weekends when her aunt would sometimes use the kitchen she would shoo Misko away whenever she asked to help Kokum looked directly into her eyes And how about you dear Are you still a fast runner
