The Man With The Suitcase (Excerpt)

End of an Era - Hirath Mines Shut Doors For The Last Time

By: Robert Lindsday

It’s a sad day for the residents of Hirath as the mines close their doors after nearly 60 years in operation. The Hirath Zinc Mines which were owned by Spanish conglomerate Xelton, are the last of three major industries to close their doors, leaving locals scratching their heads and pondering the question, where do we go from here?

Chris Stalk, the manager of the mines says he has no other choice but to seek work elsewhere as the decision to shut down the mines has left him with no other alternative.

“It’s hard, but I’ll have to go out west. I want to stay here and be close to my family, but unfortunately this is all I can do. I need to go where there’s demand and it’s really heartbreaking for me, as it is for many of us. It all kind of feels like a great lie. We were sold a future that no longer exists, and if nothing replaces it, we’ll have no way of keeping the younger generations here.”

Since 1950, the Hirath Zinc Mines have employed close to 10,000 people, and towards the end still employed over 600.

A local resident, Janey Dupoint, says that the local government has been extremely quiet since the closure, and that she fears there’s no plan in place.

“There’s a ripple effect that happens when major industries close. Restaurants close, clothing stores, industrial washers that cleaned their clothes. Even arcades, and the bowling alley will close if no one has any money. Once they close they don’t reopen, because no young entrepreneur is going to come to a town like this and think this is the place to start something new. Everything crumples, and dies. People say that money doesn’t buy happiness, well no money certainly buys depression and desperation.”

The office of Mayor Walter Cantwell issued a press release stating that it is indeed a sad day, but that the residents of Hirath have always persevered and this time will be no different.

The unemployment rate is currently sitting at 24 percent, and residents fear that it’s only going to spike from there.

Retired sheriff, Andrew Giggins fears that this might raise the crime rate, something similar to 1985 when the paper mill shut down.

“Look at different countries in Europe where people are comfortable. There’s no crime. It was scary back here when the mill closed. I pray that something similar doesn’t happen. Though I don’t have my hopes up.”

Changes in federal regulations have also ended unemployment for seasonal workers early. This is a tough time for the residents of Hirath.

Chapter 1 - Deborah Lansing

Along a thin shoulder of highway, a man walked with a steady pace that declared he was in no rush. He had nothing but time. Cars and transports drove by him on either side, some of the vehicles filled with faces of quaint interest and curiosity, others of anger. One trucker blared his horn and yelled out the window, “You’re gonna get yourself killed, pal. Are you crazy?” And the man just tipped his hat to the trucker and smiled before the transport was lost along a rattlesnake curve.

In a black Honda Civic, Deborah Lansing drives with two crying kids in the backseat. “Hey, Hey! Do you need a snack, baby? Here, I have some goldfish.” She dug through a bag on the floor of the passenger side, while trying to control the car with her left hand.

Deborah grabbed the goldfish in a purple princess dish, and handed it back to Lilly, who grabbed the snack, before sticking her tongue out at her brother.

“MOM! Lilly is making faces at me. Where’s my snack? Where’s my snack?”

“You already had yours earlier, baby. You each had one snack. I told you that earlier.”

Dylan responded by kicking the back of the driver’s seat repeatedly.

“HEY!” Deborah yelled, “Do you want to kill us, eh? I’ll crash this car if you don’t stop kicking the backseat!”

At the shrill sound of the word “Kill” Lilly broke into tears in the backseat, spilling her goldfish in front of her, adding insult to injury.

Deborah began pulling at her hair, and then crying. “Christ, Bill. Why did you have to do this to me? To us? Jesus, you were better at calming these animals down. I can’t do it. Jesus, I can’t do this.” Deborah pulled over the car, and placed her head on the steering wheel, letting the tears flow like she hadn’t since Bill died.

“Mommy?” Lilly asked. “Mommy, what’s wrong?”

“Yeah, mom. What’s wrong?” Dylan added.

“Nothing, kids. Nothing. Mommy is just tired and her head hurts. I just wish you two would stop fighting. We’re almost there. Okay? We’re almost there.”

Deborah took deep breaths, beginning to calm herself when a knock on the passenger side window knocked her out of her trance, and gave her a quick scream as her head hit the driver’s side window. The man waved with a dignified smile. He looked like something out of a 1920’s silent picture.

Deborah was frightened, because she felt like this was one of those scenes she saw in scary movies. Like that one she watched as a kid with Rutger Hauer and Ponyboy from The Outsiders. She was alone on a gravel shoulder, with two small kids in the back, and light enough traffic, that she knew nobody would stop to intervene before her and her kids were both dead.

But his smile. The innocent look in his face was hypnotizing, and before she knew it, she was rolling down the window.

“Hello, maam.” He said and tipped his hat.

“Hi,” she answered unsure, looking back at the kids who were staring at the man in deep fascination.

“I don’t mean to trouble you, but I was wondering if you were heading to Hirath?”

She was, but it was still another 50km away, and this man was going to ask to climb into the front seat with her, with both of her kids in the back. She could hear Billy’s voice, telling her not to do it. To just drive off, and leave him there. If he was a good guy, someone would come along before too long, and if he wasn’t, then hopefully some drunk swiped em.

As if he was reading her mind, the man said.

“I know this is strange. You have every right to not trust me. The way the world is these days. It’s certainly not like it used to be.”

“No. No, it isn’t.”

“The truth is, is that I have some very important business in Hirath, you see?”

“Business in Hirath?” Deborah asked. “Didn’t know there was any business left.”

He chuckled at this, and she thought he was gorgeous. Oh sweet vanity, she thought. If the man was 500 pounds, wearing a skin tight Star Wars shirt, sporting a neck beard, saying the exact same thing, she would have left him in the dust. No doubt about it.

But this man had a walk of talking, and she was lonely. Lonelier than hell. But that was how Ted Bundy operated too, wasn’t it? The fact that he was handsome and well spoken. People counted on vanity to get them to where they were going, no matter how gruesome. Was this man playing the part?

Maybe.

But she didn’t think so. Deborah opened the door, and the man climbed inside, placing his suitcase gently on his lap. He turned around and said hi to the children, and thanked Deborah for putting her trust in him.

She pulled off the shoulder and hit the highway towards Hirath, with a strange man as a companion.

“So, what kind of business do you have in Hirath?” Deborah asked.

The kids were now silent, taking turns staring at the man and then staring at each other. Both uncontrollable animals when it was just Deborah, but around others, they were as shy as a battered animal.

“Well, I hear that you’ve come into some difficult times.”

“You can say that again.”

“Well, I’m something of an angel investor. I aim to get some capital running through your fine town again.”

“Sorry to tell you, Mr, but investing in Hirath now, is like throwing your money down the drain.”

He laughed at this. A big hearty laugh that made both kids jump. And that made Deborah laugh.

“If this town is in such disrepair that it’s better off dying, then might I ask, why you and your children are heading there?”

“Maybe, I’m just heading past it.” She smirked.

“Ah, well mayhap, you are.”

Mayhap? She thought. Who is this guy?

“But I have a feeling that you’re heading there.” He added. “A good feeling, indeed.”

He’s so odd. So different than the people around here.

“Fine, you got me. I’m heading there.”

“And might I ask again, why?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. It’s a bit of a long story, I suppose.” She said,

“Well, I figure we have some time. If you want to tell it, I’d like to hear it.”

“Uh, sure.” She answered, feeling her body heating up. She didn’t want to feel this way, but a man hadn’t taken any interest in her since Billy, and even the last few years with him were far from a fairy tale. She felt bad speaking ill of her departed husband and the father of her children, but he was no prince. Far from it.

“I’m from Hirath. Uh, Born and raised and when I was 18 years old, I ran away with my boyfriend, Billy. He was a dreamer, knew how to talk, ya know? My parents used to say that Billy could convince me to jump off the Jerusalem Bridge, if he had a mind to do so. She used to say I couldn’t think for myself, and looking back, I guess she was partly right anyway.”

“Ah, young love. My love is like a red, red rose. That’s newly sprung in June.” The man said.

“My love is like the melody, that’s sweetly played in tune.”

“Ah you know your Robert Burns.”

“I’m an art major. I know, one of those liberal degrees, that gets you nowhere.”

“I believe the opposite is true. Art is not nothing and nowhere, but everything and everywhere. You chose right, and though it might not seem like it, you get to look at the world much differently than your peers. And my apologies, please continue.”

“Oh, well. The sparknotes version is that there’s a fantasy to being young and not having a plan. But the world does have a plan, you see? And their plan involves steady paychecks, solid credit. The world of numbers involves leading a life based around the percentages that financial institutions can loan you money, which you can repay with interest. You know what I mean? This world isn’t the world for an artist and after Billy’s first failed novel, and two failed art shows. He realized the truth, and uh, well,” she looked back at the kids, who were now obediently staring out the window, and she whispered, “he killed himself for it. And now I’m going home. To be closer to my folks, and to help lessen the weight, you know?”

“Well that is indeed a sad story. And I feel terribly sorry for you and your kids. That is a situation that no young mother should ever have to be put into. But you seem like a fighter. What do you plan to do career wise when you get home?”

“I uh, don’t know. Well here’s my card. Come see me, if you’re looking for work. I’ll be in town for a while, and I could use an assistant.”

She grabbed the card, and it was blank except for an address. 427 Fairview, Suite 4.

“Uh, okay. Sure.” He smiled, and said,

“If it isn’t rude, I’d like to close my eyes for a few minutes before we arrive. I had quite the long day.”

“Oh yeah, no problem,” She said.

And as Deborah, her two kids and the kind stranger rolled into Hirath, she felt for the first time since Billy’s death, a hint of a smile beginning to appear on her face.