22. Get Her Some Mounties Gear
22
GET HER SOME MOUNTIES GEAR
KYLIE
Feeling as if my eyelids have turned into sandpaper, I exit the Arrivals area of the Calgary airport, scanning the crowd for my grandparents while dragging my suitcase behind me. After my European adventure, you would think that I would have become well practiced at international long-haul flights by now. But that is not the case, and right now, all I want is to take a long, hot shower and fall into bed. I’d timed my flight from Vancouver so I’d be arriving in the evening and I’m so grateful I’d had that foresight now.
“Kylie!” I hear my name being screamed and spot my cousin, Adele, bouncing around next to our grandfather.
“Oh my god! What are you doing here?” I race over and throw my arms around her while Grandpa pats my head.
“I couldn’t miss out on being part of the welcoming committee!” She rocks us from side to side, clinging tightly to me.
“Hey, where’s my hug?” Grandpa demands, and Adele and I pull apart, laughing, so that I can step into his open arms.
It’s been five years since I saw him, the last time he came to Australia with Grandma, and it’s been far too long.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I sob into his shoulder while he hugs me tightly.
“Now love, it’s alright. You’re here now. Let’s get you home for some dinner and bed,” he says gruffly, never one to handle big emotions well.
“Yes please, I am so tired.”
He takes my bag and suitcase while Adele links her arm through mine.
“I am so glad you’re here. And you’re staying!”
Adele and I are very similar in our over the top personalities, something that caused issues when we were kids whenever my family visited, but we’ve struck up a long distance friendship since we’ve grown older and I’m looking forward to spending more time with her. It’s turned out well to have a cousin my age who can help me get my bearings here.
When we walk outside, I yelp when the bitter, icy wind whips me in the face. I gratefully accept the jacket that Adele holds out to me, throwing it on before rushing after Grandpa to the multi-story car park.
When Grandpa drives the car out of the airport and onto the main road, I stare out the window at the snow on the ground.
“It’s only October. Why is it snowing already?” I ask.
Grandpa laughs. “It can snow all year round here.”
“What?” I squeak.
Adele’s laughter joins Grandpas. “Ah, my sweet, Australian summer child. You have no idea what you’ve moved to. This is going to be fun.” She sounds almost gleeful in the face of my misery.
I’m rethinking our friendship.
“You’ll get used to it, Kylie, don’t worry.” Grandpa tries to sound reassuring, but I don’t think I believe him.
Dad had warned me about the weather, but honestly, I’d thought he was exaggerating. Who has even heard of -40 degrees, anyway?
The next morning, I stumble out of bed close to midday, cursing jet lag while I make myself a cup of coffee with Grandpa’s beloved coffee machine. I’m staying in their basement suite while I’m here for the next three months, although now that Grandma has me here, she’s determined to never let me go.
I’m perfectly okay with being doted over for a while.
“So, what are your plans now that you’re here?” Grandma asks when I join her on the couch in their living room upstairs.
It’s toasty warm, and I had almost forgotten about the weather outside until Grandpa comes stomping in from scrapping the snow off the driveway, a blast of cold air following behind him. They definitely make houses with better insulation here. If it was like this outside in Brisbane, my parents’ house would be filled with ice right now.
“I’m going to keep doing Will’s admin for a while, but I’ll probably look at getting a job here. Just need to work out what I want to do.”
“Well, your Aunt Sheryl said to call her if you want to consider working for her,” Grandpa says, leaning down to undo the laces on his boots.
“At the travel agency?” My aunt and her husband run a company together, and Adele works with them while she’s studying, along with her brother Jordan.
“It’s not a travel agency, it’s a tour company. She thought with your sunny personality, you might enjoy that more than some stuffy office job.”
I consider Grandpa’s words for a moment. It does sound far more interesting than admin work for Will. Maybe I could do both? It would be nice to save some money while I’m here, and it’s not like I’m going to have a busy social life, at least to start with .
“I’ll speak to her about it tonight at dinner. It sounds like it could be fun.”
“I also think I need to take you shopping for winter clothes,” Grandma says.
I nod. “Yes, please, I have nothing that is even remotely warm enough.”
“I assumed as much. Your father did not prepare you at all.” She tuts and I cover my smirk with my hand.
Dad isn’t even here, and she’s still giving him a hard time.
“Make sure you get her some Mounties gear while you’re at it,” Grandpa says, and I raise an eyebrow.
“That’s the hockey team, right?” I ask.
He looks disgusted. “That you have to even ask that makes me very sad. I don’t know where I went wrong with that son of mine.”
“Aw, poor Dad. It’s okay Grandpa, even though he doesn’t care about hockey, he still has his Canadian accent.”
I have always found it hilarious that my father avoids hockey so much, while the rest of our family are rabid fans. Grandpa has his radio constantly set to the sport channel, with hockey commentators droning on all day. And my dear, sweet Grandma has been known to scream curses at the TV when something happens she doesn’t agree with. I’m not sure about my aunt, but given Adele is also a fan, I’d say she’s just as into it as the others.
But Dad refused to take us to any games whenever we ventured back, claiming it gave him PTSD. I may get my dramatic nature from him…
So I get the sense that I won’t get much of a choice now that I’m here alone.
Grandpa glowers. “Well, we’ll get at least one of you kids to realise that hockey is in your blood.”
Case in point.
“Will and I have watched a few games because of our friend Chris, so I kind of know some rules. It might be fun to go to a game sometime. ”
“We have season tickets. You will go to many games.” His tone is final.
It’s a good reminder of just how seriously this family takes the game.
Grandma takes me out a few hours later and I buy a whole new winter wardrobe, complete with super cute boots.
“We can get you some Mounties gear when we go to a game. It will add to the experience if you buy it at the stadium. So let’s get you a regular toque while we’re here, and then you can get one there,” she says, nodding towards the table next to her.
“I don’t know that I’ll ever stop calling it a beanie,” I say to Grandma while I sift through the pile of headwear at the big department store we’ve wandered into.
“We’ll make a Canadian out of you yet, my child.”
“How about a fancy hybrid version?” I ask, grinning.
She smiles at me. “That sounds perfect.”
I’ve seen a few people out and about in sports jerseys, and when I spy another grandmother with her tiny granddaughter, both decked out in black and red, I turn to Grandma.
“Is there a game today? Is that why everyone is all dressed in their jerseys?”
“Yes. They’re playing in Edmonton tonight, so it’s the Battle of Alberta. We take it seriously here.”
It blows my mind just how into hockey everyone is. None of my friends or family back home are massive sports fans, so this is all new ground for me. But it seems like it could be fun to get swept up in the city’s love for the game.
“When is the next game here?” I settle on a cute red ‘toque’ with a bobble on top and follow Grandma to the register.
“The next home game is on Saturday night. We’ve bought tickets for you, Adele, and Adele’s boyfriend, Ben, who’s in town from Vancouver. We got a fourth ticket too, because Adele wants to bring another friend. Your seats are near ours. We wanted your first game to be memorable, so you’re right beside the Mounties bench. You might even get to be on camera.”
I don’t know much about hockey, but I know that’s impressive.