Two Letters

By eight o'clock on Saturday morning, there were six copies of the Edmonton Courier on the counter of the Blue Plate, and the whole class was sitting in a row on the red stools, even Frank, even Sasha, who had driven back from Fort McMurray during the night and still had his trucker's cap on.

Page eleven. At the top, in large letters: THE RIVERBEND DEBATE: TWO VIEWS. Under the title, two articles side by side, each with a small photo of the writer.

On the left, a woman in a dark blazer with perfect hair: Diane Marsh, Vice-President, Northline Homes.

On the right, a woman in a work apron, holding a mop like a flag, smiling with half her mouth: Dolores Ferreira, caretaker, Riverbend Community Centre, since 1994.

Marco nearly dropped the coffee pot.

"Dolores?" said Grace. "Dolores wrote it?"

"She didn't tell anyone," said Lina.

"Of course she didn't," said Frank, and he was smiling more widely than anyone had seen him smile since September.