Train Dreams

Grainier never shared William Coswell Haley’s story; he only brought the man water and then left. Despite this, Grainier stayed in the area into his twenties, working as a laborer. He was respected because he did not drink or get into trouble. At the age of 31, he fell in love with Gladys Olding. That summer, he took her to the land he purchased on a bluff overlooking the Moyea River. As they walked, he described where he planned to put a garden and a cabin. Eventually, they rested in a meadow, where they kissed, and Grainier asked her to marry him. Gladys said yes.

A few summers later, now in the present, he returns from the Robinson Gorge to a fire ravaging the area. Desperate, he searches for Gladys and their daughter, Kate, among the survivors. There is no news of them. Because the train is not running, he walks 20 miles toward his cabin through the smoky landscape. The ground is covered in ash, and there are no signs of life. He calls out for Gladys and Kate. Eventually, he sees flames only a half mile away. Dropping to his knees, Grainier weeps.

A week and a half later, when the train resumes, Grainier rides to British Columbia, learns nothing, and comes back the same day.