Page 40 of The Trip of a Lifetime

The flat and arid-looking countryside flew past them. Long gone was the sight of mountains and tree-lined winding roads. This landscape was completely different and the roads seemed to go on for ever.

‘Do you know how long it takes on the train from Canora to Churchill?’ Erin asked Blue. ‘I’m imagining quite a few hours as it looks a fair way.’

‘Imagine thirty-six hours,’ he said and Erin gasped.

‘Thirty-six hours?’

‘And it will set you back a pretty penny too,’ Blue continued while overtaking everything on the road in front of him to keep up with Ray.

‘Do you know how much?’

‘I only know because a couple of tourists came in my garage the other day with their hire car. They had a flat and it was quicker for me to do it than wait for the company to come out. They said they’d paid a hundred and thirty dollars for the cheap seats. Although they do recline, apparently, and they did get access to the skyline car. They said the views were great.’

‘Wow,’ I said. ‘So that’s going to be two hundred and sixty dollars for the two of us.’

Erin thought about their free dinner and bed last night and tried to think positively about the fact that what they’d saved would now have to be spent. But then everyone would have to pay it. It wouldn’t just be an expense for Martha and her.

‘You know that’s only one way, right?’ said Blue.

‘Who goes only one way?’ Erin asked, but didn’t need an answer.

‘One of the 900 residents, I guess.’

‘Oh my God, this is going to cost us five hundred and twenty dollars,’ Erin said, feeling a little startled. ‘I guess we could just get a single ticket as we don’t know where we’re going next.’

‘Common sense tells me you’ll be back on the return train unless you’ve packed your magic carpet,’ Blue said with a chuckle.

The money was one of the biggest considerations, though. If they ran out of dollars it would, of course, be the end of their race.

Ray and Blue got them both to Canora two hours before the train was due. Erin hugged Blue as she thanked him, much to his surprise, and then the two men left them in a cloud of dust from the back wheels of their bikes.

‘Well, that was an experience,’ Martha said. ‘How did you get on?’

‘I actually loved it,’ Erin said. ‘I surprised myself and Blue was a real gentleman. Nana, did you know the train will take thirty-six hours to get to Churchill?’

‘Yes, Ray was telling me. And the cost. But we have no choice and everyone will be in the same boat. Well, on the same train anyway. And you have to think that it’s far better value than the gondola.’

They were the only contestants at the railway station. In fact, they were the only people there, full stop, and for a gut-wrenching moment Erin wondered if they had this all wrong. Perhaps it was the wrong station, the wrong time. She looked to Noah for confirmation but he just shrugged.

Then Femi and Liz turned up and piled themselves and all of their bags out of a large truck. The driver tooted before he left with country music blaring from his cab. They’d obviously been lucky with a lift, too. Erin wondered how their finances were holding up, thinking about the expensive taxi they got to Banff.

‘Fancy seeing you both here,’ Femi said with a grin. ‘Any news on the others?’

‘We don’t get any news, do you?’ Martha said pointedly but he shook his head.

Erin wondered why she was being a bit spiky.

‘Nope, none. We didn’t see anyone after we all dispersed in Saskatoon,’ Liz said. ‘Have you bought your tickets yet?’

‘There’s a waiting room but no ticket office,’ said Erin.

‘We’ve arranged that you can buy your tickets before you board,’ Cally said.

‘They want to catch our faces when we find out how much it is,’ Erin whispered to Martha. ‘I’m going to look pleasantly surprised.’

Martha laughed and then they all walked into the waiting room to wait for the train.

It was another hour until Priya and Tara arrived in a rush, both looking at their watches.