The Day the King Came to Town

****

On May 17, 1939, a mother eagerly listened to the radio broadcast of the King and Queen of England's arrival in Canada. "Throngs of well-wishers gathered dockside in Québec City to welcome the King and Queen of England to Canada," the radio announcer reported. "The Royal couple will begin a month-long whistlestop tour of Canada to bolster support for the war effort in Britain for the coming war with Germany."

A map of Canada and a calendar spread out on the floor in front of her. With a red china marker, she drew a bold circle around Québec City and wrote on the calendar for May 17th, 'King & Queen arrive.'

"Imagine, Freddie, the King and Queen will be in Alvahston within a month." Then she drew a circle around Alvahston, her hometown, a small picturesque city on the Thames River in Southwestern Ontario.

****

I

The Day the King Came to Town

On June 7th, Olive Coombes and Freddy walked to the Alvahston train station, where hundreds of others awaited their Majesties' arrival. Olive had meticulously followed the Royal Couple's journey from the moment they landed in Canada, and now the day she had been waiting for was finally here; in less than an hour, the King and Queen would be in Alvahston. "Oh, Freddy! There are a lot of people here, aren't there?" Olive tightened her grip on his hand. "Your father may have been right about our not coming here today," and scooped Freddy up in her arms. "Oh well, we're here now, and it is very exciting."

Olive pushed through the crowd for a better view of the receiving stand. She stood on her tip-toes to see what was going on. She could see Lydia Parrott, the new mayor's wife, wearing a mauve-colored wool crepe dress and matching coat and hat. When asked why she had chosen that color, Lydia confidently replied, "It's the Queen's favorite color."

Freddie was feeling heavier by the minute, Olive's arms ached, but she was afraid to put him down. A roar arose from the crowd at the sound of a distant train whistle, and the mass of people surged forward as one, pulling Olive and Freddy along with them. She stumbled and nearly fell. "Mummy," Freddy cried, tightening his hold around her neck. A man saw the impending danger pushing through the crowd. He grabbed Olive's arm, saving Freddy and her from falling and being trampled.

"Thank you! Thank you!" she said breathlessly, clutching Freddy to her chest while regaining her footing and breath.

He looked down at her. "Mrs. Coombes! What are you doing out here, alone in this mob?"

Olive looked up at her rescuer and gasped when she realized who had saved her from disaster. "Mr. Sutherland!" Arthur Sutherland, her husband's former business associate at the local printing company. Mr. Sutherland scanned the crowd. "Where's Al? Where's your husband?" he demanded to know. "I'm astonished he let you come here alone with all these people about." He looked down at Freddy, who had buried his face in his mother's shoulder, and, nodding toward the child, said, "You should not be out here alone with your boy."

Olive stiffened, and she looked up at the man. "Al had a call to make out in the county, or he would be with us," she explained. Mr. Sutherland arched a skeptical eyebrow and said, "Well, it isn't safe. I'm surprised he would allow you and his son to come out here alone." He took Olive's elbow. "Let's get the two of you out of here."

"No, thank you, Mr. Sutherland. We'll stay until the King and Queen arrive," she said, pulling her arm free from his grasp and wrapping Freddy's legs around her waist. "I appreciate your concern, but we'll be fine, and it is so historic, don't you think?"

"Well, I was only trying to help. Good day Mrs. Coombes," he tipped his hat, "Give Al my regards," and strode off through the crowd.

****