Chapter 268 – Regional Science Fair
Frank and Wynn were waiting when Becky and Abigail came out of the auditorium.
"I know a nice little place close by." Wynn said. "Shall we get some lunch? Dee will rejoin us when he can, he needs to take care of some business."
"That sounds wonderful." Abigail said. "Becky needs to be back at her spot at one thirty when the judges start going around."
"Plenty of time." Wynn said. "The cafe is only a couple of blocks over."
Frank and Abigail took one car, while Wynn and Elizabeth Rose took Becky and Cody in the other. Wynn took them to a little cafe/pub that served wonderful Irish food. He didn't do it a lot but loved it from time to time, he especially liked to stop at the little place in Union City because he treated him and Elizabeth Rose like family. They walked in and were immediately greeted by a middle aged woman.
"You didn't tell me you were in town?" She said.
"We are just passing through, Bridget." Wynn said. "We have been in Hope Valley for the last month or so for work and are headed back to Hamilton. Our friend's daughter is here for the science fair at the prep school."
"Welcome." Bridget said.
"Bridget." Wynn said. "Pastor Frank Hogan. His wife, Abigail and their children, Becky and Cody. And you remember my wife, Elizabeth."
Bridget greeted each person and gave Elizabeth Rose a hug as well.
"Nice to meet you." Bridget said. "Let me show you to a table."
Bridget took them to a large table.
"Waters to start?" Bridget asked.
"I will take a coffee please, if possible." Frank said.
"Me too." Wynn said.
"I will take some ginger tea if you have it." Elizabeth Rose said.
"Water is fine for the rest of us." Abigail said.
"I will have those up in a bit." Bridget said. "The lunch special is Irish stew and soda bread."
Bridget walked away and Wynn looked at his wife.
"Are you still feeling off?" Wynn asked.
"I was fine." Elizabeth Rose said. "Then I smelled the mutton and suddenly I didn't feel good."
Frank and Abigail exchanged a look, but didn't say anything. Abigail then looked at Elizabeth Rose and wondered if it was possible. She had overheard Patty and Elizabeth Rose speaking. If it was true, it gave Abigail hope to maybe give Frank his own child. He said it didn't matter, but she realized otherwise. She knew that he would never say anything because he didn't want to upset her.
They group talked about what they wanted. Elizabeth Rose decided on shepherd's pie and soda bread, while everyone else thought that the Irish stew sounded great. Abigail also ordered a cream soda for each of the kids to have with their meal since it was something special. They had a nice lunch and Abigail asked how things had gone that morning with school work. Frank and Abigail sat close and held hands under the table. It was a nice time and since they weren't worried about time, they sat and were able to relax a bit.
After they had eaten, they headed back to the prep school. They were able to sit in the auditorium and talk until it was time for Becky to go to her spot. Frank went and spoke to one of the organizers and was able to get a chair put at Becky's station when he explained that she has only been out of a wheelchair for a few weeks after being sick in the hospital for months. Just before one thirty, Frank walked Becky to her spot and told her that she would do great. Wynn and Elizabeth Rose walked around with Cody to look at the other projects. Elizabeth saw a few that were well done and asked the child some questions. As they walked through all of the projects, she didn't see one as advanced as Becky's. Once they had seen all the projects, they went and sat down to wait.
Frank and Abigail walked around. They were walking hand in hand and thought they figured out at least one of the judges, so they stuck close to him. They were only a few feet away when the man they thought was one of the judges stopped and looked at Becky's projects.
"And you did this by yourself?" The judge asked.
"My dad and one of the Mounties in town helped to cut the wood." Becky said. "But otherwise I did all the work."
"Where did you get the wood?" The judge asked.
"I live in Hope Valley." Becky said. "We have a sawmill in town. I went to the owner and asked for some scrap wood and off cuts. He was more than willing to give it to me when I explained it was for my science project. He even gave me the extra pieces of wire he had so I could use those instead of string for the suspension wires."
"And you did those math calculations by yourself?" He asked.
"Yes, I did." Becky said. "I can show you, if you want. I can take these calculations and convert them to a life size bridge of anything between a quarter mile to two miles."
"Show me." The man said. "I want a bridge one point two miles long."
Becky picked up her notebook that she had there, and did the math as the man stood over her shoulder and watched her do it on a blank piece of paper. He was impressed.
"Where did you learn that?" The man asked, when Becky was finished.
"I have always been good at numbers." Becky said. "But my biological father, who was killed a few years ago, was an engineer and I used to sit with him and his friends when they talked about buildings. I was going over blueprints when I was five."
The man nodded. He had other questions, but he suddenly didn't want to ask them. He just made some notes and moved on. Frank and Abigail moved along as well. Becky ended up having to stand up for herself with the other two judges as well. Frank and Abigail went to sit with the others after they judged all of the competitors.
"There are some good projects." Frank said. "But Becky's by far the most advanced. She did well standing up for herself and defending her project."
"I thought the same thing." Elizabeth Rose said.
"Can I have everyone's attention?" A man called.
The crowd quieted down and turned toward the stage, most were a bit startled at the microphone.
"I am Mr Landis." He said. "I want to welcome you all to my school. The children have all done a great job to represent their respective schools. Each of these young people won the competition at their school to be here, so can we give them all a big hand for what they have accomplished."
Once the applause started to die down, Mr Landis stepped back to the microphone.
"The judges have made their decision." Mr Landis said. "We will announce the third place, then second and finally the overall winner in first place. After each one is called, if I could have the competitor and his or her parents please come up to the stage to receive their award and have their picture taken."
The head judge handed Mr Landis an envelope. He announced the third place. The boy from Buxton had done the life cycle of frogs. Second place was a boy from the other school in Union City and he had done a project on the rain cycle.
"Now." Mr Landis said. "With a score of ninety-five of one hundred points, please welcome the winner of the fifth annual Lower Kananaskis County Science Fair – Rebecca Hastings Hogan of Hope Valley."
Mr Landis made a face, but quickly schooled his features, but not before Wynn, Elizabeth Rose, Frank and Abigail saw as they were close to the stage. Frank and Abigail each put a smile on their face and meet Becky at the stairs to go up on the stage.
"Congratulations." Frank whispered.
"The winner will get a three hundred dollar scholarship to the university of their choice." Mr Landis said. "Congratulations."
Mr Landis put a fake smile on his face as he handed the blue ribbon and scholarship check to Becky. She was smiling brightly as the reporter took photographs.
"Thank you to everyone." Mr Landis said. "Have a good day."
He then walked off the stage and didn't look back. He was upset his student didn't win and they were shown up by one of two girls there.
The reporter came over as Becky, Frank and Abigail came down.
"Can I get a picture of you with your family with your project?" The reporter asked.
"Can my brother, aunt and uncle join us?" Becky asked.
"Absolutely." The report said. "They should all be so proud of you."
Becky waved Cody, Wynn and Elizabeth Rose over. They joined her at her project.
"I want a picture of all of us with my project." Becky said.
"Of course." Wynn said.
They crowded around, with Becky holding her bridge in the center. The reporter took three photos.
"Can I get all of your names for the article?"
"Pastor Frank Hogan."
"Mayor Abigail Stanton-Hogan of Hope Valley."
"This is our son." Frank said. "Cody Hastings Hogan. Then as Becky said. Her aunt and uncle."
The report turned and looked at Wynn and Elizabeth Rose.
"Wynn Delaney and Elizabeth Rose Delaney." Wynn said.
The reporter stopped and looked at Wynn.
"Deputy Commissioner Delaney?" He asked. "You are this child's uncle?"
"Yes." Wynn said. "Do you have a problem?"
"No, Sir." The reporter said. "I just wanted to make sure I had it right."
"Good." Wynn said. "You may use my title if you want. But this should be about Becky and her win."
"Yes, Sir." The reporter said.
He then turned to Becky.
"Congratulations, young lady." The reporter said. "I have covered this event every year and you have received the highest score that I can remember."
"Thank you." Becky said.
"Can I ask where you would like to go to school in the fall?" The reporter asked.
"My first choice would be McMaster University in Hamilton." Becky said. "If not there, then the University of Toronto."
"Very well." The reporter said. "Very good schools."
"Can I ask that you send me a copy of the pictures and the article?" Wynn asked.
"Sure." The reporter said. "Where should I send it?"
"Headquarters in Hamilton, Ontario." Wynn said.
"I will send you a copy of the pictures as well as a copy of the paper." The reports said. "This is scheduled to be in the Monday paper."
"Thank you." Wynn said. "Can you see that a copy gets sent to Hope Valley as well."
"Yes, Sir." The reporter said.
"Thank you." Wynn said. "We will let you go."
"Yes, Sir." The reporter said. "Thank you and congratulations again."
The reporter walked away. Becky and Frank packed up her bridge and got ready to leave, but were stopped by several other people to offer congratulations. Most of them were young girls there to see their brothers compete. Becky had the biggest smile on her face.
Then they got outside, Abigail pulled Becky into a hug.
"I am so proud of you." Abigail said. "You did wonderful and you are going to do great things."
"Thank you." Becky said. "I don't think that the boys liked that I beat them. The only other girl there was from the all girls school."
"You did wonderful." Frank said. "It shouldn't matter that you are a girl. You did the project and did the work. You deserve to win. You had the best project today. I know that some people will not be happy that you won, but that is their problem. You can do anything you want."
"Thank you, Dad." Becky said.
Frank was still emotional when Becky called him dad. He pulled her into a side hug, before taking the crate and putting it in the car.
"What is the plan?" Wynn asked.
"I want to go lay down for a bit." Elizabeth Rose said.
"I wanted to do some shopping." Abigail said. "There are a few things I need."
"Can I come with you?" Becky said. "I know. I don't have my chair, but I am feeling pretty good."
"I will take you two shopping?" Frank said. "If I have to, I can always take Becky back to the hotel."
"Cody?" Wynn said.
"Can I come with you?" He asked.
"Okay." Wynn said. "I need to go to headquarters for a bit and then I am going to go sit in the park and enjoy the lovely day."
"You listen to Wynn." Frank said. "Wynn, we will call when we get back. Then we can make a plan for supper."
"Sounds good." Wynn said. "I am going to drop Elizabeth Rose off at the hotel first."
"Elizabeth." Abigail said. "Do you want me to call you when we get back?"
"Thank you." Elizabeth Rose said.
The group broke up. Wynn, Elizabeth Rose and Cody went to their car and headed to the hotel. Frank, Abigail and Becky headed to the other car and headed downtown to do some shopping.