T'on Ma

by Magnolia Belle

  "I guess he's going with us," Nathan remarked. "He doesn't have to. I could bring the horse back later."

  "You could," Joshua agreed. "But I think we've done enough damage here for one day. I don't want to make them angrier." He scowled at his daughter with these words. She meekly hung her head, knowing she would hear more about her behavior later.

  In order to minimize her father's anger, she kept as far from Two Hawks as she could during the trek home. But Joshua couldn't stop them from watching each other with hungry eyes.

  Once at home, May invited the young brave in for food. He had never been inside a house before and entered with some trepidation. The chairs looked odd and he watched how Jake sat in one. That looked uncomfortable. But then, everything looked uncomfortable in the house. Seeing the Delft china, Two Hawks walked to the hutch to examine the glassware closely. He had never seen anything like it before and thought the porcelain was quite beautiful, though he was afraid to touch it.

  Nathan pointed to a chair for Two Hawks to sit on, which he did, reluctantly. May put a plate of cold venison and cornbread in front of him, with molasses in a bowl. Lana set a cup of hot coffee beside him and then sat across the table. Jake kept everyone's ears full while he recounted the stickball game, play for play. Joshua sat at the head of the table and drank coffee while Two Hawks ate his meal.

  When Jake's chatter finally died down, Nathan turned to Lana. "What happened out there?"

  "Like I told Pa, I don't know. She just pointed real close to my eyes. Like this." Lana demonstrated. "And, when I brushed her hand away, we started fighting."

  Seeing Lana gesture to her eyes, Two Hawks knew that they were talking about the fight. He stood and walked around the table to her. He lifted her chin with his hand and pointed to her eyes, just like Corn Flower had done.

  "Blue," he said. "You have blue eyes."

  The family didn't understand, so he pointed out the door to the sky and then back to her eyes. Looking around the room, he walked over to the hutch and carefully picked up one of the teacups. He carried it back to Lana, pointed to one of its blue flowers and then to her eyes.

  "Oh. I see," May exclaimed. "They've never seen blue eyes before."

  "Then why was she so mad?" Lana asked, confused. She looked up at Two Hawks and pointed to herself and then toward his camp. Then she played like she was fighting. "Why?"

  He could see the question in her eyes and hoped he understood what she was asking. Cautiously looking at her father, not wanting to anger him again, he began to explain. Pointing to himself and then Lana he said, "Kiss." Then, he pointed toward his camp and made the face of someone getting angry, shaking his head 'no'.

  Nathan laughed out loud.

  "What's so funny?" Lana asked.

  "That girl you were fighting with must have heard that Centas Yi likes you. She's jealous."

  At this revelation, Lana went beet red and covered her face with her hands. She had no idea she had been fighting over a man.

  "That should be enough to convince you, girl," Joshua said gruffly. "Leave him alone!"

  She hung her head in a sign of docility. But, with Two Hawks still standing close to her, she secretly touched the back of her hand to his leg, leaving it there until he finally, reluctantly, moved.

  Shortly after this, Nathan and Joshua escorted Two Hawks out the door, not giving him any time alone with Lana. He turned to look over his shoulder once, but she didn't see him. Gesturing goodbye to the two men, he jumped on his horse and went back home.

  * * *

  Two Hawks arrived to find his father waiting to talk with him.

  "Why did you go with them?" Many Deer asked. "I told you to leave them alone."

  "They couldn't carry those hides all the way back. So, I took my horse."

  "You didn't have to go with them. It didn't have to be your horse."

  Two Hawks listened to his father without saying anything. He didn't want to get into another disagreement.

  "I suppose you haven't seen Corn Flower yet," his father continued.

  "No. Why?"

  "Water Woman gave her a black eye in their fight. The whole village is talking about that." He scowled at his son. "This is not good."

  "A black eye? Really?" Two Hawks tried to remain expressionless, but he thought proudly to himself, That's my girl.

  The next time Two Hawks saw Corn Flower, she gave him a look that would have dropped a charging buffalo. He saw it, but didn't care. It would be better if he chose Corn Flower, or any other Kiowa woman, for his wife. But he couldn't get Lana out of his mind or his heart.

  * * *

  Sundays were days of rest for the Coopers. After breakfast, Joshua read scripture from the family Bible and then said a prayer. After that, everyone was left to their own devices. Sundays provided Lana with the rare opportunity to indulge in her favorite pastime - reading. They only had four books and she had read each several times, but it didn't matter. She loved those books.

  One Sunday afternoon, she announced that she wanted to read outside and would be back in time for supper. Picking up her worn copy of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare," her ever-present rifle, and a blanket, she headed for her favorite place. Half a mile from the house stood a small copse of cottonwoods and cedars on a small rise overlooking the river. Even on the hottest days, a breeze blew from the river, making it one of the cooler places on the homestead. She considered this to be 'her spot'.

  Lana spread her blanket close to the trunk of the largest tree and soon had her back propped against it, her book opened on her knees. She was soon magically transported to Denmark where she dashed up castle stairs with Prince Hamlet, looking for ghosts.

  * * *

  Two Hawks rode with four friends, presumably to hunt, but in the heat, all the game hid in shady places. Now, the men simply meandered across the plains, talking about the young women in camp and who liked whom.

  "You like her?" Two Hawks shook his head. "She's crazy."

  "So? I like them crazy," Black Stag defended his choice. "She's better than Red Sky."

  "Hey! I like Red Sky," Tall Lodge argued.

  "Why? She's so shy, she never says anything," Black Stag made a face.

  "It's better than yours. Talk. Talk. Talk," Tall Lodge made the universal gesture with his hand for talking.

  "Of course, we all know who Two Hawks wants. Corn Flower," Big Hand laughed and looked sideways at his friend. They all wondered at Two Hawks' silence on the matter.

  "Look!" Howling Dog exclaimed, nodding his head over his shoulder. All the young men turned to see Lana across the river, totally engrossed in her book, unaware of her visitors.

  On reflex, all but Two Hawks jumped off their horses, pulled their weapons, and searched the area for Lana's people.

  "Get down!" Tall Lodge hissed up to Two Hawks. "She's got a gun."

  Ignoring his worried friends, Two Hawks prodded his horse closer to the river. Hearing the horse splash through the water, Lana finally looked up. When she saw Two Hawks, she closed the book and stood up, taking a few steps toward him.

  The Kiowa braves watched in consternation. What was Two Hawks doing? And why wasn't the white woman screaming and trying to shoot them?

  When Two Hawks crossed the river, he dismounted and climbed the small rise. To their surprised amazement, she stepped into his outstretched arms and reached up for his kiss.

  "Hmmm. I guess he doesn't want Corn Flower," Big Hand corrected himself.

  With his arm around Lana's shoulders, Two Hawks waved to his friends to go on without him. Tall Lodge raised his hand once in acknowledgment. They mounted their horses and rode toward the village, full of curiosity at what they had just seen.

  "Is that the one with blue eyes?" Black Stag asked.

  "They say she's bewitched him," Tall Lodge frowned.

  "I wish a pretty girl would bewitch me like that," Big Hand sighed jealously.

  * * *

  "Hello, Centas Yi," Lana stood in his embrace
and smiled into his handsome brown eyes. Then she glanced over her shoulder toward the house, but it was too far away. No one would see them.

  "T'on Ma." He kissed her once more and then let her lead him to the blanket. Lana sat down and picked up the book. When he got settled beside her, he reached for the book and turned the pages, wondering what the strange marks meant.

  Gesturing his question, he held the book out to her for explanation. Lana studied his face, trying to figure out how to explain reading and writing to someone who didn't speak English. Finally hitting upon an idea, she picked up a stick and brushed clean an area of dirt. She slowly wrote in big letters "T'on Ma" and pronounced the letters as she wrote them.

  Next, she wrote his name, pronouncing the letters. When Lana looked into his eyes, she saw understanding there. He pointed to his name written in the dirt and then to his chest.

  "Yes." Lana took his hand and traced the 'Y' and 'I'. "Yi," she held up two fingers. "Two." She repeated the process for 'hawks'.

  Two Hawks took the stick from her hand and traced his signature in the dirt: a man's head with two bird figures overhead. "Centas Yi," he nodded. "Two Hawks," he spoke haltingly.

  Their English/Kiowa lessons began that day under that stand of cottonwood trees. When they could, the young couple surreptitiously met on Sunday afternoons not only to continue the lessons, but mainly to be together. They kept each tryst short, an hour or less, but in those brief hours, they developed a deep friendship and their own lover's language. Each time, the young brave rode away a little deeper in love with his blue-eyed woman.

  * * *

  Two Hawks found his mother's father, Red Flint, sitting outside his lodge late one afternoon as he smoked a pipe and enjoyed the cooler weather.

  "Grandfather," Two Hawks greeted him and sat beside the older man. Red Flint sent puffs of smoke from his mouth and watched them twist and curl, turning into wisps and then disappearing on the air.

  "I've been expecting you," Red Flint finally spoke.

  "You have?"

  "Yes. Your mother spoke with me and I think you need someone to listen to you instead of telling you what to do." He puffed on his pipe once. "You are at the age where you should consider taking a wife." The gray-headed man turned to look at his grandson. "Your mother tells me there is trouble with that. You're confused."

  Two Hawks frowned, looking down at the ground. When he looked back up, he spoke. "I'm not confused. My mother is unhappy with my choice. That's all."

  "A choice with blue eyes and not one with brown?"

  Two Hawks nodded.

  Red Flint continued. "Even though you've grown up with Corn Flower? Even though she is Kiowa? Even though, up until this summer, she was all you could think of?"

  "Yes, Grandfather. Even though."

  Red Flint smoked his pipe while he considered this. When he had been Two Hawks' age, he would have simply stolen the woman and brought her back with him. But now, there were soldiers to consider - soldiers who would search for the stolen woman, terrorizing all Kiowa villages, not just the one that took her.

  "Corn Flower's mother says Water Woman has bewitched you with her blue eyes."

  Two Hawks nodded. "Yes. Corn Flower told me the same thing."

  "And what do you think?"

  "If she's bewitched me, Grandfather, it wasn't with her eyes. It was with her heart."

  "Are you sure this isn't simply lust for her? I saw her in camp. Even as pale as she is, she's beautiful."

  Two Hawks knew better than to give his grandfather a glib answer. Only honesty would do, would be accepted. He picked up a handful of dirt and watched it slowly fall through his fingers as he considered his answer.

  "Maybe, if it had been two summers ago, when I was younger, that would be true. But now, I don't think so." He tossed the rest of the dirt down and wiped his hand clean. "When we are together, it's easy to be lost in her. And, when we are apart, I'm still lost in her. I need her. I can't explain it any better than that." Two Hawks looked somberly at Red Flint, hoping he understood what the clumsy words weren't saying.

  Red Flint nodded his head a few times. "Then you have a difficult road ahead of you. She doesn't know your ways or the ways of your people. You don't know hers. Be prepared for all types of trouble. The two of you will be making your own road, one which none of us have been down before. We can't help you. Is she strong enough for that?"

  "Grandfather, I haven't even told her how I feel about her. But she's strong. Of that, I'm sure."

  "Do you know how she feels about you?"

  "Yes. I see it in her eyes, in the way she touches me."

  The old man's eyes grew distant as he recalled far away days. "Your grandmother loved me like that," he finally said. Now that his pipe had gone out, he rose to his feet. "Be patient with your parents. They won't understand, but they love you. I don't know what to tell you about her parents. Just be prepared for their anger."

  Two Hawks only nodded. He had already seen some of Joshua Cooper's anger, and that was only over a kiss.

  Chapter 9 - Liam O'Connell

  Later that week, one midmorning, Paul ran to the yard from the river, his arms flailing wildly. "Pa! Pa! Soldiers!"

  Joshua stepped out of the barn and took a few steps in the direction Paul pointed. In the distance, U.S. Cavalry rode slowly but deliberately toward their house. "Go tell your ma."

  Paul hurried into the house with his news.

  "Soldiers? How many?" May asked as she stepped to the door to look out.

  "I dunno. Fifteen, twenty maybe."

  "Lana, check the coffee," May ordered over her shoulder as she stepped into the bright sunshine to stand beside her husband. In a few minutes, their dirt yard filled with twenty stamping, thirsty horses and saddle-weary men.

  "Dismount!" The men swung out of their saddles and, with their feet barely on the ground, began rolling cigarettes.

  "Water detail!" the sergeant called out. Four men gathered up the horses' reins and walked the animals to the river.

  A young lieutenant walked over to Joshua, hand extended. "Good morning, sir. I'm Lt. O'Connell. Liam O'Connell." The two men shook hands.

  "Lieutenant. Welcome. I'm Joshua Cooper. And this is my wife, May."

  "Mr. Cooper, Ma'am." Lt. O'Connell tipped his hat. He was taller than Joshua by a few inches, but not quite as muscular. His dark brown hair curled past his collar, his face tanned from his time in the saddle.

  "Lieutenant, won't you please come in for coffee?" May invited.

  "Thank you." He followed May into the house and stopped just inside the door when he caught sight of Lana.

  Joshua almost bumped into his back, but managed to step around him. "This is my daughter, Lana."

  "Miss Cooper." Lt. O'Connell nodded, but didn't smile as he took off his hat.

  Lana straightened up from the fireplace, the coffeepot in her hand, and walked toward the table as she quickly looked him over. "Hello," she said shyly. "Coffee?"

  "Yes, please." He sat down and smiled at Paul. "You must be the one we saw running toward the house."

  Paul blushed as he grinned.

  "I've got two more boys," Joshua explained as he sat beside Liam, "but my oldest and youngest are out hunting right now."

  Liam took a sip of the hot coffee and set the cup down.

  "I assume you're from Ft. Worth. What brings you out this far?" May asked.

  "Yes'm. I'm on a scouting mission, but I saw your place and thought I should stop by."

  "A scouting mission? Is there trouble?" Joshua frowned.

  Liam glanced at May and Lana, not wanting to alarm them.

  "Whatever it is, Lieutenant," May told him, "tell us. My daughter and I live here, too, so we need to know."

  Liam sighed, then looked at Joshua. "Apache trouble. They've been raiding all along the Brazos and are getting closer. We almost caught up to them two nights ago, but they got away."

  "Exactly what kind of trouble?" Joshua asked.

  "M
ainly, they're stealing horses, though they've burned out two homesteads in the last month." Liam looked across the room at Lana, staring wide-eyed at this news. He made himself look away. A young woman shouldn't be out here, especially one that beautiful.

  May walked over to stand behind her husband and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure we can handle whatever happens." Then she asked, "Can you stay for a while, Lieutenant? Or do you have to leave right away? We'd love to have you stay for dinner. We don't get much company out this way."

  "My troops have been in the saddle for days now. We could use a break, almost as much as our horses could." He smiled at May. "If you can stand us, we'll spend the night by the river. And, please, call me Liam."

  "All right, Liam. That will be just fine!" May patted Joshua on his shoulder in her delight.

  Liam rose from the table and walked outside, calling for his sergeant.

  "We'll camp by the river for tonight. And tell the men that no one - and I mean no one - comes over that hill and up to the house without my express permission." Liam pointed toward the river as he spoke.

  "Yes, sir." The sergeant wondered at the strange order. But, just as he turned around, he saw Lana walk past the door. It all suddenly became clear. He walked away from the house and ordered the men to move to the river and make camp.

  Soldiers repaired tack, washed dusty uniforms, played cards, and slept to pass the time. Inside the house, May and Lana prepared a small feast for their guest. At one point in the afternoon, Lana walked out of the house toward the river, carrying the two water buckets. Liam saw her from his temporary headquarters by the barn and crossed the yard.

  "Miss Cooper. Wait!"

  Lana stopped and half-turned, wondering what he wanted.

  "Better let me," he said as he took the buckets from her.

  "There's no need. I do this all the time." She reached to take the buckets back, but he pulled them away.

  "You don't do this with the U.S. Army by the river."