by Mimi Milan
It made sense then. If she were to take the place of a man, then she would have to become like him. She could not properly do Tuketu’s job unless she could do all of it—especially the parts that seemed most foreign to her.
She nodded her head with resolution. “I will do it. I will go into the closest town and know their people.”
Tuketu nodded his approval and handed her a small pouch. “May sleep visit your home tonight, so that both you and Eta may be prepared for tomorrow.”
“Why Eta?”
The holy man smiled sadly. “It is always hard to lose a child.”
Kela wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by “lose.” She would eventually return to Eta and all her people. Was it possible Tuketu referred to something else?
She knew it was useless asking him. He had obviously said his piece. There was nothing more to learn that night. So, she thanked him for the herbs and went on her way with mixed emotions for what lay ahead.
Chapter 3
“Olivia! Come on over here, child. You too, Owen.” Emily Potts motioned for the children to follow her to the bolts of fabric lined against one wall and instructed them to pick two of their favorite colors.
Jonathan watched on only for a moment longer. Normally, he wouldn’t have accompanied them at all. However, he was in need of new supplies for the clinic—things like bottles for the tinctures he mixed in his clinic. Emily was a wonderful maid and nanny, but she wasn’t a nurse. She wouldn’t know the right items or sizes to buy.
He quietly slipped away to see to his needs as Emily saw to the children, and immediately found the small bottles he had been hoping to find on a shelf in a case on the opposite wall.
“Morning, Doctor Edwards.”
Startled, Jonathan turned around so fast he almost dropped one of the bottles he had selected. It fumbled in his hand, almost falling but he quickly snatched at it.
“Mrs. Mayfield,” he eyed the woman with concern. Her complexion had grown even paler since her visit the previous day. “I do believe I told you to get some rest. What are you doing walking about town?”
“I know I shouldn’t be. It’s taken just about every bit of strength to make it down here today, but we had to settle our bill and my husband… well, you know… he prefers I handle such things.”
“Speaking of your husband, where is he?”
“Oh, he isn’t much interested in this kind of stuff. Said he was going to walk on down to the saloon. I’m thinking he believes he can sell some of that shine he made. I don’t much abide the idea of him making it, but I suppose I can’t complain too much if it’ll pull in a few more bills.”
“I suppose,” Jonathan mumbled because he couldn’t think of what more to say. In truth, he wished alcohol didn’t exist to begin with. It destroyed the body. Why couldn’t that be reason enough for him to quit drinking it? “Well, I hope you’ll follow my orders and take care to—”
“Don’t you dare go in that store. We don’t need any more of your sickness.”
The sound of Robert Mayfield’s voice carried through to where Jonathan stood. He looked up and peered around the case, only then realizing that a small party of natives stood in the front near the register. By the look of their dress, Jonathan figured they had to be of the local Miwok tribe.
Robert stood behind them, shaking a finger as he hurled curses and demanded they leave.
“Robbie, stop it! You’ll embarrass yourself.”
“The only thing embarrassing is how you got sick off one of these Injuns.” The man turned his head to spit in disgust.
“Don’t you dare,” the store owner, Ed Mosier, warned. He came from around the counter, his head shaking with such anger that it sent his silver hair shaking almost as much as the finger he pointed at the man. “I cleaned the floors this morning myself. I won’t have the likes of you spitting on them. Try it and you’ll never do business in here again.”
Perhaps it was the fierce tone, or maybe even the cold steel in Ed’s eyes. Whatever the reason, the Mayfield man froze. He cringed as he swallowed and it was only then that Jonathan noticed the lump in the side of the man’s cheek. If he didn’t know any better, the man had a wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth. Jonathan winced along with the man. He could only imagine what it would taste like to swallow such filth. Surely, the man’s stomach had to be churning.
The Miwok must have been thinking the same thing. It was the first time the doctor took a good look at them. The three men stood stoic—like tall, unmovable pillars. However, there was a fleeting look on the woman’s face. While brief, it was distinctly full of disgust. Then she schooled her features.
Beautiful ones.
The thought was equally short-lived, but surprising nonetheless. In the two years of his wife’s passing, Jonathan had never considered another woman beautiful. The doctor in him wanted to pick apart the reasoning—learn how it was possible that none of the town’s women had ever elicited desire within him, but how one so foreign from the small world he occupied could do so. He simply couldn’t help but study her—the coloring of her skin slightly lighter than that of the men, but still bronzed by birth and sun, with a warm underlying crimson tint…
Jonathan unconsciously stepped forward from behind the case. All four of them immediately turned, causing him to freeze where he stood.
You’re ridiculous, he chastised himself for even having the slightest interest. Surely, the men who accompanied her were the woman’s family. In fact, the fierce-looking one was probably her husband. No, he should not have shown such intrigue.
Robert Mayfield was suddenly at his side.
“That’s right,” he slapped the doctor on the back with a heavy hand, laying it to rest across Jonathan’s shoulders. “Step on up to them, Doc. Let ‘em know that I’m not the only one they’ll have to reckon with if they don’t get out of here. Ain’t that right, Doc? Tell ‘em their kind ain’t welcomed. If not for my wife, then for yours—God rest her soul.”
Jonathan remained motionless, completely flabbergasted by the man’s presumption that he would be willing to fight the visitors and angry that he would use Regina as a weapon. At the same time, invoking her image gave him second thoughts. He didn’t want them to think they were welcomed—not that they were unwelcomed.
Oh, the struggle of it all!
Another look at the woman and, strangely enough, he was feeling slightly confused on his stance.
“What in tarnation is going on in here?” Everyone—from shoppers to the natives—looked up to find the town’s mayor standing in the store’s entranceway. “I can hear bellyaching clear down to Farnsworth’s. Anyone care to explain why the ruckus?”
“Them’s what’s causing the ruckus.” Robert pointed at the group of natives. “They come in here bringing their illness and Lord only knows what else. Why, just look at my poor Sarah. Sicker than an early litter’s runt.”
“I’m sorry if you’ve been feeling under the weather” Atherton said with a tip of his hat. He eyed Mrs. Mayfield and then glared at her husband. “Although, I don’t understand why she’s out and about if she’s ill. Wouldn’t that make it possible for her to spread illness to everyone?”
Robert balked. “Wha—what?”
The man turned to Jonathan, hopeful he had found an ally.
The doctor finally found his voice. He shrugged. “I’m sorry to say, but he does have a point. Part of the reason that I advised she get some rest was because she really does need it. The other reason was to reduce the risk of making others ill. You wouldn’t want your family to be the cause of some epidemic. Would you?”
“Why, I…” Robert blustered, his face turning red. “Come on, Sarah. Our business is obviously not wanted here.”
The man reached out for his wife, grabbed her hand and pulled her along. She cast an apologetic glance at everyone in Mosier’s mercantile before disappearing out the door, her small voice begging her husband to calm down.
“That Mayfield fella…” Ed Mosier began
, but then drifted off as Emily stepped up to the counter to make her purchase. The rattle of coins brought a smile to Ed’s face and he rushed behind the counter, eager to conduct business.
“I’m sorry for all the commotion, folks.” Atherton lifted his hat off his head and nodded at a few other customers, although it seemed to do little to ease their concern and they left behind the items they had perused to quickly leave the store.
“I’ll just go on over and take these things to the clinic,” Emily told Jonathan as she gathered the fabrics and placed them in her basket. “Come along, children. Today is bath day.”
Emily brushed past the Miwok, catching the eyes of one man. His solemn look broke into the smallest of smiles. Jonathan was surprised to see his housekeeper return the smile with a quiet “Good day.”
Unfortunately, it was not a good day for all.
“Alright, now. You here to do business or just stand there looking all regal?” Ed griped.
“Calm down,” Atherton warned. “They ain’t done nothing wrong.”
“Maybe not, but they’re still running off my business. Look at all the people who just left without making a single purchase?”
“Well, you can blame that on Robert Mayfield. He was the one shooting off his mouth as best as I could tell. Am I wrong, Doc?”
Jonathan inwardly groaned. He didn’t want to go against Atherton—the man had been like a saint with the way he helped get the clinic set up. At the same time, Jonathan really didn’t want to get involved.
He was about to open his mouth and say as much when Atherton turned to the Miwok. “I’m sorry about all this, Tuketu. Although, it kind of worked out for the best. This here was the man I was telling you about—the one I wanted you to meet.”
That grabbed Jonathan’s attention.
“Me? Why would you want him to meet me?”
A myriad of thoughts sped through his mind—all of them revolving around Regina. Was this man responsible for her death? No, obviously not. If he was, Atherton wouldn’t have been so calm and Pete would have been here arresting the fellow. Perhaps he had information about what had happened that day. Did he know how the fire was started—who had murdered his wife?
“This here’s their holy man,” Atherton explained. “He’s like you. He makes medicine. Well, kinda.”
Tuketu stepped forward and waved his hand in greeting. “Hello.”
“You speak English,” Jonathan said with surprise. The looks he received made him cold warm and then cold.
What an ignorant thing to say!
“My apologies. Of course, you do. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Jonathan stuck out his hand to Tuketu. “Doctor Jonathan Edwards at your service.”
The woman beside the holy man sniffed, her eyes shifting down to Jonathan’s outstretched hand as she said something in her native tongue.
“What was that?” Jonathan asked.
She looked at him squarely, but then addressed Tuketu. “And they say we spread disease.”
“Liwani'ke' Kela Tukumu.”
The woman’s eyes grew wide and even the two men beside her momentarily looked surprised. She wasn’t one to be chastised, though. Holding her head even higher, she turned and marched out of the store. The other men followed her, obviously trying to apologize or make her see reason. Jonathan couldn’t quite tell which it was.
“What did he just say to her?” Jonathan whispered as they watched the exchange between the Miwok.
“Basically, he told Snowy Owl to hush up. That one, though, is smart like a switch… kind of pretty, too. Won’t tolerate no man telling her what to do.”
Jonathan chuckled. “Sounds like any woman with a mind of her own.”
“Oh, she’s certainly got one of those. That’s why she’s here. She’s in training to become the next shaman for their tribe.”
“What does that have to do with being here in Blessings, though?”
“Well,” Atherton scratched at his beard. “Thing is, they want her to learn our kind of medicine. So, I kind of maybe sort of told Tuketu over there that you would be a good one to see about that.”
“What?” Jonathan dropped the bottles he had picked up earlier, and they crashed to the floor.”
“You’re paying for that,” Ed Mosier pointed from his spot at the register. “Five cent a piece.”
Jonathan sighed. What was with him and breaking glass? More importantly, what was with Atherton volunteering his services like that?
“Aw, mayor, why would you go and do a thing like that?”
“Sorry, son, but you’ve seen what’s been going on around here. Haven’t you? Why, just think of Robert Mayfield and the little fiasco he started while he was in here. He ain’t the only one to feel the way he does. Other folks have been walking on edge, thinking the Miwoks or some others might try to come back and take their land. Well, it could cause a big mess. Besides, I don’t like people walking around my town with hard feelings. Seeing how you’re a doctor and fixing people is your job, well, it just made sense that we do this thing for them. You know, maybe create some sort of alliance to prove we can all live in peace.”
Jonathan sighed. “You have no idea what you’re asking.”
Atherton clapped him on the back. “Yes, I do. I remember what all happened. To be honest, I thought maybe doing this would help you find a little peace as well.”
The doctor thought about it for a moment. He wasn’t sure it was a good idea to ask him to help, but what if this was a chance to find out more about Regina’s death? What if one of them knew something that would bring her murderer to justice?
He gave the mayor a solid nod. “Alright. I’ll do it.”
“Thank you, Doc.” Atherton shook his hand briefly and then walked out, rushing up to the Miwok. Arms animated, he delivered the message that the doctor would indeed agree to teach Snowy Owl.
“Snowy Owl,” Jonathan muttered to himself as he walked up to the counter. He absentmindedly held out a few bills to pay for the broken bottles. “What a curious name.”
“You gonna’ want a bag for that, or would you rather I just sweep up the mess?” Ed asked.
“Huh?” Jonathan responded, still studying the woman who openly studied him in return as the men continued to talk.
“Well?” Ed insisted. “What’s it going to be?”
Jonathan abruptly tuned in and focused on the storekeeper. “What’s that? Oh, yes. Yes, that’ll be fine.”
Ed shook his head. “Never mind. Looks like you’ve got enough trouble to deal with.”
“What kind of trouble is that?”
“Looks like you’ve just been bitten by ‘the bug.’”
“A bug?” Jonathan looked around, swiping at his arms to rid himself of whatever might have crawled onto him. “Where?”
Ed groaned. He shook his head as he walked away, mumbling.
“Life and love… they’re always wasted on the young.”
Jonathan wasn’t entirely sure what he was talking about, but as he lifted a hand to wave at the woman and she turned her head with dismissal, he knew the man was right about one thing.
This was going to be trouble.
Chapter 4
It was the second morning—if it could be called that since the day barely beginning. Kela had risen before the sun, with anticipation coursing through her veins. Today was the day she had promised Tuketu that she would depart from the tribe to live and learn amongst the whites. Although, could she really say that about the people in town? She had seen people of many colors in the place they called Blessings.
“Bles—sings.”
She tried the word, allowing the last bit to slither off her tongue like a snake. She liked the way it sounded, but wasn’t entirely sure what it stood for. Perhaps this was one of the things she could ask of the doctor.
Jonathan Edwards.
She had learned that name during their first visit into town, when the terrible Mayfield man had thrown all sorts of accusations at her people. She woul
d not dwell on that, though. There was much work to do if she was going to learn all she could about the ways of settlers and their medicine that could possibly help her people. Perhaps making friends with this man and the others would begin the healing of the hurt they had suffered.
If it was such a good plan, though, why did she feel so nervous?
“Wuksuksu?”
Kela faced “The Cougar” who would serve as protection to town and spotted Ukchuu as well.
“What is he doing here?”
“Hey, I have business in town as much as you do.”
“Of course, you would. Who do you owe money to now?”
“I owe no one.”
“Well, that’s a first. Is “The Beaver” finally going to stop hunting dreams and start real work?”
“Hunting is work,” Ukchuu said.
“Not the way you do it,” Kela countered. “The only thing you hunt is money at the gambling tables to pay off your debts—which keep building at those same tables.”
“Ach!” Ukchuu threw his hands up. “What would you know? You’re only a woman.”
Kela growled, her voice low and quivering with anger. “As a woman, I know what one wants… and it is not a man who gambles or drinks away his life.”
Ukchuu only rolled his eyes and walked over to his horse, easily mounting it with one swift leap onto its back.
Tuweeyu sighed. “Are you two finished now?”
Both parties looked remorseful, but only grew silent.
Tuweeyu heaved again. He decided it wasn’t worth pursuing an apology from either one. It was obvious that neither was willing to swallow the crow, and there were greater adventures awaiting them. He climbed onto the back of his own horse. Kela followed suit and tapped her heels into the beast, but fell back to allow Tuweeyu to take the lead in case they happened upon danger. Thankfully, they never did. Down through the mountain and over the shallow end of the river, they made their way into town.
“There,” Tuweeyu pointed. “That is the place where we will find the doctor.”
The trio dismounted in front of the doctor’s house. Knocking on the door produced a familiar face.