Tombstone.
This evening I ran over to the orphanage and snuck up behind Jimmy, tickling him.
“Hey Natalie!” he grinned.
“Jimmy… Jimmy…” Miss Joan called for him and he turned to greet her.
“Mr. Cole went to another town the other day and found some really nice things for you all,” Mrs. Rye knelt down and told us.
“Jimmy, see I am okay. You have fun today?” Miss Joan asked him and I sighed as she took Jimmy away again.
“Natalie. Would u like to come to the ranch? Jimmy go get your prize from her,” Miss Joan ordered Jimmy.
“Miss Trin told me to meet Jimmy here,” I said. “So I here.”
“Can I please stay a lil longer? I be home fore dark I promise,” Jimmy begged.
“I have something for all four of you,” Mrs Rye said and we looked up at her.
“Natalie. Hello little sweetie pie,” Miss Joan greeted me but I looked away. “Would u like to come to the ranch, Natalie?”
“I was just telling the children I have something for all four of them,” Mrs. Rye said.
“Oh hello ma’am. That is nice ma’am,” Miss Joan smiled at Jimmy.
“Jimmy do you like the color blue or black?” Ms. Rye asked.
I wandered over with the others to find out what the gift was and then we found bikes there.
“I wanna hang out with just you,” I whispered to Jimmy after a while.
“Me too, maybe we can get away afer we get our gif,” he said and I nodded without looking at Miss Joan.
“Ain’t hey good nough to hang out with us some.. or we aint good nough for them to hang out withs?” Bunni frowned and looked at Miss Joan.
“Not what I mean. I just mean I no wanna go to ranch,” I looked at her.
The bikes were really neat and we thanked Mrs. Rye lots as we were all excited about them. Miss Joan made sure Jimmi thanked her for the bike and she told him, “Ok, bring it to Zeth carriage to bring it home. Jimmy, we ride it home, okay?”
“Yes ma’am,” Jimmy nodded and we rode around on the bikes as Miss Joan asked Mrs. Rye how much she should pay for them, but Mrs. Rye, who said I could call her my aunt, said she didn’t need to pay for it.
“Natalie, you wanna come eat dinner with us?” Jimmy asked us.
“Jimmy wanna go ride?” I asked, not wanting to go to the ranch.
“Sure lets go ride!”
“Natalie. Jimmy,” Miss Joan said and I rode off, thinking Jimmy was behind me, but Miss Joan followed us. “Natalie, Jimmy asked you a question, Natalie.”
“Why won’t she let us play?” I looked at Jimmy.
“Maybe she not hungry Mrs Joan,” Jimmy suggested.
“I just wanna ride around with Jimmy. We not hang out much on our own.”
“I understand,” Miss Joan said.
“He always with you. It not fair. I his best friend.”
“This is dangerous area, Natalie. I get worried,” Miss Joan said. “See you home, Jimmy.”
“Miss Trin trusts me.”
“Bye Mrs. Joan,” Jimmy said.
“Bye,” she said and finally walked off.
“Come on, Jimmy. Let’s keep riding the track,” I said but then I hopped off to give him a quick hug. “No one steal you away from me. I won’t let em.”
“I won’t let no one steal you either Natalie..you always be by my side,” Jimmy chuckled.
“She mean ole lady. I no like her. Always stealin you away from me. And tellin you what to do.”
“She my ma Natalie, she jus try protec me.”
“Wanna ride?” I shrugged.
“Yes!”
We rode off and I waved to our house in Pearce as we rode around the tracks. We saw someone that looked like Miss Aeryne on the ground and I looked over at him. “Maybe we not s’posed to be here. I got a bad feelin.”
“Oh no, is she ded?” Jimmy asked, looking at Miss Aeryne.
“I hope not. Come on let’s go in house and stay safe.”
“Wait Natalie!”
“What?” I asked but then I saw Mr. Garth. “Really Jimmy we shouldn’t be here.”
“Alright boys come on out,” Mr. Garth walked towards the building next to our house.
“Wha happen Miss Aeryne?” Jimmy asked.
“Come on. Please Jimmy?”
“We’re not coming out... You can walk away.. we have no problem with you..” we heard someone shout from inside the house.
“You kids get out of here!” Miss Stormy shouted.
“Jimmy come on!” I called.
“Well, I’ve been hired to bring you in, now make this easy or I get to have fun!” Mr. Garth shouted.
“Come out ya yella belly shooting at a woman with her guns holstered!” Miss Lisa shouted.
“Okay... have some fun cause I’m looking forward to it too..” the man on the inside shouted.
“Natalie! Miss Jessie over der, she a doc!” Jimmy told me.
“It’s okay Jimmy. I’m not doing things very well right now,” Miss Jess said to him.
“Come on out then,” Mr. Garth shouted.
“Miss Aeryne she hurt over there!” Jimmy told her.
“Come on up then…” the man inside shouted.
“I’d sooner burn you out!” Mr. Garth shouted back.
“I don’t believe that…” the man said and he walked up on the roof of the house.
I saw the woman on the floor and told Jimmy, “ Jimmy my house not safe!!”
“I not like that man Natalie!” Jimmy said.
“Better wait here kids,” Miss Angeles pulled us back.
“But Ma’am that my house. Mine and Miss Trin What if she…” I rode over to the house and opened the door quickly. “Okay she not here! Dat good,” I said and went over to hug Jimmy as I locked the door like Miss Trin told me to. “I scared,” I told him.
“Why not go look out balcony?” Jimmy hugged me, looking more excited than scared.
“No, Jimmy. They shooting, can’t you hear?” I asked, hearing the gunshots. “Mean ol Mr Garth out there.”
“But we be up high, no hit us up there!” Jimmy said and ran upstairs. He went out to the balcony even though I called after him and watched from the window. “Natalie, look!” he whispered to me and I walked out to join him on the balcony.
“What am I lookin at?”
“See we safe up here.”
I nodded and hugged him again. “Watch this, Natalie,” Jimmy said.
“What you gonna do?” I asked.
“Mr Garth You Stink like horse pookie!” Jimmy shouted after Mr. Garth and my eyes grew wide with fear.
“It’s okay Natalie, he can’t see us up here,” Jimmy whispered.
“Wait… I got one. Mr. Garth when’s your birthday?” I shouted down.
“Since you don’t want to come out, I’ll burn the place down,” Mr. Garth said and I hugged Jimmy tighter as we saw things burning next door.
“We gotta write bout this and show Miss Trin!” I said as Jimmy shouted ‘fire’ and we ran inside. I watched the house next door going up in flames. “Jimmy I scared!!!!”
“Natalie if it goes completely, Miss Trin house go too...we got put it out!”
“No Jimmy we gotta stay in here!”
“Wha if this house go too?”
“I dunno!” I cried. “I don’t wanna go out there with all those bad people!!”
“It be okay!” Jimmy held me tight. “Stay here.”
“Don’t go!!” I cried against him.
“But!”
“I need you Jimmy! I won’t let you die in front of me too!!!”
Jimmy started to cry too and said, “I gotta do somtin Natalie...we no let house burn down.” We peered outside and he said, Natalie, get me bucket of water.. I go throw on house.”
“No Jimmy you die in fire too!” I sniffed and shouted after him.
“Yeah, momma be mad at me if I die..I go bed wit no supper.”
“Jimmy I no know what to do!”
“Let’s ride back Tombstone, see if we get help.”
“I think we go back inside,” I said after some time.
“Yeah, I think it over..nuttin we do now.”
“I don’t see no flames anymore. Let’s go write Miss Trin a note. I dunno who is mr lawperson here. Maybe Mr Ansar help.”
“I dunno, yah I bet Mr Ansar know. Or Miss Aly,” he said and we went off to find help.
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