Tombstone.
This morning I walked through town and Payton ran over to me and grabbed me in a big hug. “NAT!!!” I clung to her and buried my face against her shoulder. “I’m sorry bout not trustin you an all.. I told Miss Trin everythin…”
“Ma found me and told me you was here. I proud of you.” I looked over and saw a man I didn’t know and said, “I don’t know you.”
“Well I found out… I am really terrible at lyin’,” Payton nodded, giggling softly.
“Because I am new in town… I just got here this morning,” the man said. “My name is James.”
“That good thing to be bad at,” I looked at Payton and nodded. “I’m Nat. My mommy miss Trin.”
“Oh yes, I met your mommy a little while ago,” Mr. James said.
“Well.. I had more people than I thought that care bout me,” Payton giggled and looked at Miss Paisley, and she smiled at her.
“Bout time you figured dat out,” I nudged her.
“A lot of people care about you Payton. You too Nat,” Miss Paisley smiled.
“Where Mr Alex?” I looked down.
“I have not seen him today,” Miss Paisley said as Payton reached for something she set down by the office and gave it to Miss Paisley.
“He gonna help me learn how to do things in the clinic.”
“I made that.. want you to have it,” Payton said to her.
“It is very nice!” she smiled.
“I painted it from lookin at a picture of indian art .. think I got the designs right.”
“I got Indian bunny from Aunt Rye last night. I don’t know what to call it.”
“Thinking of bunny names will be fun!” she said, setting the vase down that Payton had given her.
“Mr. James what you think I should call it?” I asked him. “It’s a her. She be friends with Winston,” I looked at Miss Paisley.
“Now you can show it off in Dutch Annie’s,” Payton smiled.
“Hmmm...I don’t know....I never named a rabbir before,” Mr. James said.
“Oh be carefull… Bunnies get very friendly,” Miss Paisley giggled. “They will not need Dutch Annie’s,” Miss Paisley giggled.
“Mr. you know what they do there?” I asked Mr. James.
“Yes I do, I think,” Mr. James laughed.
“They work hard and they are all really nice ladies ,” Payton giggled and nodded.
Mr. James said, “Play cards and talk a lot.”
“Dat’s it?” I looked between Mr. James and Miss Paisley.
“Yep, that’s it,” Mr. James and Miss Paisley both nodded.
“I don’t think that it. They hidin somethin there, Payton. Or we’d be ’llowed to go in,” I insisted.
“Course… you know we kids ain’t allowed round gamblin…” Payton smiled.
“Well, we just want a place all to our selves sweetie,” Miss Paisley said.
“They have card table in other saloon and we can go in there…” I said.
“That’s right, no kids allowed around gamblin,” Mr. James insisted.
“They are tryin ta protect us kids cause outlaws like goin ta Dutch sometimes.. an us kids shouldn’t be around them.”
“Dutch? Outlaws?” I blinked.
“Even outlaws like ta gamble,” Payton said.
“I was almost shot in there Nat You know TJ?” Miss Paisley asked.
“Outlaws is out in the street too. We not go there either?” I nodded. “I know TJ. He used to be Ma’s friend.” I saw a boy walked over on crutches and asked him, “How you get hurt?”
“Yeah… no Natalie. We have ta get off the street when they start ta shoot.. but when ya got them in Dutch Annies its got now where ta hide,” Payton nodded.
“Well, I was dancing with TJ and one night a man did not like that. He drew his weapon, and if he fired he would have shot me instea of TJ. TJ shot him dead,” Miss Paisley. “That is why no kids Nat.”
“It was a long time ago,” the boy said. “Got ran over by a wagon when I was real little.”
“Sound like bad place. What your name?” I asked the boy.
“Sammy, what’s yours?”
“Natalie.”
“Oh, thass a pretty name. You been in Tombstone long?”
“Um.. I moved here... July 17. I remember my journal.”
“Ok. I been gone a few months, long story.”
“Why you gone?”
“If I tell you folks will get upset with the indians.”
“You can tell me. I reading bout Miss Trin’s journal and she like Indians. I won’t hate em.”
“Well it wasn’t really their fault.”
“Den no reason to hate em.”
Payton wandered off then and Sammy explained, “I was out walking along the creek and one of ’em made me go with him to the village ’cause he thought I was an indian took by the white folks. ‘Cause I’m so dark. Then they got into big arguments mongst themselves ’bout what to do with me.”
“What happen?”
“Some of ’em thought I should stay ’cause they was convinced I hadda be part indian. Some of ’em said get rid of him, he’s useless ’cause he’s only got one leg. Took ’em months to decide to just drop me off at the edge of town. Last night.”
“Wow… Dat no good.”
“Well I’m here. But they didn’t treat me bad or nuthin. Let me run with the other kids.”
“Sounds like me.”
“Oh?”
“Dey didn’t know what to do with me in Missipi so dey put me on a train. With da other kids. I decide to get off here in Tombstone.”
“So did someone ’dopt you?”
“Well... I was at the orphnage for a week… But Miss Trin no like how Angi treated me. So she talked with the mayor and stuff and became my caretaker I guess. Now I just call her Ma cause that’s how it feels.”
“Oh? Ms. Angi’s runnin’ the orphanage now?”
“No.... She was der when I got to town. Not no more.”
“Who’s got it now?”
“Some mean lady name Mrs Irueland. Or however you say it.”
“Oh. She was runnin it when I got kidnapped.”
“You got kidnapped?!”
“Well yeah, that brave made me go with him.”
“Oh yeah. I sorry I no sleep much since fire.”
“But up in the village I found out he’s not very bright. What fire?”
“Two nights ago.”
“Where? Your house?”
“Jimmy and I watched from balcony as Mr Garth got hired by someone to get people out of house next door to our house. When dey wouldn’t come out he blew house on fire.”
“Yikes.”
“It was scary. We thought my house go on fire next.”
“Yeah a little bit. You live here in town?”
“Over in Pearce.”
“I thought things was quieter than that over there.”
“Ma kept sayin she moved der cause it quiet but now not so much.”
“Ah. I lived in Benson before.”
“Ohh.”
“Not sure what’s gonna happen to me now.”
“I guess you live at orphnage now.”
“Well Ms. Joan has kinda taken me in for now,” he said and I cringed at the name. “She didn’t want me stayin at the orphanage. Kinda insisted.”
“I no like that lady.”
“Why?”
She keep tellin my bes friend what to do and takin him away from me.”
“Who’s that?”
“Jimmy.”
“He a orphan?”
“Uh huh but Miss Joan want to adopt him.”
“Hmm… Well I ran into my brother this morning and he says our mom’s away a lot these days. He’s kinda fendin for himself.”
“Kaden… Kaden Halsey. Kaden Foxtrot. He was Kaden Halsey when we met.”
“Oh.”
“He ain’t been in town much, he says. Too busy takin care of things at home. I prolly need to go on back there and help him. ‘cept sometimes i think i’m more hindrance than help.”
“I bet you help lots where you can.”
“Oh yeah, I’ll try anything.”
We looked over and saw Mr. James was still quiet and thinking and I saw Lisa walking towards us. “She mean lady too,” I whispered to Sammy.
“And I eat kids too,” Miss Lisa winked and I blinked.
“She’s got ears like a bat,” Sammy whispered back.
“Cause I’m an outlaw, I hear everything,” Miss Lisa moved closer and whispered, and I snuck behind Mr. James.
“If you’re and outlaw how come you’re not in jail?” Sammy asked.
“Cause I’m just that good,” Miss Lisa winked.
“Outlaws ain’t good. Outlaws are bad,” Sammy shot back at her.
“She said she there when they burn house next door,” I leaned up to Mr. James and whispered. “I dunno her name.”
“You ever been in jail?” Sammy asked Miss Lisa.
“I was once, yes. But the gang broke me out.”
“Ah. You also need to think about perspective, too. Robin Hood was considered an outlaw, too,” Mr. James reminded.
“But Mr James… Dat don’t mean she good person. She not stop fire.”
“When the need arises. And we ain’t much different at times,” Miss Lisa looked at me. “I didn’t stop the fire cause the men inside had killed one sheriff and wounded the deputy.”
“Well a long time ago I run away to Mexico and the way kids lived there made me look rich. Woulda put me on the wrong side of Robin hood I guess,” Sammy said.
“I was actually there to help the law that night,” Miss Lisa told me.
“Ain’t good to start fires,” Sammy told her. “Ya never know where they might go.”
“But what if fire got our house?”
“But don’t tell anyone, it will ruin my bad reputation. But it didn’t, did it?” Miss Lisa asked.
“It coulda.”
“So you worrying bout nothing.”
“Came awful close.”
“Them that mess with fire are gonna get burnt sooner or later,” Sammy said.
“Just adds to the excitement, don’t it?” Miss Lisa chuckled and I cringed, looking down.
“It’s ok, Natalie. There’s no fire here now,” Mr. James insisted.
“Now come over here little girl, let me see if you are fat enough for me to cook for dinner,” Miss Lisa smirked.
“Hey!” Sammy moved to Miss Lisa’s side to defend me and I clung to Mr. James leg.
“And she ain’t gonna eat ya, neither,” Mr. James shook his head and I glared at the woman.
“I don’t like her,” I said and looked at Sammy. “Tanks.”
“She scary,” Sammy nodded.
“She mean.”
“I know you don’t.....I won’t let her get ya as long as I am around,” Mr. James promised.
“Tanks Mr James.”
Sammy said goodbye and headed off and I looked up at Mr. James. “Maybe you help my mommy, Mr James. She Pinkerton.”
“We were talking about that earlier. Sounds like she can use a little help.”
“She already has sleepovers with Mr Thomas but maybe you could work at office with her. She work lots.”
“I will help her as much as I can.”
I grinned and hugged him tight. “Why mean lady say she eat me?”
“I think she was just tryin ta scare ya. I don’t think many people really eat people in these parts….”
“I hope not. I should go home and start readin’ more journals. I see you later Mr. James!” I said and headed home.
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