Tombstone.
This afternoon I wandered back into the orphanage after wandering around town for a while. “Hello Natalie, sweetie,” Miss Angi greeted me.
“Hi Miss Angi. Are you feeling better?”
“I'm much better, thank you Miss Natalie for your patience,” she smiled and led me to the girl’s room. I got a key to open the door and she pointed out the beds that were available. I tried out one of them and she asked if it was what I wanted and I nodded to her. I thanked her and she asked, “Do you have a small stuffed friend or something you can put on the shelf? Something so the other girls know it is your bed?”
“Miss Paisley gave me a bear!” I nodded and showed her my teddy. “This is Winston!”
“Winston is a wonderful name for him. I hope you enjoy it here, Natalie.”
“I’m starting to meet friends. But yesterday… There was shooting.”
“I was tellin’ one of the other girls how lovely your piano playin’ is. I heard you play the other day. And Miss Aly got shot at.” I looked at her and asked, “You did?”
“Sadly that happens a lot,” she nodded slowly. “But we have some of the finest doctors this side of the Mississippi. She’ll be okay sweetie, and well... iffin’ she ain’t. Well, I’ll make sure she’s real pretty when she meet the Lord.”
“Mr. Alex was there. I hope she’s okay.”
“Now you have somewhere to put your hat too,” she pointed to the crate, “So it won’t get smooshed.”
“Miss Angi.. I only have two outfits. Is that okay?”
“Yes, sweetie, you are more than welcome to go through the clothes donation box, and see if anything fits.”
“All I had on the train was this dress,” I smiled.
“If it don’t now, something will eventually.”
“I went to Winslow and this lady found me some pants I could wear when I wanna go fishing.”
“And we can sew you some clothes when we can afford material again.”
“You really like my piano playing?” I smiled.
“Any other questions? I loved it, Natalie. “I ain’t heard nothin’ so pretty in a long time.”
“Miss Angi?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Are you gonna go to the doctor?”
“N not today, dear. Whatever for? Do I look ill?”
“At the courthouse thing. They were saying…”
“Everything is fine, don’t you worry none.”
“I guess you’re fine now,” I went to hug her. “I was so scared you were gonna go to jail again and then when you got to come home and make us chicken I was so happy!”
“So was I, Natalie.”
“I mean... it was only my second day here. I didn’t wanna have to go back on the train”
“I sure do love makin’ fried chicken.”
“Tell me I won’t haveta go back on that train?”
“Never ever, not lessen you have someone rich to visit.”
I sighed with relief and said, “The girls here are nicer.”
“I’m so glad they are nice to you.”
“’cept Sabi throwing lollis and telling me about her gang. But she’s still nice to me.”
Millard and Jeff wandered in and Miss Angi said, “Well, dear, Natalie, it looks like you are all set up. I’m going to go back in my office and take care of some business.”
“Thanks Miss Angi.”
“If you need anything else, let me know.”
“I will,” I said and walked out with Angi as we went to say hi to the boys. Jeff said he was gonna go to church and I decided to go with them. I told Mill that I had my own bed and citizen papers and how I was so well-behaved in court. We talked about how the preacher might not be there and how we didn’t have to go to church. Angi told us to stay out of trouble and told Jeff to not break any windows.
I asked ‘now what’ and Jeff went back to finish working on the Bee. I went to change, going in the wrong room at first, but Mill pointed out that it was the boy’s room and laughed as I went into the girl’s room and changed before going to read somewhere.
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