Tombstone.
This morning I walked into Tombstone and found Miss Aeryne in front of the hotel. We talked for a while about how I wanted Miss Pet to make some breakfast and she and miss Adriana talked with me about how I was still reading Sherlock in the library.
“Which story are you reading?” Miss Adri asked. “Maybe I know it.”
“Nice, I read him years ago,” Miss Pet nodded.
“Um they found a treasure in the attack and have to figure out who put it there. Then this other guy gets killed so they gotta figure out who killed him,” I said.
“My favorite was the Hound of Baskerville,” Miss Adri nodded. “I was scared for days when I heard a dog.”
“Oh yeah.”
“This man was really able to scare you with the words he wrote,” she laughed.
“He was but he was more able to draw you in and keep you intrigued,” Miss Pet agreed.
“Miss Pet, I have a question for the preacher in you, m’aam,” Miss Adri said then. “Me and Joe… He was proposing to me and I would love to have you as the preacher for our wedding, ma’am.”
“Wow, I’d be honoured to officiate.... have you set a date yet?”
“We were thinking about the 13th or the 20th September, Miss Pet.”
“Ahh… I can mark my calendar. As we get closer, remind me to give you a packet.”
“Yes ma’am. There is so much to think about, and I am really excited!” miss Adri said and I started to walk down the street but couldn’t help overhearing, “I might need a flower girl too…”
I walked down the street and down on the couch outside the church. Miss Pet came over and sat down beside me and scared me. I shifted over to her and she gave me a hug, making me smile as I leaned into her. “Miss Pet can I ask you a question?”
“Sure kiddo,” she embraced me and kissed the top of my hair.
“How come the mines are so scary?”
“For me, it’s cause they got bats,” she shivered.
“Have people ever got real lost there and... you know….?”
“Some I’m sure, once they started diggin out tunnels. Have you been in the mine in Pearce?” she asked and I looked down, not sure if I should answer. “Well… You won’t get in that much trouble for telling the truth. But if you fib, oh boy.”
“Don’t tell anyone okay?” I looked at her.
“I promise not to tell anyone.”
“I found something yesterday. When I went there. I didn’t wanna tell anyone I went there but I found a journal.”
“Unless, they put up a no trespassing sign, then I’d have no choice but to tell the truth.” She looked at me and asked, “Oh yeah? Did you read it?”
“I haven’t started reading it yet. I felt like I had done something wrong about having it.”
“Did you give it to Trin? Oh wait, that would mean she’d know hmm.”
“It just a book, Miss Pet,” I shook my head.
“Well, the mines are a dangerous place for adults. So a kid sneaking in one, we’d never know you was there if you got hurt. That would make me sad.”
“That’s why I’m just gonna start reading these things. It’s dark and scary in there,” I nodded.
“Would you like me to hold onto the journal for ya? I can put it in the wall safe,” she nodded to me.
“I wanna read it. I just had to tell someone I had been in there and I felt bad for not sayin’ it to Miss Trin,” I shook my head.
“Will you promise to wait until the owner is ready to give tours before you go back in there?”
“I don’t wanna go back in there,” I nodded. “It scary.”
“Then I’d say you have learned your lesson,” Miss Pet chuckled.
“I just wanted to explore ya know?” I nodded.
“Yeah, I know. Have you been to the caves in Benson yet?” she asked and I shook my head. “Would you like me to show ya?” her eyes went wide.
“I not sure it’s a good idea.”
“How come? I go in them all the time.”
“Isn’t it gonna be scary like the mines?”
“And this cave is not nearly as dark as the mines.”
“I dunno…”
“How about we only go to the mouth of the cave then you and Jimmy can explore it next?” she winked at me.
“Okay,” I nodded and stood to follow her.
“Let me get my shotgun just in case we come across some coyotes or snakes,” she said and reached for her her shot gun and we headed off.
Benson.
We walked over to the opening of a cave in Benson that I’d never seen before. I saw yellow flags along the way and miss Pet said that was the golf course. Miss Pet fired off a warning shot inside the caves, but there were no animals. We walked into the cave and I looked around, my eyes very wide with curiosity.
“They have something very special here. It’s called the Apache Tears.”
“Cause they were sad?” I asked curiously.
“Very, very sad,” she dropped her voice then. “The calvary killed off all the men of the village while they were hunting. The women looked for them for days. When they found them, it is said they cried so much from sorrow, that it formed crystals, the Apache tears. The Renegade Apache dwell on the mountain range. It is very sad. Would you like to see one?”
I nodded and followed in after her. Our eyes adjusted to the light and we saw something sparkling. She looked over at me and pointed out. “I think we found some Apache tears. But don’t take any. They are sacred,” she said and I nodded.
“Did you hear that?” she said suddenly and shot a bullet at a coyote outside the caves. She said that the coyote ran off and that I could come back out again.
Tombstone.
We walked back to town and I exhaled after the long walk. “Thanks for showing me that miss Pet!” I told her.
“You’re welcome. If you want, I can hold that journal in the safe. Then Trin wont find it and know you been in the mines.”
“I will keep it safe. I can’t lie to Miss Trin,” I said and we headed off our separate ways.
***
This afternoon, I ran over and hugged Jimmy, who jumped for joy when he saw me. “How you Jimmy?”
“I good! How are you? Hi Miss, Paisley right?” Jimmy asked the lady.
“I found something to show you later!” I whispered to Jimmy.
“Yes, my name is Paisley,” she told Jimmy. “You have me at a disadvantage young man.”
“I sorry, I am Jimmy...I see roun town before, and heared your name once,” Jimmy said.
“Jimmy my bes friend,” I told her.
“A pleasure to meet you Jimmy. I have heard you mention him Nat.”
“This Natalie, she my bes frien, we go everywhere together,” Jimmy said.
“Hmm... full name.. You must be special to Nat,” Paisley smiled.
Jimmy and I went to brush Daisy in the stables and then Jimmy took out a piece of shining gold dust from his pocket. “See, I fine this sparkly dus in mine. I wuz lookin fer gole but no such luk.”
“But this is gold dust. That means gold can’t be too far away!”
“Gold dust? Oh no! I threw hanfull in river..Indian women say bad and must get rid of it.”
“Indian women? Why gold dust bad?”
“Natalie promise me you won tell...I visit Apache camp,” Jimmy looked around.
“As long as you promise not to tell about us in the mines. But I did tell Miss Pet I found something there this morning. Cause I felt bad for lyin’ but I only said I went.”
“I in that ghos town, lookin fer gold,, and two Indian women come up, scered me crazy.”
“It scary in there. But I found a book with some guy’s journals! Oh wow!”
“The one no speak our speak..give me this stone. Say it sacred,” he pulled out a stone and gave it to me. “The other, she understan me, and I unnerstan her, she know Sabi and Poppy.”
“What her name?” I asked, looking at the stone.
“Silver Stream, and the other was LaLuna.”
“Oooh. And they said you could keep the stone? What does sacred mean?”
“Yes, I try give dus, but they no wan it, give me stone instead.”
“Huh. Why they no want dust?”
“I dunno, LaLuna give like it special stone or sometin.”
“Huh.”
“They say dus bring pain and hurt peeple, I dunno, so I throw hanfull in river cause they ask me to.”
“Better not keep that if it bad then,” I nodded.
“Maybe I take to this man roun corner, maybe he have nee of it.”
“What man?”
“The lone man, who try sell me free donut.”
“Oooh. Mr Tater man.”
“I dunno his name.”
“That’s what they call him. He the banker.”
“He wan 200 pennies for a donut.”
“That’s a lot.”
“Let’s go see if we fine him.”
“Wait. I found a book too.”
“Book?”
“Last night in the mines when all the adults were dancin’. It’s like a journal or somethin’.”
“Wha you doin mine alone? I almos got lost in dere myself.”
“I not gonna go back there. I figured out the lift thingy and went down and then wandered a bit. But the book was near the entrance..”
“Well bottom of that lif I foun all tha dus.”
“I gonna read the writings and see what he talks about.”
“Wha it say in dat book?”
We started to read the book and continued to hang out together.
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