Tombstone.
This morning I was sitting in front of the clinic reading when Miss Paisley walked over. I greeted her with a hug and pulled her inside. “I reading books to get better as a doctor. Thought I would read before school,” I told her.
“Always a good idea! I will be at school today.”
“Yay! I haven’t been able to go much.”
“Well, I am glad you are going today because I will be there.”
“When the armies go to the different banks around towns I gotta be there to help out. It really the only time I ever see anyone in the clinic so I gotta help out. It gets busy sometimes.”
“It sure does get busy in here sometimes!”
“How is you?”
“I am very good! What do you think you will learn today?”
“I dunno. I just never get any of the homework done so I always feel bad about goin’ without it. Not sure how much longer Mommy can keep the house in Pearce if we don’t make more money. So I gotta do my part.”
“I do know that no homework will get assigned today”
“How you know that?”
“Teacher told me so.”
“Ohh!”
“I know today’s teacher very well,” Miss Paisley said.
“Who is it?”
“Not tellin’,” she grinned and I frowned. “You will like the teacher.”
“I hope so. Mr. Finesmith asked why I not come last week. But he didn’t really wanna hear my answer. He just wanted to lecture me to come.”
“He likes to do that,” she nodded.
“May I ask a question?”
“What your question?” I asked her.
“Do you like me?”
“Yeah! Why else I say hi to you all the time?” I grinned.
“Then you will not object to your teacher at all,” she smiled.
“You’re a teacher??” I grinned and hugged her tightly.
“Mmhmm…”
“Wow! Miss Paisley, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Where did all the kids go? Did Nora take em with her wherever she went?”
“No.. they might not be awake yet.”
“I mean overall… I don’t see much of them. No one to play with.”
“No, they are still around. Keep this in mind... We all teach each other all the time.”
“Do you know what time armies start going to banks?”
“Nine am.”
“Oooh right after school. That good. I always afraid I miss it.”
“No, you will be done in time.”
I walked over to the book then and wrote down that I was done work and said, “Okay I ready to go to school now! Should we go to school?” I tugged on Miss Paisley’s shirt. “We don’t wanna be late.”
“Yep! Hmm… I wonder where all the kids are.. I bet Molly is asleep,” Miss Paisley looked around as we walked over to the school.
“I told you not many here,” I looked at her. “Miss Paisley you let me ring the bell?”
“Sure,” Miss Paisley opened the door. “Go ahead.”
I went to ring the bell and fed the bird. “Now watch I broke a school rule…” Miss Paisley giggled and I did too.
“Do we know what the bird’s name is?” I asked, getting some cracker to give the bird and fed it.
Soria and Mr. Trent came in then and even Mr. Adrian came into the schoolhouse. “Mr. Mayor!!” I grinned and ran over to give him a hug. “Mr. Mayor, do you know what the bird is called?”
Mr. Adrian laughed and held his finger to his lips in a ‘shh’ fashion, and pointed to the front of the room as Miss Paisley said, “I will give others a moment to arrive..”
I nodded and grinned, turning excitedly to the front. I was too excited to see the mayor than to behave. I leaned over to Soria and said, “That’s the mayor of Tombstone. He’s Mr. Adrian. Or Mr. Mayor.”
Mr. Adrian looked over at the bird and then looked back at the class.
“Mr. Mayor I gonna help with payroll today!” I told Mr. Adrian then.
“I think that is enough time to wait…” Miss Paisely began and pulled the papers out. “I am going to be giving a series of classes on where clothing came from and how it evolved into today’s clothing. Have you ever looked at what you are wearing and wondered why we wear this?” she asked as others came into the school. “There is a story to what we wear. I hope to show you over this series how clothing transformed to what we now wear.” She pulled the paper again and showed another picture. “Would you believe it began back this far? back before 3100 BC?”
“Oh my!” Mr. Adrian and a girl named Leena exclaimed together.
“You’d think clothes would change by now,” I muttered.
“Our story begins in the Middle Eastern part of our world,” Miss Paisley went on. “Clothing looked much different than it does today and I know many of you have talked Art with Miss Parkin. You see examples of the clothing in art.” She pulled the paper over and revealed a print. “This is a document actually. Egyptians used art to document many things. Mostly historical events were documented in art, and in this document you can see the clothing worn.”
“How come the men didn’t wear shirts Ms Paisley?” Leah asked after a giggle.
“Most of the men you will see are not fully dressed according to our standards today,” Miss Paisley smiled and I giggled. “This was quite normal for them and acceptable."
I raised my hand and when Miss Paisley called on me I asked, “Is that like Apache men wear no shirt?”
“Some Apache men do not.. Under certain circumstances does that happen.”
“Oh.”
“Sometimes, you will even see women in this period topless,” she said and I blinked while Leah gasped.
“It was just considered normal for them,” Miss Paisley explained.
“Oh My!! But wasn’t that a sin for them to do that?” Leena asked.
“Many wore gown with special names. I will get to the names. No, they did not consider it a sin. Their concept of religion was also different. They worshiped a god, but not as we know. The short skirt of a man had a name. A shendyt," she went on. “It was often heavily pleated and gathered at the front.
I tried to write the name out but looked at the word with a funny look. “I not think I spelled that right.”
“This is what one look like closer up,” Miss Paisley pulled the print over to reveal another one.
Soria raised her hand and asked, “Where did the cloth come from miss teacher?”
“The cloth they used was linen. Mostly a flax linen.”
“Flax?" I tilted my head.
“That's a plant," Mr. Adrian nodded.
“It was a plant grown in the region so that was used to make the cloth,” Miss Paisley said.
“Oh….” I raised my hand again and Miss Paisley looked at me. “Doesn’t Flax make medicine too?”
“I have not looked into its medicinal purposes, but quite likely. They tended to make full use of all they grew," she said and I looked back at Mr. Adrian for an answer as she went on. “I know it was used widely for many uses. Not just clothing. Like Sesame is used for seeds to eat, oil for cooking and so on.”
I pulled out the book I was reading on medicine as Leena asked, “Miss Paisely, is that woman wearing a dress? It looks more like a night gown.”
“She is wearing one of the period’s later garments… but both versions are a kalasiris Natalie?” she looked back at me.
“I found it! There’s a tribe called Maori. They used flax oil for healing wounds and flax for making clothes,” I grinned and closed the book again and grinned back at Mr. Adrian proudly and he chuckled.
“The later version always reminds me of overalls,” Miss Paisley said. “Just a long skirted version.”
“I bet the clothes weren’t soft as they are today too,” Soria commented.
“Linen is not always a soft cloth and I am sure with the methods they had to produce it, it was rather coarse,” she said and revealed a sketch drawing as Jeff came into class and apologized for being late. “This is what one of the earlier kalasiris might look like,” Miss Paisley said.
“She looks like a princess!” Leah exclaimed.
“As you can see, it is full and also pleated," Miss Paisley noted.
“I see fringes on it. Like cowboys wear,” Soria said.
“That would be the ends of the material,” Miss Paisley nodded. “This would simply be a length of material wrapped around that had been pleated. Same for the men, only the men’s skirt would be much smaller in size.”
Leah raised her hand and asked, “Was the clothes always white or other colors too?”
“Clothing was white,” Miss Paisley said.
“Very reasonable,” Mr. Adrian nodded.
“Why?” I asked.
“I wonder how they kept it from gettin dirty,” Leah said.
“But… well how come a boy gots a skirt?” Jeff asked, looking around at all of us girls.
“All wore skirted garments,” Miss Paisley said.
“Jeffery you should wear skirt like them,” I giggled.
“It was much easier to tend to um.. certain matters of nature Jeffery,” Miss Paisley explained and I blinked at that as Leah laughed.
“Well there is a point,” Mr. Adrian blushed.
“But I sure glad I ain’t in that town where boys is a sissy,” Jeff stated.
“Think about that next time you need the outhouse.,” Miss Paisley smiled.
“What if Mr. Adrian wears one? Then you wouldn’t be the only one,” I grinned. “Sounds like it made it easier.”
“He wouldn’t ever wear none of them skirts, ‘cause he ain’t no sissy,” Jeff argued.
“We can talk about kilts in another lesson,” Miss Paisley said and I tried to imagine Mr. Mac in a skirt.
“Madame, the colour white helps to deflect the sun, I am supposing?” Mr. Adrian asked.
“Yes it does,” Miss Paisley nodded. “Black absorbs color and white reflects.”
“Oh yes, I read once that it was very hot there,” Leena said.
“When they get the linen, it is more of a cream or ivory color,” Miss Paisley said as we continued to giggle. I couldn’t wait to tell Jimmy about this class. “It is natural and in that way, naturally helps them keep cool.”
“Did they have the same color skin as Indians Ms Paisley?” Leah asked.
“Not really, but they were quite tanned from being in the sun as the Apache are,” Miss Paisley said.
“Wait… Apache dark because of the sun only?” I asked.
Miss Paisley showed another picture and said, “It does play a role in their skin tone, yes.” I raised an eyebrow at that and she went on. “Another document showing examples of the clothing. A man and a woman.”
“The other picture had nice bracelets and hair band too,” Soria said.
“The Egyptians wore wigs,” Miss Paisley said.
“Wigs? Why?” I asked.
“Oh!” Mr. Adrian exclaimed.
“Yes,” Miss Paisley nodded as Jeff crossed his arms.
“Oh. So the hair band was part of the wig?” Soria asked.
“Oooh she has such a pretty dress on. I sure wish I had one like that,” Leah exclaimed.
“Possibly part of the wig, but perhaps jewelry,” Miss Paisley said.
“That is very pretty,” Mr. Adrian nodded.
“How come they wore wigs?” Leah asked.
“t was rather unsanitary there,” Miss Paisley exclaimed. “Many of them suffered from fleas. Mostly lice.”
“Well that ain’t even a dress at all it is a piece of cloth Miss Paisley,” Jeff looked at the picture.
“Imagine dealing with lice all the time,” Miss Paisley said.
“I’m sure glad we don’t hafta cut our hair and wear wigs like them!” Leah said.
“Are they collecting flax in that picture?” Soria asked. “Looks like they are working in a field.”
“I am sure they still has their own hair, but this covered any thing unsightly," Miss Paisley said. “I think they are more likely dealing with papyrus.”
“Miss Paisley?!” Jeff raised his hand. “Did boys and girls wear all white all the time?”
“Yes they did Jeffery. Most often in a document, they talk on papyrus and how much they possessed.”
“They sure had funny words for things!” Leah said.
“Sure did,” Jeff nodded.
Miss Paisley turned the paper over and I asked, “Why didn’t they just call it paper? Pretty much the same word just easier.”
“Often you see headdress. This is a special one,” Miss Paisley said about the paper.
“He must be a King,” Mr. Adrian guessed.
“It is worn by the King,” Miss Paisley said.
“Yeah Mr. Wise, he gots two girls so he must be a king,” Jeff smiled.
“It is suspected that it is the Scorpion King by some,” Miss Paisley said.
“Two girls?” I blinked.
“Those sure are funny hats!” Leah giggled.
“Prolly had more then two girls.. just didn’t have enough room on the pappy-rus,” Mr. Adrian guessed.
“Two women.. likely goddesses as they are wearing the crowns representing the two Niles.... Upper and Lower are placing the crowns on his head,” Miss Paisley explained.
“Or that!” Mr. Adrian grinned.
“Goddesses?” I blinked.
“Yep and he wanted to be looked at more too maybe,” Jeff turned back and looked at Mr. Adrian.
“The Nile was split into two regions,” she explained. “Upper Nile and Lower Nile. Upper Egypt/Nile is in red and Lower Egypt/Nile is in white.”
“But…” Jeff started.
“The King wears the unified crown,” Miss Paisley said.
“Mr. Adrian should have a crown! He kinda like our king,” I exclaimed.
“Well how come they ain’t got shirts on?” Jeff asked.
“That is just how it was back then Jeffery,” Miss Paisley said to her.
“Well he is. He in charge of everyone and make sure everyone safe. Right Mr. Adrian?” I asked, turning around.
“Well.. I get lice every now and then. and I do have my topper,” Mr. Adrian said and I giggled.
“When you see a headdress it is usually for a God other than this crown,” Miss Paisley said.
“Well I sure am glad we ain’t in them days. I not like be without a shirt,” Jeff said.
“But what about the Native chiefs? They wear head thingy,” I said.
“Native chiefs here?” Miss Paisley asked.
“Is that their crown?” I asked.
“They are not in Ancient Egypt,” she said.
“I been learnin’ bout Apache ’cause mommy half Apache. But is that why they wear head thingy’s? Cause they’re like in charge?” I asked.
“I got my head shaved once here and so did teddy and mildew cause all us kids had lice,” Jeff said.
“Lil Natalie.. Apache always wear shirts.. and no chiefs where bonnets .. that’s plains injuns,” Mr. Adrian explained.
“Oh that’s so neat!” Leah turned to me.
“Oh,” I looked down.
“When you see an Apache in what you may feel is no shirt... look closer... you often see something beaded…” Miss Paisley smiled and I looked up, blinking.
“But if they catch us looking closer they might get mad,” Jeff said.
"Then don’t,” Miss Paisley told him and I was confused.
“And then they chase us and grab us and kilt us and skin us,” Jeff looked at us girls.
“I was speaking figuratively. The beads would be very visible Jeffery,” Miss Paisley pointed out.
“Oh, okay Miss Paisley,” Jeff giggled.
“Clothing always had rules back then,” Miss Paisley said. “Folks paid close attention. Clothing indicated many things. It could indicate status in society like the headdress.”
“But clothes is important now like uhm the fireman’s clothes. And the sheriff,” Jeff pointed out.
“Oh yes!" Miss Paisley nodded. “But we are not there yet in the series.”
“Like how they wear badges,” I pointed out.
“We are starting small... and in the case of the man’s clothing here... very,” Miss Paisley said.
“Wooo you gonna tell us more next time too?” Jeff asked.
“Oh yes! For next time... just think where clothing may go next… I will not ask on it, but just think. and with that... CLASS DISMISSED!”
We thanked her for class and then I ran over to Mr. Adrian to give him a hug. I headed outside to get on my horse and rode off to find payroll. I found them and followed them from a distance, hearing someone telling Mr. Free, “We take them when they come back through Tombstone again.”
Black Diamond.
I rode off after Mr. Wedge and the others and called, “Mr Wdge Mr Wedge Mr Wedge! There two people in Tombstone. They talk bout how they gonna get you guys when you go back to Tombstone. I not know their names.”
“Oh? Do you know them?”
“One of them said somethin bout a roof. You gotta be careful Mr. Wedge!!”
“Oh… that again. I will thank you.”
“I had to tell everyone! Cause I gonna be a doctor.”
“Thank you Nat. General...you catch that?” Mr. Wedge asked her.
“Yep,” Miss Suzy nodded.
“Be ready then, Nat,” Mr. Wedge told me and I nodded. “I run to clinic if I hear guns.”
“Maybe we will do something different,” Miss Suzy suggested.
“I run to clinic if I hear guns,” I promised.
“It’s dangerous to do that right now but maybe later easy,” Mr. Seth said.
“Tombstone...they Will be waiting for us,” Mr. Wedge informed.
“Good Natalie, I no want my assistant to be shot too,” Miss Angeles smirked at me and I grinned at her.
When the soldiers were done with their work at the bank, I followed them at a safe distance as we rode through the towns. When we were in Goldfield, I warned Mr. Seth about the guys wanting to attack them in Tombstone and he went totell Miss Suzy, even though I said she already knew. As we continued to ride, Mr. Wedge called for them to ready their weapons.
Tombstone.
When we got back into Tombstone, I somehow lost the soldiers and rode over to Mr. Trent and asked him, “Mr. Trent, where’d cavalry go?”
“They was heading up the far tracks miss Nat,” he said. “Towards Ghenna way.”
“Oooh. I not supposed to go there. I wait here in case they need help here.”
“Well then I guess you shouldn’t then miss.”
“I helping with payroll and heard there people gonna shoot em here. So I warned em and now they go through town and prolly get shot.”
“Golly.”
“I followed em to Diamond, Goldfield and Pearce. Then we came back here. I like watching all the horses and I wanna help Miss Angeles if she need it in the clinic,” I said and hopped off Velvet.
“Well just be careful miss.”
“That why I stay here now. Wasn’t class fun?”
“Yes miss, it was right informative.”
“Uh huh. You can call me Natalie, Mr. Trent. Or Nat.”
“Thank you Miss Nat,” he said and I giggled.
“I can’t help it I reckon, learned my manners real good.”
“I gonna go see the fort at least. Bye Mr Trent!” I said and rode off towards the fort. Mr. Wedge and Mr. Seth were on the ground and someone else was shouting. I shouted to Mr. Joe that they were hurt and asked what I could do but a bad man searched Mr. Wedge and stole money from him. “Hey! You can’t take that money! Miss Angel he taking money!”
“I ain’t doing nothing,” the man shook his head.
“Mr Joe we taking em to the fort or to Tombstone clinic?” I asked.
“I don’t carry money,” Mr. Wedge looked up at the robber and I grinned, thinking that Mr. Wedge was the smartest man ever.
“I go to clinic in Tombstone and wait for you,” I said and ran back to town. “Mr. Trent I was right! They was shot!”
“Who was?”
“Mr. Wedge and Mr. Seth and I dunno who else.”
“Golly! That is a shame.”
“I tried to warn em! They shoulda gone round back or somethin’. There so many of em against not many bad people. How did they... lose?”
Miss Bree walked over then and Mr. Trent answered, “I do not know miss Nat; sometimes things don’t work out as they should.”
“By Fort. I go wait in clinic.”
Miss Bree suggested we go to the fort and we headed out that way. I decided to stay in the clinic though, not wanting to be out in the area of the fort because Mr. Joe said they were all going to come to the clinic.
I started to make tea and then Mr. Joe started to work on a lady’s shoulder, so I offered her tea and wrote her injuries down in the journal. Miss Bree asked if I was shot and I told her I was helping in the clinic. Miss Bree headed out to find more injured people as I helped Mr. Joe, making tea and getting tools for Mr. Joe. More people came in for treatment and I continued to do my work as things got busy. When everyone had been treated, I replaced the dirty sheets with new ones and swept the floor.
I wandered out to the fort then to check on the clinic there and Mr. Wedge said that things were okay there. I asked Miss Ang if there was anything I could do and he said that I just had to check on Mr. Wedge.
“Don't let his grumpy state bother you,” Miss Angeles told me.
“Miss Xav said that Wedge was sneaky today. I remembered it,” I told them.
“Xav deserved be shot she a critter,” Miss Bree muttered.
“I was going to shoot any outlaw I saw today,” Mr. Wedge declared.
“Well Wedge, they got you instead it seems.”
“So who shot Xav?” Mr. Wedge asked.
“Saw gunshots from the hill,” Mr. Seth said as he started to wake up then.
“I was shooting at her...and Ang got in the way…” Mr. Wedge looked over at Mr. Seth. “Say again, Major?”
“Someone was on the hill Colonel Wedge and I returned fire and ended up down’ed,” he said.
“I tried warn you but I guess not good enough. I need to learn names,” I sighed.
“Gunshots but didn’t see much of where,” Mr. Seth said.
“Take a rest Major and Colonel try to not moved much, both will have time for write and gives a Suzy the reports,” Miss Angeles said.
“Names of who, Nat?” Mr. Wedge asked.
“Of the bad guys. So I can tell you who next time.”
“Ahh… Okay Captain,” Mr. Wedge nodded to her.
“I not warn you good enough,” I frowned.
“Oh, I will teach you that. I deal with they like Ranger too,” Miss Angeles said.
“No… It was perfect Nat, thank you,” Mr. Wedge smiled at me.
“But Mr Wedge, you got shot,” I went over to him.
“You did best ya could Nat,” Miss Bree said.
“Yes, but IN the back,” Mr. Wedge said.
“That better?” I asked.
“They rotten shot folks in back,” Miss Bree said. “Maybe we need do that to them.”
“Well...not much one can do if they don’t see the weasel who shooting you in the back,” Mr. Wedge said.
“Yeah. I think I go back home. Get better people,” I said then.
“Ok...thank you Nat...thank you very much,” Mr. Wedge said and I looked around the big fort in awe before heading home.
No comments:
Post a Comment