Tombstone.
This afternoon I walked down the street and greeted Sabi with a hug as I waved to the rest of the people who were standing around. They were talking about an evil man on the street and Sabi said she was looking at the wanted poster. They all complimented me on my dress and I said it was Sunday so I decided to dress up a bit. Sabi got embarrassed a bit though and said I better not let Nora see me because I was showing too much skin. I went back to change and then returned, saying I still wasn’t gonna wear shoes.
Jimmy came over and I hugged him tight. We talked about how Wedge teased Angel about her German accent and I said that Ma had to rest today cause she worked too hard. Jimmy said it was because adults don’t get naps like kids do. Dancing Cloud walked over while we kicked a ball back and forth, and I stopped suddenly, kicking the ball hard.
“Miss Cloud mean lady who want to cut man’s tongue out,” I told them and stayed near Mr. Wedge. “She said Mr. Rock said bad things to her and made her mad. Mr. Rock said he jes said hello.”
“Makes me think of mine daughter minny vat can I say,” Miss Angel said.
“I’m sure she’s ok with kids...just not these uniforms tho,” Mr. Wedge said.
Sabi headed home so Mr. Cole could take her to the doctor’s and then I said, “Mr. Rock weren’t wearin’ no uniform.”
“True...but indians and this uniform don’t mix,” he said.
“She still mean.”
“Ya’ll left the boy out there to play by himself?” Mr. Wedge asked, and we looked over at Jimmy who was kicking the ball high up in the air and running around.
“Jimmy I pass it to you!” I called to him and started to play with him. “Bet you I get it in those two poles first!” We continued to kick the ball but then I kicked the ball hard and tripped, falling as my foot twisted. “Owwwwwww!”
“Oh my you alvright litle vone?” Miss Angel asked.
“Ooops...you ok?” Mr. Wedge asked.
“It huuuuuuuurts!” I reached for my foot.
“Natalie!! What wrong?” Jimmy cried and I started to feel the tears come as I reached for my ankle.
“Owww! It… It big!” I said, seeing the ankle swell up. “My foot not usually that fat!” I said and reached for Jimmy.
“Ve should get you to the doc little vone,” Miss Angel said.
“Uh oh,” Mr. Wedge frowned.
Jimmy knelt down and held my hand and I sniffed. “It gonna hurt to stand up.”
Miss Angel picked me up and said, “I take her to the docs Vedgie. Keep an eye on thingz?”
“Sure,” he nodded.
“Jimmy come too!” I cried, holding tightly to Miss Angel as she carried me to the clinic and Jimmy followed us. She lay me down on the table and I said, “I s’posed to work here not be a patient.”
“Mind vaiting vith her vhile I go vire for a doc?” Miss Angel looked at Jimmy.
“Lady it turning purple!” I cried, seeing my ankle throb.
“Take it easy little vone help vill soon be here. Juzt relax and think about fun things for now.”
“It hurts reeeeal bad,” I looked at Jimmy.
“What I tell you bout wearin shoes silly?” Jimmy held my hand tightly.
“Maybe I gotta start. My foot bended back. When I kicked it.”
“I wearin boots and that big ball still hurt when I kick it.”
“I never beeen hurt like this before,” I squeezed his hand, wincing.
“I sowwy you get hurt Natalie..but doc come take care of ya..maybe you git cast like I had.”
“The ball was fun till I hadta get hurt. What if none come?”
“Don’t fret little vone it’ll be fine,” Miss Angel returned.
“Look lady it fat and purple,” I told her.
“Here Natalie, suck on one of these, it help you not think bout it,” Jimmy said and reached into his pocket to take out a peppermint candy for me.
“Thanks Jimmy.”
“Yore welcome, peppermint candy makes everything better,” Jimmy chuckled.
“You hurt your foot bad but the doc vill be here soon dont vorry,” Miss Angel said.
A man flung the door open and ran in and I looked up then. “I’m a doc. Just got a telegram.”
“Hi Mr. Doc…” I greeted him.
“What can I do?”
“Hallo Mikk,” Miss Angel greeted him. “Been a vhile. She hurt herself vhile playing ball in the street.”
“My foot twisted the wrong way and now it’s purple and fat. And it huuuuuurts,” I said and wiped the tears away to look brave.
“Oh dear. So young lady…” he smiled.
“I know... I gotta start wearin’ shoes….” I sighed.
“Let me just get my coat off and I’ll be right back,” he said and Miss Angel thanked him for coming as he went to wash his hands. Jimmy held my hand and continued to suck on his own piece of candy as he made faces at me to make me feel better and I giggled a bit though my ankle was still hurting bad.
“Mr. Doctor, I help out in clinic,” I told him. “I gonna watch what you do so I can learn.”
“You know Natalie, yore foot keep sweelin, it might pop, then have to git a peg leg and then you be a pirate. Pirate Natalie!” Jimmy chuckled but I started to cry more.
“There there,” Mikk said. “Would you like a lollipop?”
“I not gonna get... sniffs... peg ... sniffs... leg... am I?” I sniffed as Miss Angel headed out to the street.
“No of course not. Kid…” he looked at Jimmy. “Could you go to that jar over there and take out two lollipops for me?”
“That my best friend Jimmy,” I told him.
“Yes sir,” Jimmy nodded and went to the jar.
“Good. So where abouts does it hurt?” Mr. Mikk asked and I pointed to my right foot.
“It’s fat and purple, see?” I looked at him.
“Now young man can you please give Natalie a lollipop… I’m sure it will help a lot,” Mr. Mikk said to him.
“And it feels like when you feel heart beat... pulsing,” I said.
“Here ya go Natalie, doc said you need one a these,” Jimmy said and gave me a lollipop.
Mr. Mikk leaned over and lifted my hurt foot up from the bed, supporting it on the lower leg. I winced when he touched it but thanked Jimmy for the lollipop.
“We were playing soccer doc.. and Natalie kick the big ball really hard,” Jimmy explained.
“And…” Doc Mikk said to him. “The other one..is for you for being a good friend to Natalie helping her. Right now… Let’s see… Yes, it does have a funny colour does it not?”
“Awww thanks doc,” Jimmy grinned and popped the lollipop into his mouth.
“And it’s fat,” I nodded.
“Why it do that doc?” Jimmy asked.
“I say Jimmy, would you get me one of those smalls stools in the waiting room?” Doc Mikk asked him.
“Sure doc,” Jimmy nodded and did so.
“Well…it’s most likely because a vessel inside the foot has been hurt..so it bleeds..just like if you hurt a finger,” Doc Mikk explained.
“Cause it twisted the wrong way,” I said.
“Well yes...only it’s not on the outside but on the inside.”
Jimmy came back with a stool and said, “Here ya go doc.”
“Thanks Jimmy…” Doc Mikk said.
I tried to move my foot a little but it hurt too much. “Owwww!” Doc. Mikk took the stool and put it on the bed, then carefully and slowly lifted my foot on it so it was raised. “Why it gotta be raised Mr. Doc?”
“Well… When one hurts a foot… and it’s pumping inside it.. one needs to put it over the level of the heart. That way...the blood pressure will be less on the foot and leg.”
“Is that like the pulsing feeling?”
“Yes… And next time..if there is a next time… you should just lay down on the ground immediately. That way the swelling will not get big.”
“Don’t that make you feel fuzzy headed too doc? Like when stand on head too long?” Jimmy asked.
“Some grown up can come carry you here,” he said.
“What if I jes ride my horse instead of walkin’?”
“Now..” he smiled. “Tell me....is the pain less now?”
“A little…”
“Miss Angel carry her here doc,” Miss Angel said.
“Naw...you need to have the leg higher than your heart,” Doc Mikk said. “Well that’s good.”
“How I gonna walk then???” I asked.
“Now we need to put some cold on it,” he said. “Let’s see… I think a towel with cold water on it will do the trick. What you say Jimmy can you make a towel soaked in cold water?”
“Shore doc,” Jimmy said and did so.
“Thanks. How’s the lollipop Natalie?” he asked me.
“It’s yummy,” I continued to lick on it.
“Excellent,” he smiled.
“Am I gonna have to wear cast?”
“Well… let’s see first how bad it is.”
Jimmy brought the soaked towel over to Doc Mikk and he thanked him for it, saying he’d done a good job. He carefully put the soaked towel on my foot and asked me, “How does that feel?”
I winced a bit and then reached for Jimmy’s hand and he held it. “Jes hope it makes it better, Mr. Doc.”
“We will see… we will see,” he said. “How does it feel apart from the cold?”
“Um..... okay I guess... still a bit sore.”
“Yes, that’s only natural.” He lifted the towel and peaked at the foot.
“What it look like doc?”
“It looks a lot better.”
“It gonna hurt a while though ain’t it?”
“Have a look,” he said and lifted the towel.
I sat up a bit and looked. “It’s a bit less fat.”
“Now we have to see how much or how little its hurt..ok?” he asked and I nodded, wincing a bit. “If you eat your lolli I will have a look at it...my job is the foot...your job is the lollipop. Got it?”
“Yes sir,” I said and licked at the lollipop and squeezed Jimmy’s hand as the doc took my foot and twisted it a bit gently from side to side. I bit my lower lip as he did so.
“It be ok Natalie, just hang in der,” Jimmy held my hand and rubbed it softly.
“Good girl..that was not too bad was it?” he asked and I bit my lower lip, shaking my head as I tried to focus on my lolli.
Doc Mikk held my foot and put a bit of pressure upwards into the leg and asked, “How’s that?” When I bit my lip again and felt the tears threaten, he asked, “Was it bad?” I nodded a bit and he did it again to see how it really felt and I bit hard on my lolli. “Hmm… Natalie… I want you to tell me if the pain was much worse than when I twisted your foot or if its the same.”
“I broked it, didn’t I?” I looked at him with worry.
“Depends.”
“Worse when it twisted, sir.”
“Hmm… How much worse?”
“A little worse.”
He put a thumb under the foot and traced it with pressure from down the foot up to the toes and I winced. “Well, it may be broken… I really don’t like that you feel that much pain.” I looked down at the ground as he tried different places under the foot and watched me closely. Doc Libby came in then and he looked at her. “Would you care to assist? I think Natalie’s foot has a tiny break in it.”
“Howdy there, Doc...Oh! Well.... I’d be happy to help out any way ya need?” Doc Libby asked. “Howdy, Natalie... What happened?”
“I have located the break at the lower part just over the heel,” Doc Mikk said. “Maybe you can have a look and give a second opinion?”
“We was playin’ with the soccer ball and I kicked it too hard,” I told her. “I gonna start wearin’ shoes I guess.”
“Oh dear... just over the heel... if that’s the case, she’s going to need a cast and crutches…" Doc Libby said.
“I’m still comin’ to work tomorrow!!!” I sniffed and looked desperately at Mikk.
“You enjoy working in the clinic, Natalie?” Doc Libby held her hand out to my foot.
“Beats sittin’ around readin’ all day,” I nodded to her.
“Remember..your job is the lollipop...doc’s job is your foot,” Doc Mikk smiled and I sniffed, licking the lollipop.
“Well... I think it will be a good example if you do follow the doctor’s instructions... whatever they may be.... and I’m sure we can find you some work to do that will fit with your injury,” Doc Libby said.
“I can still write stuff!” I nodded.
Doc Libby pressed the swollen flesh and traced around the bone. “Oh! there... i feel it.... right where ya said it’d be.” I winced and looked at Doc Mikk with tears, sniffing a bit as Doc Libby said, “The good thing... is it doesn’t seem to be a great big fracture…”
“There there...you will be fixed in no time,” Doc Mikk smiled at me.
“But you will need to use crutches... least for a little bit... to give it a chance to heal,” Doc Libby said.
“I still wanna work!!” I nodded. “I not letting Mr. Stone down.”
“Doc Libby would you care to do the casting?” Doc Mikk smiled.
“You’ve got an excellent work ethic, Natalie! I’m sure Mr. Stone will be most impressed,” Doc Libby smiled. “Oh... if you already started, Mikk... I can hunt up those crutches... they ought to be around here somewhere.”
“Sure thing… Now I’ll get my Sunday clothes all dirty,” Doc Mikk mumbled. He went to get the apron and put it on and said, “Oh what the heck.”
“I sorry Doc,” I sniffed.
“We’ll do the cast together... make quick work of it... how’s that?” Doc Libby suggested as she got an apron for herself.
They both worked on a cast for my ankle and the plaster felt really funny but then it hardened into the cast. Doc Libby asked how old I was and when I said I was twelve she gave me a new drug called asprin. She told me to swallow it and then they gave me the crutches to test them out. I walked around on the crutches, letting them support me, and found it wasn’t so hard.
“Next time use shoes…or…” Doc Mikk whispered, “Use the inner foot...never toes.”
“Yeah maybe I should start wearing shoes… But Payton don’t wear shoes.”
“You play football with the inner side of your foot.. not the toes. That way you have full control of the ball. If you use the toe it will fly every which way.”
“It did,” I nodded.
“But don’t tell the boys. This way you will have the upper-hand over them….”
“Once I get better.”
“I’m sure you will. Practice makes champion.”
“Then they’ll think you got special powers from having crutches,” Doc Libby smiled.
“I mean my foot better,” I looked at him.
“Oh,” he laughed. “Yes, well I’m sure you are already an excellent baller.”
“If you have any trouble with your cast or crutches, you c’mon back in to one of the clinics... and we’lll fix ya up,” Doc Libby said. “Oh! One last thing.” She found a tongue depressor and gave it to me. “If you have an itch under the cast.... slide that in to scratch it.”
“Oh that helps!” I grinned. I thanked them both for their help and then headed home to rest.
***
This evening I walked into town on my crutches and talked with a man named Crazy about how I broke my foot. I went over to talk to the people in front of the sheriff’s office and told Mr. Wedge and Miss Angel about getting crutches. I talked to a bunch of other people by the saloon and Mr. TJ got mad that we kids were around the saloon. I talked back to TJ and he and Miss Lisa left so I was proud of myself for getting rid of them.
We talked for a while and then Mrs. Paisley came over with a man. She introduced him as Tony and I grinned, finally getting to meet him.
“Mrs. Paisley said you was okay with what she does for a job,” I told him. “I was talkin’ to her ’bout it cause um… Cause my ma did it too... Not miss Trin but my real ma.”
“Nat, what is going on with Rikki over there?” Mrs. Paisley asked as we heard the group talking down the street.
“I dunno. I over here.”
“Sounds like she is stirring up trouble again. Tony, I mentioned to you I talked to Nat.”
“Yes darling,” he nodded.
I started to get nervous being around so many people and asked, “Maybe we can go somewhere where there not… This many peoples?”
“Sure,” Mrs. Paisley nodded.
“How about the dining room out back of Russ house?” Mr. Tony asked.
“Sure Mr. Tony. Then I can sit.”
“Yes, a good idea with your foot,” Mrs. Paisley said and we walked over to the dining room as we heard men talking about buying a woman for some money.
“Was that man sellin’ them women?”
“I am not sure…” Mrs. Paisley said.
“Ma was almost sold like that. By a judge. Back where she used to live. I read ’bout it. She was real scared then. Bunch of bad guys surrounded her and the sheriff guy in the church where she were talkin’. But they all left her ’lone. Eventually… Den she got shot by the worst of ’em and left that town.”
“It does sound like your momma did not have it easy Nat,” Mrs. Paisley said as she and Tony sat across from each other.
“She didn’t but that’s why she strong today, she says. Mr. Tony... did Mrs. Paisley tell you bout my real parents?” I looked at him.
“Yes, Miss Natalie, she did,” he nodded.
“I was real surprised when I found out what ma did.”
“Sounds like you had a rough time of it, as did your Ma.”
“And then Miss Trin told me I should talk to Mrs. Paisley. Cause that’s what she does. And she told me how it’s jes a job and she don’t let them bring guns into the room. But then how come Miss Angi didn’t want me ’round you when I first came to town? She was real mad you were my friend.”
“Not many like what I do,” Mrs. Paisley nodded.
“She said I had a lot of potential and that if I wanted to waste my time I should hang ’round you like I do. That’s when I started to wanna be a doctor.”
“And you should continue those studies.”
“But if I just get hurt maybe I a bad one?”
“Nat, all kids fall and get hurt. I had two older brothers. They were always in bandages.”
“I didn’t have any siblings... I don’t think. Unless people lied ’bout that too. They lied ’bout every other part of me before comin’ here.”
“Some kids don’t. It all depends. Some couples have many children. Some a few and others just one. Some do not have any.”
“I guess Jimmy’s like a brother. We say we love each other like brother and sister. He dun want me to get hurt.”
“Yes, some are good enough friends to feel that way.”
“Miss Natalie, do you have some concerns about Paisley and what she does for a job?” Mr. Tony asked.
“You did say you wanted to talk to him…” Mrs. Paisley said.
“Yeah…” I nodded. “Mr. Tony?”
“Yes?” he smiled. “Please feel welcome to ask me anything.”
“I been trying to understand my pa… And how he could be okay with what ma did… And… How come he wouldn’t help Pinkertons catch her killer…”
“Well, the first part of that I can tell you easy enough,” he nodded slowly. “Now, with my business doing as well as it is, Paisley, doesn’t need to work anywhere, I can support her easily. But Paisley has this need, in her soul, to be an entertainer.”
“I did tell you Nat on how this all started for me,” Mrs. Paisley said.
“Yeah.”
“And I missed dancing once I got here.”
“As long as she can make folks happy.. make them forget their troubles, if only for a little while, then she feels fulfilled,” Mr. Tony said.
“Even when…” I looked at him.
“Yes,” Mrs. Paisley nodded as Mr. Tony narrowed his eyebrows, but he smiled.
“Nat, I lived in high society growing up. I was left a rather good inheritance,” Mrs. Paisley said. “In all honesty, it would keep Tony and I quite comfortable if he were to stop working. Did you see Arthur?”
“I can also say Natalie, I have a certain amount of pride, knowing that other men, have an attraction to Paisley, it makes me very proud, that no matter who she is with, her heart belongs to me,” Mr. Tony said.
“Yes, my heart does,” Mrs. Paisley nodded.
“I think I get it,” I said. “So then why wouldn’t Pa try to help them catch the man who killed ma?”
“And when I am out of town on business, which is often, I know that Paisley is safe where she is working, because she has other ladies around her that all look out for each other,” Mr. Tony said.
“In eleven days, it is our one year anniversary Nat,” Mrs. Paisley said.
“Now that Natalie, is a separate problem. I have no idea why your Pa would not help catch her killer,” Mr. Tony said.
“Well if the job weren’t so bad then it weren’t cause he wanted to hide what she did…” I thought out loud.
“Hmm…”
“Some people don’t approve though Nat,” Mrs. Paisley said.
“What if…” I blinked, shaking my head.
“Now, just because Paisley has a good time of it, doesn’t mean the job she does isn’t dangerous,” Tony said. “In some towns, it is very dangerous to do what Paisley does. It’s more about the kind of men that are around.”
“Take Miss Angi. Remember what I told you about TJ and how he protected me?” Mrs. Paisley asked.
“But…” I nodded. “There lots of bad men here.”
“Remember they have soft spots,” she said.
“Yes, there are lots of bad men here. And I know a few of them,” Mr. Tony said.
“I do have many who also look out for me,” Mrs. Paisley said as Mr. Tony rested his hand on his gun instinctively. “I have had words with Garth and several came to my side and I said not a word to them.”
“Truth is, I think Paisley is so well liked, by even some of the baddest men, that no one would harm her, for fear of making some of these men angry, me included. I don’t know if your Ma had a lot of friends. Or if your Pa even liked you Ma much.”
“I dunno either. I didn’t know em at all.”
“It would be a shame for a woman in that position to not have friends to protect her,” Mrs. Paisley said.
“I was at the orph’nage in Mississippi for a long time before I came here,” I said. “They told me they both died in an accident of some kind. But then... when I moved here… Cause they put me on a train with tha other kids who they didn’t like…”
“They prefer to keep details on a job like that from children.”
“Miss Trin took me in ’cause things were bad at the orph’nage here too. So…”
“I normally do not discuss it with children,” Mrs. Paisley said.
“Then we got papers from ’em. With my birthing information an stuff… It said my real birthday. I wasn’t really nine like I thought all this time. I’m twelve. So then… I found the paper in the back of the stack that said my ma was killed by the man she was with while on duty as a dove… In bed… And my pa… He got killed by the Pinkertons tryin’ to catch Ma’s killer.”
“He must have just had a hurting heart Nat,” Mrs. Paisley said.
“Cause he wouldn’t help ’em. So he shot ’em. And they shot back. And they won,” I sniffed and looked down.
“I am sure if I was dead Tony would not be happy at all,” Mrs. Paisley said.
“Now I wish they was both alive.”
Mr. Tony gave me a glass of water, and Mrs. Paisley said, “I am sure you do…”
“I have so many questions for em and I’ll never know the answers,” I said and took the water and sipped it. “Thanks Mr. Tony.. I sorry I jes…”
Mrs. Paisley reached over and gently rubbed my back and Mr. Tony said, “It’s okay.”
“’Least I got Miss Trin now. I don’t gotta live in no stupid orph’nage anymore. And I got Jimmy and the other girls are startin’ to be nice to me. I didn’t trust em at first cause the girls at the other place were mean.”
“They can be like brothers and sisters to you,” Mrs. Paisley said.
“And I gonna be a doctor thanks to Mr. Alex.”
“If yer Pa was tryin to catch yer Ma’s killer, then he was gonna take the law into his own hands... its a shame he didnt let the Pinkertons do it,” Mr. Tony said.
“That could be it too, Sir... Maybe he didn’t want their help cause he was doin’ it,” I said.
“And maybe, he wanted to make sure the killer got what he deserved,” Mr. Tony said.
“Who knows.. Maybe someday you will discover a treasure like Jimmy did. I did read a letter to him from his mother,” Mrs. Paisley said.
“Well I guess I should go home and go to bed early,” I said then.
“Have a good night Nat. Sleep well,” Mrs. Paisley said.
“You take care of that injured foot and give my regards to Trin,” Mr. Tony said.
“I will Miss Paisley.. I told her she had to stay home today. Cause she just works when she comes to town,” I said.
“Maybe I will bring Chester out and we can ride again,” Mrs. Paisley smiled.
“I hope I was able to answer your questions, to your satisfaction, miss Natalie,” Mr. Tony said.
“You did Mr. Tony… Thank you for letting me talk to you. It helped me understand a bit better.”
“You can talk to me any time,” he said and I smiled, giving them both a hug. “You take care little miss.”
“I will mister,” I said and headed home.
On the way home, I found Nora and Molly and Agnes eating ice cream. I asked them if I could have some too and I told them about hurting my ankle. Miss Rikki came over then but we blocked the door so she couldn’t get in. After a while, I went home and Molly said that they loved me before I said I loved them too and headed home.
