m on i s h e d h i m s elf.
Peter b e nt to t a ke h e r s u itcase f r om her ti n y ha n d . As he d id s o , he ca u g h t t h e sl i g h t , ev o cati v e sce n t of wild sa g e. Straig h t e n in g , h e a g ain t r ied to catch h er e y e, b u t M a r y kept h e r s h i n ing he a d ben t .
“ Co m e,” he r e peated, and ag ain t a ki n g her elb o w in his h an d , lead h er t o h is 1 939 Ford p ickup, in h e r ited f r om h is f at h e r , a n d now b a d l y r u st e d a n d d e n t e d .
Hel p ing h er i n to t h e tr u ck, its u p h o lstery torn and s m el l i n g of du st, and r un n i n g a r o un d to t h e dr i v e r ’s sid e , Pe t er h o p p e d in a nd st a rted t h e eng i ne. V e ry s o o n , t h is w o m an w o uld be his. His b o dy gave an involuntary sh udd e r as he p l aced the t ru c k in ge a r a nd drove away from t h e stati o n. Peter S po tted Ea g l e C a tc h e r was alrea d y d ee p l y in lo v e.
Reva wa l k ed to the tru c k as it c a m e to a creak i n g st op, dust b ill o wing arou n d t h e cab and b ed as t h e tires d u g i n to t h e lo o se d i rt o f t h e rese r v a tio n. She s m il ed at M ar y , gazi n g de e p l y i n t o her s oo n - t o - be da ug h ter- i n-l a w’s glisteni n g , b ro wn e y e s . Op e n i ng t h e car do o r , Re v a o f fer e d t o help M ary o u t o f t h e tru c k.
Mary accepted the old e r woman’s h a nd and gra s ped it firmly. She is as frighten e d as a bi r d w h o sees t h e s h ad o w of t h e h a w k , Reva t h ou ght to h e rself.
“ Co m e, Cuwitku , 13 I have a p l ace for you to change, an d then you will b e we d .” Re v a n o d d e d , as if to reaffirm to h erself t h e v erity o f what
she was ab out t o say, and s m iled.
“ C o m e. It will b e all rig h t.”
Face fre s hly scrubbed, her dark, s h ining hair n e wly bru s hed and ha n g in g lo ose t o her wa i s t , a sage w reat h , w ra p p e d w it h r e d t rade clo t h, grac e d her sh a p ely he a d . Her m o th e r’s r i bbon dress r e placed the s k irt and c o tt o n sh i r t she h a d wo rn on t h e b u s, and h un g g r a cefully to her ankle s . Beaded m o ccasins, a gift from her m o ther for her s i xteen t h birthday, e n ca s ed her s m all, graceful feet.
Stand i ng in R e va’s ti n y b e d ro o m and clut c h i n g t h e f o ot b o a rd o f t h e rust e d , ti n , b e d fra m e, M ary resol v e d to r un if she had t o . She w ou l d walk up t o h e r g r oo m . She w o uld finally l o o k i n t o his ey es, and i f she di d n ’t li k e w h a t she saw, s h e w o uld r u n. Sh e w o uld r u n a n d r un an d r u n as fast as she c ou l d. I d o n ’ t c a re if I h a ve t o w a sh d is h es a n d sleep i n t h e back ro om of a d i ner. If I d on ’t li ke h i m, I ’ m go in g t o ru n! Ma ry t ho ug h t fra n tically to h erse l f. S h e h ad b a rely co m p l e ted h e r th o ug h t w h en the d oo r s q ue a k ed op e n, c a usi n g her heart to g ive a fr a ntic j u m p . Spinni n g
13 Chew-weed-k o o – Daughter
t o w a rd t h e s ou n d , h e r be a u ti f ul hair fa n n i n g out a ro u n d h e r slight b o d y , M ary dis c ov er ed R e va, a r m s once aga i n he l d out t o her f o r co m fort.
“ Co m e, Mary. It is ti m e,” Reva announ c ed, enfo l d ing Mary in a warm e m brace, and placing a s m all bundle of wild flowers in h e r tre m bling h a n d s.
Sl o wly, slowly, Mary wal k ed to w h e r e a tight k n ot o f p eo p le were
g ro up e d t o get h er in what w ou l d be t h e li v i n g r oo m , b u t, in fact, was m erely part o f o n e ro om wh i ch s e rv e d a s k it ch e n, d ini ng r o om and par l or.
S h e felt as if in a d ream – as i f s h e were wal k ing in slow m o ti o n, or wad i ng t h ro u g h deep wate r . Her he a rt was p ou nd i ng aga i nst h e r rib c ag e as she slowly adv a nc e d toward a s in g l e m an s t andi n g apart f rom t h e oth e rs, a wild f low