Weayaya: The Sunset Woman

Chapter 19

Yvonne
1868?

I cringed as Akecheta called the beating woman-Nawaji- and beckoned her toward us. I felt myself step backward before I even realized I was doing it.

Nawaji! He called again as she came skulking over. Her mouth forming a thing line, her eyes staring daggers at me, and her hair pulled so tight it gave me a headache just looking at it.

What do you want? She spat words like venom at him as she eyed me up and down.

You will help her learn our ways. He gestured between us, her scowl turned into a full frown and look disgust.

Why do I have to help your s stupid squaw? She spat venom once more.

Because I told you too. His voice was rough and she backed away a little in what seemed to be some sort of fear. Teach her, or else. He put his hands together and then ripped them apart, displaying some sort of finalization.

Nawaji groaned and rolled her eyes. Fine! She threw her hands up in defeat.

Good. He turned to me. "You. Nawaji. Stay." He motioned between Nawaji and I. "I come. Late." He spoke roughly and then walked off.

I watched in shock as he did, and slowly turned to see Nawaji with her arms folded.

Mahpee! She shrieked.

The boy from earlier came running up.

Help me with this squaw. I don't speak devil tongue. She spoke on lowered tones. 

Mahpee only shook his head.

Tell her to come! Nawaji walked off.

"She say come." Mahpee translated and took my hand in his, leading me behind his sister.

I felt my heart cringe as we followed her. She stomped hard on the ground showing her displeasure and huffed with every other breath.

Before I knew it, we were at a sort of river. Nawaji carefully slide down the little incline and was standing in the water to her heels.

Tell the white whore to come down! She pointed at me and pointed to the water which she stood in.

"She say-," Mahpee began.

"Ah!" I cut him off, "I get her message there." I tried to copy her movements down the incline, but I stumbled at once.

Mahpee laughed but Nawaji grunted. She grabbed my arm and yanked me over into the water. I feel forward, saturating the front of my dress and the hem with water. I was quick to pull myself up.

I barely noticed the other women on the edge of the river. They were some what apart from us. A few of them were washing themselves or children, while others washed their clothes and some sort of pots or utensils.

Here you come to clean and over there to draw water. She pointed at the other end of the stream about ten feet away.

"Here you wash," Mahpee pointed at the ladies some what apart from us, "over there, water to use." He pointed where she had, about ten feet away.

I shook my head.

When men fish we do not come here. She added nonchalantly before grabbing my arm and dragging me up the incline.

I looked at Mahpee, "women no here when men kill."

"Kill?" I repeated as Nawaji yanked me upward.

"The thing do this!" Mahpee motioned with his hands and pointed at the water.

"Fish?" I asked as we were off of the incline.

"Yes." He shook his head as he followed us.

Tell her to look here! Nawaji scowled again as she led me toward a small group of women.

The women were doing an array of tasks. One was standing up and seemed to be doing a sort of sewing, on what I could not yet tell. Another two were beside a fire and an old iron pot, there looked to be a sort of stew bubbling inside. A couple of others were sitting on the ground, just seemingly chatting.

When Nawaji and I showed up their minuscule chatter stopped and they turned to us.

Give me something this white whore can do. Nawaji spoke to the small group. I'm already tired of her.

Come Nawaji, she doesn't look so bad. The woman standing and sewing said.

Lay off Nawaji. She didn't choose this either. One of the sitting women scoffed.

I don't care. Akecheta should do all this stupid-. Nawaji began.

He's a man! The standing woman cut her off. Do not disrespect us by saying Akecheta could do this. If you wanna be such a woman as this than just leave her to me today. Go on! The standing woman began to march over, her hands swashing in front of her. Leave! The standing woman shouted suddenly and Nawaji looked at her with wide eyes.

Nawaji huffed and turned, but as she stomped away she roughly brushed against me. Had not it been for Mahpee beside me who held me up, I would've fallen.

The standing woman had her hands on her hips as she watched Nawaji go away and she shook her head from side to side. She then turned to me.

"Hello there," she smiled and my heart began to race with excitement. "I am Kimimela."

I turned to Mahpee who just smiled up at me and shook his head.

"Hi...I am...uhm...Yvonne." I spoke with hesitation.

"It's good to meet you Yvonne." She kept smiling and I felt at ease. "Don't worry about Nawaji, she has always been sour, especially since Akecheta brushed her away." She put her hand on my shoulder and gently guided me with her. Go on Mahpee, I've got her. She shooed Mahpee who just laughed and ran off toward a group of other boys who I assume were his friends.

"Brushed her away?" I repeated in confusion as she led me to the thing she was working on.

"Oh you know, she wanted him, but he wouldn't let her in his teepee like he let you in. She so mad all the time." Kimimela said, mimicking Nawaji's sour face. "Don't let her ruin your days." She guided me gently toward the thing she had been working on.

"This," she began, her hand wafting over it, "will be a shirt for my man when I'm done." She giggled a little. "All you have to do is take some freshly prepared hide and sew it together with the strong twine." She explained.

Kimimela then took what looked like a very large needle and began to pull it in and out of the material. She did it a couple times and then looked at me. "Go on," she smiled, holding the needle for me to take.

I will admit a great fear of sewing, I did not want to ruin her work, but I also realized that Kimimela was probably my only friend and definitely the only person who could teach me willingly to a level I could understand.

As I shoved the needles into the material and pulled it back through the other side I felt at ease...but as my eyes gazed upward, I saw what seemed to be a real nightmare coming toward me.

The man, Akecheta.