The Savage

Five

The day dragged by, information forced into my mind that I did not want and told myself I would never use. Only the echo of my papa's voice kept me seated and quiet. 'The whites are our enemies, Kimimela, and they outnumber our people one hundred to one. We must learn about them, know them, then we can defeat them. Knowledge, daughter, knowledge can be deadlier than the sharpest knife.' The lunch bell rang at last, and I moved eagerly out into the sun, feeling it kiss my cheeks.

I selected a quiet spot in the grass well off to the side of the schoolhouse, eating my sandwich and apple, watching the others play. The girls were skipping rope, the boys wresting and racing, laughter echoing around the yard. One solitary figure caught my eye, and I looked over just as a group of boys led by Sammy Hayes saw her too.

"My pa says your kind don't belong with proper folk!" Bobby Nash spoke loudly.

"Yeah, you're nothin' but field tillin' slaves, no better'n mules!" Sammy eagerly joined in, and they ringed around the girl, taunting, yelling. Blood beginning to boil I slowly stood up, reminded of another little girl, outnumbered and beat up by boys. The memory of how I had made them pay brought a savage smile to my lips, and I set my food back into the lunch sack, wiping the back of my hand across my mouth. There was no noise under my feet as I moved forward, slipping around the group until I was directly behind Bobby. When he moved, I was ready for him.

I caught his arm as he shoved the girl down, and as she hit her side I threw Bobby over her, watching as his face met the ground with a crunch. In a wild chaos of yelling and moving bodies, the fight was on, a hand grabbing, feet kicking, biting, squirming mass.

"What is going on here?!" Miss Hazel rushed out, pulling the children apart, digging though the squirming limbs to the bottom of the pile. I had Sammy Hayes pinned under me, and was pummeling his face as hard as I could with my fists.

"Jaynie Colter! What on earth-!" she was aghast, lifting me roughly from him. "What happened!"

"She just attacked me!" Sammy was getting up, holding his bloody nose. His eye was already swollen nearly shut.

"And she pushed Bobby into the ground!" Alma Moore piped up, pointing accusingly at me. The boy's face bore the skid marks of rough ground, and Miss Hazel looked down at me, exasperated.

"Jaynie, why would you do that!? You know the rules about fighting!" If she was waiting for an explanation she would be disappointed, for I simply stood there, my arm in her tight grip.

"Miss Hazel?" Lettie spoke up, holding out her arm. "I think the Injun girl bit me."

"Jaynie!" Flustered, she pulled me up the steps and pushed me firmly into the schoolhouse. "No more recess the rest of the week! You simply cannot bite the other students!"

The door closed swiftly behind her, and I was left alone in the empty room. I could hear the whining complaints of the girls, and the boastful justification of the boys outside. Crossing my arms I went to the window, looking outside. They were all speaking at once, Miss Hazel in the middle, sympathetic, attentive, coddling. Snorting in disdain, I turned away. Let them cry and snivel...I despised them all!

Moving into a corner I sat down, folding my legs gracefully under me, my hands resting peacefully in my lap. Head up, shoulders back, I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, letting my mind drift back to happier times. I made myself remember my papa, my people, the scent of wood smoke, buffalo oil, roasted corn and buckskin, the smell of freedom. A soft hum formed in the back of my throat, rough at first, then rising in volume as the words came back to me.

"Great Spirit, have compassion upon me, for I am suffering..." I felt tears gather in my eyes as I repeated the phrase, fingers curling into tight fists in my lap.