Black Diamond.
I sat in my office in Diamond this morning and saw Sabi out in the street so I went to say hello to her.
“Hiiiiii Auntie Trin, how is you?”
“I’m alright, how are you?”
“Ohhh I am real good thanks! I had my ‘doption physical last night! I am closer ta bein a family again!!”
“Oh great! So Sabi I have a question for you. You know how you said you saw Kory and Susan in town the other night alone? Before the bank was broken into the next day?”
“Uh huh?”
“Have you seen them in town since?”
“No ma’am, I ain’t seen Miss Susan at all since I mets her on Allen street. But then I don’t gets ta town like I once did.”
“I heard you were sick, Sabi. Glad to hear you’re feeling better,” I said to her and greeted Payton who’d joined us.
“Ohhhh yeah, I was real sick! Then Miss Bree cutted tha bad stuff out and I gots better quick!”
“Mmhmm. So I hear there’s a new vet here in town,” I winked at her.
“Yeaaaah as soon as he passes his test Miss Trin! And he is gonna lets me and Payton helps with the animals!” She said and showed me inside the vet clinic.
“Yeah.. daddy is putting in a desk for me,” Payton smiled a bit.
“Yeaaaah and it will helps our town grow bigs and strong again!” Sabi exclaimed. “And mommy is working at the bakery too.”
“I heard! Sounds like this place is coming back to life. That’s great.”
“Yeaaaaah I am so glads!” Sabi exclaimed.
“Have ta check on my horse.. I will be back ta help in a bit.. nothin fer me ta do yet,” Payton said then and wandered off.
“I thawt we would lose our town fer a while. Is kinda funny how our family is turnin out.”
“That just means it’s all the perfect fit,” I smiled.
“I ain’t scared of Mr Cole at all. Mens usually scares me.”
“Speaking of perfect fit, wanna see something?” I knelt down to her level and showed her my necklace. “See somethin’ new around my neck?”
“Oooo! A charm! You are bein courted Auntie!!”
“I gave Mr. Thomas a gift last night,” I smiled.
“Awww!” she grinned.
“He was away for a week and I really missed him.... and I wanted to show him how much he means to me.”
“He was away for a week and I really missed him.... and I wanted to show him how much he means to me.”
“Dats really neat Aunt Trin! I bets he was real happy!”
“Mmhmm, we both are! Been a long time since I’ve been courted, you know.”
“Maybe soon I will has cousins!!!!!”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves now...” I chuckled. “Though.. Natalie is kinda like your cousin.”
“She ain’t kinda like my cousin auntie, she is my cousin!”
“There you go!” I grinned.
“Aunt Trin?”
“Yeah Sabi?”
“Auntie Aeryne told me ta not takes trips ta Iowey fer a while. Did somethin bads happen out theres?”
I sighed and said, “You should stay here in Tombstone, where you are safe.”
“Aunty Nakoma and me are real real close. I goes there to see her,” Sabi said and I looked down at the name. “Did she do somethin bad Auntie Trin?”
“No hon, not her... But the people she lives with are not the nicest. And it’s not something that’s easy for me to talk about. I just... want you to be safe. And you’ll be safest if you stay here with your new mommy and daddy.”
“Mr EJ was real nice to me fer a long time. Til he didnt get what he wanted, then he turned into a kinda jerk.”
“Is Standing Bear still the chief there?” I looked at her seriously.
“In Iowa Miss Trin? No, I don’t know who that is. Auntie Nakoma is chief of our village there.”
“Oh, so Nakoma isn’t with the Cherokee anymore? She goes by Sonsee too, doesn’t she?” I asked.
“She is tha one that gaved me my name, Little Dove. It was her mommy’s when she was a child.. Well.. tha way I understand it she was Sonsee when she was a kid, but grown up she is Nakoma. And we have our own tribe in Iowa... it has folks from all over, Cheyenne people, Apache, wolves, horsies, you name it.”
“You need to be careful, Sabi,” I nodded and sighed.
“Of what auntie?”
“Just... Please trust me? Be very careful around the Cherokee especially.”
“Aunt Nakoma and me are the only Cherokee I knows Miss Trin.”
“Good. Keep it that way,” I said, trying not to sound as firm as I was sounding.
“She told me all the family she had are dead. I was thinkin of askin her to come visit me here in Airyzoney... would that be bad Auntie Trin?”
I cringed a bit and said, “Sabi..”
“Uh huh?”
“Just... talk to Mr. Cole and Mrs. Rye, okay? They can explain it to you better than I can. They were there... I met them at the Cherokee village. A long time ago. They were the only ones who were nice to me. I met Sonsee but didn’t really get to know her all that well.”
Sabi came closer to me, reaching out her hand to me. I took her hand and gave her a hug. “Cause you are white auntie?”
“See that’s just it, kiddo... I’m part Apache...” I wiped a tear and took a few deep breaths. “I’m sorry... it just... A lot of bad memories.”
“I knows auntie,” she hugged me close. “I don’t gets treated nice by a lots of tha native folks here for bein a haff breed. I didn’t know you was part Apache Aunt Trin. I am glads I am glad, kinda makes us even closers in a way.”
“Mmhmm. I’m not ready to be okay with it yet but I’m trying... There’s been a lot that’s happened lately that’s made me think about my past with the Natives. It’s several years later and the hurt still hasn’t healed.”
“We should be proud Auntie,” Sabi said and I just shook my head. “Auntie Nakoma showed me somethin once and explained it to me cause lots of tha folks here made me feels bad about being part. Was a wheel with colors on tha outside, white and black and red and yellow. Den on the inside was a center showin tha land and tha world. And Auntie Nakoma taught me that it took all them colors to make tha land complete and right. And even those of us between them was special cause he had our parts in it toos.”
I shook my head and stood. “I’m sorry kiddo it just... it hurts too much.”
“I understands Auntie. I loves ya no matter what though okies?”
“Thanks, kiddo,” I hugged her, knowing she would never possibly understand. “I think I need to go take a ride on my horse.”
“Okay Auntie. I will see ya laters.”
“See you, kiddo,” I headed out and hopped on Phoenix, riding out of town.
Tombstone.
This afternoon I went to town and talked with Conway about the cases I was working but he hadn’t witnessed any of them. I talked to Rock and Prudence and he said that he was training to be a deputy. I was glad to hear it and asked if he’d really not seen anyone else around when the sheriff’s office was set on fire. He said that there was no one else he saw and I walked down the street.
I saw Paisley in front of the Crystal Palace and since Lot and Lisa were there, I asked if she could join me in the office. She didn’t witness any of the cases I was working and we walked back out to the street.
Crazy rode in on his horse and we talked a bit until Lisa called to Crazy about a rematch. I told him it sounded like he had a fan club and Lisa called at me that I was being too nosey. I shrugged and walked off to Diamond.
Black Diamond.
While I worked on my journal for the day, Payton came into the office with some food for me and a cup of coffee. We talked about Cole’s vet clinic and the adoption process and then Payton told me that she was trying to be Natalie’s friend and help her out in school. We said goodnight and she headed to the orphanage for story time.
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