It's All Or Nothin'
It's All Or Nothin' © Chey
The rest of the evening was more of the same: Mana told stories of her past, and the riders taught her poker, a fair-trade in all of their eyes. Mana and Buck got into a great conversation about the history of her native people, the Potawatomi, during the card game.
“I’m part of the woodland Potawatomi tribe, from the land of shining water, in Northern Michigan,” Mana answered one of the riders questions. “Originally, we’re from Southern Michigan, but my tribe was forced north into the winter woods of the greater lakes. Further north, the colder weather put a great strain on the population of my people. With every winter storm approaching, we worked hard to protect ourselves, but with little success,” Mana’s voice faded off, projecting some memory of the past.
“Did you lose anyone close?” Cody asked inquisitively.
“My father was lost to a strong storm when I was around 16 years old.
Before he died, he told me the story of my mother’s death, again, and how
my family had been mixed back into the white world. ‘A seed had been planted,’
he said. ‘…but with out the proper fertilization, the ancestors would
never be able to guide the child home.’ A life cannot be protected by the
strength of the great sky, if one never knows that’s where they belong.
That is why I’m searching for my sibling.
Being apart in this life, is nothing compared to being apart in the next,”
and with that, Mana stepped outside for some peace. Eventually, she joined back
with the group, and Buck went on to tell her the story of his own family life.
They bonded quickly, but each noticed their differences, which kept them from
completely connecting.
Kid was quiet during most of the story telling session, he just sat back breathing
it all in. Noah seemed more interested in his whip, although he managed some
nods here and there. Ike had gone to bed early, and Cody was being his usual
“the big” mouth. Mana was enjoying her evening. It felt good to get
those burdens off of her shoulders. What a nice family, she thought to herself.
But, life hadn’t given her the luck she needed to keep her family together;
maybe she’ll have
better luck after she found her sibling.
Through out the evening, the riders sporadically got up and went to bed. After a while, Kid and Mana were the only two still awake. They conversed for a little while, but then it was time for them both to get to bed.
“Well, how about a ride home?” Kid asked sincerely.
“That would be nice,” she responded. She still didn’t know what to think of this Virginian, but she was enjoying learning about him and his past. Mana found herself in an in depth conversation with a man she thought she’d never even want to get to know. Who would of thought that two people in a group who had the least amount in common, would connect in such a way. Kid was Mana’s escort back to town in the buckboard. Their conversations ranged from Kid’s life in the east to Mana’s first love; from Kid’s realization that Lou was a woman, to Mana’s desperation after her mother disappeared. Mana now discovered the truth behind the tenseness between Lou and herself. Lou immediately built a wall, not because she wanted to, but because she had to. Lou’s life-style depended on her masquerade as a man.
Although Kid felt a little guilty about revealing Lou’s secrets to this new woman, he didn’t feel like he could stop, he didn’t want to stop. He felt like he’d known this woman his whole life, a bond was made.
When the buckboard stopped at the hotel in which she was staying, Kid helped her down and even kissed her hand, again.
“I had a really nice time, Kid. You have such a wonderful family,” Mana said comfortably.
“Well, you’ll have to come out again, soon. Would you like to go for a ride tomorrow?” he asked sheepishly.
“I would enjoy that. Meet me here, around ten,” she said assertively.
“I’ll be here.”
Mana walked into the hotel, as Kid watched her safely enter the building, and then waited for a lamp to be lit before he left. His ride back was quiet, but his face was gleaming with excitement. Maybe she was the one. They had talked for hours, and hours about absolutely nothing…and then, everything at the same time. He was sure she wasn’t interested in Cody, Jimmy she hasn’t even met…he was confident in his maneuvering, but precision would be necessary to catch this woman in his grasp.
It was odd, actually, before Kid moved to Sweetwater, he knew little about love, and now he was planning a plot to court a woman. My, how things change.
