Burn

"My ten-year-old daughter, Mattie... Madeline Raye Pearson."

"Are you the mother? Yes, Connie Pearson."

"Is there a father?"

"Yes, Jimmy Greyhawk, he's the one who kidnapped her."

The sergeant's demeanor changed quickly. "Jimmy Greyhawk the carpenter? So, this is custodial dispute. Part of a divorce?"

"No. He just took her and left."

"Isn't he the one who burned his house before he left?" A smile was on his face now.

"Our house. He burned our house. It's not funny."

"I apologize. It's just that Jimmy made a lot of men happy with that gutsy gesture. Especially the ones whose wives have made cuckolds of them."

"How . . . how do you know about that?"

"I talked to the cops who were at the fire. Besides this is a small town. Word spreads fast."

"Are you going to help me or not?" Connie persisted.

"I'll do my job." Under his breath the desk sergeant whispered. "Too bad you didn't do yours."

"Jimmy built my mother a ramp for her house, so she didn't have to go to a nursing home. I'll do my job but don't expect any favors." While Connie seethed the sergeant got the required form. "Okay, now. When did he allegedly kidnap his daughter?"

"Sometime between Sunday night and 5:30 pm Monday."

"That's pretty vague."

"Well I didn't get home from my shift at the hospital until Monday night. That's when I found out."

"Do you have any idea where they might have gone?"

"Not really. Jimmy never said much about his family. He's a Native American. I suppose he could have gone back to the reservation."

"Now that's some useful information. Which tribe and which reservation?"

"I really don't know. There aren't that many reservations are there? Can't you send out an APB or whatever you call it and have the local police look for him?"

"I believe there are over 300. You don't know much about Indian affairs do you? Indian territories are almost the same as a foreign country. Most have their own governing system, so inquiries from whites are not treated the same as other parts of the country. We could send a flyer and see if the Department of the Interior would send them to the reservations. Don't you know of something that might help narrow the search?"

"Not off hand. Wait a minute. His boss served with Jimmy in the Army. He might know something helpful."

"Okay. You go talk to him. He might respond better to you than the police. Meanwhile, do you have a current picture of the two of them?"

"Not on me. Jimmy was the one who took the pictures. Most got burned in the fire."

"You mean you don't have a picture of either your husband or your daughter in your wallet or on your cell phone?"

"Wait. I have a picture of Mattie on my phone. It's a few years old though. She looks a lot different now."

"I think that tells us a lot of what you thought about your husband and daughter." He sighed. "I'm sorry but I really like Jimmy. Surely your parents have some recent pictures. Bring them when you get them."

As Connie walked from the police station she rationalized, "I am too busy to worry about keeping pictures in my wallet. That's what albums are for."

On returning to work for the first time since the fire, Connie quickly noticed a change in the way she was greeted by others. There were no smiles. No one spoke to her unless she spoke first. Staff who normally called her by her first name now addressed her by her last name. After several frozen exchanges, Connie called Sheila aside. She had worked with Sheila for over five years and they had what Connie would have said was a friendship. "What's going on, Sheila? Why am I being treated like I am toxic?"

"That's a good description of how we feel. You ARE toxic. We all know what you and the doctors have been up to. We thought that your husband must have known and was good with it. Thank goodness he was not the wimp everyone thought. The Chief of Security let us know what kind of man your husband was. War hero and all. Then there's your daughter. Just as importantly, doctors and nurses who fool around on duty endanger the patients. I've not been able to get you several times when you were supposed to be on duty. One time you even had a glob of cum on your face. Don't get me started. Anyway, we'll do our jobs but don't expect us to do any favors. I'm done." Sheila walked away.

"War hero? Jimmy wasn't any war hero. He's a carpenter. Someone's been spreading lies." Connie wasn't scheduled for day shift the next day, so he went to see Jimmy's boss and friend, Milton.

Connie pulled into the construction company parking lot and saw a spot in front of the office sign. Entering the building, she went up to the counter where Jimmy's boss was standing. "Hi Milton. Is Jimmy working today?"

The construction boss replied, "No, he came by and quit Monday. If he wasn't such a good buddy, I would have reamed him a new one for leaving with no notice. After what he told me about what you did, I not only understand, I support him 110%. Anything else? I'm busy."

Connie quickly interjected, "Do you have any idea where he and Mattie are?"

"No, and I wouldn't tell you if I did. You don't realize what I owe that man." Milton looked like tears were forming in his eyes.

"Someone said something about him being a war hero. Wasn't he just a carpenter in the Army?"

Chuckling, Milton said, "That was his story to keep people back home from worrying. He was on a Recon team. Since he was a Native American, they stereotyped him to be the scout. His job was to take the lead on any missions. Jimmy was the first to receive fire. Whatever guardian angel was that watched over him must have worked double time. I can't tell you how many times he engaged in battle and came out without a scratch. He saved my butt a bunch of times. Did you know he earned both a bronze and a silver star? Should have had a Congressional in my opinion."

"He never said anything to me about it." After a pause, Connie persisted, "You mentioned him being a Native American. Do you know what tribe or reservation he was from?"

"Again, don't know, wouldn't tell. The only person he talked about Indian stuff with was his best buddy Tommy White Elk."

"Where can I find him?"

"In the Great Hunting Ground in the sky, I guess. Tommy was killed just before he and Jimmy was to go home. It wasn't Jimmy's fault, though. He dragged Tommy's injured body through a crossfire and then went back for two others. Tommy was just too far gone by the time he got med-evaced. That's what Jimmy got the silver star for. Now, I do have to go."

Connie thought, "Great. Now I find out I have been cheating on a war hero. I better not say 'at least things can't get worse.' That's the mistake Job made when he talked with God. Why did he never tell me about his life before getting out of the Army? I wish he was here to ask him. Damn, I was so stupid."

The next day when Connie reported to work, she and Dr. Zander were called to the Administrator's office. They didn't say anything to each other figuring the conference wouldn't be good for them. Mr. Chambliss greeted them with a curt, "Sit down. It has come to my attention that you two have been having sexual relations on hospital grounds during work hours. Evidently, I am the last person in the hospital to know. When I first heard of it, I was leaning towards putting a letter of reprimand in your professional files. After calls from every member of the hospital board asking what I was going to do about the situation, it became clear that if I didn't fire you, I would be fired. In fact, my job is still in jeopardy, thanks to you. Therefore, you are both terminated immediately. Security guards are waiting outside my door and will take you to your lockers to gather your personal items. Furthermore, you both will be reported to the licensure board of your profession. Based on previous similar cases, I would think your licenses will be suspended for at least one year. I hope the sex was good enough to make up for the shame and humiliation, not to mention the loss of income, you two have dumped on yourselves. Now get out of my office."

On their way out, Gregory approached Connie, "Your asshole husband sent a letter and pictures to my wife. Thanks a lot, bitch. I never want to see you again. By the way, you may have a great body but the sex wasn't all that good."

After staring at her locker after emptying it, Connie sighed, "No job. No house. No husband. No daughter. No friends. No family support to speak of. All I have is myself. Now what do I do?"

Jimmy and Mattie

"Hello, Turtle Mountain Reservation."

"Uh, hello. Can I speak to Hank Garcia?"

"Just a minute, who may I say is calling?"

"It may be better if I don't say."

"Well, okay. I'll see if he will take the call." A good minute or two of silence on the phone.

"This is Hank Garcia. Tell me who this is, or the call ends now."

"Hank, this is Jimmy Greyhawk. I want to come back."

"You've got a lot of nerve calling here. You are NOT welcome here."

"Wait, don't hang up. I've got the granddaughter of Cloud Woman with me."

After several seconds of waiting, Hank continued, "How old is she? Does she show any powers?"

"Mattie is 10 years old and she began to have visions a couple of years ago. She's the one who saw us coming back."

"You know that very few of the people would agree with taking you back."

"I know but I have changed. I was a brash, immature, stupid fool for disowning my family and people. I can only beg the tribe's forgiveness."

Hank responded, "I'll be straight with you. If you didn't have the granddaughter of Cloud Woman, I wouldn't even bring up the subject of your return to the Council. There is still no guarantee that they will agree even with you bringing, what did you say her name was?"

"Mattie. It short for Madeline. My mother, Cloud Woman, foresaw my having a daughter and she helped me get over my unfounded hatred for my family and my people. She knew she would not be here to teach her granddaughter, so she told me some things I could do before returning her to be trained by the elders. She is young, but she is very mature for her age."

Hank offered, "I can talk to the Council. Can you be here day after tomorrow? 7:00 pm? What is your number, so I can tell you for sure to come or not?"

"We're on the road coming north now. We should be able to make it by then." After giving Hank his number, Jimmy hung up.

Mattie tried to reassure her Dad, "Don't worry Dad. Cloud Woman will be with us."

Jimmy got the call and the Council had agreed to see them but it was close. The Elders who remembered Cloud Woman were persuasive enough to at least allow Jimmy to plead his case in front of the Council. Jimmy and Mattie met with the Turtle Mountain Council. Mattie was the one who held the men's attention. Questions flowed. "What powers have you experienced?" "Do you agree to being taught by the medicine woman even if it means you will have to be separated from your father?" "Prove to us you have the power of vision?"

Mattie was nonplussed by the questions and gave short, honest answers. She admitted she could not provide proof of any powers. She was thanked and dismissed. The medicine woman, Little Dove, who had interviewed Mattie before the Council meeting was brought in.

"What do you think about the powers the little girl may have?" asked one of the Council.

"Cloud Woman was my spirit guide and I have felt her presence many times. Her spirit is strong in her granddaughter, but she has too much of the white man in her right now. It would take a lot of work to see if she can be a strong connection to the spirit world."

"Do you think we should allow her to stay?"

"Definitely. I would welcome the teaching challenge and she seems very willing to learn. She made it clear, however, that she and her father were a package deal. You would need to accept both into the tribe or she will not stay."

After the medicine woman left, the Council members were in total agreement about the girl staying but were still reluctant to allow Jimmy to stay. Without consensus, the Council asked Hank for his opinion. Hank suggested that they allow both to stay but make it conditional on Jimmy making some apologetic gesture to the tribe. If Mattie turns out to not have any powers, they both should be sent away.

Jimmy thought a long time about what an apologetic gesture would be sufficient. His skill was carpentry, so he looked to see if the tribe needed something built. He noticed that the medical clinic was in disrepair. The building was old, dirty, and plaster was flaking off the walls. If people were not sick before coming there, they probably would catch something there. A new clinic building would be his gesture. The woman tutoring Mattie joined his daughter in selecting the best place for a healing site. Then the council had to approve. All that needed to be done now was to build it. By himself.

Jimmy drew up the plans. It was not difficult as he had done most of the work in building a clinic in Nicaragua on a mission trip. This time he had to buy all the materials himself. Then he had to build the clinic. The tribe got to watch Jimmy build the clinic. He did not ask for help. No one offered to help. It took a few months to build, but it was built right. There was a blessing ceremony. From that moment on, Jimmy was tentatively allowed back in the tribe, but was still on probation.

Not everyone agreed with the decision to let him come back. One night, Jimmy was taken captive on his way back to where he and Mattie were staying. He was stripped and flogged with green branches from a bush that had large thorns. Not only would they hurt now, the scars would last forever. They wanted Jimmy to realize the punishment for his betrayal to his tribe would last forever. Jimmy did not cry during the whole ordeal. He staggered back to the house where Mattie put salve on his wounds. Mattie wanted to get revenge, but her dad said that what they had done was necessary for some people to believe he had been sufficiently punished.

Several years went by. Jimmy had found carpentry work in the nearby oil fields and town. He commuted daily with several other men from the tribe. It was good money. During that time, flyers had appeared that had old pictures of Jimmy and Mattie that said they were missing. It said nothing about a kidnapping. Then one day flyers arrived that mentioned a $5000 reward. Jimmy knew there were many on the reservation that would probably turn him in for a lot less. Although Mattie no longer looked much like her old picture, Jimmy still did. Mattie had tanned and seemingly morphed into a beautiful 14- year-old maiden. She was chosen to help sell the "authentic" native jewelry to tourists/casino players. No one seemed to be able to turn her down. Mattie just hoped that no customer made her admit that even though they had been made by 'authentic natives,' they were authentic natives born and working in China.

One day Mattie came to her father and reported, "I had a vision that Mom is coming."

Jimmy knew that the time would eventually come where he would have to deal with Connie and her probable desire to take Mattie. His emotions were mixed and strong. "What do you think we should do, Cloud Woman?" Mattie's abilities with visions had grown quickly under the tribe's tutelage and had allowed her to take her grandmother's same name. A very big honor.

Mattie said, "It's time to deal with it. I want to see her. You need to see her."

The next week Mattie was selling jewelry to a group of tourists who recently got off a tour bus. She saw a blond woman looking around the gift shop and knew who it was immediately. Mattie went up the woman and asked, "Don't you just love the workmanship of these necklaces? They would go wonderfully around the neck of such a pretty woman."

The woman turned to the teenage girl and felt her heart twitch. There was something about this girl that reminded her of Mattie, but this girl was taller, more tan, and had totally different hair. Still , , , , "Would you smile for me, princess?" Mattie smiled showing a beautiful set of white teeth. Connie sighed. The Mattie she remembered had a large gap between her front teeth. This girl had perfect teeth. Connie was disappointed. "Yes, I would like to buy a necklace." As she and Mattie were making the exchange, Connie heard a voice behind her.

"Hello Connie. It's been a while."

Connie did not have to turn around. She knew exactly who was talking to her. It was her Jimmy. She closed her eyes, gathered her courage and opening her eyes turned to greet him. She was surprised that his face seemed so much more rugged than she remembered. There was no smile on his face, however; she feared a much worse reception. She desperately wanted to hug him but saw nothing in his eyes that would make her believe he would be receptive.

"Jimmy, it's so good to see you. I have so much to say to you, but please tell me where Mattie is. I am dying to see her."

"Turn around."

Mattie was still standing there but now she was smiling with tears in her eyes also. "Hello, Mom. I missed you." A big hug and more tears followed.

"I missed you too, sweetheart. You have grown so much. You are absolutely gorgeous. I can't believe I drove you, both of you away. I am sorry, so sorry." More hugs, more tears.

Eventually she turned back to Jimmy and said, "I'm not here to re-open any old wounds. I would like the opportunity to apologize and spend as much time with Mattie as possible."

Jimmy spoke, "Do you plan to try and take her back with you?"

"No, I don't want to mess up your lives again. I just want to be close to Mattie as I can for as long as you will let me."

"What about your job and boyfriend or husband?"

"When I was sure you two were here, I quit my job and put my stuff in storage. There has not been a boyfriend or husband since you left. I have dated some, but no relationship developed. You taught me a harsh lesson, but I deserved it. I haven't been with anyone since you left. I didn't want to begin a new relationship until I healed my old relationship."

"I haven't begun a new relationship either. My reason is that I was afraid I might not be able to trust a woman anymore. It didn't work the first time. By the way, we are divorced, aren't we?"

"Yes, I had to file for divorce in order to get government benefits which were necessary for me to survive after my nursing license was suspended."

"You're not a nurse any more?"

"I got my license back after a year. It was hard to find a job that paid as well as what I was making before, but I have been able to support myself and put a little money back. I even went back to school and got my APRN. Is there anything Mattie needs you would let me buy her?"

Jimmy appeared insulted, "No. Mattie has everything she needs." Finally, a smile came to his lips. "And most everything she wants. She is a teenager now, you know."

Mattie joined the conversation, "Mom, you are going to stay a while, right?"

"That's up to you two. I have a room reserved at the Econo-Lodge . . ."

"Yuck. That place has bed bugs! You will be staying with us." Mattie spoke with the self-assurance that only a teenager can project.

"No, I couldn't impose on you and your dad, baby."

"First of all, I am not a baby and we have a spare bedroom. Now let's go get your luggage."

"Hold on hot shot. I need to talk to your dad a moment."

Jimmy interjected, "Mattie and I have already discussed it. It will be much easier for you to spend time with Mattie if you live with us. I assume you realize that this does not mean any restarting the relationship between me and you. You will be there as Mattie's mother, nothing else."

"Certainly. I understand. I hope you will let me help with the cooking and other chores. I wouldn't feel right about staying unless I did."