The Mandie Collection (46 page)

“Not many of the Cherokees speak English,” Dimar said, “but Mandie's uncle translated your speech very well. He is a very educated man.”

“Is he also Cherokee?” Riley O'Neal twirled his hat.

Mandie spoke up. “He is one-half Cherokee,” she said proudly. “You see, he is my father's brother, and their mother was Uncle Wirt's sister. After my father died, Uncle John married my mother.” Her voice quavered slightly.

“Then he does not live here with the Cherokees?” the missionary asked.

“Oh, no. We live in Franklin,” Mandie told him.

Suddenly the drums inside the council house sounded, and the beating grew louder and louder to an almost deafening roar.

Dimar motioned to the others, including Riley O'Neal, to return to the council house with him. Uncle Wirt met the missionary at the door and escorted him to the front, where the two of them sat with Uncle
John and Uncle Ned. This time the young people sat on a bench at the back. The building filled quickly with Cherokees, and the drums stopped.

The man in the center stood.

Mandie held her breath as the man said something quickly in Cherokee. Then in English he said, “Vote, yes. We take school.”

Mandie clapped and hugged her friends as the crowd again applauded and stomped their feet. With all the noise, Snowball huddled in a frightened little ball on Mandie's lap. She rubbed his head to comfort him.

Uncle Wirt motioned for the missionary to take the platform. Riley O'Neal stood and held up his hand for silence.

The crowd immediately hushed.

With a big smile, the missionary nodded gratefully. “Thank you all. Thank you. We will begin to make plans immediately.” Then he said something quietly to Uncle John on the front row.

John Shaw stood and looked around the council house. He said something in Cherokee, then changed to English. “May we have a word of prayer, please?” he asked.

There was complete silence as the crowd waited.

The missionary began a prayer in English, and after each sentence Uncle John translated it into Cherokee. The young man concluded with, “May the Lord bless you and keep you. Amen.” The crowd stood and began talking excitedly with one another.

Mandie took a deep breath as she and her friends rose from their places. She saw Uncle John headed her way.

“I will take Snowball with me,” Sallie said, taking the kitten from Mandie.

Dimar and Sallie disappeared into the crowd.

As soon as Uncle John reached Mandie, he put his arm around her shoulders and led her to a quiet spot outside. He looked deep into her blue eyes. “Amanda,” he said with firm gentleness, “why did you run away?”

Tears sprang into her eyes, and Mandie looked down. “I . . . I just want to stay with my Cherokee kinspeople, Uncle John,” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

“But you cannot stay here, Amanda,” he told her. “Your mother is worried and upset about what you have done. Don't you love her?”

Mandie looked up at him quickly. “Of course, Uncle John. Next to my father I love my mother most,” she answered. “But she doesn't love me anymore.”

“Amanda, you know that is not true,” Uncle John protested. “She loves you with all her heart.”

“But she has to spend all her time tending to that new baby,” Mandie began. “I—”

Uncle John beamed. “You can't imagine how proud I am of that little fellow.”

Mandie knew she was treading on delicate ground. “But he yells all the time, all day and all night,” she said bitterly.

“I know, but he will soon outgrow that,” her uncle replied. Then with a smile he added jokingly, “Maybe he doesn't like the family he was born into.”

Mandie hadn't thought about that. Maybe the baby didn't want her for a sister. It could work both ways. But then that was a silly idea, she thought. How could a newborn baby decide anything like that?

Uncle John's face sobered. “Let's go, Amanda,” he said, taking her hand.

“Oh, please let me stay at Uncle Wirt's house,” Mandie begged. “I don't want to go home. Besides, Sallie said the hospital is ready to be opened, and I have to be here for that. Please?” She looked up pleadingly into her uncle's face. He looked so much like her father even though he was fifteen years older.

“Yes, I know the hospital is finished,” he said. “Dr. Woodard came by and told your mother while I was in Richmond. I got home late yesterday, and when I found out you had run away, I came on over to Bird-town. Your mother told me she had sent Uncle Ned, but I felt it was my place to come for you.”

He looked at her and shook his head. “Amanda, it was so foolish of you to run away all alone like that through the mountains and woods and deserted roads. You could have been killed! It was just a blessing that the missionary came by and found you, rather than someone with bad intentions.”

“I'm sorry that I caused you and Mother to worry about me,” Mandie said. “But now that you know I'm all right, can't I stay?” she begged.

Uncle John hesitated a moment. “I am not excusing your running away, Amanda, but I know how important it is for you to be here for the hospital opening. I've decided to let you stay until then, but you will come home immediately after that,” he said firmly.

Mandie buried her head in her uncle's chest and fought back tears. She couldn't promise him she would go home.
I can't
! she thought.
I have to find some way to stay here
.

Uncle John patted her back and Mandie looked up. “Now that we have all that settled,” he said, “let's see where our friends are.” He led Mandie through the crowd.

I'm glad he thinks it's settled
, Mandie thought.
But I am not going home ever again
!

She winced at a stab of guilt, but she was determined to stay.

Uncle John led her over to Dimar's wagon. There they found Uncle Wirt, the missionary, Dimar, and Sallie trying to stay cool in the shade. The day had warmed up quickly.

As they approached, Mandie spoke to Uncle Wirt. “Uncle John has given me permission to stay at your house until the hospital opens,” she said. “That is, if you don't mind having me.”

Uncle Wirt reached out and put his arm around her. “Love Papoose. Now things right, you stay.”

The old Indian didn't know much English and had trouble expressing himself sometimes, but Mandie appreciated his effort. She squeezed his big brown hand. “I love you, too, Uncle Wirt,” she said. She took Snowball from Sallie and cuddled him.

Sallie and Dimar both smiled at her as other friends and relatives crowded around the missionary to talk. Everyone seemed curious about this stranger with curly red hair who had promised to build them a school, give them free books, and teach them free of charge.

Neither Mandie nor her friends had seen Tsa'ni anywhere until it was time to go back to Uncle Wirt's. Mandie was sure that he wasn't taking his defeat well.

But just as Dimar pulled his wagon away from the council-house grounds, Mandie's troublesome cousin hopped on and sat silently on the edge, away from everyone else. Then as they neared Uncle Wirt's driveway, he hopped off again and ran off down the road.

“Well! There he goes again!” Mandie exclaimed. She released Snowball, and he ran off to the Pindars' backyard.

Stopping in front of Uncle Wirt's house, Dimar turned to the missionary. “I wish Tsa'ni would behave better,” he said.

The red-haired young man helped the girls out of the wagon. “We are used to dealing with boys like him,” he assured him. “Maybe we can help Tsa'ni.”

“I hope so,” Sallie replied.

At that moment someone yanked Mandie's long blond braid from behind. Mandie whirled to see her friend Joe Woodard grinning broadly.

“Joe!” she gasped. “When did you get here?”

“My father and I have been waiting in the house for you,” the lanky boy explained.

Mandie looked around the yard. “But where is your buggy?” she asked.

“Behind the house,” Joe said with a laugh.

“You hid it so you could surprise us!” Mandie laughed.

After the young people had all exchanged greetings, they walked over to the fallen log to sit down. As more adults drove up in their wagons, the missionary joined them inside.

Mandie looked over at her lifelong friend from Charley Gap, still not believing he had come. “How long are you going to stay, Joe?” she asked excitedly.

“Until they open the hospital,” he replied, brushing his brown hair out of his eyes. “That's why my father is here.” Then with a sly look, he asked, “How long are you staying?”

Obviously Joe knew she had run away from home. “Uncle John just told me I could stay until the hospital opens,” she replied, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Before long Aunt Saphronia came to the doorway and called to them. “Come. Eat. Now,” she said.

When it came to eating, Joe never had to be called twice. He jumped up and led the way.

At the dinner table, Uncle John sat next to Mandie, and in the course of the meal, he talked to her about his plans. “Dr. Woodard says the opening of the hospital is set for tomorrow, but I won't be able to stay for it. I must get home to your mother and the baby. I've been gone far too much already,” he said. “So I will be leaving right after this meal. You may stay for the opening, but come home immediately afterward,”
he said again. “Uncle Ned has promised to bring you home. He had plans to travel in our direction anyway.”

Mandie looked up at him, but said nothing. She was determined that she was not going home right after the ceremony, but she wasn't about to tell him that.

After dinner, as Uncle John was about to leave, he called to her from his rig. “By the way,” he said, “I just remembered. Your mother sent you some clothes. I gave them to Aunt Saphronia. Have a good time. I'll be expecting you to leave as soon as the opening ceremony is over.”

Mandie waved goodbye as he drove out the driveway onto the road and disappeared around the curve.

Then she turned to her friends. “Well, at least I'll have some clean clothes to wear to the hospital opening tomorrow,” she said as they walked back into the cabin. “Did you bring extra clothes, Sallie?”

“Yes, I always bring spare clothes because I never know where I will be going when I leave with my grandfather,” the Indian girl answered.

Joe and Dimar waited outside in the yard for them.

Inside, Aunt Saphronia picked up a valise and handed it to Mandie. “Clothes,” she said.

“Thank you,” Mandie replied. Taking the valise, she turned to Sallie. “Come on. Let's take this upstairs and see what my mother sent.”

Up in Mandie's small loft room, she unpacked the neatly folded clothes. Then as she looked through them, she found a letter addressed to her.

Turning the envelope over in her hand, she frowned. “This is a letter from my grandmother. I wonder why she is writing to me. Uncle John didn't say anything about it.”

Sallie smiled and sat down on the corn-shuck mattress.

Mandie quickly put the clothes back into the valise and sat beside her friend to open the letter.

What would her grandmother have to say?

CHAPTER TEN

SURPRISE FOR THE HOSPITAL OPENING

Mandie ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter. It was only one page, but it was important. She read it silently.

Dear Amanda,

There is so little time before we are to leave for Europe in July, and I am concerned about what I am hearing from your mother. Elizabeth has told me that if you don't mend your ways, she will not allow you to make the trip. I must remind you that if you have to stay home, you will disappoint your friend Celia Hamilton. And I'm afraid it would cost me a lot of money, time, and trouble to cancel everything. Please think this over, Amanda. Remember, your actions affect more people than yourself.

Lovingly,

Grandmother

Sallie sat quietly while Mandie read, then Mandie quickly folded the sheet of paper and inserted it in the envelope.

“Is it bad news, Mandie?” Sallie asked.

“N-no, not exactly,” Mandie said. She got up and walked over to the window to look out.

She couldn't go to Europe unless she went home, and she didn't want to go home. She hated to ruin the trip for her friend and her grandmother, but what could she do? If she were going to live with the Cherokees and claim them for her kinspeople, she couldn't go running off to Europe. She felt caught in the middle.

As she stared out the window, she saw Joe and Dimar kicking some rocks in the driveway. “Come on, Sallie,” she said, brushing her troubles aside. “The boys look bored down there waiting for us.”

Scurrying down the ladder, the girls hurried out to the yard where their friends were discussing Tsa'ni.

Sallie sat down on a nearby tree stump. “He is a strange boy,” she admitted. “But I have been thinking about the way he acts. I believe he is lonely and does not know how to make friends.”

Joe and Dimar chuckled.

“I'll say he doesn't know how to make friends,” Joe said. “And I don't think he's interested in learning.”

Dimar nodded. “He may be lonely, but he also has a mean streak in him.”

“I've tried lots of times to be friends with him,” Mandie agreed, “but he just keeps being mean.”

“Maybe he has not been taught how to love,” Sallie suggested. “Loving is sharing, giving, and doing good things for other people. But Tsa'ni has not learned that yet.”

“Maybe Mr. O'Neal
can
help him,” Mandie suggested.

“I hope so—” Dimar agreed.

“Speaking of the missionary,” Joe cut in, “he told me he would be going back to Boston after the hospital opening so he can make plans for the school here.”

“When is he coming back?” Mandie asked. “I'd like to help with the school if there is anything I can do.”