Miss Annie And The Chief (6 page)

“A bit more
gently, and not so familiar.”
 
Annie gasps, flushed.

“This I do not
understand,” the chief replies, genuinely confused.

“White men and
women do not touch each other so intimately if they are not personally
acquainted.”
 
Annie instructs the
chief.

“This makes no
sense.
 
I must touch you to get you
down and to get you up,”
 
the chief
huffs.

“Yes, but not
quite so much touching.”

Red Hawk pushes
Annie up into the buggy, trying not to touch so much.

“Maybe you
should watch Chato help me.”
 
Annie
suggests.

Chato helps
Annie out of the buggy and then back into the buggy.

“I see,” the
chief beams with enlightenment.
 

Red Hawk helps
Annie out of the buggy and then back into the buggy, his movement more polite
and polished, but still a little rough.

“That was good,
Chief Red Hawk.”
 
Annie praises.

“Again. I want
to do again,” the chief declares, quite pleased with himself.

Red Hawk helps
Annie out of the buggy, and then back into the buggy.
 
This time with more confidence.

“Very good,
thank you.”
 
Annie says to the
chief.

Red Hawk does
not respond.

“When someone
thanks you the appropriate response is ‘you're welcome.’” Annie informs the
chief.

“Why?”

Annie thinks for
a moment on how best to reply.
 
“To
show appreciation for gratitude.”

“Why did you
thank me?
 
I should thank you.
 
You teach me,” the chief answers,
confused.

“I thanked you
for helping me into the buggy.”

“Oh, yes, I see.
You're welcome.”
 
Chief Red Hawk
looks intently at Annie.
 
“This has
been good. You teach again. Captain Caldwell is honorable warrior. You tell him
I said so. You being here teaching me is a good thing. He does not need to keep
watch over you. I will make sure no harm comes to you.”

Annie's not sure
why Red Hawk has said these things, but she gives the chief a warm smile.
 
“Thank you, Chief Red Hawk.”

“You're welcome,
Miss Annie.”
 
The chief replies
with sincerity and a twinkle.

Chato drives the
buggy out of the village.
 
As the
buggy rides away from the village, Annie spies Captain Caldwell on horseback
some distance away.
 
He's been
keeping an eye on her.
 
She smiles
slightly at the Captain's concern, now understanding the chief's words.
 
Mark rides close enough for their eyes
to connect.

*****

All is quiet in
the saloon.
 
Only a couple of
lonely souls drink at the bar.
 
Roy
plays the piano.
 
He attempts to
play "Silent Night" trying to figure out the music from his memory.
It's a bit rough.

Clara joins
him.
 
“What song are you playing?”

It's a Christmas
song. Called "’Silent Night.’"
 
Roy tells Clara.

“It's
pretty.”
 
Clara appreciates.

“I've only heard
it once before.”

Clara looks out
the window and sees Chato peeking in.
 
Her face lights up.
 
Clara
moves to the back of the saloon as inconspicuously as possible.

Outside of the
saloon in the alleyway Clara hurries to the waiting Chato.
 
They embrace.

At the same
time, inside the jail the marshal sleeps at his desk.
 
Annie and Selma hand sew a costume together.
 
One that has a red hood.
 
The two women are deep in conversation.

“It was quite
sweet, really.”
 
Annie smiles
having just regaled her aunt with the details of her time with the chief.

“Which element
of your story was quite sweet? Chief Red Hawk awkwardly learning manners or the
dashing Captain Caldwell keeping an eye on you.”
 
Selma, smiling, wants to know.

Annie looks down
at her hands, fighting away a blush with a look of guilt.
 
She's been blushing far too much in the
past couple of days and it's weighing on her conscience.

“I see the pink
in your cheeks and there is nothing wrong with why the pink is there.”
 
Selma encourages.

“I just lost
Caleb.”
 
Annie replies as her eyes
moisten.

“You lost your
husband three years ago, Annie. Don't dishonor his sacrifice by clinging to what
was or what could have been. Caleb wouldn't want that for you. There is no
finer man in this territory than Captain Caldwell.”
 
Selma affirms.

The Marshal
opens his eyes.
 
“I take exception
to that statement.”

*****

It’s morning at
Fort Mills.
 
Annie and Mark walk
together towards the schoolroom, Annie politely holding his arm.

“How was the
lesson?”
 
Mark asks.

“It went
well.”
 
Annie offers.

“And the
pupil?”
 
Mark inquires, searching
for more details.

“He said that
you are an honorable warrior. And to tell you that no harm will come to me so
you needn't watch over me.”

Mark stops
walking.
 
He faces her, looking
deep into her eyes.
 
“If you don't
want me to, I won't,” he says.
 
Although his eyes tell a different story; his eyes tell Annie that he
wants to be near her as often as he can, no matter the excuse.

Annie blushes
unable to break their gaze or respond, her hand still entwined on his arm.
 
Before she can answer Chato approaches,
breaking the charged moment.

“Are you ready
Miss Annie?”
 
Chato asks.
 
Annie nods unable to speak, the flush
ignited by Mark’s deep, longing gaze having caught in her throat. She
reluctantly releases her hand from Mark’s elbow.

A short time
later Chato drives the buggy into the village.
 
Annie sits next to him. Off in the far distance, Captain
Caldwell rides his horse, keeping an eye on the buggy, an eye on Annie.

Chato stops the
buggy. Hopping out of the buggy, Chato moves to help Annie out. Chief Red Hawk
marches to the buggy and gives Chato the "move or else" look.

Chato quickly
moves out of the way as Red Hawk helps Annie out of the buggy.

“Thank
you.”
 
Annie says to the chief.

“You're
welcome,” the chief returns quite proud of himself.
 
Then he scowls.
 
“Did you not tell the captain that he does not need to watch you?”

“Yes. I did tell
Captain Caldwell.”
 
Annie shares
with the chief.

“Why is he still
watching?”
 
Chief Red Hawk demands.

Again Annie
blushes as she looks at the ground at a loss for words.
 
Red Hawk studies Annie's behavior
curiously.

“I do not
understand,” the chief gasps, exasperated.

Chato smiles. “I
do.”

“Does he no
longer trust me?”
 
The chief is
concerned.

“Please do not
be cross with Captain Caldwell. The fault may be mine in not discouraging his
concern.”
 
Annie apologizes.

“Do you not
trust me?”
 
The chief looks hurt.

“I trust your
intentions and have faith in your assurance that no harm will come to me.”
 
Annie reassures the chief.

“Then why is he
still following you?” The chief demands.

Chato grins,
he's very familiar with the feelings that he sees growing in Annie and the
Captain.
 
Chato rattles off
something in Arapaho, clearly filling the chief in on the sparks between Annie
and the captain.
 
Red Hawk raises
his eyes.

Annie
desperately wants to change the topic.
 
“Shall we begin our lessons, Chief Red Hawk?”
 
She asks impatiently.

*****

Chief Red Hawk
and Annie sit on rocks near a babbling brook at the edge of the village.

Annie reads the
Declaration of Independence to the chief. "When in the course of human
events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands
which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the
earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of Nature and of
Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires
that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
 
We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness.”

“The white eyes
fought their great father across the ocean for these "unalienable"
rights you speak of?”
 
The chief
wants confirmation.

“Yes.”

“What would have
happened to these men had their great father captured them?”

“They would have
been hung for treason.”

“What is this
word treason?” The chief asks.

“It means
betraying one's country.”
 
Annie
tells the chief.

“If they fought
so hard for their unalienable rights, why are they so quick to take these same
rights from the Indian?”

Annie thinks
about how to answer such a good question. “I think, Chief Red Hawk, as I am
coming to believe, that many of the white eyes have gotten so caught up in
wanting more, that they've lost sight of understanding.
 
By not trying to understand your life
they end up believing it doesn't have the same value as theirs.”

“Then why do
they say in their declaration that all men are created equal under their
Nature's God?
 
The Nature's God
created me and my people just like he created the white eyes. My way of life
should be valued as much as theirs.”

“I agree with
you, Chief Red Hawk.”
 
Annie
offers.

“It is
unfortunate that you are not the one writing this new treaty.”
 
The chief sighs.

Annie goes to
get up from the rock.
 

“Do I help here
also?”
 
The chief asks.

“Yes.”
 
Annie smiles at the chief’s wisdom and
progress.

Annie extends
her hand to Red Hawk.
 
He
effortlessly takes her in his arms, picks her up and plops her on the
ground.
 
He nods, waiting for her
cordial response.
 
She regains her
composure after being so inadvertently manhandled.

“Thank
you.”
 
She barely utters,
embarrassed by the manhandling.

“You're
welcome.”
 
The chief states with
pride.

Annie and Red
Hawk walk through the village.
 
“When a man walks with a women, he offers her his arm to hold while they
walk.”
 
Annie tells the chief.

“Why?”
 
He asks confounded by these white eyes
traditions.

“To provide
steady support in case she stumbles.”

“I think the
white man stumbles more than the white woman so perhaps she should offer her
arm to him.”
 
The chief says quite
matter of factly.

*****

Inside the
Beaver Creek General Stove Annie purchases some items.
 
She picks up her basket and heads for
the door.
 
Mark is about to enter
the store. He holds the door open for Annie.

“Thank you,
Captain.”
 
Annie says politely.

May I assist
you, Mrs. Landon?
 
Mark offers.

“That would be
most kind.”
 
Annie hands her basket
to Mark for him to carry.
  
He
offers her his arm, she takes it.
 
They walk towards Selma's place.

“The scouts are
pleased with your teaching.”
 
Mark
tells Annie.

“They're quick
learners.”
 
Annie marvels.

“Is Chief Red
Hawk?”
 
Mark inquires.