TWO

Rarely in my life have I had somebody so angry with me. Many times I've been yelled at by Earle and mama and a teacher or two, but Gaven is a different kind of angry fella. He just stands next to you and seethes without sayin' a word.

Makes me want to tease him sometimes, but right now the particular thing he's mad about is not a laughin' matter.

I'm gettin' married in June -- a week from now. To Leo Marshall. A man that worked for my daddy and who I found out is actually a decade older than me. He works as a deputy in the town and also has a pretty good olive oil and peach preserve business goin' out of his land. He has a farmhand or two. I don't really remember.

Not really knowin' that much, I left the house early. Before the roosters could sound off and went to get Gaven. Early in the mornin' he is always doin' a mini patrol of the reservation he lives on to make sure no kids from town did some grafitti or somethin'. When I finally was able to pull him away, we came to the old abandoned railroad tracks.

"Are you really gonna not say nothin'?" I ask him. Soundin' serious. "I invited you to my weddin' at least. Can't you pretend to be happy for me?"

He pauses and the rocks under his boots shift. "How?" he turns to me. "How could I possibly pretend to be happy for you? My best friend is being sold off to some man she barely knows and definitely don't associate with." he looks off to the side and then at me. "Don't you hate this?"

My lip quivers so I bite it. "I don't hate it." I maintain. "If I marry Marshall, my family will be safe. My mama and my sisters and Nana... All of them will not be kicked out onto the streets or left to rot on a farm they cain't take care of."

"Yeah, but, Gracie," he steps forward and grabs my shoulders. "This is not your fault. Earle is the man of that house, the responsibility to provide for that family is supposed to be on his shoulders. Not yours."

A tear escapes my eye and I wipe it away faster than I can sniffle.

"My daddy told me on his death bed..." I choke a tad. "He told me to take care of my mama and my Nana. He said that even if something were to happen or someone were to join our family, my loyalty should never change." this time my tears can't be stopped by wipin' them away. I can't get at 'em fast enough. "I love my family, Gaven. What was I supposed to do? My mama looks sick all the time, my sisters gotta go to school, Nana is old, and Earle is...well, he's Earle. They'll be hopeless if I don't marry Marshall and so will I."

He growls and turns around runnin' his hands through his long hair. "What can I do to..." he faces me again. "You should marry me instead, Gracie." he suggests, takin' both my hands. "I'll take care of you and your family. I'm about to be twenty in two months. It'll be legal. Nobody can complain."

Rather than pull away, I grip his hands. "No, Gaven." he gives me a disappointed expression right off the bat. As soon as I said 'no'. "You know that they can, and they would. We're both young. Everybody would talk. Say I got knocked up or that it won't last. We'll be harassed. Half the people on your reservation don't approve of marriages between their kind and outsiders. And, how would you provide for my family? I know you could take care of me if you put your mind to it, but what about them?"

He turns his face away from mine. "Dammit, Gracie..." I turn his face so our eyes meet. His blue with my blue. Eye of my eye.

"It'll be alright." I try to promise. "I'll be happy even if I gotta force myself to be."

Smackin' his teeth, he averts his eyes again. Obviously not okay with that.

"No matter what, Oukonunaka." I wrap my arms around him. "You're my usual, remember?"

After a while, he hugs me too. "You're my usual, Gracie Belle."

We separate and share a glance before turnin' to continue our walk. We hold hands. Not goin' anywhere in particular, just makin' our way to the end of the trail. Until we reach where the old dusty railway breaks off at the even older cliff edge. There are signs up all over the place, spread out far and wide for everybody to see. It's dangerous to have cars here. It's dangerous to walk here. I think there are some remains of some fella that was travellin' through here and didn't see the signs. Nobody ever came lookin' for him so they never went down to get him after they found out he was down there. This town is real funny that way. It's almost like it didn't happen as long as nobody talks openly about it and everybody unanimously decides it ain't important.

"How's your mama been doin'?" he asks me. It's been a minute since he's seen her because of Earle. Besides, mama bein' sick sometimes keeps her out of town.

Gaven doesn't go in much either.

I shrug, not knowin' how to answer. "She'll live. She just gotta go on a diet and stop any heavy work on the farm. I told the girls to take care of her when I left."

"Where are you gonna be living?" he questions, as we turn away from the high fall.

In the corner of my eye, I can see a tire looped around a branch.

"Well," I try to remember the pictures of the house Marshall showed me yesterday. "It's a cute house. Closer to town since he's a deputy." I almost fall, but he catches me. My rubber boots too big for my feet. For some reason, I was compelled to wear daddy's shoes today.

My hand is let go of so he can pat at my hair. "You got mess all over you."

"I had to climb the hills to come see you." I laugh. "Of course I got mess all over me."

"Gracie!" my name is shouted at me from somewhere to my left and I look. It's Marshall.

I wonder if he came lookin' for me while I step away from Gaven a little bit. So he doesn't misread the situation and call off our weddin'.

Not knowing why he wanted to marry me anyway makes it hard to understand what I can and cannot do.

"Marshall," I say his name. Halfway lettin' Gaven know who it is.

I'm waved to come closer to Marshall's patrol car. And I come. No reason to argue, I have to see what he wants.

"Who is this here?" he questions me with his eyes on Gaven. "Now, I know I have seen this boy in town with you a few times. I even remember him bein' at your daddy's house when you were little." he squints at Gaven. "Hard to forget a red with a white stripe and blue eyes."

Gaven crosses his arms. "I'm Oukonunaka, son of the chief, Akule."

Marshall puts on his shades, all smooth like and then takes my arm. "Well if you don't mind...I don't know how the hell to pronounce that name so I'll call ya 'Skunk'." he smiles, I can't see the look in his eyes. Only Gaven's reflection. "If you don't mind, Skunk, I'm gonna take her home now."

"That's what I was doing." my friend seems mad so I step away from Marshall and move to go get in his car.

I wave to him. "Gaven, you're invited to the weddin', come if you want to. Bring your family."

"How many in your family?" Marshall chews on a toothpick. When I opened the door to his car I noticed it smelled like barbeque.

Gaven doesn't want to answer, so I do it. "Four," I tell him. "Him, his mama, sister, and daddy."

"He got a tongue in his mouth," Marshall chides. "Let him speak for himself."

I bite my tongue.

"Gracie, I actually have somewhere to be that day." he scratches his neck, smilin' at me. "I'll tell my family, but I... won't be there."

I feel a little pinch in my chest. "Oh..."

"Also," he takes a look at his leather strap pocket watch. "I'm on duty to help out at the school today. I'll see you later."

With that, he waves at me and spits on the ground right before leaving up the road. Towards the reservation.

"Come on, girl," Marshall slaps the roof of the car making me jump. "I'm takin' you home."

I get in the car, but I don't put on a belt. "You don't have to drive me. I know my way just fine. I can walk."

He laughs at me. "You got it all wrong, sugar, l am takin' you to my home. Our home. You might as well get used to it before, right?"

I nod and go ahead and put on my belt. "Do...can I go back to my house and get some things? Pack my stuff?" he doesn't respond to me. "I don't have very much. If I can just go back and get some things, like clothes, some toiletries, small things." he still don't say nothin' and I curl up my lips in irritation. "Marshall?"

"When we get married, you can't be doin' all this talkin'," he tells me strictly. "Your mama already packed up what she said was important. There ain't nothin' else you need to be botherin' me for."

That was sorta mean. "Well..." I decide to get over it. This is gonna be my husband. I have to get along with him. It should only be a matter of time before we warm up to each other. He must already like me somehow or else he wouldn't have asked for me. "Alright."

Marshall drives like a predator. All slow and watchful. Occasionally, he'll wave to somebody on the street. Introduce me or not acknowledge my presence at all. Not once since we stopped talkin' have I had the urge to strike up a conversation with him.

"Here." he points to a house.

This house is a little different than the one I saw in the picture. It's the same house, I know that for sure, but it looks like it's in the middle of remodelin'. The walls are dirty and some windows are hard to see through from here.

It doesn't give the feeling of home and it is an absolutely filthy place.

The only area that seems maintained in the least would be the tree groves. The barn and the shed appear to be the first things he started on with his remodel. The paint is fresh, the wood ain't chipped, and the roofing tile is new.

I see two people with big hats on under the tree branches. Examinin' the crop it looks like. One is wearin' a dress, so it's a girl. Her red hair in a messy braid as if she did it three days ago and hasn't bothered to take it down or tidy it. The other is a man. Big brown bushy beard, and overalls.

"If we're gonna be a family, I know I gotta fix up the place," he tells me as we undo our belts. "Come on."

He takes my hand and leads me into the house. I shuffle and walk kinda slow because I want to see the farm. I want to see all of it. Usually when somebody brings you to their land, they show you everything outside first and then the inside of the house. It's an etiquette type of thing.

"Good Lord." I try to hold in my gasp when I view the inside of the house.

There are dogs here, obviously. I can smell 'em. There is dust everywhere and the windows are smudged in a lot of places. There are lots of dirty dishes not just in the sink but all over the kitchen. On the table and on the counter. On the floor, falsely licked clean by canines.

"These are yours, sugar." he hands me a bucket. It's full of stuff. Rags, sponges, a pair of gloves, and cleaning fluids. Then he gives me a broom and a mop. Hard to hold in one hand so I tuck one under my arm. "Get to work." he gives me a quick kiss on the forehead and then heads out of the kitchen. "Oh, and tomorrow, my cousin is gonna bring my son here. I know you're used to kids."

I blink at him. "Son? I... didn't know you had one."

"Yes, ma'am." he turns and leaves without further explanation.

Through the window, I can see him go to the people that were outside. The girls got a big basket on her hip.

I have so many questions. So many concerns. I wanna call home.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***