Tiopa Ki Lakota by D Jordan Redhawk Read Free Book Online

reached out to take her younger brother's pudgy hand in her own. As Kathleen turned back towards the door, she tried her best not to take it out on him. 'Tis not his fault he's a slobbery little brat.
    She failed to see the fond smile her mother gave them as they left.
    Kathleen stepped out the door of the small hovel her family resided in and looked about. The sky was overcast and the fog was still trying to burn off from the morning. In the distance, she could see white spots dotting the hillside. Her grandfather was with the sheep this day, somewhere out there. Her father was off to the village to look for work.
    As her mother whistled a tune while she cleaned up after their midday meal, the girl tugged Stewart
    around the side of the house. She deposited the three year old by the window next to a nice mudhole. Soon the two were happily creating pies in the gooey soil. Kathleen considered her lot in life as she molded the mud.
    It had been harder since Gram O'Neill had passed away a few months ago. The old woman had been the light of the home, always cheerful, always finding the good in everything. Kathleen had spent more time with her grandmother than any other member of her family. Her lessons with the tin whistle had come to a halt now that her namesake had died. The girl sorely missed her presence, as did the rest of the household.
    The sound of a door closing brought the girl back to the present. Da's home! Through the window, she could hear her parents speaking.
    "Jon! Yer back early. Did ye find anything?" her mother asked.
    The sound of wood scraping as a chair was pulled out. Kathleen could almost see her father settling in at the head of the table. "No. No work to be had here. I did find somethin' interesting, though."
    Her mother's voice had moved away from the window. Probably sitting by da. She eyed her little brother who'd gotten tired of the mudpies and was now content to slap the puddle. Dirty water splashed up and he giggled. Kathleen rolled her blue eyes.
    "What is it?"
    "There's a ship goin' to the New World next week. We could become indentured and start afresh in another land." A silence followed.
    Outside the window, the little girl frowned. What's it mean? 'Indentured'?
    Her mother's voice sounded strained. "Jon...."
    "Now, Rachel, hear me out, lass." There was a pause as McGlashan gathered his thoughts. "We've got nothin' here, Rach. Haven't for some time. We don't own the land, we don't own this shack. We're workin' our fingers to the bone for somebody else!"
    "I know, love...."
    "No! You don't! We could be doin' the same bloody thing in the Americas, paying off our transport and getting land of our own. We'd be beholdin' to none!" The man's voice became softer. "I've heard the tales, Rachel. 'Tis the land of milk and honey, love, with green acres for as far as the eye can see."
    Kathleen could hear her mother's sigh through the window. Meanwhile, Stewart had discovered the joys of tossing his mudpies into the puddle. Mum's goin' ta kill me , she thought as she realized just how filthy the little boy was.
    McGlashan continued, forcing the issue. "The reason we didn't do it before was yer mum. She didn't want to leave her home. Yer father has no such compunction. We've spoken of it before. He believes as I, that there's nothin' here for our family." A pause. "Besides, yer sister's there. Ye know ye miss her."
    The little girl stood up and grabbed hold of her brother's hand, trying to get him to stand as well. Stewart was resistant, wanting to play in the water more than obey her. He whined a bit and strained with his other hand to reach another mudpie to toss on the puddle.
    Inside the hovel, her father continued the discussion. "I want our children to live free, Rachel. I want our son to be a man of substance, our daughter to raise her family on her own land."
    Stewart began crying as he was pulled unceremoniously away from his point of interest. "No! No! No!" he yelled at his sibling in