Finding Home (24 page)

“
But, he didn’t and I am
sewn up, so all is well,” Nat said.

Maggie thought it was time to leave and
stood to go. “I will see you two later,” she said and picked up her
bag.

“
Thanks for all your help,
Maggie,” Nat said.

“
Thank you,” Maggie
said.

Gyp stood and walked Maggie to the
door. “Do you want to go with me today?” Maggie asked. “Would it be
okay if she went with me?” Maggie asked.

“
I think Gyp would like
that,” Nat said. “I know she gets tired of being cooped up
inside.”

“
Would you like me to light
the wash pot fire as I go by?”

“
Yes, thank you,” Marissa
said.

Maggie took a small piece of wood with
a burning flame and walked from the cabin. She stopped at the fire
and lit the dry wood positioned under the wash pot before
continuing on to town.

“
Do you want to lie back
down until I have your bath ready?” Marissa asked.

“
Yes, I think I will, if you
don’t mind,” Nat said.

“
Not at all, come let’s get
you back to bed.”

PART FIFTEEN

Nat slept for an hour while the water
heated for her bath. Marissa picked up around the house and brought
more wood inside for the fireplace. The weather was growing warmer
and soon she would only need a fire for cooking. She went to the
smokehouse and picked out venison chops to cook for the mid-day
meal with some canned vegetables and fresh cornbread. When the
water in the wash pot heated, she began carrying in buckets of
water to mix with the well water left in the bath tub. She lit some
fragrant candles and walked to the bedroom to wake Nat.

Marissa sat on the edge of the bed and
placed a soft hand on Nat’s shoulder. “Your bath is ready,
darling,” she said.

Nat’s eyes fluttered open at the sound
of her voice and the touch of her hand.

“
Are you ready to soak for a
while?” Marissa asked.

“
I think that would feel
nice,” Nat said.

“
Let’s get you in the tub
then and I will put some wash on,” Marissa said. “When I finish, I
will come in and give you a bath.”

Nat smiled at the thought of Marissa’s
hands on her body. “I do love it when you spoil me so.”

“
I love spoiling you too,”
Marissa said.

Nat sat up on the bed and her head
started to spin.

“
Take it slow,” Marissa
said. “There is no need to hurry.”

Nat swung her feet around to sit on the
edge of the bed beside Marissa. “I think I am ready.”

Marissa stood and guided Nat to her
feet. She walked beside her into the room where she had the bath
tub partitioned off. “Let’s get that night shirt off you,” she said
as she lifted the shirt over Nat’s head.

The right side of Nat’s face had turned
an angry purple from the trauma and Marissa was careful not to
touch the area. She took Nat’s hand as she gingerly climbed into
the tub. “Just lay back and relax. I will be right
back.”

Nat lowered her body into the steaming
water and it did feel heavenly against her sore body. She stretched
her legs out and rested her head on the back edge of the tub and
closed her eyes. Nat could feel her body relax as she enjoyed the
fragrance of the room.

Marissa took their dirty clothes to the
wash pot and dropped them into the boiling water. She used a
stirring stick to push the clothing under the water and tossed a
handful of soap chips into the pot. She would bathe Nat and get her
into a clean night shirt and then return to hang the clothing out
to dry on the porch railing.

Marissa looked up to see Smithy walking
into the yard.

“
Good morning,” he
said.

“
Good morning, Smithy, it is
good to see you.”

“
I wanted to walk out and
check on Nat,” he said. “How is she doing?”

“
She is doing well. Right
now she is soaking in a hot bath. ”

“
That will help her rest
easy,” he said.

“
I hope so,” Marissa said.
“If you want to have a seat on the porch, you can stay and visit
with her.”

“
No, that is all right, just
tell her I came by to see her,” Smithy said. “I will drop by later
this week.”

“
I sure will,” Marissa said.
“Thank you for dropping by.”

“
Is there anything either of
you needs?” he asked.

“
No, I think we are in good
shape.”

“
I will see you later this
week then,” Smithy said.

“
Thanks Smithy.”

She watched him disappear down the road
and then walked back inside. Nat was almost asleep in the tub when
Marissa walked into the room.

“
You look nice and
relaxed.”

“
This bath feels so good,”
Nat said.

“
Smithy came by to check on
you and said he would be back later in the week,” Marissa said as
she took a cloth and began to lather it.

“
That was nice of him,” Nat
said.

“
He thinks very highly of
you.”

“
He is a good man,” Nat
said.

Marissa bathed Nat’s body and then
washed her hair, careful to not touch the right side of her face.
“Does your head still hurt?” she asked.

“
Not as bad as last night,
but it is still sensitive to touch,” Nat said. “How bad does it
look?”

“
You are still swollen and
your skin is bruised a dark purple, but that will fade soon,”
Marissa promised.

“
You are all done. Are you
ready to get out or would you like to soak more?” Marissa
asked.

“
My skin is beginning to
prune up, so I thinks it is time I get out,” Nat
answered.

“
Let me go get a clean night
shirt and I will be right back.”

“
Marissa dear,” Nat
said.

“
Yes, Nat, what is
it?”

“
I need clothes not a night
shirt, my love. The longer I lay in that bed the weaker I will
become,” Nat said.

“
But, you still need rest,”
Marissa claimed.

“
I will rest, sitting out on
the front porch,” Nat said. “I need fresh air.”

“
All right, I will get
clothes for you then,” Marissa said.

“
Thank you.”

Marissa went to the bedroom and
collected clothing for Nat. When she returned to the bathing area,
Nat was standing in the tub drying her upper body.

“
Let me help you from the
tub,” she said as she offered Nat her arm.

Nat climbed from the tub and finished
drying her body. She dressed slowly in the dungarees and work shirt
Marissa had brought.

“
Do you want your boots and
socks?” Marissa asked.

“
No, I think it is warm
enough outside without them.”

“
I need to finish the wash,
so you can sit on the porch and watch, if you would
like.”

“
That is a good plan. That
way you can keep a close eye on me,” Nat said with a grin. “Just
let me get my knife.”

“
You go sit and I will bring
it to you,” Marissa said.

Nat walked onto the porch and picked up
a small block of wood, then sat down in a rocking chair. She had
found the piece when she was chopping wood and decided she would
whittle something from it.

Marissa walked out to the porch and
handed Nat the knife. “What are you going to make?” she
asked.

“
I don’t know yet,” Nat said
as she turned the wood in her hands looking curiously at the block
of wood.

Marissa walked to the wash pot and
resumed stirring the clothing as she looked up to watch Nat, who
had taken the knife from the sheath. She sat the block of wood on
the floor and picked up a honing stone and began sharpening her
knife. Marissa watched as Nat stroked the blade softly across the
stone until she was satisfied with the sharpness of the
blade.

Nat placed the stone back on the floor
and looked up to see a flock of geese heading north to Canada,
honking loudly to one another as they exchanged places in the
characteristic V formation they flew. Their calls pulled at Nat’s
heart. She missed the sounds of the wild, especially at night, when
owls would call to their mates and wolves would howl in the
distance, the cry long and lonely.

She watched until the geese disappeared
from sight and then picked up the block of wood. The wood was ash,
not too hard or too soft for carving and would have a very nice
grain to work with. Nat began by rounding off the edges of the
block, while she concentrated on what creature was hidden inside
the wood.

Marissa used the stirring stick to
pluck each item of clothing from the wash pot and carry it to the
porch railing where she would hang them to dry. When she finished
with the wash, she carried an armload of wood into the house,
before returning to sit beside Nat.

“
I was thinking I would cook
some venison chops, green beans, squash and corn bread for dinner,”
Marissa said.

“
That sounds
delicious.”

“
I am going to walk into
town for corn meal, if you will be all right by
yourself.”

“
I will be just fine and I
promise not to move from this spot unless I need to answer the call
of nature,” Nat said.

“
Very well, I will be back
soon. Is there anything you need?”

“
Yes, as a matter of fact
there is,” Nat said.

“
What can I get you?”
Marissa asked.

“
A kiss before you leave,”
Nat said as she looked up at Marissa.

“
That’s an easy request to
fill,” Marissa said. She leaned down and her lips softly brushed
across Nat’s. “I love you.”

“
I love you too,” Nat said.
“You know what else?”

“
What?”

“
You don’t have to worry
about me, my other babysitter is about to arrive.”

Marissa stood to see Gyp and Maggie
enter the yard. She watched as Gyp ran onto the porch and went
directly to Nat.

“
Welcome home, my friend,”
Nat said as she patted Gyp’s head. “Hello, Maggie.”

“
Good afternoon, my
friends,” Maggie said. “How are you feeling?”

“
Much better thank
you.”

“
It is good to see you up
and about.”

“
It is good to be outside
for a while,” Nat said as she smiled sweetly at Marissa.

“
I need to walk into town,”
Marissa said. “Will you join us for dinner tonight and help me keep
an eye on these two?” she asked Maggie.

“
That would be fine,” Maggie
said. “If you will pick up some apples, I will make us a pie for
dinner.”

“
Now we are talking,” Nat
said.

“
I will be back shortly
then,” Marissa said, as she left the porch aimed for
town.

“
I’m sorry I forgot to start
the chowder for dinner,” Maggie said.

“
That’s not a problem, we
can have that tomorrow,” Nat said.

Maggie sat down beside her and watched
the knife as Nat’s resumed her whittling. “Do you know what it is
yet?” she asked.

“
Not yet, but I am sure it
will come to me,” Nat said.

“
I finished tanning the buck
and bear hides and they are in the process of drying
out.”

“
I am sorry, I wasn’t there
to help you,” Nat said.

“
Smithy helped me tack them
up and the rest is just time consuming,” Maggie said. “Do you have
any plans for the bear hide?”

“
I am sure Smithy would love
to have it to sell, but I think I may use it
differently.”