Cherokee Star
Part Two (Continued from post on 11/4/10)

“So you finally just had enough one day and shot him?”

“It was for the money.”

“Money?”

“Yeah. He had a bunch of it stashed in an old pair of boots he kept in the barn, and he didn’t think we knew where it was. But we knew. We all knew. Ma told me to take it one day after he rode out toward town, to take it and get out before he killed me.”

“Sounds to me like she cared about you, even though she never did anything to help you when it really mattered. At least you have that.”

“Yeah, I suppose. Mostly, she thought if I was gone he would settle down and quit being so angry all the time. So I did what she told me, grabbed a couple of things—didn’t have much I could call my own back then—and went out to the barn and took the money. Saw his old pistol lying there, too, so I grabbed it as well. Good thing, because as I turned to saddle my horse, he walked in. Like to have scared me to death, seeing him standing there in the doorway like that. His face was white as a sheet and for the first time in my life, he didn’t have nothin’ to say. Just stood there, all quiet like, studying me kind of like a snake studies his prey before striking, figuring out the best angle and all.”

She stopped and stared down at her boots, as though lost in her thoughts for a moment. The Sheriff hesitated, not sure if he should push her to talk or just wait. Again, the blue eyes met his brown ones evenly, unafraid, almost cocky.

And suddenly, she laughed. He blinked, startled for a moment.

Her voice stronger this time, she continued. “I had a jacket thrown over my arm, hiding my gun in my hand. I remember my hand was shaking so badly I didn’t think I could pull that trigger even if I could get it aimed before he shot me. But then he just lunged at me, screaming at the top of his voice such horrible words, most I didn’t even know what they meant. He’d called me a lot of names in my life but these . . . well, I just reacted, you know? I just plain shot him before he got two steps in my direction, without even thinking about it any more. My mother came running in a moment later, followed by my little brother.”

“What did she say to you? Was she upset?”

“She made this funny little gurgling sound in her throat for several moments and just stared at his body lying there. Then she told me to get out and never come back. So I did. I took that money and I rode as fast and as far as I could straight south. Thought maybe I could make it to Mexico eventually and they wouldn’t come after me there.”

“Cherokee, you were only twelve and you shot him in self-defense. That’s not a crime. Why didn’t you stay and explain to the Sheriff what happened instead of running away?”

“He was my father’s best friend. What kind of justice do you think he’d give a half-breed like me? Besides, he was one of the ones who . . . ”

She stopped and stared at the boots again.

“Who, what?”

“Oh, never mind. I don’t like to think about that part of my life. I was born that morning as a new person and I’ve never really looked back. Cherokee Star knew then she could take care of herself.” She suddenly jumped out of her seat and pounded the table with her fist, her face so close to his he could smell her rancid breath. “And she didn’t need no man to tell her what to do any more!”

To Be Continued . . .