Free Scarborough Fair and Other Stories by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

worst criticisms you could say of one of the Dine’, “He acts as if he has no relatives.” That was how the old woman was acting, as if there was no one who would be shamed by her behavior—but from its craziness, Dezbah feared the the old one would be dead soon. And somehow that was even more terrible than the way she was now, when maybe, there was a chance she might come back.
    The others returned. They looked away from her, and hurried into their houses. Dezbah knew the people were ashamed that they could not bring her rations to her as well but the soldiers kept very tight control over them. When the grandmother was not calm enough to go for her own, the soldiers would not give Dezbah both portions, even if she had two ration chits.
    Many Goats Woman, Blue Bead Woman and the rest made their meals but each of them had children of their own to feed and the old woman sometimes threw food away. One child brought her a bit of corncake with a bite mark at the edge. She broke it to give some to the grandmother but the old lady knocked it out of her hand into the dirt, and it crumbled so badly that she couldn’t separate the crumbs. By the time everyone disappeared into their hole houses to sleep, the sky changed from coral and deep pink to turquoise and indigo. The old woman would not go inside and Dezbah could not leave her. There was nothing to make a fire with now and they shivered, but at least they had the soldier’s blanket to wrap around them both.
    Her stomach growled again and she tried to sleep with her head on her knees and her arms wrapped around them. The old one fell away from her, taking the blanket with her, and snored right there in the open on the ground. Dezbah covered the old one with the part of the blanket she wasn’t laying on. Her own belly felt stuck to her backbone.
    And then she heard footsteps—not like the ones the people made, but boots, cavalry boots, and a man’s heavy tread. She was on her feet at once but the thought-voice of the man who had distracted the soldiers spoke to her. “Aha! Didn’t see you in the ration line and I figured you’d be hungry. Brought a bit of something for you and your granny. Couldn’t get rations without a chit so I saved this from the mess hall.”
    He handed her a bundle and she unwrapped two good sized pieces of mutton and 2 ears of roasted corn. He had a bag over his shoulder and from it he took two more items, which he gave to her-a can of peaches and even a knife to open the can with. “I’ll need that back though,” he said of the opener.
    â€œI will have one peach and give one to the Grandmother,” she said. “The rest we will save for the other people.”
    He shook his head and started to open his mouth then thought, “Better not. Word may get around and someone might think you stole them. When actually, I stole them. I’m riding picket at the northern perimeter for a spell, so I won’t be here to catch.”
    â€œYou aren’t like the other soldiers,” she said in Navajo. He seemed to hear it in his own tongue, as she did, catching the words from the thought.
    â€œI’m entirely like them, except that I’ve been on the receivin’ end of a great deal of the kind of trouble your folks are in and I didn’t like the feel of it.”
    â€œCan you bring more?” she asked—thought.
    â€œNot for awhile. I’ll be up at the outpost. Can you keep your granny from getting you both killed until I get back?”
    She sighed. “I am trying. They say that a dark wind has taken over her body now. It’s very strong.”
    â€œIs that so? And what kind of wind would that be?”
    She made a circle with her finger to show him the whirlwind, then pictured it in her mind.
    He smiled, and she could see his teeth in the darkness. “Are you some kind of Indian yourself?” she asked.
    â€œMe? No. Look it though, don’t I?