BEYOND THE RIVER BEND| Little Puma

"Why did you not tell me anything?"

"Tell you what, my darling?" Jerome flicked the ash from his cigar and fixed his wife with a searching gaze.

With trembling fingers, Winifred picked up the small spoon and stirred the sugar into her coffee. She cupped the cup in her palms and answered timidly: "About the Osage. I knew nothing about them. Perhaps if I had known, then..."

Jerome chuckled into his beard and said with a sneer: "Then what, my dear? Did you really think you could persuade me not to come here? Did you honestly believe that a handful of Indians would stop me from building?"

Winifred shook her head vaguely. "No, of course not... I only thought that this is a great risk for us. And besides, the Osage are our neighbours. You intend to lay a road through their lands. I am worried that they will not like it..."

Jerome laughed softly. "Progress cannot be stopped, my dear. New settlers will keep arriving in Independence. Once the post office opens, there will be even more of them. The town needs a railway line. This is not my whim. It is a necessity for all the residents."

Winifred found nothing to say in reply. She finished her coffee and rose from the table. She adjusted her hair, turned to Jerome, and asked: "Since you have returned, perhaps we could go to Miss Henderson's store? I need thread for my embroidery, and you could use some tobacco."

Jerome let out a long sigh. "First, I need to sort out the land."

Winifred looked at him in surprise. "I thought you had already settled everything."

Jerome shrugged. He answered more to himself than to her: "I bought the land, but some problems have come up." He added, "And it is none of your concern, my dear."

Winifred's spirits sank. What problems was Jerome talking about?

"Darling, I cannot sit in the room all day until you return. At least let me walk to the store. I will buy what I need in a flash and come right back..."

Jerome set down the ashtray with a dull thud. He said barely audibly: "No."

***

The hand of the wall clock struck noon. Waiting within four walls felt like torture to Winifred. She paced from corner to corner. She tried in vain to think of something to occupy herself. If Jerome had allowed her to go to Miss Henderson's, she would have bought thread and sat down to embroider. Winifred even searched the cupboards for any books. She quickly discovered that nothing lived on the old shelves except moths and dust.

If only Jerome were not so selfish...

A knock at the door interrupted Winifred's thought.

"Come in."

A girl in a white cap appeared in the doorway. She carried a broom and a bucket.

"Room cleaning, ma'am."

"Oh, of course..."

Winifred stepped back toward the door and let the girl into the room.

"You can wait downstairs while I clean, ma'am. They just brought out some sandwiches in the buffet. You should have a bite to eat." The girl smiled and began to sweep the floor.

Winifred pursed her lips. Then she broke into a smile in return.

"Thank you."

She left the room and ran lightly down the stairs. She stopped. She had no more time to think about what was right and what was not. There was only a moment to make a decision. She hesitated for a moment. Then she turned around and ran back up. The girl with the broom nearly jumped in surprise.

"My name is Winifred Kingsley. I want to ask you for a favour. My husband is dealing with the land right now. I cannot leave the hotel without him. I desperately need to go out for a walk. I beg you, if he returns early, tell him I was feeling unwell and you took me out for some fresh air. I will not forget your kindness, I swear."

The girl slowly lowered the broom. She stared at Winifred with wide eyes for a few moments. Then she suddenly nodded quickly.

"Yes, ma'am. Yes, of course. You need fresh air. You can count on me."

As she left the hotel, Winifred was sure the maid had taken her for a madwoman. For some reason, she smiled at that thought. She gathered her skirts firmly and dashed toward Miss Henderson's store.

Independence greeted Winifred with the chirping of birds and dust on the roads. The midday sun blinded her eyes. She soon regretted running off without her bonnet. A crowd of people had gathered near the hotel. They were newly arrived settlers, Winifred guessed.

They must have seen the land sale advertisements as well. Kansas truly is a bountiful place. Perhaps in a year or two this backwater will flourish. Then it will not be so sad to walk these empty streets...

Winifred walked around a married couple and stopped at the store door. She checked her coin purse in her pocket and went inside.

The ring of a bell announced her arrival to the shopkeeper. A dark-haired young woman stood behind the counter. She smiled warmly.

"Good day, miss. I am Emily Henderson. How can I help you?"

Winifred smiled awkwardly. "I would be glad to be a miss."

Emily Henderson shaped her lips into an 'O' and laughed heartily.

"Oh, I beg your pardon. We rarely see such a young married lady around here. So what would you like, ma'am?"

"A few skeins of coloured thread for embroidery and some tobacco, please."

"Do you smoke?"

"It is for my husband."

Emily nodded.

"Caleb!" she called out.

A fair-haired young man ran out from the back room. He looked at Emily questioningly.

"Bring the lady some tobacco. It is in the corner. You will find it there."

Caleb nodded and dashed back into the storeroom. Meanwhile, Emily had already taken out a set of threads and laid them before Winifred.

She picked two skeins of silver thread, a couple of blue ones, and one pink one.

"That will be all," Winifred concluded.

Caleb returned and placed a paper package on the counter. Emily weighed the goods and wrapped them up.

"That will be eight cents."

Winifred counted out a few coins and handed them to Emily.

"Thank you! I cannot imagine how I would have got through this day without embroidery. There is simply nothing to do in the room!"

"Oh, you poor thing. Why is that?"

Winifred clutched her purchases to her chest and answered quietly: "My husband has forbidden me to leave the hotel. He is afraid there are too many Osage in town and..."

"Hello, Emily!" The bell chimed again. A moment later, a dark-skinned girl in a red dress appeared in the store.

"Hello, Good Eagle! How are you?"

Winifred froze. She shifted her gaze from Emily to the girl.

"While my parents are busy, Little Puma is walking me. Or I am walking him. It depends on how you look at it." The girl laughed. "Did you get any new sweets?"

Emily beamed. "Your favourites, little one."

"Oh, really? I want some!" Good Eagle exclaimed. She ran to the display case where Miss Henderson kept a variety of colourful lollipops.

She took a paper bag and began filling it with round candies. When the bag was full to the brim, Good Eagle grabbed a second one and put several candy sticks inside.

"Hey, where are you grabbing so many? Won't your teeth stick together?" A pleasant male voice reached Winifred.

"They won't! And anyway, it is not just for me."Good Eagle grumbled, hugging the sweets to herself. "It is for Laura too."

Winifred turned her head. She saw a tall young man standing next to Good Eagle . How had she not noticed him before? The man, as if sensing her gaze, raised his dark eyes to Winifred. She gave a slight shrug. After a few moments, the man turned back to Good Eagle.

The girl carried the bags to the counter. Emily weighed them at once. Winifred watched them. She did not understand why she could not leave. Her feet seemed rooted to the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the man called Little Puma was also watching Good Eagle and Emily.

They must be relatives, Winifred thought.

"That will be ten cents, dear," Emily said, handing Good Eagle the bags.

The girl shoved her hand into her dress pocket and rummaged around. Her smile slowly faded. She looked up at Emily, then at Little Puma with a bewildered expression.

"What is the matter?" he asked.

"I think I forgot my money at home..." Good Eagle mumbled. She put the candies back on the counter.

Little Puma sniffed loudly and said something in his own language.

Winifred pulled out her coin purse faster than Emily could intervene. She counted out the cents and placed them before the shopkeeper.

"I will pay. Do not worry." Winifred gave Good Eagle an encouraging smile.

The girl beamed and hugged the bags to her chest.

"Really? Thank you so much!"

"Good Eagle. Leave them. We will buy those candies later."

Winifred looked at Little Puma with a puzzled expression. He seemed perfectly serious.

"I insist..."

"We do not need anyone's charity," Little Puma said sharply. He offered his hand to Good Eagle. "Let us go."

"Come now, it is no trouble at all. You can bring the money later. You can take the candies now..." Emily explained.

Good Eagle looked at Little Puma hopefully.

"I still insist. Miss Henderson, take the money." Winifred surprised herself with the confidence in her voice as she addressed the young Osage and Emily.

Little Puma gave Winifred an angry look. But he seemed to give in. He nodded, took Good Eagle's hand, and almost ran out of the store.

Winifred stood there for a while longer. She watched the two of Osage leave. Then she started and smiled apologetically at Emily.

"I am sorry for causing such a scene, Miss Henderson."

"It is quite all right, ma'am. We have had stranger performances here."

Winifred smiled and was about to leave. But Emily called after her.

"Still, what is this story about your husband and the Osage?" she asked curiously.

"That... is no longer important. Goodbye, Miss Henderson."

With those words, Winifred left the shop. A whirlwind of thoughts stormed in her head. First of all, she had not expected to encounter the Osage so soon. But more than that, she had not expected them to be just ordinary people.

Jerome often told her army horror stories about skirmishes with various tribes: Lakota, Arapaho, Comanche. All those stories were full of details about the wild ways of the "Indians." They spoke of their inability to live in a civilised manner and their inhuman cruelty. Winifred had never met a Lakota, or an Osage, or an Arapaho before. She believed everything Jerome said. It never occurred to her to doubt his words.

But today, Winifred realised: Jerome had never been right.

***

"My dear, I accept your congratulations!"

The door burst open with a bang. Jerome almost bounded into the room. He was beaming.

"I bought that damned land, and tomorrow we will start building our house!"

Winifred seemed to smile at him quite sincerely. She kissed his unshaven cheek.

"I am so proud of you, darling."

Jerome embraced Winifred tightly. The only thing her happy husband did not suspect was that Winifred felt nothing but disgust for him.

"And besides, my dear, Jemma James has invited us to a dinner party in a week. You must wear your best dress and charm that family with your presence. Oh, my dear, the Jameses are very important to us. If we want the railway to come as soon as possible, we simply need their help."

"I understand all that, darling."

Winifred helped Jerome untie his neckerchief and embraced him. For just a moment, she felt an urge to strangle Jerome with that very scarf. Instead, she wrapped her hands around his shoulders and pressed against him like a loving wife.

"And when did you have the time to meet the Jameses?" Winifred asked, feigning sincere interest.

"It was a happy accident, my dear."

"An accident, you say?"

Jerome grinned crookedly and buried his nose in Winifred's neck.

"Well, perhaps I stretched the truth a little. But that is all of no consequence now."

Winifred glanced sideways. At that very moment, she spotted a small red stain on the snow-white collar of Jerome's favourite shirt. A bad feeling came over her. She pulled back from her husband and looked him intently in the eyes.

"What is that, Jerry?"

Jerome glanced at the bloodstain and answered almost carelessly: "It is not mine."

"Whose, then? Jerry?" Winifred went cold.

"A two of fools who thought they were the masters of this place, here in Independence. Do not worry about me, my dear. Just take it to the laundry."

Jerome took off the shirt and threw it into Winifred's hands.

I am not worried about you, that is for sure...

Winifred stood there for a while longer. She held the bloodied shirt. Then she ran out of the room abruptly, slamming the door behind her.
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TADA! THE LITTLE PUMA IS HERE! I hope the plot twists surprised you, hehe! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!🫶