The Moons of Koda by Fran Alongi

Author:Fran Alongi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

FIVE

It snowed again the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Soon it would be the Moon of Strong Cold. Winter was coming in full force now. Higher and higher went the snowdrifts and harder and harder was the travelling back and forth to town. Now, in the evenings, Mariah’s sides heaved with the effort of pulling the old sled that had replaced the wagon. Kept under a tarpaulin behind the shed most of the year, the sleigh was indispensable during the snowy Wyoming winter. But even though it made travel easier, the deep snow on the dirt road to town made it hard on a horse until other traffic helped to beat down a relatively smooth pathway.

During that week Emily was the only one going into town every day. The children were on their Christmas vacation and Koda wasn’t working at the general store anymore. After the holiday season business dropped off sharply and Gramps wasn’t sure when he’d be needing or able to afford her again. In the meantime, though, he had given Koda a Christmas bonus and assured her, sincerely she knew, that he’d love to have her back as soon as circumstances permitted. As he told Emily when she dropped in to do her shopping, both he and Dorie missed the girl greatly and hoped they could have her back as soon as possible. Emily knew they meant it but worried that the layoff might be more than Koda could wait out.

For her part, the young Indian showed little concern about money. She gave most of her bonus to Emily for room and board so for a few weeks at least there would be no hardship, and she gave no indication that she considered leaving. But it was a possibility that haunted the Pearsons. If she couldn’t earn her way she was too proud to stay on at their expense. And it was true that they would be hard pressed to feed all of them on Emily’s income alone. They all knew without saying that, if Koda couldn’t find a job, she would have to move on. She might even consider it a sign from the Great Spirit that she had stayed long enough.

It could have been a gloomy week for all of them if it weren’t for the fact that Koda herself appeared untouched by any cares. In spite of themselves they responded to her high spirits and had fun all the week long. It was the first time since her coming that the children had been able to spend all day, every day, together with her for a week. And it was even more fun because Hank and Susie Thorson trudged through the snow almost daily to come and play and share in the lessons that Koda taught Cindy and Jack. In addition to being the same ages as the Pearson children, Susie and Hank were also similar in temperament. Like Jack and Cindy they were children who showed the effects of being well loved.

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