Ida's New World

by Lise Muusmann

  Rose got up from the piano, and moved quickly over to Henry. She looked as if she did not know how to react, whether she should stay or flee.

  “Well, I never,” Rose muttered weakly. “This is almost too much.”

  Bearbaby tumbled around and Bearboy had to grab him to get a hold of his leash again. But Bearbaby quickly wriggled free and raced into the gathering. The bear cub seemed determined to get to know all of them. He tumbled around sniffing everyone and then found the entrance to the house and disappeared inside. They did not hear a sound from him for a while.

  Everyone stood to greet their guest.

  “Are you hungry?” Rose asked finally, rubbing a hand over her belly and making eating motions. Bearboy nodded and smiled. Ida started to take his hand to lead him to the table. But he held up his hand and first walked towards the piano. He stood and looked at it. Then he gingerly touched a key and looked quite scared at the responding sound coming from inside the piano case. Anna was quick to serve him some food and guide him to sit with them. He smiled and joined her. He seemed especially fond of the buns that she had baked that same morning. Still, Bearboy kept turning his gaze back to the piano. Ida walked over to Rose and whispered in her ear.

  Rose went and sat at the piano. She played a psalm and a couple of Irish folk melodies, which she and Henry sang together. Ida and Lisa couldn’t help but dance to the Irish tunes. Bearboy clearly liked the music. He moved his body following the rhythm. Everybody sat tapping their toes and nodding to the Irish jigs and ballads.

  “His clothes are so beautiful,” Katrina whispered to Frederik. Then a loud shriek from Anna shocked everyone into silence. Anna had gone into the house, but now stood in the doorway and appeared to not know whether to laugh or cry.

  “That naughty Bearbaby is eating up all the porridge. He is sitting on the floor with the pot between his paws.” Anna pointed towards the bear inside the house.

  Bearboy following her pointing arm, rushed in to get Bearbaby. They came out together and he looked very embarrassed, but the bear had endless energy and was still very frisky. He tumbled about and wanted to get back to the porridge. Anna hurried inside and came out with the pot and gave it to Bearbaby, who immediately sat down and started to eat again. It looked so funny that everybody laughed. Bearbaby scooped out the porridge with his paw, then licked and licked all the porridge off, then dug in again. He looked at the laughing people and seemed to enjoy the attention, his efforts became even more enthusiastic. A real showman. Bearboy shrugged his shoulders and looked entreatingly towards Rose, as if he was asking her for more music. Rose nodded and continued playing her cheerful Irish dance music, and the girls kept on dancing.

  Stephen sat next to Bearboy and enjoyed the music with him. Ida walked over to Stephen and pulled his hands, asking him to get up and dance. At first he did not want to, but Bearboy pushed him and in the end, they both got up. Then everyone jumped around to the music. Rose laughed and carried on with her repertoire of Irish folk music.

  Henry nodded and winked at Frederik. They had been so very lucky to find this piano. It had indeed been hard work to get the stove and the piano onto the wagon, and later off again and into the house. But now it really proved to have been worth the effort.

  Finally Rose brought the fun to a finish and ending her last tune, she stood up. For a while they all sat around and looked at each other. Then Bearboy said something to Stephen, who replied quickly.

  “He can speak a bit of Indian,” Ida said and smiled.

  “Yes, I know a little bit,” Stephen answered. “Bearboy asks if we want to visit his camp?”

  “All of us?” Rose asked, frowning. “Visit the Indians?”

  “They can also come and visit us, if you like. At least, a couple of them, he says.”

  “But we are not ready for visitors, not at all,” Rose said. “Can’t you explain that we have to finish our house first? We have only just arrived.”

  Stephen explained in words and in sign language what his mother had said. Bearboy nodded understandingly and got hold of Bearbaby, who was now running at great speed towards the table with all the food. He caught the bear cub and got a firm two-handed grip on the leash. Then, hanging on to the energetic Bearbaby, he said goodbye to everyone. He held his hands against each other at his chest and bowed lightly. Then he left them, with Bearbaby tumbling along, and it seemed Bearboy had to use all his strength to control the bear cub.

  Chapter 50

  When Bearboy had disappeared with the frisky bear cub, Rose looked at the others and shook her head in bewilderment.

  “What an experience,” she said.

  “Yes, Bearbaby is funny, isn’t he?” Ida asked.

  “I really do not know what to think. What are we going to do, if they come here?”

  “It really was a very unusual experience,” Katrina said laughingly. Anna stood with the empty pot and laughed so much she almost dropped it.

  “I guess the whole tribe will not come all at the same time?” Anna asked dubiously.

  “No, I don’t think so. There are quite a lot of them in that camp,” Stephen said drily.

  “They won’t hurt us, will they?” Rose asked doubtfully. “We have settled here without asking for their permission.”

  “This land is not owned by anyone,” Henry said. “It is free without anyone being the owner. The Indians say you can’t own the land, just as you can’t own the water or the air.”

  “They have got a point there,” Katrina said. “Where we come from, we could not own anything either, because the Lord of the Manor owned everything in sight. We could not even own our house.” Katrina looked bitter. “That is why we had to immigrate.”

  “But we can own land here in America,” Frederik said happily.

  “What will happen to the Indians if everyone comes and claims up all the land?” Ida asked. “Don’t they have a claim here as well.”

  “Yes, that is right,” Anna said, after Ida had translated the conversation.

  “What will happen to them?”

  “Nobody knows,” Henry said and shook his head.

  “The flow of immigrants is not going to stop. Quite the contrary, I think more and more immigrants will be coming. There are too many mouths to feed in Europe and no future for them in the old world.”

  “I love it here,” Ida said and jumped up and down. Lisa started to jump as well. “I have got a nice little sister, and Stephen is my very good friend.”

  “Can’t we make a party for the Indians?” Stephen asked and looked at his parents, who looked at each other and nodded.

  “The Indians are so good at dancing, you know,” said Stephen. “It is quite fantastic to see.”

  “Have you seen them dancing?” Rose asked and he nodded.

  “They dress up like animals and they have all different sorts of dances.”

  “It sounds quite incredible,” Rose said. “We had better get our house in order quickly, if they are coming to visit. What are we going to offer them for dinner?”

  “We will sort that out,” Henry said. “Don’t cross your bridges, before you get to them.”

  “Yes, that is easy for you to say,” Rose said. “What about the plough that you do not seem to be able to operate?”

  “We will get to that tomorrow,” Frederik said. “And we must press on with it, because we have got to get the potatoes in the ground.”

  “Then we shall have to delay this party for a while,” Rose said. “That naughty Bear cub, will he come to the party too?”

  “Yes, Yes!” Chorused the three children gleefully.

  “It is so funny,” Ida said laughingly.

  “I found it was a bit too funny,” Rose said. “Do they also have really big bears in their camp?” She turned quite pale at the thought of a complete family of bears.

  “No, mum, they don’t. Now you are being silly. They release the bear cub, when it gets big enough to look after itself, when it’s too big to handle, they can’t have it in the
camp any more, right?”

  “Oh, of course.” Said Rose. “Now we women will do the dishes, and I suggest the men get that plough to work on the lower fields,” she said firmly.

  There was a moment of silence, before the two men nodded and reluctantly went to look at the plough, now installed under a low lean-to roof next to the cow byre Henry had built for the oxen and Bluebell the cow. The plough certainly was not new and they’d had some problems getting it to turn.

  “Yes, we are doing what we can, but it is a bit worn.”

  “Why didn’t you buy a newer plough?” Rose asked resentfully.

  “You do know that we do not have that kind of money at present, Rose.”

  “No, we have never ever had that kind of money.”

  She collected up the dishes and put them into the dish washing bowl. The children went to play in the prairie wagon, that was parked on a level area a bit further downhill. Henry was planning to build a big barn there for produce and machinery. Beyond, the ground sloped steeply away and the children had thrown dried-grass hay in a big soft pile. They leaped from off the wagon down the hillside into they hay, then climbed back up to do it again. And again. They shrieked with delight each time, flying through the air and bouncing into the hay.

  Suddenly a shriek turned to a genuine scream. Everybody stopped what they were doing and ran to the wagon. Stephen lay on the ground, writhing in pain. He held his leg and cried out.

  “Oh, this was just what we need,” Rose shouted as she ran down to the boy. He clutched his shin and wailed.

  “What are we going to do?” Rose said and looked in despair up at Henry.

  “He’s broken his leg.”

  Chapter 51

  “I want to go to the Indians,” Stephen wailed. “Oh, it hurts so much! My leg!”

  “What can we do?” Henry said. “It takes more than a day to reach Kenmare.” Henry tried to prize Stephens hands from his leg for a better look.

  “What are you saying about the Indians?” He asked gently.

  “I saw them put a leg together on an Indian boy, who had been hurt. They have a good medicine man.”

  “What do you say, Rose?” Henry stared at her for a decision.

  “Harness the horses, and put the boy on a bed of blankets. This time he is going on top of the blankets and not under them,” Rose said with determination.

  “No, I am not lying under a blanket anymore,” Stephen gasped.

  Frederik brought the wagon about and harnessed up the horses as fast as he could. They had been grazing peacefully and were well rested. Henry and Rose carefully lifted Stephen into the wagon. The boy cried out agonisingly. Rose was trying to be brave, but couldn’t help tears rolling down her cheeks as she crawled in beside her son, and held his hand. The men stirred up the horses and they set off. Then stopped to get Ida.

  “Ida, come here!” Frederik shouted. “You will have to be our guide.”

  Ida was helped up onto the drivers box. Katrina climbed into the wagon with Rose, and Lisa and Anna stayed behind.

  They drove so fast that Ida’s heart was pounding in her chest. Behind her, Stephen cried out in pain at every bump, and there were many. There was no road or path from their place across the prairie to the camp. It was a difficult trip. It took ages, but finally they spotted the horses in the corral near the entrance to the camp.

  “Look, there are the tents,” Ida cried. “Now we are at the camp.”

  “These tents are called teepees,” Henry said. “There can be several hundred Indians in such a camp as this.”

  Scouts had observed them for a while before they reached the camp and had followed at a short distance. Henry signalled to them, trying to show that it was alright. However, the occasional scream from within the wagon proved not everything was exactly ‘alright’. As they rolled into the camp, people came out from the teepees and gathered around the wagon. Luckily, Bearboy was there. Ida clambered down from the drivers box and ran to Bearboy.

  “Stephen has broken his leg,” she said. She pointed at her leg and made desperate signs to indicate something had broken apart. Bearboy nodded and ran off towards a big tent.

  Frederik and Henry climbed down from the drivers box. They pointed to the wagon. Two Indians sprang up into the back of the wagon and they gently carried the moaning Stephen out and lay him on the ground. He was as pale as a corpse and completely exhausted from the painful journey. An elderly Indian man came trotting from the big teepee with Bearboy. He wore an elaborate white skin suit and his hair was adorned with many brightly coloured feathers.

  “This is probably the medicine man,” Henry whispered to Frederik. Stephen was carried off to his tent, and Henry followed. Ida was so curious that she also wanted to come. She was allowed to stand at the entrance to the tent and watch the medicine man taking care of Stephen. An elderly, wrinkled Indian woman with very long grey plaits poured boiling water into a small clay pot with herbs. She waved her hand over the cup to cool it down. Then she knelt beside Stephen and managed to get some drops into his mouth. He drank slowly. The medicine man took off Stephen’s trousers and looked at the broken leg. He spoke to his wife in a low voice, and she crossed to the side of the tent where several skin bags hung. From a bag she fetched some completely straight, smooth pieces of wood. The medicine man again asked her to fetch something, and she returned with long narrow straps of leather. Then she continued giving Stephen drops from the cup. After a few moments, he was completely still and had fallen into a deep sleep. Soon after, the medicine man pulled the leg straight, then placed the pieces of wood on either side of the straightened leg, and wrapped the strips of leather around and around tightly, binding everything together. They made a strong smelling herbal poultice and placed it on the shin before wrapping the leg in fine woven cloth.

  The medicine man was squatting beside Stephen during the operation and afterwards, he leaned back and looked up at the worried father. With a solemn face, he indicated to Henry, that everything was going to be alright now. Henry reached out and grasped the medicine man’s hands in both of his and shook them by way of thanking him. He nodded often.

  Ida couldn’t hold back the tears, seeing Stephen lying so pale with his leg strapped between the fine straight branches. But she was happy, they had managed to get him help and that he would mend.

   Chapter 52

  “What do we do now, Rose?” Henry asked her as he came out of the tent. She stood waiting just outside. “The leg has been put together nicely,” he added.

  The medicine man came out to see the parents of his patient. He told them in sign language that Stephen had to stay still for some days for the bones to mend properly.

  “What do you say, Rose?” Henry asked her.

  “I do not know what to say,” she said anxiously. “Imagine if they keep him, like last time.” She was on the brink of crying and he took her hands to comfort her.

  “I do not think they will do that,” Henry answered. “They have seen us now. They know we are nearby.”

  “Ida can stay here with him,” said Frederik suddenly.

  “Dare you to do that?” Rose asked Ida with eyes wide. Ida nodded. She walked away from the tent a little and gazed around at the busy settlement.

  “They are so used to living out in nature. Look how they catch animals for food and for clothes. And they keep gardens, where they grow all sorts of herbs and vegetables.”

  The medicine man indicated to them that they should follow him to a big outdoors fireplace, where several women were preparing food. He indicated they should sit down on the logs lying around the fire. The Indian women were shy and didn’t meet their eyes, glancing away. But then one of them bravely came forward to touch Katrina’s blond hair admiringly. She smiled at her.

  The women served food for them in small bowls. It smelled enticing and tasted even better than it smelled. Rose sat deep in thought as she ate from the bowl until she suddenly became aware of people gathering around, watching her. She looked up a
nd started in fright at finding a big ring of Indians all staring at her. She put down her bowl slowly.

  “What is wrong?” She whispered urgently to Henry beside her. Bearboy was standing in front of the group and smiled at her. He spoke quickly to the others, and they all studied the sweet little Irish lady, who by now was quite confused.

  “Katrina, why they are staring at me like this?”

  Katrina looked at Bearboy and mimed playing the piano with her hands in the air, and tilted her head in question. He nodded enthusiastically and looked admiringly at Rose.

  “Can you not guess?” Katrina laughed. Rose shook her head at first and Katrina played again on an invisible piano.

  “Oh, you think that is the reason why they are all staring at me?”

  “Yes, Rose. You played on that old piano and it seems you really have an admirer in Bearboy here.

  “Okay, if you say so.” Rose nodded to him to show she understood, and he clapped his hands and took a couple of dance steps, humming a tune.

  “What is that he is humming?” Katrina asked.

  “It sounds a lot like one of our old Irish folk songs,” said Rose, amazed.

  “They have drums here,” Ida burst out and hurried off in the direction of the nearest tent. She returned with a beautifully decorated white hand-drum and drumstick. Ida handed the instrument to Rose.

  “Play!” Ida commanded. “They expect to hear some music now.”

  Rose sat with drum on its side at her knees and the smooth drum stick in her hand and look horrified. She stared at the beautiful instrument in despair.

  “No, really and truly,” Rose exclaimed. “I play the piano, not on a drum.”

  But then she looked up and saw the disappointment in everybody’s eyes. The Indians were almost bursting with excitement.

  “Alright,” she said slowly. “I’ll try and play an old Irish ballad and try to keep up a rhythm.”

  She tentatively raised up a beat on the drum as she sang with her clear Irish lilting voice. Hesitantly at first, but then the drum and Rose got going. She leaned into it and sang from the heart, a haunting Irish love song. Afterwards, everything was completely quiet for a moment, before a huge applause.