The Brave Mouse
The second story from the "Lives Free" trilogy
Michaela intently packed her belongings, looking at the list from time to time.
"I need another bag", she muttered to herself, "to pack Katie's dresses."
"Why are you going to pack my dresses?"
She had heard Katie's voice from the front door. Katie just returned from school.
"Because we're going to Boston for a while. Your cousin Ellen needs my help." (Ellen was the
daughter of Michaela's sister Claudette)
"I'm not going!" Katie said firmly "Don't want to miss school."
Finding this hard to believe, Michaela remarked, "I can't refuse, Katie. Ellen just fell from the stairs
and hurt her face. She needs plastic surgery as soon as possible, and Claudette pleaded for me to
come."
"So, you can go there with Josef", Katie suggested, "and I'll stay here with Pa."
"We'll discuss it later" Michaela answered evasively, "Where is your Pa?"
"In the barn."
"Call him, please. Supper is ready" Michaela closed the bag and put it on the floor.
"Why don't you want to go with me?" Michaela asked her daughter during supper.
"Because I can't tolerate Aunt Claudette, and her Ellen as well." Katie made a disgusting face and
squealed, "Dear cousin, your manners are so bad. You're a young lady, not a wild Comanche…I
understand, you're living in such a wilderness"…
She grimaced and finished with her normal voice: "She's just a stupid poseur that's all!"
"Katherine Sully!" Michaela's brows angrily creased.
Sully lowered his eyes, looking into his plate, trying to hide his emotions. He was sure that Katie
imitated her cousin Ellen exactly.
Ellen was her mother's daughter, and Claudette was the only sister of Michaela, who still couldn't
put up with her marriage. She always called him officially "Mr.Sully", and every time they visited
Boston, he felt very uncomfortable under her haughty gaze.
"Sometimes she was right, Katie", Michaela said, "I don't want you to be like her, but YOU'RE A
GIRL…Do you want to know what Mrs.Slicker told me today?"
"What?" Katie asked reluctantly, "I got an "A" on my history test."
"That's good…but she saw you on a top of the tree yesterday …Can you explain to me what you
were doing there?"
Sully tried to stifle a laugh with all his might, still not lifting his eyes. Fortunately, Michaela didn't
notice his struggles.
"Jim, Kyle and me found a baby bird" Katie explained willingly " and we needed to put him back into
his nest." He couldn't fly yet, , and we didn't want him to be eaten by some cat."
"But it was you who climbed that tree, not Jim or Kyle."
Katie shrugged: "The nest was on the top, and I'm lighter than they are."
"Katie!" Michaela exclaimed, " "Do you remember what I told you about Brian's falling from the
tree?"
"I'm not a little kid anymore!" Katie was outraged.
"I just want you to be careful" Michaela said softly.
"I'm always careful", Katie answered, and Michaela looked at Sully.
Those were his words…as a matter of fact, Katie was definitely, "her father's daughter", in
appearance and personality.
"That's not all", Michaela continued, "Jim's mother, Mrs.Kerby, told me, that you threw a knife into
her fence. There are dangerous games, and not proper for girls."
Katie reddened: "That was not a knife," she whispered guiltily, " that was Pa's tomahawk."
That was Sully's turn to be outraged: "Katie, I've told you before never throw it without me! You
could hurt somebody or yourself!"
"I'm sorry Pa…But Jim called me a liar, when I told him that you taught me to throw it. He drew a
circle on the fence and asked me if I can hit the mark."
"So, did you?" Sully asked with great interest.
Michaela gave him an angry look, and he buried himself in his plate again.
Katie nodded proudly and whispered: "But Jim didn't."
Michaela sighed: "Nevertheless, it seems you need a dose of Boston , young lady."
"Pl-e-e-ease, Ma! Let me stay with Pa, that would be better for you! You won't be ashamed of my
manners there!"
"Well", Michaela said, "I'll think about it, but every time you both stay without me, you get into
trouble. Just remember how you ran away two years ago."
Katie shrugged: "We're here safe and sound. And now we have Joe."
Little Josef had heard his name and smiled broadly in his high chair.
After Josef was baptized, Michaela pleaded with all the townsfolk to forget that he was an adopted
child. He brought a new happiness to the family. Michaela was sure, that this child was definitely a
gift from God, after she'd lost her unborn baby. Even Mrs.Quinn loved Josef as her own grandson.
Katie smiled at her little brother in return: "Behave well in Boston, Joe," she said in a didactic tone.
"The same goes for you, young lady," Michaela told her, "before I let you stay, I must be sure that I
won't need to worry about you both."
"Sure you won't!" father and daughter said in unison.
"You've spoiled her, Sully", Michaela said, putting her hairbrush on the night table "I still think that
she needs to go with me."
"Why?"
"Sometimes Ellen is right about the way she behaves. I want her to be a girl, not a tomboy like she
is."
Sully shrugged; "She's just natural. I hate those poseurs in Boston, and don't want Katie to be like
them."
He smiled a bit: "I'd prefer her to be just like you. And you look very natural…"
Michaela blushed and smiled, then turned serious: "Sully…I don't know if this is the right time for this
conversation…but ..Sully, you have a prestigious job now, you meet all these Congressmen…"
"So what?" " Sully asked impatiently
"So…" she stopped, trying to choose the right word, "you need to change a little… I mean, your
look."
"Michaela, I've changed a lot over the years, and I can't say that I like all of this."
"You wore a suit even before we got married", Michaela reminded him, " in Boston, and even before
that, on my birthday."
"Just for your pleasure, Michaela. You were never ashamed of my looks before…perhaps only
once, in Boston".
"I'm not, Sully! I just don't want all these people gossiping about your looks behind your back".
"I don't care", Sully said, a bit irritated, "I can wear all this stuff, and learn all these Bostonian
manners…but it will never be natural for me. Even now I feel ashamed…"
"Ashamed? Of what?"
"For chatting with all these Congressmen, who treat Indians like this, who forced them to starve and
die in reservations…Seems now I look more like them …Sometimes I think: what my Cheyenne
family would say if they saw me now…and I feel ashamed, because I did nothing for them."
"You did all you were able to…"
"I did nothing," he repeated sadly, "My family was killed, just like the Cheyenne in fort Robinson,
and Cloud Dancing was forced to hide from the Army."
"Cloud Dancing is safe now", Michaela said "He has permission to live in Yellowstone, outside the
reservation."
"He needs the Government's permission to live on his own land", Sully said bitterly
"He's happy now," Michaela put her hand on his shoulder, stroking his long hair. "He's happy with
Dorothy, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is", Sully agreed, "But how about the others?"
There was pain and sadness in his eyes. Michaela felt sorry that she started this conversation.
"Sully", she said softly, "You saved Joe…you did so much for them. I'm sorry for starting all
this…I'm really sorry."
He managed a smile: "Okay…what did you decide about Katie?"
"Well…I'll let her stay with you. But you're going to leave for Wyoming this week…"
"Brian and Sarah will look after her for a few days."
"Good", she finally said, "I'll let her stay…."
The second story from the "Lives Free" trilogy
Michaela intently packed her belongings, looking at the list from time to time.
"I need another bag", she muttered to herself, "to pack Katie's dresses."
"Why are you going to pack my dresses?"
She had heard Katie's voice from the front door. Katie just returned from school.
"Because we're going to Boston for a while. Your cousin Ellen needs my help." (Ellen was the
daughter of Michaela's sister Claudette)
"I'm not going!" Katie said firmly "Don't want to miss school."
Finding this hard to believe, Michaela remarked, "I can't refuse, Katie. Ellen just fell from the stairs
and hurt her face. She needs plastic surgery as soon as possible, and Claudette pleaded for me to
come."
"So, you can go there with Josef", Katie suggested, "and I'll stay here with Pa."
"We'll discuss it later" Michaela answered evasively, "Where is your Pa?"
"In the barn."
"Call him, please. Supper is ready" Michaela closed the bag and put it on the floor.
"Why don't you want to go with me?" Michaela asked her daughter during supper.
"Because I can't tolerate Aunt Claudette, and her Ellen as well." Katie made a disgusting face and
squealed, "Dear cousin, your manners are so bad. You're a young lady, not a wild Comanche…I
understand, you're living in such a wilderness"…
She grimaced and finished with her normal voice: "She's just a stupid poseur that's all!"
"Katherine Sully!" Michaela's brows angrily creased.
Sully lowered his eyes, looking into his plate, trying to hide his emotions. He was sure that Katie
imitated her cousin Ellen exactly.
Ellen was her mother's daughter, and Claudette was the only sister of Michaela, who still couldn't
put up with her marriage. She always called him officially "Mr.Sully", and every time they visited
Boston, he felt very uncomfortable under her haughty gaze.
"Sometimes she was right, Katie", Michaela said, "I don't want you to be like her, but YOU'RE A
GIRL…Do you want to know what Mrs.Slicker told me today?"
"What?" Katie asked reluctantly, "I got an "A" on my history test."
"That's good…but she saw you on a top of the tree yesterday …Can you explain to me what you
were doing there?"
Sully tried to stifle a laugh with all his might, still not lifting his eyes. Fortunately, Michaela didn't
notice his struggles.
"Jim, Kyle and me found a baby bird" Katie explained willingly " and we needed to put him back into
his nest." He couldn't fly yet, , and we didn't want him to be eaten by some cat."
"But it was you who climbed that tree, not Jim or Kyle."
Katie shrugged: "The nest was on the top, and I'm lighter than they are."
"Katie!" Michaela exclaimed, " "Do you remember what I told you about Brian's falling from the
tree?"
"I'm not a little kid anymore!" Katie was outraged.
"I just want you to be careful" Michaela said softly.
"I'm always careful", Katie answered, and Michaela looked at Sully.
Those were his words…as a matter of fact, Katie was definitely, "her father's daughter", in
appearance and personality.
"That's not all", Michaela continued, "Jim's mother, Mrs.Kerby, told me, that you threw a knife into
her fence. There are dangerous games, and not proper for girls."
Katie reddened: "That was not a knife," she whispered guiltily, " that was Pa's tomahawk."
That was Sully's turn to be outraged: "Katie, I've told you before never throw it without me! You
could hurt somebody or yourself!"
"I'm sorry Pa…But Jim called me a liar, when I told him that you taught me to throw it. He drew a
circle on the fence and asked me if I can hit the mark."
"So, did you?" Sully asked with great interest.
Michaela gave him an angry look, and he buried himself in his plate again.
Katie nodded proudly and whispered: "But Jim didn't."
Michaela sighed: "Nevertheless, it seems you need a dose of Boston , young lady."
"Pl-e-e-ease, Ma! Let me stay with Pa, that would be better for you! You won't be ashamed of my
manners there!"
"Well", Michaela said, "I'll think about it, but every time you both stay without me, you get into
trouble. Just remember how you ran away two years ago."
Katie shrugged: "We're here safe and sound. And now we have Joe."
Little Josef had heard his name and smiled broadly in his high chair.
After Josef was baptized, Michaela pleaded with all the townsfolk to forget that he was an adopted
child. He brought a new happiness to the family. Michaela was sure, that this child was definitely a
gift from God, after she'd lost her unborn baby. Even Mrs.Quinn loved Josef as her own grandson.
Katie smiled at her little brother in return: "Behave well in Boston, Joe," she said in a didactic tone.
"The same goes for you, young lady," Michaela told her, "before I let you stay, I must be sure that I
won't need to worry about you both."
"Sure you won't!" father and daughter said in unison.
"You've spoiled her, Sully", Michaela said, putting her hairbrush on the night table "I still think that
she needs to go with me."
"Why?"
"Sometimes Ellen is right about the way she behaves. I want her to be a girl, not a tomboy like she
is."
Sully shrugged; "She's just natural. I hate those poseurs in Boston, and don't want Katie to be like
them."
He smiled a bit: "I'd prefer her to be just like you. And you look very natural…"
Michaela blushed and smiled, then turned serious: "Sully…I don't know if this is the right time for this
conversation…but ..Sully, you have a prestigious job now, you meet all these Congressmen…"
"So what?" " Sully asked impatiently
"So…" she stopped, trying to choose the right word, "you need to change a little… I mean, your
look."
"Michaela, I've changed a lot over the years, and I can't say that I like all of this."
"You wore a suit even before we got married", Michaela reminded him, " in Boston, and even before
that, on my birthday."
"Just for your pleasure, Michaela. You were never ashamed of my looks before…perhaps only
once, in Boston".
"I'm not, Sully! I just don't want all these people gossiping about your looks behind your back".
"I don't care", Sully said, a bit irritated, "I can wear all this stuff, and learn all these Bostonian
manners…but it will never be natural for me. Even now I feel ashamed…"
"Ashamed? Of what?"
"For chatting with all these Congressmen, who treat Indians like this, who forced them to starve and
die in reservations…Seems now I look more like them …Sometimes I think: what my Cheyenne
family would say if they saw me now…and I feel ashamed, because I did nothing for them."
"You did all you were able to…"
"I did nothing," he repeated sadly, "My family was killed, just like the Cheyenne in fort Robinson,
and Cloud Dancing was forced to hide from the Army."
"Cloud Dancing is safe now", Michaela said "He has permission to live in Yellowstone, outside the
reservation."
"He needs the Government's permission to live on his own land", Sully said bitterly
"He's happy now," Michaela put her hand on his shoulder, stroking his long hair. "He's happy with
Dorothy, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is", Sully agreed, "But how about the others?"
There was pain and sadness in his eyes. Michaela felt sorry that she started this conversation.
"Sully", she said softly, "You saved Joe…you did so much for them. I'm sorry for starting all
this…I'm really sorry."
He managed a smile: "Okay…what did you decide about Katie?"
"Well…I'll let her stay with you. But you're going to leave for Wyoming this week…"
"Brian and Sarah will look after her for a few days."
"Good", she finally said, "I'll let her stay…."