Weayaya: The Sunset Woman

Chapter 10

Yvonne
Don't know where...don't know when...

I cannot tell you how long Nettie stood there with me...it must've been hours.

No one answered my random call of Aunt Lizzie...not even my own.

I didn't know where I was...or when I was.

There was no technology in sight.

The people wore old clothes, used open fire to cook, and some didn't even speak English.

Eventually, I sank onto the flattened prairie grass in defeat.

"Now now," Nettie came over to me, "they got to be close!" She lifted me up on to my feet. "Ma!" She called suddenly, "Ma!" She hiked up her dress and ran off, leaving me standing alone staring out at random people.

Some too stared back, some whispered, others ignored me.

I stood there as the wind began to whip past me.

I could only see Nettie in the distance, talking with her mother who looked displeased and annoyed.

The older woman began to shake her head, and I watched as Nettie lifted her skirts and went around the back of the wagon. She put her hands up at him, clasping them together, I could vaguely read her lips saying please so many times I lost count.

I saw the wagon bounce a little and her father appeared. He strode toward me as Nettie skipped behind him. I could see a slight smile on her face.

"You!" The man called at me, wagging his finger. "What are you called?" He put his hands on his hips.

"Uh-Y-Yvonne." I stuttered.

"Yvonne?" The man looked at me funny, "what kind of name is that?"

"Uh-F-French?" I shrugged my shoulders a little.

"French huh? Are ya French?" He put his hands on his hips.

"Uhm-Kinda?" I guessed, in honesty I had no idea.

"Yvonne-too fancy." He turned his nose up for a second. "Nettie!" He jerked his head as she came up beside him. "She looks about your size, get her in one of those frocks ya brought and out of these pants. She looks damn weird." He threw his hands up and walked away.

Nettie ran up to me with a smile. "Come on Yvonne,"
Her twang made my name sound funny out of her mouth. She took my wrist and led me to the back of the wagon.

I saw her mother side eying me as I walked by.

Nettie climbed into the back of the wagon and shifted through a chest. She pulled out a couple things and then turned around.

"What are ya standin for?" She called. "Climb in!"

I looked at the wagon in panic and couldn't see a way in. It was large and burley; the wood seemed ripe to give me splinters and I didn't even know how to start to get up in it.

Suddenly, I felt a person behind me.

"Well isn't someone having a hard time?" I turned a bit to see the teenage boy from earlier; Nettie's brother, Gideon maybe it was.

I barely had time to respond as his hands were at my waist and he basically threw me in the back of the wagon.

I cried out as my body hit the wood.

"Gideon!" Nettie's voice was sharp, "don't throw Yvonne around like that!" She quickly helped me get onto my knees.

"Yvonne?" He laughed out loud, "what a name for such a girl!" He chuckled loudly as he walked off.

"Don't mind him," she sneered at him.

My eyes focused on the dress she had in her arms. It was similar in style to hers, but the pattern was different. Where hers was dark with what looked like polka dots, the one she had on her arm had flowers and was a green color.

"Oh? This is for you!" She passed me the dress.

I couldn't help but hold it up a bit...and the dress never seemed to stop.

Nettie noticed my confusion. "What's wrong?" She asked. Her mouth formed a small smile.

"I don't know if I can take this...it is yours, Nettie." I spoke, looking between my jeans and shirt and the large dress.

"You can't go out in those dodads your wearing again!" She giggled, "the others will think you're some sort of jezebel!" She looked at me again before reaching into another chest and pulling out some more things.

Jezebel...whore. I thought as she passed me some clothes.

"What are these?" I help up a thing white dress.

"That's your chemise, duh." Nettie sat in front of me. "Go and take off those things! They look cold and wet. Can't have ya getting sick." She motioned with her fingers for me to hurry.

I turned my body so my back faced her. She pulled the shirt off of me and tossed it to the side.

"What on earth is that?" She pulled on the strap of my bra.

"Uhm..." I vocalized, "it-it's French."

"Ah-French." She raised her eyebrows as I quickly removed the bra.

I'm a swift motion, I managed to pull off my jeans and underwear.

She pulled the white chemise over my head. It was linen and see through.

"What-?" I began.

"Hold up, I'm not done!" She passed me a pair of white thin pants. I dragged them up my hips and tied a bow that kept them snug. It was then that she pulled what looked like a long slip over my head. I let it fall and she tied it too at the back of my waist before she passed me the dress. She helped me shimmy into it and she buttoned the back of it up for me. It fit a bit snug, but it was better than nothing.

"I don't think my shoes will fit ya" she began.

"No worries!" I rushed, grabbing my boots. "These will be fine."

"Not without these they won't!" She passed me a pair of wool socks.

I yanked them on before I pulled my boots back on. I tried to leave the wagon but she stopped me. I barely noticed her get out a comb and pull it through my hair. I can't tell you how many knots and tangles she got through or the pain I was in by the time she was finished.

She tied my hair in a tight bun at the base of my skull, securing it with ribbon and twine.
She grabbed a bonnet that was laying around and pulled it over me. She tied the ribbon under my chin just in time for her mother to come to the back of the wagon.

"Are you two done yet!?" She spat.

"Yes, Ma." Nettie rolled her eyes where her mother couldn't see.

The sun was fast disappearing on the horizon as Nettie helped me to my feet. I only caught a few quick glances at my outfit in the vanishing daylight.

The dress was a bit snug, and it hit the upper bit of my ankles. Nettie jumped out of the back of the wagon with ease as her mother called; but I found myself unable to do it so callously. I had to sit on the wagon to try and slide myself out of it; but it was to no avail.

My feet dangled dangerously off the ground and I felt a cold sweat leaching down my body.

Nettie couldn't contain her laugh as watched me.

"Leave her be Nettie," her brother came over to me and reached out.

He effortlessly took me by the waist and pull me out of the back. As Nettie raced over and took my arm in her own, all I could do was think about what had happened, how I had gotten here, and how I could go back home.