The Old Woman Magda

I ran to her wagon.. but I could not find her anywhere.. until I hear her soft cries.. and there she was.. I nearly fell over her.. She was laying on her side.. the stick grasped firmly in her gnarled hand.. I asked her if she was hurt.. as I knelt down next to her.. And then it happened.. she smacked me right on the head with that stick.. I jumped up and rubbed my head a few hundred times.. and said.. "what did you do that for?" The Old woman looked up at me with those glassy dark eyes.. "Thief!" she cried and tried to smack me again.. I backed up.. almost knocking over the pot of stew.. Now hold on here.. I am not a theif.. I am Yamka.. I brought you some stew and bread.. She looked up at me with those old sad eyes... "Help an old woman up so that I can get a better look at you" So I said .. are ya gonna hit me again with that stick? :she chuckled" "No"

So I gave her a hand up.. and brushed her off.. and asked what had happened... She began to tell me her tale.. Evidently she noticed a tear in her wagon tarp.. and was trying to fix it herself when she lost her balance and fell.. Her muted cries had gone unheard, since most stay away from her wagons cause of that stick you see... I lead her to the step of her wagon... and checked her out.. making sure there were no broken bones.. or bleeding anywhere.. She had a nasty bump on her forehead. and she is gonna be sore and bruised, but all in all she seemed fine..

I filled a bowl with some stew for her.. and broke off a piece of bread.. and sat while she ate.. She sees to have all her teeth... and was making some odd smacking noises as she ate.. but she emptied that bowl and asked for another... Always a good sign. I had nothing to do really and she was my project of sorts.. plus it kept me one day further away from being painted blue.. so I stayed and visited with her for a while.. She told me her mate had been a lower commander under Blood.. now that was way before I was born. but I had heard of him... She had 4 sons.. all gone now.. as was her
I asked who took care of her.... she said some OR brought her meat once in a while.. None of her sons ever lived long enough to mate.. so she was really alone... Which got me to thinking.. I would ask my brothers to take her on as a grandma of sorts.. While she ate her 2nd bowl of stew.. I got to fixing that rip in her tarp.. and checked her wagon out for anything else that might need to be fixed.. We were moving soon and her wagon needed some minor repairs.. Maybe my brothers could spare some time.. and come do some things.. I will ask if one of them could drive her wagon during the move.. She should not have to do that..

And Cana was right... she had been a leather worker.. before her hands got all gnaled up and her eyesight left her.. but I bet there were still some things she could teach me.. And so I would make sure I visited her often.. I called a girl over.. and had her quickly do a once over inside the womans wagon.. and made sure she had clean furs to sleep on.. Her water barrel was filled with fresh water.. and dung that had been collected was brought over.. and I hung it on a peg on the side of her water... I would make sure each morning I came and got her fire started..

As all these things were being done.. I glanced to the old woman and I could see tears filling her eyes.. If I could do one thing for this tribe.. just one thing.. for one person.. it made me feel good inside.. She looked at me.. and curled a finger towards me.. I headed on over to her.. and sat on the step.. "Child.. why would you do this for me? So I smiled and hugged the old woman.. You are tuchuk.. I am tuchuk.. We are family.. My hands are young.. my back is young.. and its time for you to sit and watch.. just this once.. She told me her name was Magda.. It was time for me to get back to my own wagon... And so I stood... she looked at me and said quietly: "Will you come visit me again?... and my reply was.. I will be here everyday to visit you..