Dark Chronicles of Nooria 2

Mary catches me in the washroom, "Nora, ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"You're bout the toughest round this school, don't want no problem with you. So level with me. Really not want Jerry? Or just playing hard to get?"
"Mary, you want him go after him. Not playing hard to get."
"Cool, say Nora, why don't you stop wearing all those dresses? Is why all those girls hate you."
"All I own, no jeans, no pants. It's an aunt in Saskatoon, dresses passed down from her 3 daughters."
"Her daughters must really hate her. All dresses, nothing else."
"Old country, traditional. Still, glad I got em. If I relied on mum, I'd need a flour sack."
"So Nora, they say your dad was a Paki?"
"No, East Indian."
"What happened to him?"
"He and the government had a falling out, sent him back to India."
"No wonder your mum is so weepy. So, like Saskatoon or here better?"
"Neither."
"One thing I like bout you Nora, honest. Not endless brag bout Saskatoon like others who've been there."
I show for my detention. Melissa will do homework in the school library. That way, we can walk home together.
Mrs Merasty says gently, "sit up front, Nora." I'm the only one there. "Dear, you've had some rough times lately. Feel like talking?"
"No ma'am."
"Ok then, but anytime you do feel like it, I'm here."
"I'll keep that in mind, ma'am."
"Enough detention, idiot deserved what happened. Still, next time, maybe just let the playground supervisor straighten him out."
I blush.
Melissa is surprised, "out so early?"
One look tells me. I feel her forehead. "Feel sick, Melissa?"
She nods.
I walk her home. "Mrs Morningchild," I say in respectful tone, "feel her forehead."
She does. Grim look. "Nora, say goodbye to your friend, 3 days, a week. Everyone gets that flu."
I'm not surprised, see lotsa families live mostly on potato chips. Cheap, caselot discount at the store, no cooking, no dishes to wash. Noticed a pattern, where there is booze, also potato chips.
"Before you go, Nora, it's very kind very generous of you, how you look after Melissa."
"Thank you, ma'am, but she also helps me out."
"What could she do?"
"Ma'am, my first time ever on reserve, all my life in Saskatoon. She gives me good advice."
Mrs Morningchild's face lights up, she hugs Melissa.

I go home. Mum is still there, in front of the TV. I fetch water, 2 pails at a time. After 3 trips to the lake, I'm done. I take my laundry to the lake, wash 2 dresses, underwear and socks, hang them up.
The drinking water I boil 20 minutes. Wash water, what the hay? I give myself a towel bath, be half the night heating enough water and hate that metal tub anyway.
I cook supper, what passes for it. Hotdog for me, one for mum. Put it out on the coffee table. Not a word, not an eye movement, nothing to say she even knows I'm there or cares. She might eat now or an hour later.
Bet I could stand there, totally naked, purple spiky hair and she still wouldn't notice me.
This time she eats after a few minutes. I wash dishes, then sweep, careful to stay out of her line of vision to the TV. No garbage collection here, use the burning barrel out back every few days.
Bit of homework and I go to bed. Nothing good on TV. Besides mum has the remote, so I wouldn't get any choice anyway.

Recess time, I wander alone. Feels awful, usually I'm with Melissa. Two boys start fat-mouthing each other, leading up to a fight. Everyone is watching that.
I feel a hand on my shoulder, reaches around, feels me up, nothing there yet. That awful Jenny Sayer, in grade 6, looks like a little whale. Her other hand is feeling between my legs, but outside the dress.
"Stop now."
"Else what?" she leers.
"Won't beat you up, people just feel sorry for you. Spank you hard, if you don't stop."
For answer, she hikes up my dress, slides a hand inside my panty. No one is watching as I take her down with ridiculous ease. After a dozen spanks, I know something has gone wrong. See she's enjoying it. I stop, try to think through my next move.
With that, she wraps her arms around me, starts kissing me. Between kisses, "just love a take-charge girl." "Shown you are interested." "Made me your little slave girl."
I try to control the sick feeling in my stomach. See boys, they only slang me, talk crazy stuff. Never try anything with their hands, know I can fight. What do I do when I find she likes the spanks? Scarier, what do I do about strange feelings?
I hold her off at arms-length, "enough, had your fun." By now, the boyfight is over, so we'll hafta behave.
"Admit it," she leers, "you liked that. Liked spanking. Liked kissing."
True, but I'd rather wrestle a grizzly bear than admit it to her.
"So that's why you kept pushing that ridiculous Jerry away."
"Nah, was just playing hard to get, but Mary scooped him."
Jenny snorts with laughter, "go on. Could tie one hand behind your back and you could still thump that silly Mary. So, when she scooped Jerry, was with your permission. She'd be too afraid of you."
I blush, right on.
"Now I ain't gonna call you a liar. Let's just say, someone still sifting through feelings, hasn't figured it out yet."
I blush hotter.
"Just look around Nora. Men, total swine. Boys, apprentice swine, takes them a while to learn. You belong with someone like me, treat you with love, respect."
"Sliding your fingers in my panty is respect? Hate to see when you get rude."
Matter-of-fact tone, "knew I had to. Only way you'd spank. But I won't do it again, not til you ask of course.
Again I blush.
"I know what you really want. One day, it'll happen. How bout today, after school?"
"Chores to do."
"Same here. No big deal, won't take long."
"No."
"Tomorrow is Saturday, name a time, be there with bells on my feet. Anything you want."
I groan inwardly. So why am I weakening? "Busy tomorrow."
She grins knowingly, "no one in the whole of Lilac Valley is ever busy, ever. Just a saying you picked up in Saskatoon. So you do that, resist me all you want. I love the thrill of the chase."
With that, I'm saved by the bell, recess over.

Most of the time, I can just switch off after crazy stuff, get on with school. This time, just doesn't work. Thoughts are too many, too fast. Does that make my one of those? I mean every woman I've ever heard talk, says the same, how bad men are. So are they all those? If so, where do all the kids come from? Why are there tons of magazines, makeup, hairdos, clothes, jewelry, all to catch those horrible things? Why bother?
Worse yet, I felt a real electric jolt. Surely she felt it, is laughing at me.
Gradually I become aware someone is calling my name, Mrs Awasis, the teacher, "Earth calling Nora, come in please."
"Yes Mrs Awasis."
"Take your book, go to the board, show us how you do the problem."
"Which one ma'am?" Everyone laughs and I blush.
"Number Five, page 137."
I slap it on the board fast. Easy, 1000-643=357.
"Don't sit just yet Nora. Explain what you did, didn't borrow."
"All from 9, last from 10. 9-6=3. 9-4=5. 10-3=7."
"Where did you learn that? They teach that in school in Saskatoon?"
"No ma'am, learned from my father."
"What was his occupation?"
"Going for his PhD in Economics, taught undergrad classes."
"So why are you here? Why did your mother return to Lilac Valley?"
I blush, "ma'am, he and the government had a little misunderstanding. So they sent him back to India."
Now Bert pipes up, "I know that story, happened when I was in Saskatoon. See he'd gone back for his father's funeral, tried bringing back 20 kilos of dope."
Mrs Awasis, "now Bert, you really should not butt in. In future, put your hand up."
"Yes Mrs Awasis."
She looks at me. No question. Huge blush says it all. Story is true.
"Now children, remember a child is not responsible for the actions of a parent. If it were so, lotta you children would be in jail right now."
I see awe, respect for me all over Bert's face. He puts up his hand."
"Yes Bert?"
"Everyone else, parents are in for nonsense stuff. We got a real celebrity her. Nora, I'm real sorry for my remarks."
I nod.
"Ok Nora, one more time. Show them that math trick again."

And now I'm in the soup. See with Melissa, it helped keep the crazies away. I sit alone in the cafeteria. It's good, beef stew, large bun and real butter, orange and milk. Thank heavens for school lunch.
Jenny sits uninvited. I'm on edge, but before anything happens, Bert comes along. "May I join you ladies?"
He tells us of his uncles into bootlegging. Has a ton of stories.
Jenny sniffs, "that's bad. Look at all the problems booze causes."
Bert laughs, "no my uncles are heroes. See the government wants to cheat people on all those taxes. You might say my uncles are like Robin Hood."