Dark Chronicles of Nooria 4

Next morning Melissa is still sick. I arrive at school, see Jenny has been crying. She pulls me aside urgently, "not in school today Nora, gotta pack. Mum said I could come, say goodbye to my friends. Catching the noon bus, she's gonna live with that moron in Saskatoon again."
I groan.
She hugs me, "maybe not goodbye for good. After 3 months of the idiot, she'll be back. Maybe even 3 weeks or 3 days."
I'm at a loss, bell rings, I hug her, kiss her, then enter the school.
All day I'm in fear, will I lose Melissa too? I hurry to her house after school. To my huge relief, she's better, more cheerful. Never been so happy to see anyone in my life.
I know Mrs Morningchild knows things like dream meanings, so I take the chance, tell her of last night and the prior history of that dream.
"Nearest I can tell, you're deathly tired of being you, wanna be someone else. And you're alone a way too much."
"Ma'am, rather be me than the girl in the dream."
"Shows good sense. Still you're alone too much, promise you come back here after supper."
"Not alone, mum is there."
"Even worse, tiptoeing around someone who acts like she ain't there. So, after supper for sure."
"Yes ma'am."

I return to find Melissa and Mrs Morningchild laughing. See her sister subscribes to Chatelaine magazine, gives to them when she's done. We all three sit side-by-side. Stare at fashions we'd never afford. Recipes with ingredient lists we'd never afford. Heck couldn't even afford the magical cleaning products there. Nor the makeup, hair products, perfumes, cars, furniture, cell phones. Whole reserve, there's maybe 20 phones, no cell phones.
As we finish looking, I feel depressed, "Mrs Morningchild, isn't it strange? Aren't we better off not seeing that?"
She ruffles my hair gently, "Nora what a strange little girl you are. Everyone knows Chatelaine is one of the most sane mags. Others, get crazier from there. Sister loans me Cosmo, I'd never show kids. But may as well be on another planet from here."
"Mrs Morningchild, if you didn't have Melissa, you'd do what job?"
She ruffles my hair again, "if I didn't have Melissa, I'd be dead. Kill myself before I put up with all the insanity. But once you got someone important, you keep chugging along. And in a way, got you as a daughter too. Can't talk with your mum, you talk with me. Time flies, now get on home before your mum thinks I've kidnapped you."
"Ma'am she couldn't afford the ransom, I'd stay with you."
We all laugh.

I go home, dreading what comes next. Mum went to the store today, all she got was a carton of cigarettes and a case of potato chips. Now I gotta try and talk about how short everything else is.
I opt for organization, make a list: tea, sugar, margarine, wieners, macaroni, bread plus a few unlikely hopefuls.
I catch her during a series of ads, make my pitch. In Saskatoon, at least she listened. Now she just hands me a $10 bill, "get whatever you want." Then pointedly turns up the TV and turns away from me.

I go to the store after school find prices higher than Saskatoon. After a lotta comparing, I exit with a package of tea, cheapest margarine, 2 bread and a dozen wieners. Thank heaven for the school lunch program or I'd be in serious trouble.
Friday morning, Melissa is ready to return to school. There's only enough sugar for one, so I put it in her travel mug of tea. Tell her of my adventure at the store.
Serious look, "is what all the girls say. Time they's 10, taken over, no one else doing the job anymore."
Drily I reply, "maybe I could get advice from articles in Chatelaine."
She laughs, "get a writer job with them, you can squeeze a tenner farther than them."
"Melissa, people who hafta make $10 last, don't buy it. Just borrow the mag from other women or don't read it. Them as buys it, got money to spend. Articles get written for them, the paying customers, not for likes of you and me."
"Oh."
"Come on Melissa, let's go to school now."
"Nora you were real kind to me, help me with that school stuff, best friend I could ask for."
I wipe a tear.

Saturday Melissa and I go hiking. Thermos of tea and packed lunches. It's a wonderful day, good weather. I blush as I pass her the mug I've poured, "sorry, out of sugar."
"Don't worry, did your best."
"Yeah, maybe get some out of the next $10. If I ever see anymore."

Sunday she and I go to church with her mother. I see for the first time Mrs Morningchild's fierce look of pride. It's like she's saying, "see, got 2 now. Both nice, well-behaved, do well in school. Two now, not just one."
Once again, I spend all Sunday afternoon there. Once again they insist I stay for supper. She's made a casserole. Says she got the recipe from Chatelaine, had to omit several ingredients. Maybe there's hope for the magazine.

Monday morning as we walk to school, there's lotta mist swirling about. I know I've seen the same pattern before, in a dream? There's kids ahead and behind, but we can't see them anymore. And now, we're breathing real hard, like the air is thinner.
The mist clears. In absolute awe, I see the exact same mountain pass as in the dream, same geometry. Tightly I hold onto Melissa's hand. We continue but slowly.
Round the bend, I hear a jeep motor. Nowhere to hide, sheer rock wall on one side, dizzy drop on the other.
It's 3 women in blue and white naval uniform. Driver and 2 with submachine guns, AK47's.
The jeep stops. One gets out, she's huge, say 5'9", 160 pounds. Slings her AK47, hugs Melissa and me, she speaks in a strange language, but I still understand it and Melissa seem to too.
"Glad we found you two, before you fell off. Hop in the jeep. Nooria and Melissa, right?"
"No ma'am, I'm Nora."
She takes out a notebook, "such lousy handwriting, could be either, right Nora and Melissa, hop in."
We don't argue or question. This is more tone of rescue than taking of prisoners.
They go ahead a short distance, where they can turn around. As we ride, I stare in total fascination at the exact match of the terrain in my dream.
We reach a flatter area, they stop for lunch. The leader has a silver bar on each shoulder (Lieutenant?). As the others make tea and food over a kero stove, Lt interrogates us.
"Nooria Ahpay? That's what for a name?"
"Ma'am, it's Nora Ahpay, Saulteaux name."
"And you are Saulteaux?"
"Half, ma'am. Other half East Indian."
"I'll bite. What exactly is a Saulteaux?"
"Lilac Valley Reserve ma'am. All are Saulteaux, same as Big Sky or Three Arrow Reserves."
"Reserve? Aren't you a little young for military?"
"Indian Reserves, ma'am."
"Where?"
"Eastern Saskatchewan ma'am."
"I see, and where is this Eastern Saskatchewan? Which nation?"
"Canada, ma'am."
She stares into space a moment, then takes out a small mirror. I don't know what to say. See it's the same red-brown hair as in the dream, same round face that ain't mine. So why am I shocked? Why is Melissa so cool, so un-upset about it all?
Lt puts a hand on my forehead. "Whoa," she says to the others, "no food for Nooria here. Burning up with fever."
And then I see Melissa vanish before my very eyes.
I sit and sip tea as the Lt hugs me. After the break, she just easily lifts me into the jeep. I pass out leaning against her.

I wake up in an obvious sickbay. First things first, I head for the bathroom. In the mirror, I still see that wrong face, the face in the dream.
I go back and lie down. But the nurse has spotted me moving, fetched the Lt.
"Hello Nooria, how do you feel?"
I just plain don't have the energy to argue about my name anymore.
"Stiff, ma'am, thirsty, tired."
A minute later, a pot of tea and 2 cups appear.
"Where's Melissa, ma'am?" I ask, then realize I did so in their language.
"Who's that?"
"The other girl, ma'am, other girl who rode in the jeep."
She puts a hand on my forehead, "still too warm, you were alone. Who's this other girl you're talking of?"
"Melissa Morningchild, ma'am, best friend from school, neighbor."
Lt takes out her notebook, "you must still be feeling ill. Just one name here, Nooria Ahpay, that's you. Now rest, we'll talk tomorrow."

Breakfast is a hot flat round bread, best I've ever tasted. Green tea is different but ok.
Lt smiles broadly, "so Nooria, you're a lucky lottery winner."
"Ma'am, I'm too young to buy tickets, don't have money."
"I meant draw, your name was drawn to attend the Cadillac of schools in our organization."
I say nothing, this has a flavor of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.
"So, get into those clothes, plane to catch."
I look, my floral dress and jacket is gone. In its place, you guessed it, blue and white naval uniform that fits me.
No conversation in the plane, too noisy, old transport.
After several hours over ocean, we land on a mountainous island.