As you wish Miss Patricia Brave Bird Antoine Mom said with pretend formality But you'll always be my baby Patsy smiled despite herself Speaking of babies you're going to need some new uniforms soon Mom checked the skirt of her nurse's dress which stretched tightly over her growing belly Patsy was getting a sibling in about four months She hoped it would be a girl I think I can alter a few of the ones I have Mom was always finding ways to save money Now I have to get to the hospital And you have to get ready for school Dad's in the shower See you tonight Patsy brushed her teeth combed her long hair and picked an outfit a new top with her favorite bell bottom jeans By the time she got to the kitchen Dad was already packing his lunch PB and J Pats he asked offering her the peanut butter jar Yep She wouldn't eat tuna sandwiches She hated mayonnaise You want a ride today Dad asked 8
The days that Mom worked Patsy could ride to school with Dad or take her bike If she got a ride she had to take the bus home That added forty minutes to her day She looked out the window A bright sun climbed a cloudless sky Snow covered the mountain peaks on the western horizon but the sidewalks in her Denver neighborhood were clear Nah I'll take my bike she said Bundle up then Our winter hasn't given up yet Dad dropped his sandwich in a brown bag and grabbed his thermos didn't know But she did know that one Thečhihila he said on his way out the door Patsy many phrases in Lakota Dad's native language I love you Patsy pulled her bike out of the rack in front of her apartment then donned her gloves hat and earmuffs The two mile ride to school was chilly Sixth grade was in the middle school building not at the elementary school a couple blocks from her house Middle school had brought some other changes for Patsy Her parents had decided she was old enough to ride her bike to school and stay home 9
alone after Her mom used to work just one shift a week but now she worked full time Three days a week Patsy looked after herself in the afternoons until Dad got home from the garage Her mom didn't get home until after dinner Patsy was proud that her parents trusted her And she knew they were saving the extra money to buy a house hopefully before the new baby came Still sometimes she missed her mom Arriving at school Patsy parked her bike and headed to class The first subject of the day was social studies She thumped her textbook down on her desk She didn't like social studies and current events day was the worst Once a week Miss Ashman assigned a student to bring a newspaper article to discuss Patsy's classmates usually brought whatever was on the front page That usually meant something about the Vietnam War or the Watergate scandal Patsy hoped she would never hear another word about either Maybe if their discussions accomplished something Patsy would feel different But her class just went round and round repeating the same things and getting nowhere 10
Was President Nixon a great leader or a thief and liar Should the United States fight communism all over the world or mind its own business Miss Ashman was no help If anyone asked which opinion was right Miss Ashman just said Good question What do you think The days Patsy had to present the article were the worst She hated the empty feeling she got in her stomach with all the other kids watching her And Miss Ashman was sure to ask her a question with no clear answer Patsy preferred math class Every problem had one right answer If she ever got stumped she could look in the book for a solution Patsy's best friend Laura slid into the desk in front of her Hi Patsy Laura said Cute sweater Thanks Patsy smiled glancing at the yellow flowers on her top Whose turn is it for current events Laura asked It was Carlos last week Maybe Frank or Donna I hope it's not Frank Laura said He thinks everyone is secretly a Communist 11
