working at the diner. She had expected a day or two a week, but it ended up being four or five. She worked the breakfast shift. The hours fit their schedule great. Since Dave worked in the afternoon, he was able to make sure that the children were up ready and off to school.
*****
In the third week of school, one of the smart-aleck boys walked up to Cat, knocked her books out of her hand, and called her a “four-eyed, girly-girl from the city.”
As Bob started to get up after receiving a black-eye and bloody nose, he thought to himself, This ain’t the smartest thing I ever done. Cat picked up her books and went on to class as though nothing happened.
That afternoon Cat rode her bike home unaware that even before she had left school, the whole town had heard what happened. When she arrived home, she parked her bike and walked up onto the porch. Dave was sitting in his chair drinking a cup of coffee and smoking a cigar.
“Anything exciting happen at school this morning?” asked Dave.
“Not really,” answered Cat.
“Let me see your left hand.”
“Why?” she said as she showed her hand to Dave.
“Leave a little of your knuckle on that boy today?”
Cat pulled her hand back. “Well, the last thing I need to hear is that I am a girly-girl.”
“Diplomacy has never been a virtue of yours.”
“How did you hear about it? I never got called to the office.”
“News like that travels faster than a wildfire. I better go over and talk to Bob’s dad.”
“Oh, that’s his name?”
Dave laughed as he put out his cigar and brought his coffee cup inside.
Betty walked into the house, saw Cat and Dave standing there, and said to Dave, “Did you hear what your daughter did today? It was the topic of conversation at the diner the entire day. The boy told the teacher that he tripped and fell.” She turned to Cat and asked, “Well, what do you have to say for yourself?”
“He ain’t gonna make fun of me again!”
Dave laughed. “Not if he has any smarts. I’m going over to Bob’s house, talk to his dad, and see how he’s doing.”
Betty stared at Dave, not thinking any of this was funny.
Dave kissed Betty on the cheek. “I’ll be home in time for supper honey.”
It was all that Cat could do to keep from laughing. One of the unintended benefits of Mom getting mad was that she would calm herself down by cooking. There would be plenty of food for supper and lots of pies and cakes for the week. Dave and Cat had often been accused of getting Betty mad on purpose.
*****
Dave came home from work, grabbed a cigar, a cup of coffee, and walked out onto the porch to enjoy the evening while Betty was finishing supper. Betty filled a glass with lemonade, walked out to the porch, and sat down by Dave.
“What kind of enjoyment do you get out of smoking them stinky things?”
“Ah! A good cigar—one of the three finer things of life. I know you didn’t come out here to complain about my cigars, so what’s on your mind?”
“I’m kinda worried about Cat.”
Dave set his coffee cup down, took a puff on his cigar, and set it in the ashtray, knowing this was going to be anything but a short conversation.
“You’re worried about Cat? Grades falling, knocking another boy on his ass?”
“No, the teachers say her grades are good. Haven’t heard anything about fights. I’m sure I would have at the diner.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“Cat went to the library to study while I was finishing up at the diner. When I picked her up, the librarian told me that Cat spent most of her time searching the web for information on long-range shooters, military snipers, and shooting matches both military and civilian. She showed me the book Cat had checked out, 93 Confirmed Kills. It’s about some sniper in Vietnam.”
“Okay, what’s the problem? You know she has always shown an interest in firearms.”
“I know, but have you heard what she is going to write for extra credit in history?”
“No, but I am sure you’re going to let me know.”
“It’s about some guy shooting an Indian off a horse at over 1,700 yards.”
“That would have been Billy Dixon at Adobe Walls in Texas. Seven hundred Indians attacked the outpost. On the third day of the attack, Billy Dixon used a Big 50 Sharps and shot an Indian off his horse at a distance of almost a mile. The Indians called off their attack. I showed her that story on the web.”
“Of course you did.”
“She is doing fine in school. No longer than we have been here she has made quite a few friends. Almost everyone in the town knows her.”
“Oh yeah, I don’t know if that is a good thing or not. I am known as Cat’s mom, not Betty. Still, she ain’t normal. Most girls at her age are reading Teen, Vogue, or some other young-girl magazine. She is reading Women and Guns and Outdoor Life. She bookmarked a website called ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Guns.’”
“Ain’t normal? What is your first clue, when she made that cannon out of Pringle cans, knocked the flower pot off the porch, and broke the neighbor’s window?”
“How can you be so calm? She hunts, fishes, and camps by herself. I heard her talking. She wants to take up trapping. She could get hurt.”
“Yeah, I know. It ain’t a good idea her going off by herself, but she has her cell phone.”
“If she is in an area where there’s service…”
“She will be fine. She has overcome a lot in her young age. In less than four years she sprained her ankle that took forever to heal, broke her leg, and broke her arm. Oh yeah, she also had that migraine that lasted over fourteen months, never letting up going to bed with it and waking up with it. We can’t put her in a bubble.”
“I guess you are right. I shouldn’t worry. I am sure she will be fine. I’m gonna check on supper.”
“What we having?”
“Squirrel. Cat has sure been bringing home some big ones.”
“Where’s she at now?”
“Hunting.”
Dave got another cup of coffee and sat back down to finish his cigar. The phone rang.
Betty answered it, “Hello.”
Cat said, “Mom?”
