“I was told their village had been raided so they had to find somewhere new to stay.” She sniffed. “They didn’t know that someday their village would be raided again and this time around, it would be brutal.”
“A raid?”
She nodded. “I was only ten years old at that time, so I didn’t know much of what they were talking about.”
“Had there been any more raids all the while you stayed with the Indians?”
She shook her head. “Not that I know of. We moved from time to time before we finally settled in that place. Now that I think about it, I think Standing Tree was trying to avoid the raid. Unfortunately, it didn’t work.”
Her heart clenched again at the memory of the way her Indian family went. She knew they were in a good place, but it hurt that she would never see them again, perhaps until her death or until the second coming of Christ.
“What about the other Indians in the area? Were they raided as well?”
Olivia shrugged. “I really can’t say. You see, Standing Tree kept such things from the village. Only the warriors handled issues of security. However, I did hear rumors of the whites accusing Indians of cattle rustling. So, we were told to keep to the village and not to wander off alone. Not that we were told the reason, but I got to know.”
Adam nodded, looking lost in thoughts.
“I’m trying to keep my promise to you of finding the people responsible for destroying your village? Seemingly, Indian villages around here have been raided for the past five years.”
Olivia’s eyes widened at the information.
Adam shook his head ruefully. “It’s a pity it has been going on with no one doing anything about it.”
She chewed on her bottom lip as she recalled what some of the half-Indian children had told her.
“I think that is exactly what has been going on. Three of the half-Indian children at the orphanage told me their stories. Although they are from different Indian tribes, their stories are the same. One day, white men came to their village, killed the people, and chased the children away. They roamed the bushes before good white people found them and brought them to the orphanage.”
Adam released a heavy sigh. “Something is going on in Ruby Rock. I haven’t been able to put all the pieces together yet, but I’m determined to.”
Olivia wondered what could be going on. Had the folks here been deliberately killing Indians just to chase them away from the area, or was something else going on?
Her eyes lifted to stare at Adam who was rubbing his hand across his jaw. If there was someone who could find out what was going on in Ruby rock, Adam was the one.
He was so passionate about his job and seeking justice for her people and other Indians, she couldn’t help the admiration she felt for him.
“It’s not right for the people to take the law into their hands, although now I’m suspecting it’s more than that.” Catching her gaze, he smiled. “Don’t you worry, Olivia. I’ll get to the bottom of the matter. Your people will rest on peace knowing their killers were apprehended.”
She wanted to tell him that her people were already resting well, but she didn’t bother.
Her heart constricted with pain at what the white folks have been doing to the defenseless Indians all this while. Even with the forts in the outskirts of Ruby Rock, they hadn’t been afraid of destroying Indian villages. Perhaps they were in cahoots with the soldiers.
Heavenly Father, please come and intervene in this situation. Let Your peace that passeth all understanding flow throughout the land. Amen.
“I’m sorry for ruining our picnic,” Adam inserted some seconds later.
A smile turned the corners of Olivia’s lips.
“It’s not ruined. I’m having a wonderful time.”
“I just needed to know these things for my investigations. I’m sorry if they brought back unpleasant memories.”
She shrugged. “I understand. I’m willing to answer more questions.”
Adam shifted his position and leaned his head on his hand with his elbow on the blanket. “No. That’s all. Let’s enjoy our picnic.”
Olivia was more than ready to do that. “Tell me about your childhood before and after your parents’ death.”
Grinning, he replied, “That I can do with joy.”
