A New Roommate
Autumn stood in the doorway holding her little brother while her mother silently helped Jessie Little Wolf into the house with her bags. Her aunt looked a lot like Autumn, with dark hair and dark brown eyes. Her black hair ran straight down to her waist, and she wore a T-shirt, ripped jean shorts, and flip-flops. She was twenty-eight and the youngest child of four, with Autumn’s father being the oldest.
Autumn had her mother’s nose, but that was about it. Everyone said she was the spitting image of her father, and apparently so was Jessie.
Her aunt didn’t have much with her, and Autumn wondered why. She knew very little about her except that she lived in Minneapolis, and Autumn guessed that was why her father moved there.
“Hi, Autumn. I hear we’re going to be roomies.” Jessie reached over and kissed Sam’s forehead. “I can’t wait to play with you later, little guy.”
Autumn set Sam down by his toys in the living room and showed her aunt to the room they would be sharing. Autumn’s mother had bought a cot from a secondhand store and set it up for Jessie.
Sitting on her bed, which had now been moved to the other side of the room, Autumn watched her aunt pull a pillow, blanket, and some clothes out of a duffel bag.
“What’s in the other bag?” Autumn asked. “Makeup?”
Jessie laughed. “No way. I never wear that stuff.” She grabbed the bag off the floor and unzipped it. Out came a little loom, a box of beads, and some feathers. There was also some type of brown thread and large needles, among many other odds and ends.
“What’s all that stuff for?” Autumn asked, reaching out to pick up the box of colorful beads.
“These are my craft supplies,” said Jessie. “I’m working on several projects at the moment.”
“Do you sew?” asked Autumn, eyeing the needles.
“Yes, among other things. Do you?”
Autumn shook her head and put the beads back in the pile. “I could have taken that class in school, but I took woodshop instead.”
“Why?”
“There were more boys in that class.”
Jessie laughed as Autumn grinned and added, “I made a wooden shelf for Mom. She hangs her keys on it.”
“Well, I know nothing about woodcraft, but I do know how to sew. I could teach you while I’m here.”
“Oh, I don’t know … don’t have much interest in that sort of stuff.”
“Your father used to sew,” remarked Jessie, putting her clothes in the little brown dresser she was going to share with Autumn.
“What? No way. He’s a guy.”
“Our mother taught us. She thought it was a useful skill for anyone to know. Your father did beadwork as well. He did beautiful work.” She turned to look at Autumn. “Did he ever show you any of it?”
“No. I never saw him do anything like that. He was always working. Mom used to say he was the most hardworking man she ever knew.”
“It’s important in our culture for a man to take care of his family.” Jessie hesitated and then added, “I know that sounds hard to believe since your father left you guys.”
Autumn shrugged, picking some lint off her bedspread. There was silence for a moment, and then Jessie started taking something out of a small bag.
“What are those?” asked Autumn, eyeing the brass bells.
“These are jingles.”
Autumn laughed. “Like jingle bells?”
Jessie grinned. “Something like that. They are sewn onto Jingle Dresses.”
“We’re doing a play in school called that.”
“That’s awesome. Are you going to try out?”
Autumn shook her head.
“Why?”
When Autumn didn’t answer, Jessie sighed.
“Is it because you can’t say your s’s correctly?”
Autumn colored and slipped off the bed, heading for the door. She didn’t want to talk about that.
“Well, I need to go make dinner …”
“You’re making dinner?”
“Yes.”
“Not your mother?”
“She’s tired. I always make dinner.”
“I see. Do you want some help?”
Autumn shrugged and then shook her head.
“I can do it.”
Jessie smiled. “I know that. I was just volunteering to help out. That’s why I’m here, you know.”
“I know.”
Jessie watched her leave and then sighed.
Tom certainly had an interesting daughter. She wondered again what had happened to the marriage that would convince him to move several hours away from his family. She saw him once in awhile, but he was closed-mouthed about the whole thing.
She didn’t know Autumn’s mom, Melissa, very well, but had been willing to help out when she called. This was her brother’s family, and she would do what she could to make sure they were provided for.
Jessie got up and headed out the bedroom door. It was strange, but Melissa didn’t seem to want her here even though she had asked her to come. And from what she had seen in the short time she’d been there, Autumn took care of almost everything around the house.
Well, she was here to help, and she was going to start now.
She entered the kitchen and saw Autumn doing the dishes and Melissa holding the squirming Sam on her hip while trying to wash down the little table. Jessie reached over to grab Sam, but he struggled against leaving his mother.
“He doesn’t like anyone else to hold him,” Melissa said, and Jessie smiled.
“If I am going to be of any help around here, I think it’s time he gets used to it,” she stated, reaching out and taking him.
Sam wailed and threw the best two-year-old tantrum Autumn had ever seen, but Jessie held on to him firmly, cooing into his ear. Melissa continued to clean the table, trying to ignore her son’s screams. Eventually he calmed down and stuck his thumb in his mouth. Jessie took him into the living room and sat him on the couch next to her. He sniffled for a few moments and then smiled when he saw the toy she had in her hand.
Autumn peeked in on them a few minutes later and saw him playing happily on the floor next to Jessie. She looked back to give her mom a smile, which her mother ignored. Autumn sighed and went back to work.