One day
Bertie, known as Little bird or her given name Norberta Inez Thankful Van
York. As she walked along through the
pine trees, taking in the piney scent as she walked and loving the scents that fall brings waiting for winter’s quiet time when all was frozen even the scents
it seemed. She was thinking how things
went wrong when her parents named her after almost every grandmother and great
grandmother all except one. Katherine and Joanna each got one name while she
had the rest except that one was missing and
she knew there should be six
names but no one ever said her name. She hated her name, she hated Bertie also
which was what her sisters called her and her two older brothers called her
Little Bird, which wasn’t so bad.
Why did her
mother frown when Ned and Frank called her that, well mothers are good at
frowning she thought and forgot about it. What was important, was the fact that
she was starting school and what was she going to do about her awful name. As
she walked along the dusty road, she realized that she had missed her turn to
go to the school house. “Oh, darn and Glory be”, she muttered, having to go to
school for the first time without her sisters and brothers just wasn’t fair.
It wasn’t
her fault that Katherine and Joanna along with Ned and Frank were kept home to
help with the crops and canning the vegetables for winter. Just as she was
turning around to get back to her turn off, she spied a little log building in
the trees. Now curious she wondered where that came from and realized that the
leaves were falling off the trees enough to see it hidden away.
Now everyone
knew that Bertie was a bit curious about everything and there she was trying to
see what that building was about when a voice quietly said, “Is there something
you need little one”? Startled Bertie turned around and there stood the most
beautiful woman she had ever seen.
Not that she
was young or anything but the braids that hung on each side of her face seemed
to sparkle as the sun shone on her silver hair. She was dressed in soft deer
hide dress and high moccasins, almost like the painting that hung in the attic
except she was older.
Finally
finding her voice she said,” I am sorry but I missed my turn to the school, it’s
going to be my first day ever, then looking down and shuffling her new shoes in
the road dust, she said” I had better get going”. The lady said “, I will walk
you back to your turn if that alright with you”.
As they
walked the woman asked Bertie what her name was and with a sigh Bertie went on
to say her entire name. The woman smiled and went on to say, “that is not what
you answer to is it”? Shaking her head Bertie said no, then said her sisters
called her Bertie and her brothers called her little Bird. She looked up at the
woman and saw a smile that lit up the older woman’s face. Then as they reached the
turn for the school Bertie asked her what the woman’s name was, and the older
woman answered,” Why my name is Pretty Little Bird”.
As Bertie
walked towards the school, she no longer had to wonder what she should be
called and now she knew who the painting in the attic was, she was named after all
her grandmothers. Into the school, she went and when it was roll call and was
asked her name she proudly said, “Norberta Inez Thankful Little Bird Van York”.
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