test – qtran

As the ropes fell away, Ka rubbed her wrists and stared at me with an expression I couldn’t read. Why? She asked.
Why did you buy us if not to use us? Because, I said, the words coming from a place deep in my heart that I’d thought was dead. Sometimes the right thing to do is also the hardest thing to do. That night, as I sat in my study, looking out at the red cliffs in the moonlight, I wondered what I’d gotten myself into.
I’d just brought two Apache women into my home in a territory where anti-Indian sentiment ran high. I’d spent $500 I couldn’t really afford, and I had no idea if my gesture would even be appreciated or understood.
But when I thought about the alternative, about what would have happened to Ka and Ayana if I hadn’t intervened, I knew I’d made the only choice I could live with.
The question now was whether I could keep them safe, and whether they would ever be able to trust the man who had technically bought them like cattle. Time would tell, but for the first time in 3 years, I felt like I had a purpose beyond just existing from one day to the next.
I woke before dawn, as was my habit, but the house felt different somehow.
There were other people under my roof for the first time since Sarah died, and the knowledge sat strangely with me. As I made coffee in the kitchen, I could hear quiet voices upstairs, Rosa speaking in rapid Spanish mixed with broken Apache, and the sisters responding in hushed tones.
When Rosa came downstairs an hour later, her expression was troubled.
Senor Cole, we need to talk. What’s wrong? Those girls, they’ve been through hell. The younger one, Ayana, she barely speaks. Won’t say what happened to them before the auction.
And Ka, Rosa, shook her head. That woman is like a cornered wolf. She doesn’t trust anyone, especially not a white man. Can you blame her? No, I cannot.
But Senor Cole, you need to understand what you’ve gotten yourself into. They think this is some kind of trick that you’re waiting for them to let their guard down before you. Well, before you show your true intentions.
The thought that they saw me as just another threat made my chest tight. What can I do to convince them otherwise? Time, patience, and prayer.
Rosa said, “Maybe lots of prayer.” I was feeding the horses when Ka appeared at the stable door. She changed into one of the dresses Rosa had found for her, but she still moved like a warrior, alert and ready for danger.
“You speak some Apache,” she said without preamble. “A little. I learned during my time in the cavalry. You fought against my people.
It wasn’t a question, and there was no point in denying it.” “Yes, I did. How many did you kill?” at the directness of the question caught me off guard, but I owed her honesty. I don’t know. It was war. Men died on both sides. Women and children, too. I never killed women or children. Never.
She studied my face for a long moment, as if trying to determine whether I was lying. Why should I believe you? Because I’m telling you the truth, and because if I meant you harm, I wouldn’t have bothered cutting your ropes last night.

Maybe you just prefer your victims willing. The accusation hit me like a slap, but I kept my voice calm. Maybe.
Or maybe I’m exactly what I told you I was. A man trying to do the right thing. And what is the right thing? Cole Coleman. What do you expect from us? Nothing. I expect nothing from you except to be treated with the same respect I show you. Respect? She laughed bitterly. You bought us like horses or cattle. How is that respect? It’s not.