Seth replaced the wire, replaced the few parts still off the truck and closed the hood. “Start her up and let’s see what happens.”
They started and stopped the engine several times. They took a couple of test drives. The check engine light didn’t come back on. The owner just shook his head and said, “Who the hell would have thought. I replaced the part that damn wire ran to because one of the codes said it might be bad. It never said to check the wires. How did you figure that out?”
“I worked in a Ford garage for a while when I was younger. One of the mechanics did the same thing you did and it took them a couple of days to figure the problem out. Of course we all ragged him so I remembered it when you told me about this problem.”
That garage was one of the first places Seth stopped this day. Occasionally the owner was busy enough he hired Seth to help on a job or for a day or two. Today was his lucky day. Seth got six hours of work out of him at $20.00 per hour. That made the trip into town worthwhile. He even got the promise of more work the next day.
Seth bought the few small items on the list then he decided to splurge and bought a small present for Tasha. It was only a small bouquet of flowers in the grocery store but he bought it for her anyway.
Tasha was happy when he got home. She was excited over the flowers and gave Seth a deep kiss and hard hug before she skipped off to put them in an old glass jar she used for a vase. After supper that evening they all sat on the porch. Gramps and Granny began Seth’s education on the old way. Over the course of the next week when they were not working Seth was educated. Much of what he was taught he found not only interesting but very surprising.
Seth found out a husband was allowed to beat his squaw if she angered him. For some offenses he could even cut her to put a scar on her body. This was an embarrassment to the squaw because it was a permanent indicator to the tribe that she had not been a good wife; she had displeased her husband greatly or been disobedient. For some infractions he could even tie her to the lodge pole naked for other men and women to use sexually or to otherwise abuse such as stoning or beating her. If he wished he could even sell her to another brave for use as a wife or slave.
Seth learned the brave or husband was master of his house. The squaw could offer advice but the brave’s word was law in his own home. Of course Seth learned it was a wise brave who heeded the advice of his woman—especially about things that fell in her area of responsibility. The woman was responsible for the house, gathering herbs and vegetables to eat and snaring small game. She tanned hides, fetched and carried and did other heavy work as well. She was also expected to make herself available to her man whenever and however he wanted her. Seth read this to mean primarily sexually. The brave was responsible for hunting and war. There were many other things each was responsible for but those were the major ones.
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