Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Leigh drank her coffee and watched people go by in the mall. She didn't see Joe or any of the others she hoped to see.

"Tansi, nôsisim" Kohkom sat down at Leigh's table.

"Tansi, Kohkom," Leigh said, "I am so mad at myself. People were coming to learn who hadn't come in years. I ruined it all."

"They didn't like that you weren't going to teach them all yourself."

"I tried to push my ideas of education on them."

"Yes." Kohkom accepted her tea from the girl behind the counter. "It is how you are trained." She shook her head. "I remember little Joe not wanting to learn how to clean a fish. He wanted to catch them, he liked to eat them, but he didn't like the work of cleaning them. Much time was spent trying to trick his father or his brothers into cleaning fish for him."

"He cleans his own fish now, I'm sure." Leigh said.