He came not long ago, arrived in his horse drawn caravan, he drove it himself, no servants whatsoever.

“I am the medicine man, I come to heal the weak and strengthen the strong!” He called to us all. “I can fix all injuries, remove all illnesses and transform all gloom!”

We all doubted that he could heal anyone and anything but after his medicine cured old Mrs Joseph of that nasty disease that we were sure would kill her, well, we had to at least give him a chance.

Some people have started calling him a doctor, but he’s no doctor, all doctors in this god-forsaken town do nothing but tell people they have less than a month to live, they don’t cure people, not like him. _And _doctors make you pay, he never asks for money, “Not a penny!” He’ll tell you if you ask how much you owe him.

I once sprained my wrist and he helped me. I wondered why he was helping me with such a small injury but he told me that all injuries deserve to be looked at.

“Why do you never ask for payment?” I asked him.

“Because some injuries and illnesses can be fatal, young lady, if I don’t help they may die and if I ask for money… they may not have any, and they still die.” He told me solemnly.

I thought about what he said, he’s not only a good medicine man but a good, and a smart, person. That’s why we were all so sad when he left.

He saddled up his horse and drove his caravan out of the town gates and onto the next town he would help. When he left all us children ran after him until we could run no further. All the adults spoke of how we would manage without him, we needed someone who could fix all injuries, remove all illnesses and transform all gloom.

Not but a week later someone new comes, driving their own horse drawn caravan.

“I am the medicine woman, I come to heal the weak and strengthen the strong!” She called out to us. “I can fix all injuries, remove all illnesses and transform all gloom!”

My face lit up with joy when she arrived, maybe she wouldn’t stay long but for the time being we needed a medicine man, or woman. And she did heal people, she healed the new baby with jaundice.

A few days after I was walking through the fields when I came across a crowd gathered round the medicine woman who was strapped to a post. They were screaming and yelling.

I watched in horror as they yelled, “Burn the witch!” and threw a flaming torch at her. I guess they didn’t like the medicine woman as much as the medicine man.