After Vin had explained to Mapiya, Kovaahe and
ó'kôhóme what was going with Chris, Mapiya
insisted on going to her husband.
At first, Vin did not think it would be a good
idea for Mapiya to see Chris in his current condition. If anything happened to
the blond, he did not want her to remember her husband in sickness.
But after thinking hard on it, Vin decided
that maybe it was the best thing for Chris.
He agreed to take Mapiya and her son to see Chris.
Kovaahe volunteered to go with them, while
ó'kôhóme would stay with the warriors.
JD also stated that he would stay with ó'kôhóme and the other warriors
to keep them company.
But Vin knew it was not a good idea for the
Cheyenne to stick around town.
Prejudice against the Cheyenne and any other tribe was not dead in Four
Corners. He had noticed the wary and
hated looks some of the people had given the group as they rode into town.
He asked JD to take his friends out to Chris’
place. He told him he would meet him out there after he had taken Mapiya to her
husband.
Vin then explained to ó'kôhóme what he had
planned out. The young Cheyenne looked
at Vin with suspicious eyes, but finally agreed that they would go to their brother’s
home. JD nodded his agreement at the
plan and as Vin, Mapiya, Heoveaenohe and Kovaahe started
towards the boarding house, he led the band of Cheyenne to the stable where he
horse was housed and then he would lead them onto Chris’ place.
When they entered the boarding house, group
was met by ominous glares and glances of the patrons in the boarding
house. Vin started to lead the small
group up the stairs when the clerk stopped him cold.
“And just where do ya think ya goin’?” asked
the clerk glowering at him from behind his eyeglasses.
“If it’s any of ya business, I’m goin’ to see
a friend,” retorted Vin.
“Ya can go, but they can’t,” said the clerk
pointing at Mapiya and Kovaahe.
“They go where I go and they have names,”
replied Vin angrily.
“Well, they can’t go up there,” said the clerk
demanding. “Ain’t no injuns allowed in
here.”
Vin walked quickly up to the clerk and pulled
out his mare leg, pushing it none too gently up against the man’s skull.
“Ya don’t hear very well do ya?” said Vin threateningly.
“Ah…I…I… was just tellin’ ya what the rules
are. Miss Mattie ain’t gon’na like
havin’ them in here,” said the clerk quaking in fear.
“I got a gun to ya head. Don’t ya think I’m the one ya should be
worryin’ about?” asked Vin menacingly.
“Oh…yeah, yeah, Mr. Tanner. I most assuredly
do,” said the clerk in a shaky voice.
He knew this man was part of the seven that protected the town and he
also knew that the man did make idle threats.
“I really do, Mr. T-T-Tanner.”
“Then I think ya best git back to ya job and
leave me and my friends alone, understand?” said Vin nudging the gun harder
into the man’s head.
“Yes!
Yes, sir!” exclaimed the clerk.
Vin moved his gun slowly away from the man and
the motioned Mapiya and Kovaahe up the stairs as the clerk’s eyes watched them
guardedly as they climbed the staircase and disappeared out of sight to the
upper floor.
When they got to the room, it was quiet from
outside the door. Vin knocked gently,
his heart beating fast from the anger he was feeling at what happened
downstairs.
Mapiya had noticed the look on Vin’s face and
although she did not understand everything that went on downstairs, she knew
the white man who stood behind the strange wooden thing did not like her and
Kovaahe and that Vin had become angry enough to almost kill the man.
Mapiya shook her head. She would never understand the white man and
would not try to as her people had told her.
But she knew there were ones who were different, like Emo'ôhtavo vo'e and his friends. They were the ones who understood all too
well the hatred and prejudice that came with their own race. It was the main
reason why Chris had wanted for him and Mapiya to live among the Cheyenne. The color of skin did not matter to
them. It was what was in the heart that
was important. She knew she would need
to talk to her husband about it when he was better. They needed to decide if they would let their child grow up in
such a hateful world.
As she stood the contemplating about the
future, the door finally opened and there stood Nathan, the healer that Mapiya
had come to trust.
“Mapiya!
Oh, my goodness girl, look at ya,” said Nathan joyfully. He started to walk towards her to hug her,
but Mapiya held her hands up, staying him in his position.
She reached behind her back and Nathan noticed
there was something hanging on her back.
Mapiya brought the cradleboard around and watched the amazement that
came upon the healer’s face.
“Oh, my God.
He is so beautiful, Mapiya,” said Nathan as he looked on as Mapiya
removed the young baby boy from his cradleboard and handed him gently over to
Nathan.
Nathan held the little life in his arms. The blond hair was spiked upon his head and
his brown eyes looked at him curiously.
Nathan smiled at the little babe, seeing all the features that were
Chris and Mapiya’s in the little boy.
“What’s his name?” asked Nathan.
“Heoveaenohe,” replied Mapiya.
“It means Yellow Hawk,” added Vin.
“Yellow Hawk, hmm. A good name for ‘im.”
“We came to see husband, Emo'ôhtavo vo'e. He
here?” she asked not wanting to wait any longer.
“Yeah, he is.
Sorry, why don’t ya’ll come on in,” said Nathan stepping aside from the
doorway and allowing them to enter.
Mapiya, followed by Vin and Kovaahe entered
the small room. They found that Buck,
Josiah and Ezra were still there. They
were busily dunking cloths into water and using it to the bathe the blond on
the bed.
Buck, Josiah and Ezra all turned from their
work to stare at the newcomers. They
faces lit up in smiles as they saw that it was Mapiya and Kovaahe and the
bundle that Nathan held in his arms.
Mapiya though was engrossed with the body on
the bed. This was her main purpose for
coming here and it did not look good to her right now. She was busily trying to keep herself calm. She had to be strong for her husband and her
child.
Buck walked over quickly to healer and put his
arms out for Nathan to hand over his small burden.
Nathan passed the small squirming child over
to Buck and watched as the big man’s eyes turned to one of adoration as he
looked upon the tiny face.
“Hey, kid.
I’m ya Uncle Buck,” said Buck, putting his finger into the little
hand. The baby gurgled and tried to put
the finger in his mouth.
“I don’t think that is a very good idea, Mr.
Wilmington,” interrupted Ezra. “Your finger has been places that even I
wouldn’t want to think about.”
Buck smirked at Ezra and said, “Ya don’t know
where my finger has been, so stop telling me what to do.”
“I am only thinking of the infant’s welfare,”
replied Ezra trying to look serious.
“You are oncle, Ezra,” interjected Mapiya.
Ezra beamed at this information and said to
Buck, “And since I am one of his designated uncles, as the little lady has
explained, I think I need to hold me nephew and prevent any more detrimental habits
from being formed on him.” Ezra then
walked over to Buck and took the baby tenderly from Buck’s arms to hold him.
Ezra bounced the baby up and down with care in
his arms. Yellow Hawk giggled at the
motion and brought smiles to everyone’s face.
While the men were busily admiring Yellow
Hawk, Mapiya continued her stare at the thin, pale figure on the bed and her
heart beating fast.
Standing it no longer, she walked quickly over
to the bed and knelt down beside the embodiment of her heart. She touched the blond forehead and felt the
heat that was building there. She
kissed it gently, her lips tingling at the sensation of once again touching the
one she had so long dreamed of, hoping to see the green eyes that she had fell
in love with.
She did not hear Nathan as he approached her
and handed her a wetted cloth. “I have
been tryin’ to get his fever down with bathin’ and some herb teas,” he said.
Mapiya only nodded. She then reached into the pouch that she carried at her waist and
pulled out some small leaves. “Steep
the leaves until they become one with the water. Remove what you can from the water. Then bring to me,” said Mapiya in Cheyenne to Nathan.
Nathan looked to Vin who then translated what
she said. Nathan nodded and took the
leaves from her hand. “I’ll be back,”
said Nathan walking out the door.
Mapiya did not hear him. Her eyes were only for Emo'ôhtavo vo'e. She moved on to the bed and placed the sick
man’s head in her lap. She then leaned
down until her lips were near his ear and said in Cheyenne, “I am here, my
love. I have found you and I will not
let go. Come back to me, Emo'ôhtavo
vo'e. Come back to me, my love.”
At first there was no response from the blond,
but Mapiya saw what looked like movement under his eyelids.
“Emo'ôhtavo vo'e, it me, Mapiya. I am here.
See me,” pleaded Mapiya.
Voices penetrated deep into Chris’ silent
darkness and intruded upon his dreams.
One voice in particular seemed to stand out among the others and it
brought an interest to him. He slowly
tried to open his eyes, although they felt heavy, he was determined to open
them.
Mapiya watched as Emo'ôhtavo vo'e’s eyelids
seemed to try to open. It seemed like
it was long time, when it fact it was only a minute and within that time she
found herself looking into the green eyes of the man she had married.
“Emo'ôhtavo vo'e?” called Mapiya softly.
As Vin heard Mapiya call Chris by his Cheyenne
name, he moved over to where Mapiya held his friend.
“Chris?’ he called also, adding his voice to
Mapiya’s.
Chris eyes opened and he found himself looking
up into two faces hid by shadow. He
felt hot and his stomach was doing somersaults. He closed his eyes, trying to get them clear of what was
preventing them from seeing clearly. As
his eyes finally focused he saw that the two shadows had now turned into the
faces of two of several people that was important in his life.
“Mapiya?
Are you real?” he coughed. He
thought he might be still dreaming. And
if he was, he wanted to stay with this dream.
“It is I, Emo'ôhtavo vo'e. It is I.
You are dreaming,” said Mapiya sensing what he was thinking and kissing
him gently upon his fevered lips.
Chris felt the weight of grief and anger
release its hold on him and tears silently formed in his eyes as the chains of
his heart broke. He had thought this
day would never happen and now here she sat, holding him so close. The touch of her made him believe if he had
to die now, then he would die happy. “Oh, Mapiya,” he said reaching up and
touching her face with his hand. “I
have missed you so much.”
“And I, you, Emo'ôhtavo vo'e,” said Mapiya
reverting back into Cheyenne. “I have
searched far to find you and find you I have. I love you, my husband.” She then
kissed him again, this time deeply and wanting, hoping to make it something the
man would not forget.
What Mapiya did not know right then was that
Chris would never forget anything about Mapiya, including her touch and her
kisses. He had dreamt of them in his
troubled slumber, in his drunken stupor and even in sickness of pain while was
gone. There was nothing that would wipe
out the memory of her.
After she pulled apart, Chris took stock of
his wife and saw the sadness in her eyes.
It was a sadness that came from their long separation and now how she
had found him. But there was something else and he knew it was joy. Joy at finding they were together again.
“Emo'ôhtavo vo'e, I have gift for you,” said
Mapiya smiling broadly.
“You’ve already given me the greatest gift a
man could ask for,” rasped Chris smiling weakly back and refusing to let his
hand leave hers.
Mapiya kissed him again, it seemed she could
not get enough of him. But finally she
turned towards Vin and he smiled knowing what she wanted. Chris could not see behind them, but he did
see Vin move away and then come back to with something wrapped in a blanket.
Vin handed the bundle to Mapiya who then laid
the bundle on Chris’ chest. She then
opened it to let him see what was inside and she watched as Chris’ eyes grew
wide in wonder of what lay inside the blanket.
“Mapiya?” he asked questioningly.
“It is our son, my husband. He’s name is Heoveaenohe.”
Chris stared at his son. He lifted his hand to touch the blond head
and brushed a lock of out the little brown eyes that were staring back at
him. He then put his finger into the
little hand and rubbed the hand gently with his thumb. “My son.
My son. I…I just…” And Chris
broke down crying with joy at the prospect touching his own child that he had
thought he lost. “Yellow Hawk. It’s…It’s a good name, Mapiya. A good name.”
Vin and the others stood off the side, tears
misting their eyes.
“Ya got a kid now, Stud,” piped up Buck as he
swiped away a tear. “Ya got to get
better now.”
“Mr. Wilmington is correct, Mr. Larabee. The young gentleman will need someone to
educate him in the manners of being a Larabee,” added Ezra proudly.
Chris gazed into his son’s face and he felt so
much happiness at the realization that he had his family back. He kissed the little boy gentle on the head
and Mapiya then took Heoveaenohe from his father and handed him to Vin.
“He’s a real strong boy, Chris, told Mapiya
that,” said Vin, taking the baby into his arms. “Just like his pa.”
Chris looked up into Vin’s eyes and saw there
the friendship of a brother in them. He
lowered his eyes in shame and disgust.
Vin had told him that they would find Mapiya and he was the one who
voiced loudly that she was not dead. He
never should have doubted him, but he did and that brought anguish to his mind.
Vin knew something was troubling Chris. He thought with the knowledge of wife and
child being with him now, things would be better. He found out that he was wrong.
“Chris,” said Vin still holding onto the
babe. “What’s wrong, Pard?”
“Nothing…I’m just…I’m just a little tired and
hot, I guess,” replied Chris evasively.
Vin knew the reasons Chris had given him were
false, but he did not push it. It was not the time.
At that moment, Heoveaenohe made known that he
was hungry. The baby started to cry and
it startled Vin out of his reverie.
“I think someone is hungry,” said Josiah.
“Or wet,” added Buck.
Ezra winced at the loud voice of the little
child. He had forgotten how loud they
could be. “It seems the hair is not
only thing he has of his father’s,” he said jokingly.
“Huh?” asked Vin confused.
“His voice carries as much as his father,”
clarified Ezra smiling at Vin and the child.
Mapiya placed Chris head back down upon the
pillow and then kissed his cheek. She
said to him, “I will take care of our son and then I will take care of you.”
She then took the baby from Vin and walked away to the other side of the room.
Chris nodded that he understood and watched
her walk away. It was best that she
did. He was not feeling so well at the
moment and his eyes started to drift close again.
“Chris?”
It was Vin’s voice calling him now, but Chris
could not open his eyes. He was too
tired.
“Chris?” He heard Vin say again, but could not
open his eyes or response to friend’s call.
Vin turned to the others with worried blue
eyes and said, “Ezra, I think ya better go get Nathan.”
Mapiya would was busily looking after her
baby, paused in her ministrations to look at Vin. “Netse Ôhvo'komaestse?” she queried him.
“I don’t rightly know, Mapiya,” he answered,
his tone voicing his concern.
Mapiya handed her son over to Josiah’s strong
arms and went over to where Chris lay.
She touched his forehead and then leaned her head against his
chest. “His fever is high again. His breathing not so good,” said Mapiya to
Vin in Cheyenne.
“I sent for Nathan. He’ll know what to do,” explained Vin.
Mapiya nodded, but kept her place kneeling
down near the bed her husband lay in.
They would wait for the healer to return to see if he could understand
what was happening with Emo'ôhtavo vo'e.
Kovaahe stood to the side, watching intently
at what was going on. He understood
some of it. He knew that Emo'ôhtavo
vo'e was sick and that he was in trouble.
If the dark-skinned healer could not help, then he would have to find
his brother help some place else. He
could not let Mapiya be hurt again, nor did he wish to loose the man himself.
But for now, he would wait before he interfered.
TBC.
Heart
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