CherokeeBoy and RainBoy
by Ruwen Rouhs
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Wa-Ya in the Woods
Intro
The Fight of Two Wolves Within You
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life:
"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves!" Searching the sky for the evening star, he continued, "One is evil–he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." Pointing at the bright star, "The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith."
The old man sighed, "The same fight is going on inside you–and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed!"
(Dean Yeong, 2019; https://www.deanyeong.com/article/fight-two-wolves-inside
In the second part of "The RainBoy's Family", the members of Adam Chas Broder's family, will encounter people and situations they never expected to exist. These encounters will open their hearts for life in a universal world.
This chapter is written in the points of view (POV) style. The caption of the POV for the characters will be ADAM, for the RainBoy, Wa-Ya, for the CherokeeBoy etc.
ADAM
"The magic tent is gone, the one of our nightly host, the tent of the wonder-worker! The tent of the magician changing his color like a blizzard has been dismantled!" Adam stated disappointed and Lilek cried out frustrated! "I told you Adam, but neither you nor our two fathers wanted to listen!" Adam's small brother Lilek shed tears of disappointment. "It's not because of the money or the student card in the wallet I'm missing!" Sniffing back his snot, "It's about the picture of my father, my real father! Get it Adam, my real father! It's the only photograph of him I have got! How should I recognize him, when he shows up?"
Adam just started out to say he never will show up but then decided to divert the attention of his devastated brother. "Hey look Lilek, look! There is an old man browsing the debris where the tent has been. May be he has found your wallet!" Dabbing the tears from his eyes Lilek replied doubtful, "This old carnie sure is half drunk! Look! It's sure one of the vagabonds looking for lost quarters. If he has found my wallet it is gone forever!"
Adam, Lilek in tow, crossed the fairground, where the carnies were busy stripping down the mechanical rides, the shooting galleries and cleaning the place. Coming closer the old man did not look neither like an old man and nor like a vagabond. He rather looked like a teen in Adam's age dressed in a somewhat peculiar fashion. His dark hair was covered with a coonskin cap to keep away the light drizzle, his slight frame was enveloped in a big deerskin jacket and instead of sneakers he was wearing moccasins. When the teen didn't look up as the two approached him, Adam called, "Hey you! Hey, we are looking for the magical tent that was at this place yesterday, it's gone. Has the magician left? Have you seen him leaving?"
The strange teen slowly turned, sizing up both he snapped, "Do you see a tent, I don't?" Then staring at Lilek a faint smile crossed his face, "Are you missing you wallet, Bro?" When Lilek looked baffled, he added, "You gave it to me yesterday night! Don't you remember?"
Shaking his head Lilek started stuttering, "I……I, no, no, man! I am……. I am sure! I didn't give it to you! I never would! I haven't seen you before!"
The smile on the stranger's face got wider, "Remember! Remember the boy on fire! The radiating boy! You gave it to him!" Studying Lilek doubting face a moment longer, he continued, "And now it's mine!"
Adam studying the interaction between the two warily put forward a proposal, "Can we make a deal? You can have the wallet and the money that's inside and" pulling out his own wallet, "all the money I have on me, if you give back the photograph that is in the wallet to my brother Lilek. It's irreplaceable! It's Lilek's only picture of his missing father." Then he pleaded, "Please!"
In the meantime the drizzle has stopped and the strange teen had removed his coonskin cap. "You neither do look like the golden boy in the magical tent nor do you look like the old wrinkled man, you look…..."Adam pondered some time raking his brain for the face of his counterpart, "You are looking like the young Cherokee I saw in a book about the Appalachians." When the strange teen didn't answer, Adam asked "Are you a Cherokee?"
"We are all offspring of the Creator, of Unetlanvhi, you and your friend and me and all men and women with pure souls!" Then he smiled, "A deal? I keep the money and your brother gets back his wallet. However I keep the bucks only because I am hungry and need a breakfast."
"Deal!" holding out his hand, Adam waited, "Keep the money and hand Lilek the wallet, please!" Lilek beamed for the first time since he had discovered his wallet was missing. Taking a bow he told the young Cherokee, "I am so happy to have the photograph back. Keep the money, the breakfast is on us. We invite you to join us in the Red-speckled Tortoise!" pointing at the restaurant on the hill."
Taking a table for six by a large window looking out to the park the three ordered the breakfast, Lilek waffles and tea, Adam two helpings of pancakes and hot black coffee while their guest ordered ham and eggs. Then he asked the waitress for a big pot of boiling hot water. When Adam looked surprised, he explained, "I like to prepare my own tea. I do it according to an old receipt of our tribe!" When the hot water arrived he extracted a small leather pouch from his coat pocket containing chips of a dry bark. He stirred a good measure of the bark into steaming hot water, put the lid back and devoted himself to the scrambled eggs. Finished with the eggs, he uncapped the pot and poured the reddish brew into his cup.
Adam catching a whiff of the fragrant brew asked curiously, "Its smell reminds me of root beer, but it more fragrant. What kind of tea is it?"
"You are right. It's the brew of the root bark of the Cinnamon Wood, also known as Mitten Tree." Then he hesitated as revealing a secret, This brew can brighten up your day, but you have to be carefully not to prepare it too strong. It's kind of intoxicating. Because of this nature the bark is not allowed in root beer anymore."
Adam got curious, because of the bad experiences of his friend Vic (part I, chapter 3, The Story of Vic's encounter with the mysterious stranger), and wanted to know more about the effect of the root to people, but just when he started to ask Lilek, sitting between Adam and the Cherokee, whispered into his ear, "I still do not know his name, do you Adam?"
Picking up the question Adam turned to the young man "Excuse me, we haven't introduced ourselves yet." Rising and taking a slight bow, "My name is Adam Chas Broder but just call me Adam." and pointing to Lilek, "This is my new brother Liam Lek!"
Lilek protested immediately, "Call me Lilek, all my friends use this name." Drawing a deep breath he dared to ask, "And yours stranger? What's your name, I need to know it, because I want to be your friend."
Looking out of the window into the morning sun flashing the first rays through the fissures between the clouds the young Cherokee told them with a smile, "My folks know me by two names. The young people call me Wa-Ya, the elder call me Adahy." Answering their questioning looks, "I know what you want to know. "Wa-Ya" stands for "Wolf" and "Adahy" for "In the Woods", therefore my full name is "Wa-Ya in the Woods". Observing their startled looks, he explained, "They call me Wa-Ya, because I'm strong and considerate like the leader of a wolf pack and Adahy, because I was found in the woods as a toddler!" Studying Lilek and Adam intensely he declared proudly, "I am member of the first nation! I am member of the Appalachian Cherokee Nation, a tribe living in the Appalachians long before the White People discovered this continent. My people dwell in and around the Tsul 'Kalu Forest."
Adam, who had guessed the origin of the strange teen had many questions to ask, but was interrupted by Lilek pointing out of the window, "Tiger and Dec have arrived. They will be here any moment." A second later an excited Lilek let the pancakes be pancakes, jumped up and ran for the entrance, "Dec, Tiger, I got my wallet back, look! The photo is still there, I am so happy!" Pulling the two adults straight through the restaurant to the table where Wa-Ya and Adam were waiting, he announced happily, "Wa-Ya had it! He told me I had given it to him yesterday in the miraculous tent! He kept it and returned it! I am so glad!" While Lilek beamed, Wa-Ya's face froze, he got nervous and seemed to look for a way to escape. Adam sensing Wa-Ya's sudden uneasiness, put an arm over his shoulder. Trying to calm him down, he explained. "That's Dec and that's Tiger! Dec is my second father and Tiger my dear granddad!" Wa-Ya still looking anxious, breathed to Adam, "But the guy you call father is frightening. I know he is a policeman, a detective! Look, how he is moving, look at his gun!"
The evening before Tiger had watched the newscast on TV. After some trivial reports an interview was on featuring the 898 Lumber Company's plans to deforest part of the Tsul 'Kalu Forest as authorized by a new presidential decree. The moderator interviewed his long-time friend Biyen Yonaguska, a lawyer and representative of the local Cherokee tribe. Being about the same age they knew each other because of Tiger's passion for Native Americans and their belongings. By the time Tiger switched on the TV Biyen was already full in flow attacking the 898 Lumber, the President's decree and especially the governmental neglect of the Native Americans and the untouched nature. Listening to the exchange between the reporter and Biyen, Tiger got excited when his friend expounded, "In the great Tsul 'Kalu Forest trees have been spreading their branches long before the feet of the first White People touched its soil. Their branches have sheltered generations and generations of my People, the Tennessee Cherokee! How dare a quaestuary company cut down these trees because a greedy president repeats on and on MAGA! MAGA! MAGA!" Then Biyen drew himself up to his full high, "This country was already great before the White People arrived! And why? This country was great because of its simple living people, its peace loving people, its people praising the creator of heaven and earth for his loving kindness every morning, every noon, every night. My People are still praising his creation, the sun and the moon, the clouds and the rain, the land and the water, the tree and the fertile land, the shrubs and the barren land, the wolf and the deer. And now the president dares to cut down the trees, dares to dry up the waters. He converts forest and meadows to deserts on behalf of profit! How dare he and his greedy worshiper!" Biyen was such committed to present his matters that he suddenly came out of breath, crumpled and fainted. The TV image turned from the interviewee to the moderator who hastened to conclude the interview giving a rather meaningless comment.
Tiger was taken aback by the sudden ending and after a while he tried to ring up the TV channel to get more information but without success. He tried to reach Inola, Biyen's wife, by phone but just got the answering machine ringing. He tried to get information by the local hospital, but after answering their question, "Are you related to Mr. Yonaguska?" he answered truthfully with "No!" He was kicked out of the line without further comment. Apprehending the worst Tiger called up Inola later in the night, but without success. In the morning however he got a shot voice mail by Inola trying to allay his fears and asking him to pick up her nephew Wa-Ya at the fairground where he had performed a tribal ceremony the night before and now should be waiting to be fetched by his uncle Biyen.
Meeting Inola's wish, he and Dec had searched the fairground for the young Cherokee without success. Anticipating finding him in the Red-speckled Tortoise they entered the restaurant. Entering the restaurant Tiger was surprised to find Wa-Ya at the breakfast table with Adam and Lilek. Surprised Tiger immediately realized the fear in the eyes of the young companion of his "grandsons". Cleaning his foggy glasses, he eyed the young Cherokee with disarming smile. Seeing more clearly, his smile got even broader: "Aren't Wa-Ya, Biyen's nephew?" her called over, "The nephew, lawyer Yonaguska is waiting for?" Noticing Wa-Ya's relief, "Your aunt has asked me to look for you. She is sorry neither he nor she can come and pick you up." Tiger decided to postpone the bad news, instead he shook his head to emphasize his surprise, "Oh Boy! You have grown Wa-Ya. You aren't the little wolf I met five years ago at your homestead in the Tsul 'Kalu forest. You are a teenager now!" Once Wa-Ya had risen to shake hands with Tiger, the old PE teacher's smile amplified, "You are the young man Biyen had told me about, the one he expects to be his successor as a layer and to represent the Cherokee Tribe in future times! Welcome in Dartsborough!"
Now Wa-Ya beamed, "I also remember you. You are Tiger, the teacher. You taught me how to play baseball the right way." Smiling apologetically, "I am sorry; I haven't improved my skill in baseball, because I prefer to play soccer and lacrosse." After a moment Tiger had to answer the feared question, "But how is uncle Biyen and aunt Inola, why don't they show up? They wanted to fetch me this morning, but they didn't come, so I wandered around till I met Lilek and Adam."
"Sorry for the bad news, Wa-Ya. Biyen has suffered a heart attack last night and is still hospitalized. Aunt Inola is on his bed watching him. Just an hour ago she phoned me to pick you up and take care of you!" Sitting down he pointed to Dec. "Let me introduce you to Detective Marlow Dekker, called Dec. He is the heading the Youth Service of this town." Smiling proudly, "As Adam may have told you already, Dec is one of his fathers, Ryder Broder is Adam's other father. Both are in the process to adopt Lilek, to round up the RainBoy's Family, and I will have a second nephew."
Wa-Ya only listened with half an ear. He was still digesting the disturbing news about his uncle. Uncle Biyen was the reason to leave the Tsul 'Kalu forest for Dartsborough, because he wanted him to complete the high school career at Oakville High. The reason was quite simple. The tribal school up in the hills did not offer the proper schooling and education, being the prerequisite to attend a law school. Now Wa-Ya was worried! Would uncle Biyen's heart attack cancel out their plan? Without his help he couldn't afford to attend Oakville High because of lack of means. He was torn between the prospect to become a lawyer and help his people and the idea to return to his village and live the life he was used to, strolling through the forest, hunting, gathering healing plants and caring for the Yunwi Tsunsdi, Little People, and last not least being the intermediary between Unetlanvhi and the common people!
Dec put an end to Wa-Ya's brooding, "Everything will turn out right, Wa-Ya. Biyen is strong like an ox. In no time he will be on his legs again and in the meantime we will care for you. Am I right Adam and Lilek?"
"Sure!" Lilek tuned in beaming, because he had taken a liking to Wa-Ya from the first moment, "Wa-Ya, you can use our guest room, its next to Adam's room and mine. It has a bed and all you need. In the closet are even some clothes of Vic and Zach. Our friends left them behind, when they moved to Australia. I am sure you can use some of Vic's. I am always using Zach's." Turning to Adam, "Do you mind, Adam? I know, you like Wa-Ya like I do." Grinning like a Cheshire cat he added, "I know you are in need of a friend since Vic has left."
Making up his mind for a moment and checking out Wa-Ya carefully, Adam stated, "I guess you are right, Lilek. A new member to the RainBoy's family is always welcome. Do you agree Tiger? Do you also Dec?" Contemplating about further advantages of Wa-Ya as a family member, "Wa-Ya and I will attend Oakville High together that's great." Turning to the Cherokee, he inquired, "What grade are you attending? I guess you are a freshman or a sophomore. I am a freshman. Wa-Ya thought for a moment, "Let me think over your offer. The changes are so fast, I need some time." Addressing Adams last question, he stated, "I guess a freshman according to your system!"
Wa-Ya was baffled by the unexpected turn of events. Would he get two brothers like out of the nowhere, a younger one, he could cuddle and one of his own age to be friend with? He shook his head in disbelief. Was this the answer to his prayers to Unetlanvhi for a family in this strange environment? Dec misinterpreted Wa-Ya's head shaking, "Don't you like the idea, Wa-Ya? If you don't do, then you can always live with Uncle Biyen and Aunt Inola as soon he has recovered. Just try, I guess you will not regret to stay with the boys, they are much nicer as it looks at first sight."
"No, no! All this just took me off guard. It's like wonder. I accept the invitation, provided Uncle Biyen approves the arrangement!"
Wa-Ya
The development took Wa-Ya by surprise. Concentrating his mind, he tried to remember what the old people had told him about the spiritual helpers in windy nights at bonfires. They had informed the young people about the Travelers, the Nunnehi. These regal warriors had taught the defenseless Small People, the Yunwi Tsunsdi', to ward off the birds, who attacked their nests in a malicious attempt to extinguish their existence. Remembering the Nunnehi, Wa-Ya was sure these spiritual warriors would Uncle Biyen help to fight off the live-threatening attack. Completely absorbed in his mind he didn't become aware of the silence spreading around. Tiger was the first to break the spell, "Wa-Ya, we want to visit Biyen in the hospital at other side of the town. On the way we drop off Dec and your new friends at Sparrow Lane 15, our home." When the CherokeeBoy didn't react immediately, he asked, "Are you ready?" Finding his way back to reality, Wa-Ya just nodded.
In the dim light of the hospital's critical care unit Wa-Ya was blinded by the flickering lights of the live monitoring appliances. Adapted to the darkness his eyes he discerned a small body in the hospital bed connected to the appliances by tubes and wires. Is this uncle Biyen, the Biyen he remembered to be strong like bull? Is this gray-faced, small man really my uncle? Then somebody took him in a soft embrace. By the touch and the scent he recognized Aunt Inola. In the spare light he had overlooked his aunt. Now her tearful voice tried to familiarize him with the reality. "Biyen strained his heart to much! It nearly broke. The doctors predicted he will recover, but now he will need your help more than ever. His hopes are on you. You have to assume his responsibilities. He counts on you. Take his hand, even if he seems unconscious he will sense you accept the task the Ruler, the task Ouga, has chosen for you."
Biyen's hand was cold, seemingly lifeless. Taking it made Wa-Ya cringe. After a moment however Wa-Ya's warmth slowly passed to his uncle´s hand, his fingers moved tentative but finally clasped Wa-Ya's hand. Slowly life seems to return to his uncle's body. A gust of wind shook the windowpane and whispered a tune. First Wa-Ya couldn't figure out the heavy-hearted tune. But suddenly he remembered the evening in the wood and the tune his uncle was humming to him as a small kid:
(Bob Dylan; https://www.songtexte.com/songtext/bob-dylan/forever-young-3bd5e818.html )
Wa-Ya tried to recall the lyrics of long ago. Slowly parts of Bob Dylan's song came back to his mind. He remembered the words that most impressed him: May God bless and keep you always………. He started to pray, "May god bless uncle Biyen and keep him alive, and give him this health back! Wa-Ya prayed and then, when the chorus came back: May you stay forever young, forever young…. Wa-Ya joined in from the bottom of his heart.
Why did he remember the song just now? What did he want to tell him? Just now? Then he knew it. He had to carry on Biyen's task, the task to care for the forest, for the animals of the forest, the deer and birds, the snakes and the frogs, the chestnuts and the dogwood, the lilies and white wake-robins. Last not least he had to care for his own People, the Cherokee Nation. All the time Uncle Biyen stayed unconscious but the young Cherokee felt a connection to the old Cherokee he never had felt before. Without exchanging words Wa-Ya knew he had to follow Biyen's bequest.
Soothing Inola's sorrow and exchanging information about the RainBoy's invitation, Tiger and he left the hospital promising to look after Biyen every day from now on.
Around noon Wa-Ya and Tiger returned from their visit to the hospital. While the car still rolled out in the driveway, Lilek had already opened the door of Sparrow Lane 15 and charged for the car to welcome Wa-Ya. Spotting Wa-Ya's tear stained cheeks he became emphatic, he embraced him, "So sad, Wa-Ya? Are you worrying about your uncle? Don't be, I know he will recover. He is strong!" Taking his hand he dragged him into the house, "Now you have to meet Ryder Broder! You already know Tiger, Dec, Adam and me, now you have to meet Broder, who started this." When Wa-Ya looked surprised, Lilek explained, "Broder picked Adam up after an accident, nursed him back to health and adopted him." Then he looked up to Wa-Ya smiling, "Soon he and Dec will adopt me also and we will be one family with Adam as my brother and Tiger as my granddad. If you want, you can join us too. I love if you did!"
Wa-Ya's gloomy mood melted like the march snow in the sun. He hesitated for a moment then followed Lilek into the house pondering his new friend's plain statement. Not that the habit of being adopted was strange for a Cherokee, not at all, his tribe as well as other native tribes used adoption to make up families. Being adopted by a couple made up of two men was out of the ordinary however. Could two men live together like a woman and a man, like a married couple? In school he had heard other students taking about this new-fangled habit of White People. These talks usually were scornful classifying those couples as inferior. However in a second thought he recalled the tradition of "Two-Spirit" couples in Native American culture. In many tribes two men cloud live together becoming an important part of the group because of their special skills in arts, as healers and as mediators between the Great Spirit Unetlanvhi and the common people. Rethinking he became curious about Broder and Dec. The latter because of his bearing and profession as a detective seemed to be determined to be the masculine part in this relationship and Broder? Wa-Ya got curious? Dragged into the kitchen by Lilek he was confronted by a person as masculine as Dec. At the moment this man performed the typical task of a woman in their society that is cooking. Broder however looked like a man, was dressed like a man and his strong hug was that of a man. From the first moment Wa-Ya was sure Broder and Dec did not match the "Two Spirit" couples of the Navajos, Lakota, Mohave, Crow or Cheyenne he had heard of.
He didn't have time to ponder, because Broder's hug changed over to a curious questioning. "Lilek is impressed by you! For one thing he worships you because of your performance last night, for the other he is confused because of this performance. He is not sure if you posses super-rational powers or if you are just an imposter." Pausing a moment, he carried on with a sorry tone in his voice, "This applies for me also and I may add for all of us." Stepping back and eyeing Wa-Ya from brow to toe, "All of us like you already, but all of us are confused also." Wa-Ya closed the eyes for a moment, then looking deep into Broder's, he shook his head, "I don't know it myself, being in the magical tent changes me. I don't know how and why! Just take me the way I am, as a student eager to learn."
The seating order around the round big dining room table had to arrange new as the family had grown. Lilek took on the task without being asked. Up to now Broder was seated besides Dec and Tiger had been framed by Adam and Lilek. Furrowing his brow he decided that Tiger's place was to his right, Wa-Ya to his left and Adam had to take the seat beside Wa-Ya. When Broder asked for the reason he explained, "Tiger is the oldest and I am the youngest, that the logic. Wa-Ya on the other hand is the new family and I placed him besides Adam, because Adam needs a friend since Vic left." Looking around, he asked "Does anybody object?" expecting no answer he continued with the scout's grace:
For food and freedom
For hills to roam
For crimson sunsets
For the Earth, our home
For stars at night
And wind and trees
We thank you Great Spirit
( https://scoutermom.com/25661/s-bar-f-scout-ranch-grace/ )
Wa-Ya wasn't used to this White People like style of dinning. Sitting at a table with plates and neatly arranged silverware made him uneasy. He looked surprised, when Adam and Lilek rose to fetch dishes, pans and bowls from the kitchen. But as soon Broder lifted the lids and the delicious aroma of food drifted through the room his mouth started watering and his stomach growling. Marvelling the lot of food he understood why the grace was offered and thanked the creator in his own way by closing the eyes for a moment. After super, closed by cream topped chocolate ice cream, he felt full and tired like never before. Lilek and Adam seemed to suffer from the same deficit of sleep because of the exciting evening before and both had a good yawn. The yawning was contagious and Wa-Ya joined in. "Tired?" Broder asked and Dec suggested, "Adam, Lilek, why don't you show Wa-Ya his room and after that you all take a nap."
"And the dishes, Broder?" Adam asked, "We do the dishes today, tomorrow it's your task!"
As the RainBoy's family has grown to five members, by taking up Lilek, Liam Lek, as a foster child and Tiger, Thore Igerssen the PE-teacher, as grandfather by name, Broder and Dec they had decided to buy the Freer's former residence, because the backyards of both houses bordered. Now Broder and Dec resided in Sparrow Lane 15 while Tiger made the ground floor of Chickadee Trail 13 his new home. Of the three rooms at the upper floor one was Adam's was realm, the other Lilek's. Both rooms opened their windows to the garden, therefore Broder or Dec could have an eye on them and send them to bed if necessary. The third room, the former master room on the second floor, was intended to be the guest room. So far it had not been in use. Its large window pointed to a grove beyond the small one way lane, the Chickadee Trail. Expecting Wa-Ya, the family council had decided that the Cherokee boy should be its first resident.
About two hours Wa-Ya later woke up from a dreamless slumber in his new room. Looking around he assessed its size. Surprised he figured out that this room alone was nearly as big as the house he had been dwelling up to now in the hills in the widely scattered village at the Tsul 'Kalu Forest. He still wondered. This big room was his now, at least the doorplate said so. It read in big red letters "Wa-Ya Adahy" and showed the photo of a wolf sneaking through the wood. "My room now? And my bed?" He wondered, had they given him the room out of friendship or out of pity for a stranger stranded in a strange town? Wa-Ya shook off the negative thoughts like a dog the water after a swim in an unknown lake. He decided to let his positive feelings win!
Wa-Ya's new bed was comfy and could accommodate at least three people his size. The room was sparsely furnished with two shelves on each side of the door. Both were nearly empty waiting for books. Close to the window a study desk stood in front of a swivel chair. To the left a small door opened to a closet. Through the open door he spotted clothes. Stiff legged Wa-Ya rose, went soft-footed to the window and looked out. On the other side of the small road a grove stretched up to a rows of houses hardly visible through the treetops. His heart jumped with joy, the trees in the grove were the same he was familiar with from the wild Tsul 'Kalu forest behind his old house in the hills. He spotted high hickories, slim poplars, sprawling walnuts and chestnuts trees. Even small Sassafras trees were hidden under the canopy of the big trees. Wa-Ya hadn't expected a woodlot in the middle of a town, a place he could lift Sassafras roots for tea, a place he could take shelter and get in touch with the heavenly one, Galvladi'ehi.
A knock at the door startled him out of his reverie. When he didn't answer immediately, Lilek burst into the room stating happily, "Glad you are awake Wa-Ya. I was looking for you at least two times before, but you were dead to the world!" Taking a breath, "Hurry up, Adam has invited some friend from school he wants to introduce to you! They are waiting in the garden."
Lilek's unexpected invitation made him feel insecure again. Down in the garden Adam put his right arm over his shoulder Wa-Ya regained his self-confidence. A dark haired girl was the first to hug him and place a peck on his cheek, "I am Mel, your class representative. Welcome Wa-Ya! If you have a problem with the teachers or the other students turn to me. I know how to handle this kind of problems." Having got rid of the formal preliminaries, she took a step back and smiled. "I like you, Wa-Ya! Seeing you with my proper eyes I get why Adam raved about you on the phone. You will fit to us, to the teens of Oakville High." Turning to Adam, Wa-Ya saw him turn red as a beet and studying his tiptoes. To bypass his embarrassment Adam introduced him to Pete and True. "That's Pete, the star of the Football team and the founder of the Jugger Team, the Weird Varans." Wa-Ya gaped, Pete was really big for teen of 15 or 16. He stood one and a half head taller than he and Adam and more than two heads taller than the small student besides him. But it wasn't Pete who took him in a hug first, it was the small teen. "I am Trewin, but call me True like everyone." he smiled, "I guess our team has found the proper replacement for Adam's friend Vic." Digging Pete in the ribs, he asked his friend, "Give Wa-Ya our welcome present!" Pete, following Tru's order, presented a T-shirt with the picture of a varan. "I nominate you a member of the Weird Varans!" Tru announced and Pete added, "Training is two times a week and I am sure you will be a great replacement for Vic."
Now Lilek butted in, "Not only the Weird Varans need you, Adam needs you! He needs you as a friend!" These words made Adam blush again, but True put one on top. "You don't have to become his boyfriend, a friend and buddy would be enough!" Now Wa-Ya recognized that Pete and Tru were more than friends. He was sure they were boyfriends breathing the same air, drinking the same water, owing one soul only.
Long-lasting honking interrupted the exchange and while he speeded through the open door of Sparrow Lane 15 to welcome the latecomers Lilek announced, "That should be Gerry and Aaron. I have asked them to pick up Tyler and Emma, therefore the delay." Wa-Ya looked surprised, he hadn't expected to be the reason for a welcome party. Tyler, arriving first, was about Lilek's size, while the young curly haired girl at his heels was nearly a head higher. The girl was wispy nonetheless emanating the same strength and willpower Mel did. Gerry showed up the last, with a willowy dark skinned boy at his side. Gerry seemed to be the oldest of the guest and Wa-Ya guessed he was a Junior or even Senior.
Emma hugged Wa-YA like Mel had done, while Tyler greeted him shyly. Aaron stayed on Gerry's side but then he took a deep breath, "Welcome Brother Wa-Ya, lets be friends." Whereupon Wa-Ya added, "And allies!" because at that very moment he had realized the analogues history of the African Americans and the Native Americans. Both were exiled, the one carried as slaves over the vast wild ocean by ship to service the White colonizers of America, the other driven by the same intruders on a trail of tears through the dry, arid prairie to the barren rocks in the barred north-west. His mind dwelt only moments in bygone times then he returned the bow, "Brother Aaron, both our people found a new place and now we have to defend it. We are natural allies." Aaron didn't comprehend the meaning, but from this moment on he knew he had a new friend. With solemn voice he replied, "Let's tighten the bond between the descendants of White intruders, the Natives and the former Slaves. Let us include my boyfriend Gerry into this union. Nobody should stand between us!" From this moment on Wa-Ya looked at Gerry with different eyes.
Soon Tiger announced barbecue is ready. He, Broder and Dec had prepared a big barbecue on the lawn close to kitchen and the smell of roasted meat made Wa-Ya's stomach growl. Soon he joined the others around the grill, regretting that he couldn't join the soccer match the Lilek and Tyler staged in the other part of the garden. Tucking in like he hadn't eaten since days, he soon was interrupted by questions about the Appalachian Cherokee. Gerry wanted to know every detail of the daily live, of the forest, of the animals and flowers, while Mel was fascinated by the art the Cherokee sold in the art shops. Emma on the other hand wanted to know more about the status of the women in the Cherokee society. Finally questions about the two spirit people arose soon turning to the mythology of the Cherokee, especially as Adam pointed out his experience in the miraculous tent.
As good as possible Wa-Ya described the role of the Creator, the "Great Spirit" or Unetlanvhi, in the life of the Cherokee. He expounded that the Natives neither imagined the creator in a human form, a human gestalt, nor that they assigned him human attributes. He explained the Creator cannot be personified and therefore pictured in one or the other way. He went on explaining the function of the Trickster Rabbit, named Jistu, and the Horned Serpent, Uktena. Luckily Tiger did know the essential of the Cherokee mythological ideas also and helped Wa-Ya to explain. When the dusk began to fall the Cherokee boy switched to the Yunwi Tsunsdi', the Little People, because they were his favorites among the unearthly beings. "They are small, they are weak but as a team they are able fight the evil and he began to tell the story how the Little People defended their nests against big predators.
Processing all these information Adam's classmates became tired and Tiger decided that it was time to close the evening. But he knew something had to be said at the end, something important was missing. He went inside and a moment later he was back with an old guitar in his hands. Strumming the cords he declare with solemn voice, "Nowadays are only a small part of the Cherokee tribes are living in their native homeland, the Appalachians. You all have heard about the "Trail of Tears" and the way the Cherokee were forced to leave their homeland and move to the barren land in Oklahoma. There is a song I would like to teach you. It's by John D. Loudermilk and its first lines are: "They took away the whole Cherokee nation and put us on this reservation! (John D. Loudermilk, 1959; https://www.ihesm.com/jdllyr/LyiIndRs.html )
Tiger cleared his throat and began to sing with the hoarse voice of an old man:
They took the whole Cherokee nation
And put us on this reservation
They took away our way of life
The tomahawk and the bow and knife
Wa-Ya who had heard the song in the Cherokee county and immediately joined in with his scratching young voice.
And Adam? Listening to the tragedy, pictures began to unfold in his mind, pictures he remembered from movies and books, pictures he remembered from military raids in Afghanistan and Iraq, pictures he remembered from refugees' camps in Africa, Asia and Europe. Adam suddenly understood the Cherokee tragedy was only one in a line of tragedies brought about by human hubris, greed and ruthlessness to all the voice less. Listening to the final line of the lyrics: "And some day when the world has learned, the Cherokee Indian will return, will return, will return……". He doubted that these words may come true for the Cherokees as well as for all other voice less creatures, to suppressed people, to trees, shrubs and flowers, to mammals, birds and insects.
Deeply disturbed by the song the boys left Tiger, Wa-Ya because he remembered the fate of his brothers and was more than ever convinced he has to take the way Biyen has chosen for him and Adam, because he even was more convinced than ever to do all that was in his power to fight for a world fair to all living things, peoples, animals and plants.
While Lilek hit his mattress dead tired Wa-Ya as well as Adam tossed and turned sleepless in their beds. Wa-Ya finally fell in a dreamless sleep. Adam however couldn't even cry himself to sleep. With broken heart he finally decided to ask Wa-Ya for absolution. He walked on tiptoes through the dark night to Wa-Ya to beg for forgiveness.
The small noise and the vibes of Adam's crying aroused Wa-Ya. Out of the dark the whispering voice of Adam pleaded, "The sad song about the Trail of Tears made me realize the terrible injustice my ancestors inflicted to your people. I am not able to find peace. Please accept my apologies Wa-Ya! Please! I can't make up for the pain my ancestors did to your tribe." Wa-Ya rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and after a moment he answered, "It wasn't you, Adam! I know you never would do this to people, neither to the children of the Cherokee, nor the children of other races or cultures." Moving to the other side of the bed he lifted the bed spread, "Join me Adam! I also need peace and comfort as you do! Let's sleep. The last days and hours were exhausting for both of us."
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