Princess Ces'alena (43 page)

“What?”

“When I’m an old and gray Indian Chief, will I still be able to keep up with you?” Turning on his side leaning over her, propped up on his elbow, his cheek resting in his palm, while he traced circles around her navel.

“You’re a little wild cat when it comes to my body.” He grinned, flexing his brows. She pretended to be hurt and shocked. “Why! You paint me a harlot! I am not!” He nodded, his look sure, “Yes, you are. You take to love making, like a fish to water!” She gasped, insulted and tried to bolt up from their mat. He realized how that sounded and laughing, blocked her escape.

“Nooo, I wasn’t agreeing that you are a harlot…only that you are hot for my body.” He continued chuckling.

She wasn’t convinced as her pugnacious pout gave proof to. “Ohhh no, don’t back down now. I am a brazen hussy. A lusting nymph-…” Laughing even harder, he nodded but amended it with, “Yes dear, but only with me. And I wouldn’t change a thing.” He admitted, breathlessly close to her mouth, that he softly kissed. “You my little tempest, made just for me.”

Up now – keeping her distance, she searched for a gown to wear. He lay lazily idle, boldly staring at her naked bottom, as she rummaged about looking. Impulsively he reached over and slapped her on it. “Hey! Cut that out! I’m done with you! Now up - lazy man!”

“Can’t get up, too weak, you’ve worn me out. Hungry, my head spins. If you wish me to be your love slave, you must feed me better.” He joked still reclined, drunk on pleasure.

“Ach! Love slave - in that case, you are deserving of a beating! Tis I, who did all the work this time! Now up before your son enters to see you!”

“No chance of that. He and Greeneye have gone hunting and bird watching.”

“Bird watching?” She asked straightening up their dwelling before she left to bathe in the stream. “Yes,” He answered getting up as well. “Our son is out searching for his gold raven.”

“A…gold - raven?”

“We saw one many days ago. He wants one of his own, he says that his conquest is to capture and train this gold raven. As he says it, “She shall one day bring us plenty good medicine!” He chuckled shaking his head. Red Dawn kneeled staring at him. “He is growing up so fast.” She thought out loud, reflecting back on the passage of time. “I didn’t know a nine year old-…”

“Almost ten…” He inserted, mimicking their son.

“Yes - well…he’s too young to think of such things.” She murmured.

“Each considers such things when it is their time. And regardless of his age, if his thoughts are there…then it is his time. He says that he and this gold raven will someday sail across great waters!”

“Well, we should not be encouraging such talk.” She said, that - something in every mother that wishes to keep their child, a child forever.

Long Bow sensed her concern; he came up behind her, with hands on her shoulders, gently soothing her. “Our son - will someday - be a man. There is nothing we can do to stop that. He must follow his path, whichever way that be; he shall choose it. And all we can do is love him still, because he will always be - our son.”

She leaned her head back, knowing that what he said was true. There were times when she dreaded what lay ahead; so much went against them, and this way of life…was fast on the way out. They could live only one day at a time, and do everything that day to make a better way for tomorrow - for whatever tomorrow might bring.

That day was spent like most others, the women working to gather their crops as the season progressively changed. It was August, warm for working the fields that surrounded them. Red Dawn’s time was spent teaching the children in the large hut house built for schooling. In attendance were children of various colors and creeds. Many of the tribe were of a lighter hue, because of the mix of having white male and some white female’s as their parents. Among them, a mix of children from runaway slaves - male and female, now wives or husbands to those in the tribe, as well living there, Negro slave couples whose children would grow up to be as the tribe taught them, warriors and braves. Red Dawn was in her element… where she felt her best. Knowing that what she gave to the children, was an advantage for their futures.

That afternoon an Indian messenger rode into their village, bearing news that was his responsibility of spreading to all of the surrounding tribes. He dismounted in front of chief Long Bow’s dwelling, and was greeted by him. The Indian, who was a Chickasaw asked that he and all the other chief’s come together so that he might relay the news handed down to him. After Long Bow sent someone to locate Chief Blue Eagle, they met at the school house right after the children’s lessons were over.

Chief Blue Eagle and Chief Long Bow sat at the big table with their co-chief’s listening as the message was delivered.

“I am Justin Colt of the Chickasaw, as you all know…the fight for our lands continue. To my good fortune, I was chosen and have visited the northeast where a lot of governmental discussions are taking place. I have also befriended a great man among the Chickasaw, William Colbert. And he further encourages us to better ourselves, that we may be equipped to grow in friendship with this Americas as they climb in power.”

“For What?!” Chief Blue Eagle cut in saying. “No matter what is done on our behalf, the white man will grow in power and push us aside. Enough of this talk you bring!”

“Don’t you see, what he presses us to do, will insure us a hold of this land?”

“Are we not already doing these things!?” Blue Eagle attacked heatedly.

“But we need to add to that, the learning of his government and laws. Many years ago, William Colbert visited President Washington, and since then he has made several trips back for other reasons, his last trip there I was taken along. There I stayed getting an education. While there, I attended secret meetings where there are men from the north and east who wish to make changes in the growing disregard for the Indian’s rights of holding their lands. They speak on our behalf, equally concerned about the mistreatment of the Negro who is forcefully brought to our land as slaves to the white man.”

“Hah! You think they care about the man whose shade is darker than our own? They do not know what we go through here, fighting to keep our lands. You think they care how the black man suffers beneath the whip? And yet they ask us to be as they are! Already many of our brothers have done as they have, built homes and now - have even taken slaves for themselves!! This is what they wish of us! This is what you bring!? More talk from those who sit in their strange clothing, sipping tea in their box rooms and talking only of what they not know!” He went on angrily.

“Please!” Chief Long Bow stood aggravated wanting to hear what Justin Colt had to say. “At least let him finish with what he has come to say, no matter what we think the results will be, we need every means of support and knowledge we can get. Now I would like to hear him out!”

Chief Blue Eagle was thoroughly offended by his interruption, though he continued to do so himself, feeling they were disregarding what he was saying. He stood facing Chief Long Bow, “I have shared my village with you freely and have allowed you and your own to dwell here, which is not common for the Creek. This alone shows our willingness to conform. All that I’ve done is to make peace with the Cherokee and Chickasaw. As well the Choctaw, this Indian -(his hand indicated Justine Colt)- painted white with all his white learned talk and dress can do nothing for my people. Right now, the Creek have their own confederacy.” He proclaimed proudly. “Just so you both understand, I will influence a great number of my warriors to join in and fight when the time comes. I declare before you now, that we will push the white man off of our lands, and those who will not be pushed, then they shall die! That is the word of the one we follow, Tecumseh!”

“But Pushmataha, the Choctaw leader says that the states of this Americas are growing in strength; and a war with them would be suicidal.” Justin cut in trying to reason with Chief Blue Eagle.

“We will not stand by and allow the white man to take over our lands. When the time comes, the Creek will fight. Those who are not brave enough to stand with us are no brother to the Creek!” With that said, he walked out of the meeting with his co-chief behind him.

Chief Long Bow turned to Justin Colt with a heavy heart. “Well, it seems that again, I will have to uproot my people and move on.”

“If you must do so, you shall join the Chickasaw. We dwell close to the city of Vicksburg. My chief will be more than happy to receive you and those who follow you Chief Long Bow. The more there are of us who unite, the stronger we will become.”

“I thank you Justin. My wife will be more than overjoyed to hear this; her family has a plantation there. I am familiar with this area. I will gladly take you up on your offer.”

After they finished the evening meal…Red Dawn cleared away the eating utensils while Justin Colt continued where he left off earlier.

“As I tried to tell you, from the east, there are those who volunteered to join in the cause. Willing to educate as well set up a means to teach our tribes, and the slaves. They have a dual cause, and are willing to help us however they can. One way is to instruct us on the laws of this new government as well basic education skills, such as in reading and the speaking of proper English. They will then choose those who have excelled to take back and stand before the courts to show that we are not animals. But men, as they are men; able to learn and conform, living as they live. They feel that it would be wise for the Indian and the Negro to unite. We are, after all, fighting for the same rights, causes and goals…to be noted as human equals; with the same mental abilities and pursuits. Wishing to dwell and care for our families as they wish to do with theirs; it is a noted fact that this is why they fled their land, to come here so that they could be free! So, if we show this…they will understand. The declaration of Independence they wrote said it stood for every man! This is why we must learn to represent ourselves in a way that they cannot dispute! According to their laws, we have rights…in order to know what they are, we must learn. In order to demand them, we must learn. And those who will teach us, are on their way.”

“These men, when can we expect them? And who are they?” Long Bow asked.

“They are Christians, as well as abolitionists. They travel in groups, and then scatter throughout their assigned territories. There are entire families, as well single men.”

“Do you at least have their names, so that when they arrive, we will be sure of who they are?”

“Yes, a few names I have…but there will be more, heading to other locations. The ones coming to our area are two families and four single men. They will play the part of settlers seeking a place to make a home, finding jobs among the plantations if they can. Let me see, I had their names written down and put the paper here in my pouch.”

He reached within searching, “Ah yes, here it is, two families, in which the head of one is an elder of some kind with their religion. And four single men. The two families are the Weston’s and the Johnson’s. The Weston’s are a husband and wife, with an older son, and a young daughter. The elder’s name is Jacob. The Johnson’s are a husband and wife…both ministry teachers. Patrick, is the man’s name. The single men are, Zedekiah Weston, Markus Gentry, Phillip Preston and Thomas Sandoval.”

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

JANUARY, 1811

“You - are you going to be alright Manny?” Charles asked, feeling stupid by the question, but knew not what else to say, deeply concerned for his friend; then shook his head, knowing of course he would not.

“Yeah…I’m – I’ll be alright.”

“You don’t look alright. You’ve been sitting there looking out of that window for hours now.”

Manny didn’t answer; he sat watching the snow fall in front of their hotel. That very snow would be gone soon, leaving no sign of ever falling, like his son, gone without a trace.

“Manny, don’t do this. I can’t stand to see you hurting this way. I need to hear you say something, anything.” Charles sat on the back of the sofa in their room hoping to reach his friend through his block of devastation. “Loose your temper, curse, go drinking, pick a fight, cry even, but please… don’t just sit there, you look defeated…destroyed.”

“I am. I - have - nothing. -(he shook his head)- I don’t understand. Am I so bad a person, that God allows the devil this play at me? What have I done that is so wrong?” He asked, needing to know.

“It is not you my friend. It is the way of things that has brought us to this, you – to this.” Charles tried to reason with him.

Manny slipped back into silence, moments passed before he spoke again, “How could we have come so close to finding him and then…gone, gone again.” Feeling lost, he bent forward resting his forehead in his palms, his elbows on his knees.

“Are you telling me you’ve given him up for dead?!”

“I don’t know what I’m telling you.” He returned, pulling himself erect. “I don’t know…what'll I do now Charles? My son is out there somewhere, and I cannot find him. God - Charles, what if he is dead-…” He dropped his head into his palms, feeling the tears come.

“Don’t say that, you don’t know that.”

Manny leaped from his chair before Charles, who stood as well, knowing that he was likely building to blow. “You saw the place, you heard what he said. A gang of bandits attacked his farm, they raped and killed his wife and servants; and killed his son for trying to defend his mother, then set his home on fire!” Both could still vividly see the torment of David Lawrence as he sat at a table in the bar. Between sobbing and swaying back and forth, he told them of the hell he’d endured. The gang of bandits had come upon his farm in the early dawn. They’d known he was the banker in town.