by Danny Jewell
Zeke knew he had no choice and against all the things his mother had taught him about respect for others, climbed the tree.
Two hours passed and he heard a noise in the distance. Over the rise he could make out the horses and the stage coach they were pulling.
On the seat were a driver and a shotgun rider.
Zeke positioned himself and counted 3-2-1 then with the best Apache War Hoop he could muster jumped down on the shotgun rider and wrestled the gun away from the man.
Gus had been with the Stage Coach Company for ten years and complacency had set in because there had been no Indian troubles around these parts for years.
Zeke motioned for the driver to stop then as they did he pointed to the coach and indicated he wanted everyone to get out so the driver yelled “It is a hold-up and everybody needs to come out with their hands in the air”.
Everyone came out as told. There was a Banker, a cowhand and two women.
Zeke kept the shotgun on them all the while looking for the driver’s grub sack under the seat.
He pulled out two large pieces of bread with big slabs of beef and to those who witnessed it, ate like a starving animal.
Zeke had no care as to what anyone thought and climbed down to see everyone with their hands in the air.
The Banker grabbed for his wallet and everyone else followed suite.
He brushed off the gestures of surrender and something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.
Zeke walked over to a well-dressed woman and picked up on the bonnet she was wearing to get a better look at her face.
The woman said “Don’t say a word” and Zeke stepped back to sound of a familiar voice……… It was Billy!
With his homemade sandwich in one hand and the shotgun in the other Zeke did his best to point and shake in uncontrollable laughter.
Zeke and Billy’s horses walked up. Zeke gave a bite of bread to his horse and said “Look at that; he went from killer Squaw to Belle of the Ball”.
They gathered up all the food they could find and as Billy passed by Gus he grabbed the knife from his belt.
The two of them mounted their horses and rode off.
Gus turned to the driver and said “Mr. Sterwell isn’t going to like this”!
The driver replied “We got to make him believe it first”.
15
HOMESICK
As they rode away Zeke reflected on the last four days and wondered if anyone in Michigan missed him or even cared.
He was doing his best to remember the faces of his two boys when Billy pulled to a stop, took the package from his saddlebags and darted back behind some rocks.
Moments later he came out holding the blue dress he was wearing.
Billy found a Pine tree with low hanging branches and hung it over one and the two men rode off in silence.
The two horses broke the silence. Zeke’s horse looked at Billy’s horse and commented “Have you ever heard such a poor Indian War Whoop in all your life”?
Billy’s horse answered back in a female’s voice “Nope; sounded like Billy after a long night drinking binge squatting on a cactus to take a dump”.
They both threw back their heads and neighed in laughter.
As they continued on their journey Zeke asked Billy “Is it true that the Indians used to eat their horses”?
Billy answered by saying “Horses are sacred to the Indian and when they had no other choice would they do such a thing; why; are you thinking about a cookout”?
Both men were caught off guard when their horses turned into a mist and left both of them landing on their butts with a “thud”.
As they watched; their horses changed shape. Zeke’s turned into a male Indian and Billy’s into a female.
The warrior announced “I am Mangas Coloradas, Apache Chief”.
The female announced “I am Sacagawea; Shoshone Indian and scout for Lewis and Clark”.
For Billy; if a dream and a nightmare could exist all in one place, this was it.
As for Zeke; he had been yanked from his old life, taken away from his family, felt like he fit in this realm only to part of some orchestrated event that played over and over like a bad movie where the characters changed but the semantics of the story stayed the same.
Mangas Coloradas spoke first and his English was clear and his voice was deep and profound. “We have watched the two of you. You have been given a great gift and like two self-absorbed spoiled children you are petty and only think of yourselves. Here you mirror the lives in what you call “reality” and if you don’t learn to get along with each other your journey will be a long and difficult one. We are bound by honor and lore to help you but if you cannot help yourselves then you will get little help from us”.
Sacagawea moved with grace as she walked up to Zeke and her voice was like music on the wind. “And if you ever threaten to eat either one of us again; you will be walking”!
She ran her fingers across Zeke’s face and when she reached his jawline she drew back and slapped him.
Billy was watching like a schoolboy in love with his teacher as the two of them changed back into horses.
She had done the one thing that made Billy feel better about what he had been through in the last few days.
Billy had been degraded and humiliated by all those he had come in contact with it the past few days and Sacagawea had slapped the man that had talked down to him and made him feel like he was less of a man.
Zeke walked over to a large rock and sat down.
He looked over at Billy and the two horses and said “I am stuck here in a land of dead Indians, talking horses, relentless heat and am sick of it all. I am not supposed to be here and want to go home”.
Billy walked to a nearby clearing and said that it was as good of a place as any to make camp.
The sun was setting and it was captivating enough to be put on canvas and sold in any art gallery in the world.
Billy’s Indian pride was showing through and he said “Mangas Coloradas was Cochise’s father-in-law. A brave and proud Warrior Chief and in January of 1863 Gen. Joseph R. West under orders from Gen. Carlton captured Mangas Coloradas by duping him into a conference under a flag of truce. They took him under what was supposed to be a peaceful parlay and later murdered him. Sacagawea was a Shoshone Princess who along with a Black slave named “York” and everyone called him “Ben” escorted Lewis and Clark across this great land of ours”.
Zeke looked at him and said “I don’t care”.
Just as Billy was about to put a knife into a healthy slice of bread something caught his eye.
Out of the shadows Cochise walked into camp.
Billy watched as he walked over to where Zeke was sitting and said “I see you have met two Kindred Spirit Friends”.
Zeke just repeated “I want to go home”.
Billy caught the uptick in Cochise’s voice and knew Zeke was about to cross lines that no man should cross when he said “You disgust me, you and all of your kind. You slaughtered innocents and took scalps. You were like wild dogs that needed to be put down and now you take me from my life and saddle me with a drunk and murderer”.
Cochise’s response hit Zeke like Sacagawea’s slap.
“You are a fool and not much of a man, Zeke”!
Zeke charged Cochise and passed through him then landed on his face in the sand. He jumped up and took a wild swing that met nothing but air. His second swing was caught in mid-air by a powerful grip that pulled Zeke forward until their eyes met.
Zeke felt the gaze go through him and he crumbled to his knees.
“I just want to go home” he said.
There was no letting up by the Big Indian “You are here for a reason and like so many, question “The Great Spirit” without
humility. You not only belong here; you need to be here for your own good”.
Billy was taking this all in almost to the point of forgetting where he was and almost missed Cochise’s next statement.
“You judge Billy “Two Trees” for taking the life of another man. Have you forgotten that you broke your wife’s arm and almost killed her lover in front of your own two boys. One sin cannot be justified by another in degrees”.
It hit Billy like a ton of bricks and he came from his sitting position and was on top of Zeke in a flash. “You sorry piece of crap. You cut me down because of what I am and what I have done. You are no better than me”!
A soft hand touched Billy’s shoulder and said “Two Trees; let it be. This is not why you are here”. It was Sacagawea and her soothing voice is what it took to calm him down.
Billy took the knife from Zeke’s throat and went back to where he had sat before.
Zeke was a broken man and lay where Billy had pushed him back onto the ground. A tear formed in the corner of his eye and ran down the side of his dust covered cheek.
Billy spoke “My brothers and sister; what is our purpose here”?
Cochise replied “For us to tell you could change the outcome of why you are here”.
Billy asked “Why do we need to eat if we are not our former selves”?
do not want to cross over you will need to replenish what you are”.
“What about all the people we meet on this journey; are they real or are they like us”?
Cochise answered “Remember “The Canyon of Lost Souls” that is where many of them are from and are here in the forms of their past lives. They know nothing about who the two of you are or why you are here but; we must caution you both. Distinguish that which is used for eating and that which is a soul in waiting, for injuring the wrong one may keep you here for all eternity”.
Zeke was still on his back “How long, how long are we to be here”?
Mangas walked over and extended his hand to Zeke and pulled him to his feet. “It is up to you. Time has no boundaries here. A day can be a year where you are from; just remember that you are here for a greater purpose”.
Billy interrupted; so let me get this straight’ the sins that we make are for the most part the same in God’s eyes so are the purposes we live in our everyday lives”.
For the first time Billy saw the Indian Maiden smile as she said “Yes; you are catching on and long as you have faith all other things will fall by the way as you go along in your journey”.
Looking at Cochise; Zeke said “Coming from someone who hated the white man, it seems strange you should say that”!
Cochise grunted ‘In this world you are an Apache Warrior and Two Trees is a Squaw. Have you learned nothing from that? It does not matter who you are on the outside; it only matters who you are on the inside. If all mankind was blind, then hate would almost be non-existent. History will prove me to be an honorable man and only did what I needed to do to defend my family and people”.
Zeke felt a tug at his breeches and looked down to see the little girl from Wounded Knee at his side. He knelt down and Cochise said “I see you have made a little friend. Her name is “Little Flower” and she likes you”.
Zeke hugged her and she put out her little hand as if to say “Got any candy; mister” and as Zeke was padding his pockets to show that they were empty he felt a lump in one; reached in and pulled out two pieces of licorice.
She then threw her arms around his neck; kissed him on his cheek and said “Thank you Mr. Zeke”.
Zeke was surprised “She called me by my name”.
Cochise said “She came to me and asked about you; I told her and she cares very little about who you are and that is how it should be”.
“Little Flower” looked him in the eyes and said “Please; don’t forget me”.
His heart melted and he choked out “I won’t, I promise”.
She giggled, walked over and took Cochise by the hand.
Cochise then declared “Things from this moment on will get harder and you both will be tested”.
He then walked over to Zeke and extended his hand and said “As it is with all mankind’ doors will open for you and it will be up to you to walk through them. We call that “Free Will” here too.
16
MY PEOPLE
Everything went back to the way it was, the horses were there, the campfire was ablaze and the two men sat staring at each other.
Zeke was the first to speak, “I don’t care, I can’t see any reason for me being here”.
Billy responded by saying “Up until a few minutes ago I was asking the same thing, now I am left with more questions than answers and still don’t like or respect you”.
Both men were exhausted and sleep overtook them almost instantly.
They saw themselves as if they were strangers walking into a place neither of them had been to before and were caught up in a crowd. Billy reached out to touch a bystander in order to talk to him and his hand passed right through him. He turned to Zeke and asked “Did you see that” and Zeke answered “yeah, I guess we are no more than ghosts to them”.
The man that Billy had just tried to get the attention of turned in Billy’s direction and Billy growled “Pima”.
Zeke said “huh”.
Billy said “back in the day the Pima and the Apache were enemies due to them siding with the white man and scouting for them to destroy my people. Billy starting frantically looking around for answers. He was about to tell Zeke that Indians of all nations have come together since then as a nation of American Heritage when he spotted a sign that read “Camp Grant” just as a man on a horse announced “As your leader I, William Oury, and proud to say that today is the day that 48 Mexicans and more than one hundred Pima Indians rid ourselves of the scourge among us we call “Apache”.
The group proceeded towards the encampment and Billy turned to Zeke and said “It’s April 30th 1871 and this sorry bunch of scum are about to wipe out one hundred forty-one of my people. Twenty-nine of the children will be sold into slavery. All but eight of those killed will be women and children. Only one adult will survive to tell the story.
Billy was caught up in the ensuing melee and got close enough to see the glee on the faces of the attackers. Billy tried effortlessly to try and stop what was happening as Zeke stood by and saw what he could only describe as “senseless”.
All the Apache women fought as best they could in order to protect their children and homes.
Gunfire erupted all around them as they witnessed bodies falling to the ground. One Apache Squaw fell at Billy’s feet with a gunshot wound to her abdomen. Billy looked at her and his blood ran cold, she looked like his sister.
He knelt down beside her not knowing what to do or say.
She looked up and said “Two Trees, you are………………
She could not finish her sentence.
Billy turned to Zeke and said ”Did you hear her? She saw me and was trying to tell me something”.
Zeke felt bad for the Indian and noticed that the gunfire had been replaced with the sounds of the pain of the dying, a couple of victory shouts from Mexicans and that of sobbing children.
Zeke put his hand on Billy’s shoulder. “Some have thought in order to commit genocide, it is best to use the young and indoctrinate them. Maybe that is what they are doing here. Thing is; the Fed’s don’t stop to think they can’t change history. That goes for you to, you can’t change what has happened only learn from it and make a better world going forward”.
They watched as the children were tied together and led away.
Billy looked Zeke in the face “You can justify this all you want to but those children will still be sold into slavery, you know, like your ancestors. So what have you done to make the world a be
tter place? Mr. Wife Beater”.
Both men were on edge and then felt like they were physically being pushed, time and time again then they woke up. Sitting up simultaneously and in a full sweat, their horses nudging them all the while.
Billy looked at his horse in anger and shouted “SO THIS IS WHAT THE GREAT CHIEF COCHISE SPOKE OF WHEN HE SAID IT WAS ONLY GOING TO GET MORE DIFFICULT”. He took a deep breath, let out a sigh and continued on, speaking on in a lower tone. ‘My God. It was like a movie from which there was no escape. I could not help that poor woman and she, she talked to me and called me by name. Tell Cochise, it is one thing to pass these stories down from one generation to another, it is a whole different thing to live them in real life. Tell him I have had enough and want to go home”!
Billy’s pleas were met with silence.
Zeke wasn’t paying any attention to him. He was still thinking of what Billy had told him in the dream about his ancestors and then asking him what he had done to make the world a better place.
Zeke was thinking Billy was right and yet hasn’t all mankind been enslaved at one time or another in history. Mesopotamia in 67800 B.C. up until the slave movement by Spanish settlers and the European Black Plague leaving the Europeans in need of immigrants from Africa. Even Zeke knew of the atrocities of his ancestors due to slavery. The first state to legalize slavery was Massachusetts. The Romans had slaves from all parts of the world. It seemed that at any given point in history where there was an Empire being built or money exchanging hands there was a need for slave labor. Heck; the first slave owner in the United States was a Black Man named Anthony Johnson in The Colony of Virginia.
Zeke mumbled to himself “Money and Power, when will it all end”?
17
BUFFALOED
Three days had come and gone with nothing happening and very little conversation going on between them.
On the fourth day Billy set snares and caught a rabbit.
