by Ginny Dye
“The Navajo homeland,” Carrie explained to everyone. “Your people are home, Chooli. They are finally home.”
Applause rang through the room while many tears were brushed away.
“My family?” Chooli whispered, her look one of dazed joy.
“They are rebuilding your homestead in Canyon de Chelly,” Carrie assured her. “Which by the way is the most beautiful place I have ever been.”
“Yes,” Chooli murmured, her eyes full of both joy and naked homesickness as she envisioned the home she had been ripped from. She turned and looked at Franklin.
He smiled and pulled her close to his side before he turned his eyes to Moses. “I happen to believe Canyon de Chelly is the most beautiful place in the world, too. I will stay here until we find someone to replace me, but then I will take Chooli and Ajei home. I want my wife to be with her people, and I want my daughter to grow up where she is wanted and honored.”
“Of course,” Moses said immediately. “You came when you were needed. I know there is someone else coming, too.”
“We won’t leave until next spring,” Franklin assured him. “Carrie’s stories of the Santa Fe Trail during the winter convinced me I will not take Chooli and Ajei until it is warm again.”
Chooli gazed at him with adoration, and then turned back to Carrie. “What did my family say when you left?”
“They sent their love, of course, but they sent something more,” Carrie responded as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the letter. “Shimasani sent this to you.”
Chooli locked her eyes on the letter and reached for it slowly. “From my grandmother?”
Carrie understood her confusion. “One of the army’s interpreters traveled to Canyon de Chelly with us. I believe he wrote it for Shimasani.”
Chooli started to put it in her pocket, but Abby’s voice stopped her. “Read it now, Chooli. You know you can’t wait until later.”
Chooli looked up and saw everyone’s smiles of approval before she broke the seal on the envelope and opened it eagerly.
The room remained quiet, even the children seeming to understand the sacredness of the moment.
Chooli both laughed and cried as she read the long letter. She finally laid it in her lap and looked up at Carrie. “My family loves you very much.” Her eyes traveled to Janie and Matthew. “And both of you. You are loved.”
“And we love them,” they all chorused together.
“It was so difficult to leave your family,” Carrie said. “I hope someday to go back to visit.”
“Perhaps you will travel with us in the spring?” Chooli said temptingly.
“Perhaps,” Carrie replied with a laugh. “I have no idea what is going to happen next spring, but I’m all right with whatever the future brings.” It made her happy to realize how much she meant that.
Chooli’s eyes brightened. “My grandmother talked about that in her letter.” She picked the letter up from her lap, flipped to the last page, and began to read.
“Your people have gone through a time of great darkness, my beloved granddaughter. The White Man tried to destroy us, but they have failed. The Holy People waited for us here in the sanctuary of our sacred mountains. We are not afraid. We are a stronger and wiser people because we survived the darkness. We are full of hope, and we are ready to walk into the future.”
To Be Continued…
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The Bregdan Principle
Every life that has been lived until today is a part of the woven
braid of life.
It takes every person’s story to create history.
Your life will help determine the course of history.
You may think you don’t have much of an impact.
You do.
Every action you take will reflect in someone else’s life.
Someone else’s decisions.
Someone else’s future.
Both good and bad.
The Bregdan Chronicles
Storm Clouds Rolling In
1860 – 1861
On To Richmond
1861 – 1862
Spring Will Come
1862 – 1863
Dark Chaos
1863 – 1864
The Long Last Night
1864 – 1865
Carried Forward By Hope
April – December 1865
Glimmers of Change
December – August 1866
Shifted By The Winds
August – December 1866
Always Forward
January – October 1867
Walking Into The Unknown
October 1867 – October 1868
Many more coming… Go to DiscoverTheBregdanChronicles.com to see how many are available now!
Other Books by Ginny Dye
Pepper Crest High Series - Teen Fiction
Time For A Second Change
It’s Really A Matter of Trust
A Lost & Found Friend
Time For A Change of Heart
Fly To Your Dreams Series – Allegorical Fantasy
Dream Dragon
Born To Fly
Little Heart
The Miracle of Chinese Bamboo
All titles by Ginny Dye
www.BregdanPublishing.com
Author Biography
Who am I? Just a normal person who happens to love to write. If I could do it all anonymously, I would. In fact, I did the first go round. I wrote under a pen name. On the off chance I would ever become famous - I didn't want to be! I don't like the limelight. I don't like living in a fishbowl. I especially don't like thinking I have to look good everywhere I go, just in case someone recognizes me! I finally decided none of that matters. If you don't like me in overalls and a baseball cap, too bad. If you don't like my haircut or think I should do something different than what I'm doing, too bad. I'll write books that you will hopefully like, and we'll both let that be enough! :) Fair?
But let's see what you might want to know. I spent many years as a Wanderer. My dream when I graduated from college was to experience the United States. I grew up in the South. There are many things I love about it but I wanted to live in other places. So I did. I moved 42 times, traveled extensively in 49 of the 50 states, and had more experiences than I will ever be able to recount. The only state I haven't been in is Alaska, simply because I refuse to visit such a vast, fabulous place until I have at least a month. Along the way I had glorious adventures. I've canoed through the Everglade Swamps, snorkeled in the Florida Keys and windsurfed in the Gulf of Mexico. I've white-water rafted down the New River and Bungee jumped in the Wisconsin Dells. I've visited every National Park (in the off-season when there is more freedom!) and many of the State Parks. I've hiked thousands of miles of mountain trails and biked through Arizona deserts. I've canoed and biked through Upstate New York and Vermont, and polished off as much lobster as possible on the Maine Coast.
I had a glorious time and never thought I would find a place that would hold me until I came to the Pacific Northwest. I'd been here less than 2 weeks, and I knew I would never leave. My heart is so at home here with the towering firs, sparkling waters, soaring mountains and rocky beaches. I love the eagles & whales. In 5 minutes I can be hiking on 150 miles of trails in the mountains around my home, or gliding across the lake in my rowing shell. I love it!
Have you figured out I'm kind of an outdoors gal? If it can be done outdoors, I love it! Hiking, biking, windsurfing, rock-climbing, roller-blading, snow-shoeing, skiing, rowing, canoeing, softball, tennis... the list could go on and on. I love to have fun and I love to stretch my body. This should give you a pretty good idea of what I do in my free time.
When I'm not writing or playing, I'm building I A
m A Voice In The World - a fabulous organization I founded in 2001 - along with 60 amazing people who poured their lives into creating resources to empower people to make a difference with their lives.
What else? I love to read, cook, sit for hours in solitude on my mountain, and also hang out with friends. I love barbeques and block parties. Basically - I just love LIFE!
I'm so glad you're part of my world!
Ginny
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[GD1]Need to exchange GASP(s)(ed) for other synonyms…GASP is used frequently in these 215 pages . . ..
[GD2]protected. Seems redundant with the reference in the opening paragraph…IMO :D
