Westward Dreams

by Linda Bridey

  Mitch looked at Owl. “Taking who?”

  Sammi said, “Owl has a date with Hannah.”

  “A date? Wow. You don’t waste any time,” Mitch said.

  Owl shrugged. “Why should I?” He kissed Sammi’s cheek and clapped Mitch’s shoulder. “Thanks, Sammi. ‘Bye.”

  When the door closed, Mitch asked Sammi, “What kind of dates do Lakota people go on?”

  Sammi said, “I have no idea.”

  Hannah finished cleaning up the second exam room and put her cleaning supplies away. Doc was coming out of his cramped office.

  “Hannah, what a blessing you are,” he said. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be here until nine o’clock tonight.”

  Hannah smiled. “I’m glad that it’s working out so well. I’m enjoying myself.”

  “Good, good. Well, you have a nice weekend. See you on Monday unless there’s some sort of emergency. Let’s hope not,” Doc said.

  “Goodnight, Doc,” Hannah said and put on her cloak.

  Owl stood outside waiting for her as he’d said he would. Hannah had wondered if he would come back.

  “Hi,” he said with a smile.

  “Hi.”

  “It is good see you,” Owl said.

  “You, too,” Hannah said. She felt shy all of a sudden and hated it.

  Owl held up a sack. “This for you.”

  “For me?” Hannah said.

  He nodded. “You need change.”

  “Yes, I suppose I do,” Hannah said looking down at her now rumpled clothing.

  “We go to hotel and you change,” Owl insisted.

  “Ok. Where are we going?” she asked.

  There was a twinkle in his black eyes in the dimming light. “It is surprise. Watch your step,” he said and took her elbow as she stepped down into the street.

  The streets were drying out and there were deep ruts cut into the hardening mud. Owl frowned as he looked down at the rough ground and then at her shoes. Before she knew what he was up to, Owl picked up Hannah and ran across the street and deposited her lightly on the other side. She worried about his shoulder, but he seemed to be all right.

  Talk about being swept off your feet, she thought as they started walking to the hotel. They ascended the stairs and Owl stopped on the porch. “I wait here.”

  “All right,” Hannah said and took the sack he held out to her. “I’ll be back shortly.”

  “Ok.”

  Upstairs in her room, Hannah sat the sack on her bed and took out its contents. She was confused by the clothing, but remembered Owl saying she needed to change. Apparently this was what he wanted her to wear. She smiled as she wondered what he was up to. Hannah had never worn jeans before and wondered how Owl knew what size she would wear.

  As Hannah drew them up over her hips, she hoped that she would look as good in them as Sammi did. It was strange to pull up a zipper and button pants. The legs were a little too long so she rolled them up. The western shirt fit fairly well, though. It was slightly worn and comfortable. She quickly donned the socks and boots.

  She checked her appearance in the mirror and thought she didn’t look half bad. The jeans certainly had a way of emphasizing someone’s figure. She put on the jacket and then gathered her hair in a ponytail. Her ensemble complete, she hurried back down the stairs and outside.

  Owl stood by the steps and turned when he heard her come out. He grinned as he took in her slender jeans clad legs and curvy hips. There was no mistaking her for a man no matter what she was wearing. He liked what she’d done with her hair, too.

  “You look beautiful,” he said.

  Hannah laughed. “You’re just being kind.”

  “No. I mean it,” Owl said. “Let’s go.”

  “All right,” Hannah said. “What are we going to do?”

  Owl said, “Eat supper.”

  Hannah’s brow furrowed. “Where?”

  “You will see,” Owl said enigmatically.

  He didn’t carry her back across the street since she had boots on, but he did hold her arm in case she tripped. Seth had let Owl borrow his favorite horse, Hank. Owl had chosen him because he was big enough to hold two people.

  Hannah stood looking at the horse. “Am I supposed to ride?”

  “Yes,” Owl said.

  “I don’t know how,” Hannah told him.

  Owl frowned. “Why?”

  Hannah laughed. It must seem silly to someone like him that not everyone rode horses. “Owl, I’ve always lived in a city and never had to ride a horse. I either walked or took a cab.”

  “Cab?” Owl repeated.

  “Someone you pay to take you places with a buggy,” Hannah explained.

  “Ah, I see.” He shrugged. “So you learn now.”

  “Oh boy. I don’t know, Owl,” she said. “There’s no saddle.”

  “Don’t need one. I hate saddles,” Owl said. “Do you trust me?”

  It was strange, but Hannah did trust him even though she barely knew him. “Yes.”

  “Good. Then you be fine.” To Hank he said, “Stand.”

  Hank became immobile. He barely moved an ear while Owl made a step with his hands.

  “Owl, your shoulder,” she said.

  “Hannah,” Owl said in warning.

  She sighed and placed her foot in his hands.

  “Hold onto mane and pull. Throw leg over when high enough,” Owl said.

  Hannah did as he told her and soon she was sitting on top of the large gelding. It was a long way down.

  “Move forward,” Owl said.

  Hannah scooted towards Hank’s head. Owl disappeared for a moment and she turned to see where he’d gone. He’d backed up behind Hank and took a few running steps before placing his hands on Hank’s rump and vaulting onto the gelding. He landed behind her and laughed at her surprised expression. Owl’s form hadn’t been as graceful as normal because of the weakness in his bad shoulder, but he felt that it wasn’t too bad.

  “How did you do that?” she asked in wonder.

  “Practice since I was a kid,” he said as he reached around her and collected Hank’s reins. He waited to put Hank into a trot until they were out of town and away from all the dangerous ruts. Hannah was jiggled up and down and laughed about it.

  Owl smiled at the sound and said, “What’s funny?”

  “I’m bouncing around,” she said.

  He laughed and looked down at her. “Yes, you are.”

  Without thinking, she smacked his thigh and said, “Knock that off.”

  He chuckled in her ear and she shivered a little. “Where are we going?”

  “I told you. We go have supper. I cooked,” Owl said.

  “You cook? Wow. Handsome and he cooks,” Hannah said. “Can’t get much better than that.”

  “This is a good thing?” Owl asked.

  “Yes,” she answered.

  “White people are confusing,” he teased her.

  “Why?”

  He shrugged behind her. “I do not know. Why are you?”

  “You know what I mean,” she said with a laugh.

  “Some work that Lakota women do, white women don’t.”

  “Like what?”

  “Cooking. Lakota women only do cooking. Men only hunt and protect…camp.”

  She tried to turn to look at him. “That’s all the men do? Why?”

  “It is what we are best at. Or so I have been learned,” Owl said.

  “Taught not learned,” she said. She was leading by Sammi’s example of gently correcting his mistakes.

  “Ok, taught. White men do women’s work and women do men’s work,” Owl said. “It is strange to me.”

  “I can see how it would be,” Hannah said.

  Soon he turned Hank onto a trail and slowed to a trot. Hank went willingly enough, but Owl knew that this wasn’t the trail Hank was used to taking to the camp when Seth came. He felt it was best to take it a little slower.

  “Where are we going?” Hannah asked as the foliage closed i
n around them.

  “Home,” Owl said.

  “What?”

  “To my village. Empty now, but soon they come back,” Owl said with a smile.

  Hannah heard the happiness in his voice and stated, “You miss them very much.”

  “Yes,” Owl said and fought the longing for his family. “Where is your family?”

  “My mother passed away and my father doesn’t care about me. I don’t like him, either,” she said.

  “Both things are too bad,” Owl said. “I not like my father. He was not good man.”

  “I’m sorry,” Hannah said.

  “It is ok. I had other fathers,” Owl said.

  The trail dipped and Owl put his arm around her to keep her from tipping forward. When it evened out he kept his arm there. They spent the rest of the ride in silence and neither minded.

  Suddenly they entered a huge clearing and Hannah gaped in wonder. She couldn’t really tell how big it was in the dark, but it seemed immense. Owl stopped Hank and slid off the horse. He helped Hannah down and then led her over to where she could see a circle made of rocks. In the center, embers burned hot from a fire. Then she saw a picnic basket off to one side.

  There were two colorful woven mats lying on the ground. Owl motioned for her to sit on one. When she was seated, he sat Indian style on the other one.

  “Something smells delicious,” Hannah said. “What is it?”

  “Roast beef, potatoes, and corn,” Owl said.

  Hannah looked at the picnic basket. It wasn’t big enough to hold all of that food. “Where is it?”

  Owl smiled at her inquisitiveness. “You’ll see.”

  He pulled the picnic basket over and handed her a plate and silverware. Hannah watched him pick up a long forked stick and start fishing around in the hot embers. Sparks flew up into the night sky as he moved them aside until he found what he was after. Her mouth dropped open as a large roasting pan appeared. He wasn’t done, however. Owl poked around in the embers again until another, smaller pan was lifted from the fire. He sat this one by the first and removed the lids with the stick.

  Owl peered into the pans and was happy with the way everything looked. He smiled and said, “Be right back.” He rose and ran off into the darkness.

  Hannah looked around. She was anxious about being alone in the wilderness, but distracted herself by trying to imagine what the place must be like when the tribe was in residence. Owl was back momentarily. He held up a bottle of wine that dripped water from it.

  “Was in stream to stay cold,” he said as he sat back down. From the picnic basket he pulled two cups. He had opted for the cups because he was afraid of breaking any of Tessa’s good wine glasses.

  He pulled the cork and poured them each a cup. Then he held out his hand for her plate. Hannah gave it to him and watched him fill it. Before he gave it to her, he picked up the empty picnic basket. Owl closed it and put it in front of her and set the plate on top of it. It made an effective table for her.

  Owl didn’t get his food right away. He put more wood on the fire and stirred the embers a little so that the new wood would start to burn. Hannah couldn’t stop watching him. She’d never seen anything like it. Never had a man done anything as thoughtful and unique for a date with her as Owl had.

  Once he had put his food on his plate, Owl looked at her and found her watching him.

  “What?” he asked.

  She cocked her head to the side and said, “Are all Lakota men as romantic as you?”

  His smile made her stomach flutter. “I don’t think so. So you like this?”

  “Very much,” Hannah said.

  “Good. Eat before gets cold,” he urged her.

  Hannah began cutting up her food. The meat was so tender that she barely had to chew it. She wasn’t sure what it was seasoned with, but it tasted divine. She closed her eyes and savored it.

  It was Owl’s turn to be mesmerized. The firelight flickered over her face and he thought she looked very beautiful. When she opened her eyes, he smiled and said, “Good, huh?”

  “Delicious. I’ve never had such good roast beef,” Hannah said. Suddenly she was ravenous and dug into the rest of it with gusto.

  Owl was amused as he watched her cut more meat and put it into her mouth. She was so entertaining that he almost forgot to eat. As he did, he had to admit that it had all turned out very well. Jack had said that white women liked it when men cooked because it was such a rare thing and his nephew had been right. Owl was glad that he had cooked for Hannah.

  “Owl, this is wonderful. Do you always cook food in the ground?” she asked.

  “Not always, but a lot,” he answered. “Cook many different ways.”

  “I’d like to see that,” Hannah said. She was feeling very adventurous and knew that it was because of the man sitting by the fire with her.

  “Ok. When family gets back, you will,” Owl said.

  “Will they mind me coming here?” she asked. Thinking about meeting his family made her a little nervous.

  “You mean because you are white?” Owl asked.

  Hannah nodded.

  “No. They not mind. Marcus’ wife is white. Not a problem,” Owl said.

  It made her feel better to know that she would be accepted. It also pleased her to know that Owl intended to see her again. She took a couple sips of the red wine and enjoyed the fruity flavor. Hannah looked up at the night sky. The stars winked down at them and she smiled. They were so clear and the night air was crisp and fragrant with the scent of pine.

  Owl said, “If you come here a lot, you need know Lakota. Not all speak English.”

  “Oh, boy. Ok. I’ll try to learn,” she said. “It’s only fair. You learned my language. I should learn yours.”

  Her answer pleased him and he nodded. “We will make fun. A game.”

  “That sounds good. I’m stuffed. It was delicious. Thank you,” Hannah said.

  “You are welcome,” Owl said.

  He cleared their plates away and moved his mat over beside hers. He lay down on his back and indicated she do the same. Hannah lay down and looked up at the stars again. “They’re beautiful.”

  Owl made a noise of assent. “I like sleep outside. I know stars won’t fall on me.”

  Hannah laughed. “What?”

  “I hate houses,” Owl said.

  “Why?”

  “I know it silly, but I am afraid they fall on me,” Owl said with a smile. “People tease me about it.”

  “Oh. Are you claustrophobic?” Hannah asked.

  “I do not know that word,” Owl said.

  “It means afraid of small spaces,” she told him.

  He thought about that for a moment. It almost made sense except that he wasn’t afraid of tipis at all. “No. Just houses.”

  “Oh, ok.” She rolled over to face him. “So, you’re very handsome, you cook, you’re kind, and can do all sorts of things I don’t know about. How is it that you’re not married?”

  Owl had been dreading this question. He’d known the subject would come up. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Hannah grew concerned as she watched him.

  He said, “I was married. We had son. They died in Cherokee raid. He was five.”

  Hannah’s breath caught in her chest. Her heart ached for Owl. “Oh, Owl. I’m so sorry. You must have loved them very much.”

  He nodded. “Yes. It was long time ago. Ten years now.”

  “I’m sure it still hurts,” Hannah said.

  “Not as bad, but yes, still hurts,” Owl said. “I not talk about it much.”

  “I can understand that,” Hannah said.

  Owl was quiet for a little while and then said, “How come you not have husband?”

  “Because I never found anyone special enough to marry,” she said.

  Owl arched an eyebrow at her. “Really?”

  She laughed. “Yes. Really. I don’t plan to marry until I know I’m marrying the right man.” Her expression saddened. �
��I thought Clive was that man. His letters were wonderful and when I got here, he was very nice at first.”

  She saw Owl’s jaw tighten at the mention of Clive. “What happened?” he asked.

  “He lied to me. He told me there was a hospital here where I could work. He told me his house was nice and he had a family business,” Hannah said.

  “It was not true what he said,” Owl stated.

  “No. And then he became angry and said that I was here to marry him and take care of him. His house is run down and his business is not doing very well. So I left and walked into town. I went to the sheriff’s station and Jack, the deputy, took good care of me.”

  Owl smiled. “My nephew is a good boy.”

  “Jack is your nephew?” Hannah asked.

  “Yes. He is Marcus’ nephew by blood, but mine because is Lakota way with children,” Owl said.

  “That’s really nice,” Hannah said.

  “Yes. You have no kids?”

  “Nope. Never married and no children,” she said.

  “People have children and not married. Ask Silver Ghost,” Owl said.

  “Who?”

  “Marcus. That his Lakota name.”

  Hannah laughed. “Why?”

  “He has silver eyes and moves silently even in boots. Scary. You never know he is there.”

  “I can’t wait to meet him. Doc speaks so highly of him,” she said.

  “You will like him. Everyone likes him,” Owl said.

  “You said he had children without being married,” Hannah said.

  “One. Her name Aiyana. Her mother killed in raid, also. Oldest brother Black Fox take her to Silver Ghost to raise,” Owl said. “She is beautiful and very smart. Looks like him.”

  “Oh. I see. Do you have any other children?” Hannah asked.

  “No. Do you want them?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  Owl nodded.

  Hannah reached out and touched his shirt. “Your shirt is so soft.”

  “It is tanned deer skin,” Owl said.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  Owl sat up and said, “Close your eyes.”

  “Ok.” Hannah smiled as she wondered what he was up to now.

  In a moment, she felt him take her hand and place something in her palm. “Open your eyes,” he said.