She was leaving the mall, laden with several shopping bags, when she passed a maternity shop. She paused a moment, then retraced her steps and entered the store, thinking she would have to call Vivian when she got home and tell her the news. Viv would be thrilled, although how she would explain her absence, and Black Wind, was something Susannah hadn’t quite figured out. She would have to call her mother too, she thought glumly.
When she left the shop thirty minutes later, she had a pair of jeans, three pairs of shorts and four tops that seemed as big as circus tents. She ran her hand over her stomach, which was still almost flat. Hard to believe that she would ever be big enough to fill out the clothes she had just bought.
A baby. It was incredible.
On the drive home, she realized they would have to find a new name for Black Wind. He would have to learn to drive a car, get a license, find a job…
Susannah laughed softly as she imagined Black Wind filling out a job application. Finding employment might be a little difficult. There weren’t too many openings for full-fledged Lakota warriors these days. The thought brought her up short. What was she thinking? She couldn’t expect Black Wind to adjust to the twentieth century overnight. She would have to take it slow, let him get used to things gradually.
And while she was helping him adjust to life in the nineties, there were other things that had to be done.
She needed to make an appointment with a doctor.
She had to meet her deadline and get the manuscript in the mail.
At home, she parked the car in the garage, wondering what Black Wind had done in her absence. She hoped he would approve of the clothes she had bought for him.
She found him sitting in the living room, flipping through the channels. She couldn’t help grinning at the picture he made sitting there: a nineteenth-century warrior clad in clout and moccasins holding a can of 7-Up in one hand and the remote control in the other. What was there about men and their need to hang onto the remote? And did any of them ever watch a program all the way through?
“Hi.” She dropped the packages on the floor beside the sofa, then bent to kiss him. “Did you miss me?”
“Always,” he replied. Placing the soda and the remote on the coffee table, he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her down onto his lap. “The…” he searched his memory for the word, “phone rang while you were gone.”
“Did you answer it?”
He looked at her as if she had suggested he run naked through the streets.
Susannah kissed him on the cheek. “I’d better see who called. It might be important.” She gestured at the packages on the floor. “The stuff in the blue bag is for you. Why don’t you go into the bedroom and try on your new clothes? I have about a hundred phone calls to make.”
Black Wind glanced at the large blue sack dubiously, then nodded.
Rising, Susannah went into her office to check her machine, then sat back in her chair and stared at the phone.
“Welcome back to the twentieth century,” she muttered, and picked up the receiver.
Susannah emerged from her office an hour later. She had called her parents, her brother and her agent, explaining to one and all that she had felt the need to get away for a while and had, on a whim, gone off on a short vacation to South Dakota. She had assured her parents and her brother that she was fine, assured her agent and her editor that she would get to work on the book ASAP and have it in the mail in sixty days.
Viv hadn’t been home, so Susannah had left a message on her machine, and then called her doctor’s office and made an appointment for the following day at four.
Relieved that she had managed to touch bases with all the important people in her life, she left the room, curious to hear what Black Wind thought of his new wardrobe.
She found him sprawled face down on her bed, his new clothes scattered over the foot of the bed, and on top of the dresser. It was obvious he had tried them all on, and just as obvious he wasn’t crazy about them, since he was still wearing nothing but his clout.
For a moment, she stood in the doorway looking down at him, admiring the width of his shoulders, the broad expanse of his back, his long, long legs. She thought of stretching out beside him and kissing him awake, but he looked so peaceful, she decided to let him rest.
Picking up his jeans, she tossed them in the washer to take out the stiffness, then went into her office and switched on her computer. Much as she might wish it, the book wouldn’t write itself.
* * * * *
Black Wind woke abruptly. He stared at the pale-blue walls around him, momentarily disoriented, and then he remembered where he was.
Getting to his feet, he glanced at the clothes Susannah had brought him. The pants, which had felt stiff and uncomfortable, were missing. He wasn’t sure what the white things were. They reminded him of his clout. He had regarded them a moment, then tossed them aside. The shirts were soft, the colors unlike any he had ever seen.
He cocked his head to the side, listening intently. The house was quiet and he wondered if Susannah had gone out again.
Barefooted, he padded down the hallway to her office and looked inside. She was sitting at her desk. She had showed him her computer, told him it was where she worked. She had even read him a part of the story she was writing. He had been fascinated by her ability to write things down. The Lakota kept an oral record of their stories and lineage, passing them down from generation to generation, but parts were sometimes changed or forgotten.
She was unaware of his presence. Standing in the doorway, he watched her for a long time. Sometimes she spoke out loud, sometimes she sat back in her chair and stared at the computer, once she picked up a book and thumbed through it, muttering something under her breath. She had told him it was a book about the history of the Old West and had promised to read him the parts that referred to his people.
He lost track of time as he stood there, watching her, his mind wandering. It was hard to believe that he was in Susannah’s house, that all he knew was gone, swept away by the hand of time, that everyone he had known, everyone he had loved, was long dead. He glanced around her office and saw nothing that was familiar. Only Susannah…
What was he to do here, in this place? He was a warrior, born and bred. Did she expect him to stay here, in her house, day after day, with nothing to do? It was not his way, to be idle. He could not spend his days sitting on her sofa, watching the strange pictures that moved and talked, staring at images he didn’t fully understand.
He thought of his unborn child and wished he knew how to read and write so he could record the stories and legends of his people as he knew them. He would like to preserve his memory of the battles the Lakota had fought and won as well as those that had been fought and lost, to write of the beauty of the Pa Sapa while it was fresh in his mind. His child would never know its grandfather, and he wished he had the ability to write about his father’s bravery so his child would know what a courageous warrior his grandfather had been. He would like to write of Mato Mani’s ability to heal the sick and foretell the future, and of his father’s brother, Hehaka Luta, who had gone to seek a vision and never returned. Some said Wakán Tanka had spirited Hehaka Luta into another world. Tate Sapa shook his head. Once, he would have said such a thing was impossible, but no more.
There were so many things his son or daughter should know. Songs and stories and legends. He knew Susannah would write them for him if he asked her to, but he felt a sudden inexplicable need to do it himself. Perhaps Susannah would teach him.
“Black Wind. How long have you been standing there?”
He shrugged. “Not long.”
“Well, I need a break.” She stood up and crossed the floor, her arms wrapping around his waist. “How about some lunch?”
He nodded, then followed her into the kitchen. Sitting at the table, he watched her pull things from the refrigerator. She explained what they were as she put them on the counter.
“Mayonnaise, mustard, Swis
s cheese, avocado, ham, tomato, onion.”
He nodded, repeating each word.
Susannah pulled a loaf of bread from the bread box. “I made an appointment with the doctor,” she said as she cut the tomato into thin slices. “Do you want to go with me?”
“Doctor?” He looked at her sharply. “Are you sick?”
“No, but I am pregnant, remember? I need to go in for an examination, and I’d like for you to be there.”
Tate Sapa stared at her. Among the Lakota, childbirth was left to the women. Knowing he would only be in the way, a man often went hunting while his woman was in labor. “Is it the white man’s way, to take part in such things?”
“Well, not always. You don’t have to go with me if you’d rather not. It’s just that I’d feel better if you were there.”
“I will go.”
She smiled at him as she handed him a plate and a glass of iced tea. “It’s a sandwich,” she said. “Hope you like it.”
She sat down at the table across from him and he watched her pick up the sandwich and take a bite. Following her example, he did the same, chewing slowly.
Susannah grinned at him. “So, what do you think?”
“It is…waste,” he replied. “Good.”
“Wait until you taste my chocolate pie,” she said, smiling.
He nodded, but his mind was not on food.
“Su-san-nah, will you take me to see the Pa Sapa?”
“Of course.”
“Do my people still live there?”
“No, the Hills belong to the government now. I have a book about the history of the Black Hills somewhere. Do you want to see it?”
Tate Sapa nodded.
Susannah left the table, returning a few minutes later with a small book. Sitting down, she opened to the first page. “It says here that the Lakota signed a treaty at Fort Laramie in 1868 which set apart a large tract of land known as the Great Sioux Reservation.”
Tate Sapa nodded. “I know of this treaty.”
“It says that the Sioux were guaranteed ‘absolute and undisturbed use and occupation’. Then, in 1874, Custer and a military expedition went into the hills to survey the area and found gold.” She skipped down a few sentences. “In 1875 President Grant sent the Allison Commission to negotiate with the Sioux to purchase the Black Hills. They offered the Sioux six million dollars, but the Lakota refused to sell. After that, prospectors started pouring into the Hills in search of gold. It says here that in 1876 a handful of Lakota signed an agreement to sell the Hills…”
“My people sold the Pa Sapa to the wasichu? I do not believe it.”
“Well, the sale wasn’t considered valid since most of the adult males refused to sign.”
Tate Sapa nodded. He could not imagine his people selling the sacred Hills. They were the heart of the People, the spiritual center of the Lakota.
“Anyway,” Susannah went on, “in 1877 the United States Congress passed the Black Hills Act, which put ownership of the hills in white hands. From 1920 to the present, the Lakota have been trying to regain ownership of the Hills. According to this, the battle is still being fought.”
“When can we go?”
“Do you need to go right away? I’ve got to get this book finished.”
“There is no hurry,” he replied with a wry grin. “The Pa Sapa will wait.”
Later that day, after finishing up a chapter on her book, Susannah thought again about finding a Christian name for Black Wind. She didn’t want to hurt him, didn’t want to offend him in any way. She knew how hard it was going to be for him to adjust to her lifestyle, harder for him, perhaps, than it had been for her. She, at least, had had some knowledge of life in the past. Shutting down her computer, she sought him out. He was looking at the pictures in the book on the Black Hills.
He glanced up as she entered the room. “It is a good thing, to know how to read and write. Will you teach me?”
“Sure. You’ll have to be patient with me though. I’ve never tried to teach anyone.” She smiled, pleased that he wanted to learn, that he seemed to be willing to accept her way of life. Perhaps it wouldn’t be as difficult a transition as she feared. A new name would be a good place to start.
“Black Wind, what would you think of taking a Christian name?”
He frowned at her. “What is that?”
“A first name, like my first name is Susannah and my last name is Kingston.”
“I have a name.”
“I know, but I think most Indians today have a Christian name and an Indian name, like, well, like this.” She pointed to a page in the book. “See, this is a quote by an Indian named John Two Bulls.”
“You think I should have a Christian name?”
“Well, it might be easier to introduce you to people.”
“What name?”
“Gee, I don’t know…I’ve always liked the name Daniel. I was thinking it would be a nice name for the baby, if it’s a boy.”
“Daniel” He repeated it slowly. It felt strange on his tongue.
“If you don’t like Daniel, I have a whole book full of names,” Susannah said. “We could look at them later.”
“I will be Daniel for you,” he said, “if that is what you wish.”
Susannah’s shoulders slumped. “I’m not trying to change you, or steal your identity, honest. It’s just that it’s going to be hard enough to explain who you are, and I thought it would be easier if you had a Christian name like everyone else.”
“It is all right, Susannah,” he said bleakly, and rising to his feet, he left the room.
Susannah stared after him. “Damn, that didn’t go well at all,” she muttered, and then wondered if maybe her timing had been wrong. After all, he’d barely had a chance to get used to being in a different century and she was after him to change his name, which was practically the only thing he had left.
With a sigh, she went after him.
He was in the living room, staring out the front window, watching three boys playing catch in the street.
“I’m sorry,” Susannah said. She put her arms around him and placed her cheek against his back. “You don’t have to take a new name. It was wrong of me to suggest it.”
He placed his hands over hers. “It is all right, Su-san-nah. I will have to get used to living here, in your time, as you learned to live in mine.”
“Black Wind, please don’t be unhappy.”
“I am not unhappy.” He turned in her arms. “I just feel…lost.”
“I know, but it’ll get easier in time, I promise.”
He nodded, but she had the feeling he didn’t believe her.
Just then, the phone rang. She felt Black Wind start at the sound, then relax. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then went to answer the phone. It was Vivian.
“Where have you been, girl?” Viv asked. “I’ve been calling you for days.”
“I went out of town unexpectedly,” Susannah replied, grinning.
“Well, you might have called. I imagined all sorts of terrible things.”
“No, I’m fine.” She looked at Black Wind and smiled. “Better than fine.”
“So, where’d you go?”
“I took a trip to South Dakota.”
“Really? Whatever for?”
Susannah hesitated a moment, then grinned. “Research.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“I met a man while I was there,” Susannah said, glancing over at Black Wind, who was watching her curiously.
“Tell me everything!”
“Well…” Susannah drawled, her gaze moving over Black Wind, “he’s got long, long legs and the broadest shoulders I’ve ever seen. His hair is black, and his skin is a dark copper color. He the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, and I love him desperately.”
“Tall, dark and handsome,” Viv said, and Susannah could hear the smile in her voice. “Are you going to see him again?”
“Well, actually, I brought him home with me.”
“Well, that’s some souvenir,” Vivian remarked dryly. “Sounds serious, girlfriend. Is it?”
“Very.”
“When do I get to meet him?”
“Soon, I promise. Listen, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay. You behave yourself now, hear?”
“Right. Bye, Viv.”
“Bye.”
Susannah hung up the receiver, frowning. She had only been gone for a couple weeks, yet she was more than a couple of weeks pregnant. How was she going to explain it? She supposed she could always fall back on the old explanation and say the baby was premature. Since she hadn’t begun to show much yet, she might get away with it.
She looked up to find Black Wind watching her intently. “That was Vivian. She’s my best friend.”
Tate Sapa nodded. “Am I,” he mused, “the most handsome man you’ve ever seen?”
“Definitely.” Crossing the room, she slid her arms around his waist. “You’ve been here for two days. Would you like to go out and take a look around?”
“Yes, I think I would like that.”
Pulling back a little, she looked him up and down, then grinned. “Maybe you’d better put some clothes on first.”
A short time later, they left the house. Black Wind looked virile and handsome in a pair of jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. He had tried on the tennis shoes, then put on his moccasins.
He stared at her car, obviously reluctant to get inside.
“Unlike that horse you made me ride, my car won’t bite you,” she said, sliding behind the wheel. “Come on, get in.”
Taking a deep breath, Black Wind ducked inside and sat down.
“Shut the door.”
She arranged his seat belt, patted his arm reassuringly. “Don’t be alarmed by the noise the engine makes, okay? It’s a little loud, but harmless.”
He flinched as the engine hummed to life, clenched his hands as she backed out of the garage. “Where do you want to go?” she asked.
“Go?”
“The mall? A movie? Or just for a drive?”
Black Wind shook his head. “You choose.”
“The mall, I think.”
Feather in the Wind Page 26
