by Mimi Milan
“What?” Kela looked to Jonathan for confirmation.
“It’s true. I heard the news as I was riding out of town.”
“That poor woman,” Kela said.
“Now you see why I can’t put this at the top of my priorities. Don’t you?” Pete asked. “I’ve got to deal with a suspected murder and a possible abduction.”
“That is why we’re moving,” Tuketu announced. He joined the group. “We will not stay here. It is not safe. Besides, it will take too long to rebuild. Better to go up the mountain a ways, through the pass.”
“The one near Caldera?” Jonathan asked.
“Yes.”
“That is too far,” Kela argued.
Tuketu studied her. “Perhaps it is not a journey you should make.”
“I’ll take good care of her,” Jonathan immediately offered.
“I know you will,” Tuketu said. “That is what a husband should do.”
“Husband?” the doctor and Kela exclaimed in unison.
“Well, why not?” Atherton interjected. “Sounds like a mighty good idea to me. Y’all get on alright. Don’t cha?”
The couple looked at one another hesitantly. They each silently nodded.
“Well, alright then. Let’s do this.”
“What? Right now?” Jonathan asked.
“It’s like I always say,” Atherton continued. “Why put off for tomorrow what you can get done today? Lived by that creed my whole life and look at where it’s got me.”
The mayor smiled a toothy grin. His infectious joy caught on.
“Very well,” Jonathan said. He turned to Kela. “What do you think, Kela?”
She suddenly remembered Yeka’s words.
“You are the tree,” she mumbled to herself. Then she brightly beamed. “I have learned where the Snowy Owl sleeps. It is in the town of Blessings. Yes, Jonathan Edwards. It will be an honor to marry you.”
“No,” the doctor said and took her hands in his. “The honor is all mine.”
Epilogue
Blessings, California
Spring 1853
“It is almost ready, sir. I mean, Doctor Sir.” Shen Wu bowed reverently.
Jonathan chuckled. “Shen, my man. How many times have I told you to stop doing that.” He clapped the young man on the back. “You don’t have to bow to me… and you most certainly don’t need to keep calling me ‘Doctor Sir.’ Just Doc or Jonathan will do.”
“Yes, Doctor Si—I mean, yes, Doc.” Shen began to bow again and then stopped. “Oh, sorry. It is a hard tradition to break. It is a sign of respect where I come from.”
“And where is that again?”
“China, sir.”
“Right,” Jonathan nodded. “Well, we’re in America now. You don’t have to keep up with it if you don’t want. Of course, I don’t want you to feel like you’re breaking tradition. So, you just do whichever one you like best.”
“Thank you… Doc.”
The men smiled at one another.
“Got those shoes ready?” Jonathan asked.
“Yes, sir.” Shen rushed into his shop and quickly returned with four new horseshoes. “Please, sir, I can put them on for you if you wish. You must only bring the horse to me.”
“And deprive my wife the pleasure?”
“The pleasure, sir?”
“Kela likes doing things for herself—especially when it comes to horses. I thank you for the offer, though. How much do I owe you, Shen?”
The young man thought about it for a moment. “Two dollars?”
“Hmm. Doesn’t sound fair,” Jonathan said. Shen looked crestfallen. The doctor held out a handful of bills. “How about we make it three?”
Shen accepted them, nodding his head enthusiastically. “Thank you, sir. I mean, Doc. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Jonathan said. He turned to leave, calling over his shoulder. “Your work is good, Shen. Don’t forget that.”
“Yes, thank you. I will.
Jonathan left the forge with the shoes in hand, eager to get back and surprise Kela with them. He briskly walked down the street, hesitating for a few moments when he spotted Juan Arroyo with his wife and the Mayfield boys they had taken charge of. He couldn’t help but think it made a poor substitute for the child they had never found.
With the horseshoes growing heavy in his pocket, he decided to push on as cheerful as could be. He entered his home and walked right past the thankfully empty clinic, and then the eerily silent kitchen void of Emily’s cooking, towards the backyard. He knew Kela would be outside with the children, teaching them her people’s ways. Perhaps it would be a song today, or maybe something philosophical. There was never knowing what new thing they would discover.
“Hello,” Jonathan called out as he pushed through the backdoor.
An excited Olivia squealed. She raced over to him and threw her arms around his waist. Looking up with big eyes, she made her demands. “What did you bring for me?”
“Us,” Owen corrected and joined them. “What did he bring us?”
“My love and respect?” Jonathan asked jokingly.
The children groaned, causing Kela to laugh.
“We should be bringing your father gifts, not the other way around.”
Jonathan pretended to frown. He held out his surprise. “Then I guess you don’t want these new horseshoes.”
Kela stood erect, her posture perfect as she strode over and plucked them out of his hands. “I’ll take those. Thank you.”
Jonathan chuckled as she began to examine them. “Well, what do you think? Do you like them?”
“Very much,” she said and leaned over to kiss him.
“Ew,” the children chorused and ran off.
Their parents laughed.
“I guess they’re not ready to learn that’s how we made this one,” Kela said and patted her stomach.
“What?” Jonathan asked. He stepped back and looked down to where her hand rested. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Positive.”
Jonathan grabbed her up in an embrace and swung her around. “A baby! We’re going to have a baby.”
Kela laughed. “You sound like Araceli.”
Her husband released her. “What do you mean?”
“She guessed first that I was carrying. She said she remembered back to when she was pregnant with Raquel and a few symptoms I was having sounded a lot like hers. So, we counted the days together and she’s right.”
“Well, counting the days does not make for a proper diagnosis. I believe a thorough examination is in order.” He waggled his brows at her and she gasped.
“You are terrible,” she said with a slap on his arm.
“No, my dear. I am wonderful.” He leaned in and placed a sound kiss on her soft lips. “And so are you, my Snowy Owl.”
Author’s Note
A couple of things. First, I’m sure some of my readers (the regular ones who have experienced my writing style before) are a bit surprised. Usually, my stories are filled with lots of affection and playful banter between the hero and heroine. There was a bit of that in here—the banter. However, you’ll notice that the characters didn’t share as many embraces as usual. That’s because I wanted to take a different path this time and demonstrate that not all romances are driven by physical desire. That’s not to say that Kela and Jonathan didn’t have any at all. They obviously did (as made apparent by the modest description of warmth they each felt when they touched). However, some marriages were not all about falling in love—especially during a time when people were more preoccupied with activities like claiming land and gold, or simply just trying to survive. Sometimes, matches were made out of necessity. For quite a few, it was sufficient to start out with nothing more than respect for one another, and the hope that mutual respect would eventually grow into love. That is the story of Where the Snowy Owl Sleeps.
The second thing was the fact that I never mentioned the illness itself. I left that open for the imagination.
However, I did write with one specific in mind. My comadre (that is, the godmother of my children) had a grandson who became extremely ill. They couldn’t figure out why a four-year-old with a normally hearty appetite couldn’t eat. That which he did manage to get down wouldn’t stay there for long. Thankfully, we don’t live in a historical time setting and have the medical tests that can usually determine what ails us. Within a few days, a culture showed staphylococcal to be the culprit. He received the appropriate antibiotics and was his old self within a matter of days. It wasn’t like that during the “Old West,” though. Death from disease was an easy thing to come by, and I wanted to portray the kind of damage this sort of bacteria caused.
The last point I wanted to address is the story arch. For those of you following the series, many have seen a pattern in the books that I’m writing. Each is connected by the same group of characters with a few new ones mentioned in each proceeding book. Also, there is the mention of this mysterious necklace. Some of you have asked what that is about. Where is the necklace from? Why is it important? Rest assured, answers do exist. They are on the horizon. For anyone who wishes to keep in the know and learn what they are, I welcome you to follow me online. I can be found at any of the following:
www.mimimilan.com
https://www.amazon.com/Mimi-Milan/e/B011O65CQU/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mimi-milan
www.twitter.com/AuthorMimiMilan
www.instagram.com/author_mimi_milan
About the Author
Mimi Milan is a Taino poet and author. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in English and Film Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she continued her studies at Queens University to obtain a MFA in Creative Writing.
She spends the majority of her days in the suburbs of North Carolina,
creating stories inspired by her family and imaginary friends.
Bibliography
There was quite a bit of research in order to write this story. Below is a partial list of the resources I accessed to learn pertinent information I wished to share (as well as that I needed to avoid).
Bibliographical Notes
Bastian, Dawn E., and Mitchell, Judy K. Native American Mythology. Oxford University Press, 2004.
Blake, Michael. Dances With Wolves. Fawcett Columbine, 1988.
Blake, Michael. The Holy Road. Hrymfaxe, 2002.
Brown, Joseph Epes, and Cousins, Emily. Teaching Spirits: Understanding Native American Religious Traditions. Oxford University Press, 2001.
“California Indian Tribes.” https://sites.google.com/site/californiaindiantribes/home/central/miwok
“Ceremonies and Beliefs.” Forester, Maria. http://www.cccoe.net/miwokproject/Lesson6.html
Farmer, Dr. Steven. Pocket Guide to Spirit Animals. Hay House, 2012.
Kay, Karen. Lakota Surrender. Avon Books, 1995.
“Miwok Dictionary.” http://www.nsmiwok.com/language/miwokdict.htm
Sams, Jamie. Earth Medicine: Ancestors’ Ways of Harmony for Many Moons. HarperCollins, 1994.
Sertima, Ivan Van. They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America. Random House, 1976.
