by Joel Baker
“Come on in,” James called.
Charley Oaks and Luther’s son Asher came through the door. James welcomed them and offered them coffee from the pot on the stove. Both men took off their coats and sat on the workbench.
“What are you making?” Charley asked.
“Can’t you tell? It’s going to be a cradle,” James said.
“I would have guessed cradle,” Asher said.
“I thought you were making wood scraps for the stove,” Charley said.
“Thanks,” James said. “How’s your father Asher? I hope he’s well. What brings you two here?”
“My father is a rock,” Asher said. “He is strong and stone headed like always.”
“We came to invite you to a council planned for the first of the year,” Charley said. “It is a very big meeting. Both Gypsies and Cherokees will be there.”
“What’s it about?” James asked. “Are there problems between your tribes?”
“We can’t discuss it with you right now,” Asher said. “We’ve been sworn to secrecy. I can tell you it’s about the future.”
“Will it be a problem if I bring Molly with me?” James asked.
“Not at all, some of the council members are women.” Asher said.
“Are you sure you’re not just inviting me so you can sacrifice a pilgrim to one of your heathen gods?” James asked.
“We thought about it,” Asher said. “But it only works with a virgin.”
****
The holidays came quickly and they had a dusting of snow for Christmas. They trimmed their tree on Christmas Eve and had a single strand of old bulbs to light the tree. Little Shannon thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
They had invited Willie Anderson to come and stay for the holidays. He’d called on Sheila several times during the fall. She showed almost no interest, but Willie was not easily deterred. They gave Willie his bear rug on Christmas morning. Sheila had done a remarkable job of tanning and finishing it. Molly was still a little unnerved by the thing and would be glad to see it finally out of the house.
James gave Molly and Shannon their cradles. Neither seemed especially surprised. James suspected someone had been snooping around his wood shop. Molly really surprised James when she gave him a full buckskin outfit made from soft deer skin, complete with leggings detailed with porcupine quills.
After the Christmas dinner complete with a golden brown turkey, James and Molly went for a walk in back of their house. The woods were snow covered and still. The couple walked slowly with their arms around each other. The steam from their breath mingled as they walked and after they were out of sight of the house, they stopped and kissed.
“Did you have a merry Christmas, Sweetheart?” James asked.
“I sure did,” Molly said. “How about you, did you have a merry Christmas?”
“Yes I did. How are you feeling?” James asked.
“Good enough to give you one more special gift tonight. Why?” Molly asked.
James was speechless for a minute.
“I forgot why I asked now,” James said laughing. “Oh no, now I remember. Next week I’m going to a council meeting between the Cherokee and Gypsies. They want me as a witness or moderator between the two groups or something. If you want and you’re up to it, I’d like you to go with me. We can take a sleigh if the snow is deep enough on the roads.”
“Sounds like an adventure to me,” Molly said. “Why don’t we go back to the house and I’ll give you that present early?”
****
It snowed each of the next three days. The temperature dropped and the wind from the north was brisk as James drove the sleigh towards New Port, then on to Cherokee country and the village where the council was to meet.
Molly snuggled under the furs all warm and comfortable. The jingle of the sleigh bells made her sleepy and after a while, she slept. James woke her for lunch. They continued their journey until they reached Charley’s cabin late in the evening. Charley wasn’t home and apparently hadn’t been there for some time.
James built a fire and the cabin was soon warm enough for them to spend the night. The council meeting was to start the next day so they knew they had to get an early start. They were up at day break and underway shortly thereafter. It seemed colder than the previous day, so James heated some stones and put them under the fur for Molly’s warmth.
As they approached Waya’s village, they saw a large tent had been erected just outside of the village. As James stopped the sleigh in front of Waya’s cabin, Waya, Asher, Charley Oaks, and Luther all came out on the porch. Molly was introduced to everyone, and two young men of Waya’s village carried Molly and James packs into the cabin.
“You will stay here in this cabin,” Waya said. “I will sleep out on the cold ground in the snow just so you will be comfortable.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Molly said. “I’m sure we can all fit into this cabin comfortably, unless you normally sleep out in the snow and cold.”
Everyone laughed at Waya’s expense, Waya hardest of all.
“Oh James, you got a good one here. She is a beauty and a wit, all in one,” Luther said.
****
The council began later that morning without much ceremony. There were twenty eight men and women seated in a circle around a fire in the large tent. There were roughly equal numbers of Gypsies and Cherokees represented. Two spaces had been left for James and Molly. The women in the circle smiled and gave little waves to Molly when they saw her condition.
Behind the main circle another fifty or sixty older men and women sat smoking and talking. The noise level was quite high. It quieted when Waya stood to speak.
“Let us pray,” Waya said looking around the room. “May the Warm Winds of Heaven blow softly upon your house, May the Great Spirit bless all who enter, May your Moccasins make happy tracks in many snows, and may the Rainbow always touch your shoulder.”
“Now for our guests,” Waya continued. “Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
“Everyone, please be seated. We have some guests with us today. Some of you may recognize this man as James Colter. The woman sitting beside him is his wife Molly Colter. They are both welcomed in the land of the Cherokee. I think Luther would add they are also welcomed in the land of the Gypsy. James Colter fought beside us during the temple wars. If not for him, many Gypsy and Cherokee lives might have been lost. He is a good man who is trusted by both Gypsy and Cherokee.”
“Luther, do you have anything to add at this time?’ Waya asked. Luther waved and shook his head no.
“Alright, then I’ll continue. Both Cherokee and Gypsy people have a common problem. There are too many of us. We are becoming our own worst enemy. We deplete the land and resources around us. Yet, both groups have a tradition of moving from location to location. We have stayed in this one place too long. Some of us must move to another place.”
A buzz of conversation filled the room. People talked between themselves and others. Finally Waya raised a hand for silence. Slowly it became quiet.
“Those who are chosen to leave will be given enough to subsist for one year. At the end of the year they must be able to provide for themselves. We would hope the new settlement would reach out to us one day and trade with us. But first they must survive.”
Again a general buzz of conversation erupted from around the circle. People bent over and talked with the people next to them. This time Luther stood up and called for silence.
“Thank you Waya for explaining what lies ahead,” Luther said. “We must look at this as a positive thing. It is now time for us to repopulate areas abandoned for a hundred years. Who better to do so than Gypsies and our brothers the Cherokee? We organize as tribes and this has always been our major strength. So too, will the settlers go forth as a united tri
be and settle lands long forgotten. My only regret is I will not be with them.”
Loud voices erupted again and this time shouting questions and not waiting for answers. People stood up and began to talk. They broke into small groups each trying to talk over the other. Waya turned to James and Molly and smiled. Luther picked up a small drum and beat on it until order was restored.
“I got to get me one of these, Waya,” Luther said holding up the drum and smiling.
“Let’s continue,” Luther said. “There will be an equal number of Gypsies and Cherokees families included as settlers. The Gypsy families will travel using our traveller wagons that have long been our tradition. The Cherokee have decided on canvas covered wagons to carry their families and supplies. There will be twelve families from each group chosen for the trip. Waya, do you want to add anything?”
Waya rose and waited for quiet.
“Luther and I have talked and though we will both miss them greatly, Asher will lead the Gypsy group and I have chosen Charley Oaks to lead the Cherokees into the wilderness. They will choose who goes and who stays. We will be looking for families with skills to contribute to the group. They will need those who know wagons, horses, hunting, building, growing crops, and any number of other skills. Each of you on the council is the head of a family. You should go and discuss this with your people and decide who you would like to submit as candidates from your families. Luther, why don’t you close this meeting?”
Luther stood and looked around the council circle. He knew all the Gypsy family heads and most of the Cherokee. They had been through peace and wars, good times and bad. They had a history as a people. Now was the time to start a new history.
“Good people, please listen. Only few individuals knew Waya and I sent two set of scouts out on a mission. Each set of scouts was made up of a Gypsy and a Cherokee. They returned and reported what they found. We knew we could not find a future in the east or the south. It is where everyone headed a hundred years ago at the time of the Go Back. So Waya and I sent scouts to the north and other scouts to the west. All returned a short time ago.”
Again there was murmuring among the people in the circle, but they quickly returned to the speaker.
“One group of scouts reported finding settlements unlike those found here. They are perhaps smaller and fewer in number. Our scouts were met with hostility and the prejudice our people have grown to expect. These were frightened and little people. The scouts saw poverty and disease with little to recommend this as a place to live,” Luther said.
“The other group of scouts returned a week later. They reported a vast unsettled wilderness with tall forests teeming with wildlife. The rivers were wide and filled with fish. They encountered few people and the only settlements were old ruins. Even these ruins were being reclaimed by forests. The land lays open and free for those with the skills and courage to tame it and make it their own.”
Luther looked around the room. Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.
“The future, good people, lies to the north.”
Chapter 28
The council meeting broke up with a buzz of hushed excited conversation. Many people gathered in small groups and those filing out stopped by James and Molly and introduced themselves. The tent began to empty and Molly was able to finally talk privately with James in low whispers.
“Any idea about what we’re doing here?” Molly said.
“I’ll tell you as soon as I find out,” was all James could say. “It is interesting Haven had the same problem with overcrowding, yet chose to address it in a completely different manner.”
“How did we handle it?” Molly asked.
“The overcrowding started some years ago. It’s the reason Seth worked so hard to rediscover some old technology. It allowed us to support more people on less land. But eventually even Haven will run out of room and resources. People will have to pack up and leave. When they do, it will probably be a family or two at a time.”
“What these people are doing seems a lot smarter to me,” Molly said. There is strength in numbers. They will be there to support each other.”
“Gypsies and Cherokees have always moved around,” James said. “It’s a part of their tribal history. If a tribe gets too big, they split the tribe and one of them moves to new land. It’s been that way for thousands of years. This is really just them getting back to their roots,” James said.
“Quiet. They’re coming over here,” Molly whispered.
Charley Oaks and Asher had been visiting with different groups and finally headed over to where Molly and James waited.
“Well, what did you think?” Asher asked.
“It sounds like the two of you are going to have your hands full,” James said.
“Well if you asked me,” Molly said, “I think it is a very exciting idea. Just think of it. You could revisit parts of the country that haven’t been seen by humans for a hundred years.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Molly,” Luther said.
Molly jumped because she didn’t know Luther had walked up behind them.
“I’m sorry,” Luther said. “I startled you.”
“Why are you glad she said that?” James asked.
“We’re glad James,” Luther said. “Because we want you and Molly to go with them. In fact we want you to head up the whole expedition. Asher and Charley would take their orders from you and no one else.”
Waya was standing beside him nodding his head in agreement.
“Let’s go have some lunch and talk about it,” Luther said.
****
The wind howled and snow fell on the return trip back to Haven. It seemed to James the whole region around Haven was having colder weather every year. According to the old timers, southeast Tennessee was known for mild winters and hot summers. Now it seemed the winters were deeper and colder than ever. Molly was warm enough under the pile of furs, but James was happy to see Haven and pleased when he pulled the sleigh into the center area of the stable barn.
The lunch following the Council meeting and remainder of the day had been spent discussing the expedition with Luther and Waya. They felt James was the only person both groups would trust to make decisions affecting all of them. More importantly, he was the only one the two of them trusted to lead the tribe. He finally told them he and Molly would discuss the expedition and get back to them within a week.
The morning after they returned to Haven broke clear and cold. Sheila asked Willie to drive Shannon to school in the sleigh. Willie had moved to Haven and into a room in the stable. He was becoming a big help to James and Molly. Sheila wasn’t all that pleased he lived so close. Willie told James he was just too old and too tired to be living out in the middle of nowhere all by himself.
The next morning Molly slept in and James prepared a big breakfast for both of them. She didn’t say anything about the greasy eggs or the burnt toast. She was a few months from delivering the baby and hungry all the time. Since she was in good shape, the midwife didn’t expect any problems, but told her to rest when she could.
“How are you feeling sweetheart?” James asked as he removed the dirty dishes from the table.
“I’m fine. A little tired, but fine,” Molly said. I woke this morning and lay covered up with the quilts all snug and warm, wondering if the last two days happened or did I just dream we went to a meeting with Gypsies and Indians?”
“No, you didn’t dream it,” James said. “The meeting really happened. We have a major decision to make and we need to make it soon.”
“I’m having a hard time focusing on anything, but the baby right now,” Molly said. “What about Shannon and school? My father, Sheila, Willie, and what would we do about the dogs?”
“The most important thing to me, Molly, is you,” James said. “What do you want? Forget about all the other people for a moment. If there was just a clean slate, and you had no one else to consider, would you climb onto the seat of one of those wagons, lay your rifle acros
s your lap, pick up the reins and turn that team of horses north into the unknown?”
Molly studied the pattern of the wood of the kitchen table. It seemed so vivid. She felt so alive. Time seemed to slow and then stop. Everything receded into the background except the swirl pattern imbedded in the wood of the table top. Like a bright flash of light, she knew the answer.
“Yes,” Molly said. “Yes I would. It’s the adventure of a lifetime, James. How could we not go? We’d regret missing this for the rest of our lives.”
James came around the table and knelt next to Molly’s chair. He held her in his arms and then kissed her softly on the lips.
“I tried not to let my excitement show, Molly,” James said. “I feel like everything we have done has led to this moment.”
Molly saw the excitement in James eyes.
“Oh, my God. We are going on the trip of a lifetime!” James shouted.
“Well, I’m not having this baby in a wagon,” Molly said. “It means we can’t leave for a month or two after the baby comes. It will be May first at the earliest. Will that be a problem?”
“Not in the least,” James said. “It’s going to take a good four months to pull things together.”
“Can we ask Sheila, Willie, and Miss Clark if they want to go along?” Molly asked. “We could use a teacher on this trip.”
“One of the selection criteria is the people going must be under thirty five, preferably with children,” James said. “Miss Clark is well under thirty five.”
“What about Sheila and Willie? They’re both a long way from thirty five,” Molly asked.
“That falls under the category of it’s really good to be the boss,” James said. “We need them, they go.”
“What will we do about my father?” Molly asked.
“Your father is more of a problem,” James said. Others are going to want to take parents and it won’t be allowed. I think I could swing it.”
“Let’s talk with him together, James,” Molly said. “He loves you like a son. But father hasn’t been the same since Oak Ridge. The whole thing took the light out of his eyes. I don’t think he’s up to it physically or emotionally. But let’s at least talk with him.”
