by Jay Heavner
As they walked back up to the van, Tom asked, “What did you mean by ‘we’ll soon be coming’?”
Dark Cloud stopped and faced Tom. “The Ancient Ones walked this land like we do today. They must have thought they’d be here forever. We think life will go on day after day after day, but it won’t. All will die. The Ancient Ones are gone. My wife has gone, and my son has gone. We will be gone too soon. Don’t get too attached to what does not last. Only the Creator will last. Be at peace with Him and find beauty.”
“I’ll remember your words.”
“Remember and implement them daily in your life, and you’ll find peace in a world upside down.” Dark Cloud said no more, and the two men walked the remaining distance over the rocky ground to the van.
They got in and said nothing. Each seemed deep in thought. The construction site of the school soon passed, and neither spoke for forty long miles. They drove into the largest town Tom had seen on the reservation. “This is Window Rock. You’ll see why shortly. The Navajo Nation council meets and does its work of governing here. There’re plans to build a museum to tell the story of the Dine’ and Dine’tah.” He cleared his throat, “And just across the state line in New Mexico, we’ll stop for a bathroom break and some lunch. If I don’t find a bathroom soon, I’ll need to make like a cow out in the field.”
Tom said, “Me, too. My eyes are floating, and my stomach’s growling. A stop sounds like a great idea.”
Dark Cloud took a right off Route 66 into the Blake’s Lotaburger parking lot. Once inside the restaurant, they headed for the bathroom and took care of business. The relieved men left the bathroom after washing their hands. Dark Cloud said, “Tom, find us a table. I can’t believe how busy this place is. I’ll order.”
Tom found an open table near the window and sat down. Dark Cloud came over to the table and sat down. “Where’s the food?” Tom asked.
“It’ll be here in a few minutes. They cook everything to order. Trust me; the wait will be worth it. I ordered burgers with green chiles, big fries, and Cokes. I hope that’s okay with you?”
“Right now, I’m so hungry I could eat my shoe, so anything should taste good. Can’t say I ever ate a burger with chiles on it before,” Tom said.
“Fellow started this chain in Albuquerque shortly after WWII. People asked for chiles on their burgers, and they’d even bring the chiles in the store and put them on. He tried it, liked it, and added it to the menu. Now when you think of Blake’s, people think of that signature chile burger. If you’re ever in business, remember that. If people ask for it, and you don’t have it, you’d better get it, or someone else will meet the need.”
“Sounds like good advice. I’ll remember it.” Tom took a bit of the chile burger. “Say, this is good, but a little hot for my tastes.”
Dark Cloud smiled. “You’ve got gringo taste buds, not used to the burn. I got you the mild. Ever heard of the Scoville Scale?” Tom took another bite and shook his head. “These chiles rate low on it. The little Mexican kids around here eat the ones at the top of the scale like they’re candy. I tried one, and it liked to burned my mouth up.”
Tom wiped some ketchup from his mouth. “I like it. All the same, I think I’ll stick to the low enders.”
“No argument there, Tom.”
The two men finished their meals and got up to leave. The table immediately was taken by four men wearing hard hats. Tom and Dark Cloud worked their way through the packed restaurant to the exit, walked to the van, and were back on Route 66 heading east. Near Gallup, they passed the largest flea market Tom had ever seen. There were on and off-ramps for a new four-lane highway. “This new interstate road will do away with lots of old Route 66,” said Dark Cloud. “A lot of people are sad to see this old road disappear.”
They rode on for a few more minutes. Dark Cloud looked over at Tom and smiled. “You and my daughter sure seemed to hit it off. I’ve never seen her interested in a guy like this before.”
“Yeah, we hit it off real well. I’ve never met a girl like her. She’s something all right.” Tom took a sip of water from the cup he got at Blake’s.
“Dark Cloud asked, “Did you two have sex the week you were together?”
When Tom heard the question, he began to choke on the drink and then cough it up. He drew in some deep breaths and looked at Dark Cloud with a mixture of surprise and concern.
Dark Cloud continued, “The Navajo are a matriarchal tribe as are most in America. Our women have much freedom. Some use it wisely; some don’t.” He stopped and fixed his gaze on Tom. “I’m sure Sarah has never been with a man before.”
Tom stared at the older man. No anger showed in Dark Cloud’s eyes, only concern. “Sir, I never had sex with her.”
“Why not? I know the look of love when I see it.”
Tom cringed. It was time to come clean with Sarah’s father. “Dark Cloud, your daughter’s an incredible woman, unlike any I’ve ever met, and we kissed and hugged and all that, and yes, I wanted her and she me, but you see…,” he swallowed hard, “I have a problem.”
Dark Cloud looked at Tom with suspicion. “What kind of a problem?”
Tom dropped his eyes. “I was wounded in the war.” He stopped for a moment and then continued. “In the big battle where your son died, I got shot. I lost one of my testicles.” He studied Dark Cloud’s stony face. “The docs said I was lucky. Many men lost far more. They said it would have little if any effect on my love life or my ability to become a daddy, and I should consider myself fortunate.” He stopped, then started again, “I know all that’s true, but I feel disfigured, and I don’t know if a woman could accept me as I am.”
The two men drove on in silence for a while before Dark Cloud let out a deep breath. “You had me wondering. For a moment, I thought you’re going to tell me you liked guys. Look Tom, I understand your reluctance to talk about this matter, but you are lucky. Many men who were in Vietnam would gladly trade places with you. There’s a lot more to being a man than whether you have one egg or two between your legs.”
“It’s somewhat embarrassing to reveal this to you, but it’s something you needed to know about me.”
“It took much courage to tell me this. Not only did you earn a Purple Heart, but you should have one for bravery for revealing this to me,” said Dark Cloud.
“Do you think Sarah would accept me like this?”
“When a woman wants a man, really wants a man, she’ll take him as he is, missing a leg, an arm, or a whatever.”
“I never thought of it that way. I guess I had tunnel vision on what I’d lost and not on what I still had.” Tom smiled.
“A lot of people are like that. They focus on what they don’t have rather than on what they do. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” It took a moment for him to realize what he had said, but when he did, he said, “Sorry, no pun intended,” and then Dark Cloud laughed.
Tom laughed too and said, “Yeah, guess that’s about the long and short of it.” When he realized his own faux pas, both he and Dark Cloud laughed heartily.
A horn honked, and Dark Cloud jerked the wheel sharply. “That was funny, but I better keep my eyes on the road. No point in either of us surviving war and then dying from careless driving.”
“You got that right,” said Tom. “People need us in one piece.”
“The Great Provider has left us here for a reason. He’s not done with us yet. There’s still much to do before He calls us to be with Him.”
They drove on down the highway toward the big city of Albuquerque. Whenever there was something of interest, Dark Cloud gave a running narrative to his passenger like a tour guide. He pointed to the black, and sharp volcanic rock area called the Malpais and the numerous Pueblo towns within sight of the road. “You can’t see from here, but beyond those hills lie the Zuni people. Their language is unlike any other in the area. Some say it’s similar to the Phoenicians from the Mediterranean Sea area. Don’t ask me for an opinion ‘cause I don’t know. I do k
now about twelve miles to the south is the Acoma Reservation. You’ve seen the old village located high on a mesa. It’s been in a bunch of Westerns. They claim it’s the oldest constantly inhabited village in the Americas, but the Hopis will argue that point.”
Tom mused over all this new information. There was a lot more history to this nation than he’d ever been taught in school. In less than an hour, they arrived at the airport. Tom got out and grabbed his Beatles suitcase. “You take good care of my hippie-mobile, yourself, and Sarah, okay?”
“I will, and you take good care of yourself, your father, and that suitcase. Sarah wants it returned in good condition.”
“Not a problem. I want to thank you for arranging this flight and for all you’ve done for me while I was here. It still feels like a dream. I was so dreading coming here, and now I don’t want to go. It seems like I have known you and Sarah forever.”
“Roosevelt said during WWII, ‘There’s nothing to fear, but fear itself.’ I’ve found that to be true most times, but a Jap with a machine gun is a fear I don’t want to see again.”
Tom nodded. “May we never see the horrors of war again.”
“I don’t think we will, but there are others in this world that relish killing and destruction,” said Dark Cloud. “They’ll have to be dealt with sometime in the future.”
“May our nation have strong men and women ready to meet the challenge.”
“Amen,” said Dark Cloud. “And now, I want to pray for you, Tom.” He looked a little sheepish but bowed his head. “Almighty God, Creator of all, keep this young man safe on the silver bird. Help him with what he needs when he reaches his home and bring him back to us in your timing. Amen.”
“Amen,” said Tom. “I’ll take care of myself, and you do the same.”
“I will, and you do the same too.” He reached forward and gave Tom a bear hug. Tom was surprised, but without shame, he hugged the older man back.
”Thank you for all you’ve done,” said Tom. “I’ve got to go, or I’ll miss my flight.” He could feel a tear welling up in his eye. He pulled away and started to walk toward the terminal. “Goodbye. I’ll see you again soon.”
“Hag’goo’nee’,” said Dark Cloud, “And Numbers 6:24-26.”
“What does that mean?”
“Goodbye, and if you don’t know the scripture, you need to look it up.”
“Thanks for everything,” said Tom.
“You, too. Have a safe flight.”
Tom headed to the building. Once inside, he looked out at his psychedelic microbus as it disappeared down the streets to Albuquerque. It was hard to believe he cared so much about two people he’d not even known a little over a week ago. Dark Cloud got a long ride home. I wonder what I’ll find at my home?
Chapter 24
The next three months sped by quickly for Tom. He’d picked up how to drive the long bus in a New York minute. It wasn’t too hard for a country boy who’d been operating farm tractors from the age of ten. The yellow Blue Bird bus wasn’t much longer than some of their farm equipment. His father rode shotgun with him the first two days to help Tom learn the route, its stops, and the riders. He also pointed out the troublemakers, which came in handy.
Tom’s dad’s leg healed slowly, and by spring break, he was ready to take back the bus driver role. Tom made a point to call Sarah every other day. His dad complained about the long-distance billing on the phone, but Tom made a point of paying this and the whole bill. Things seem to be going well between them. Occasionally, he’d talk with Dark Cloud about conditions on the Big Rez. Two questions whispered in the back of his mind, and he finally got up the courage and asked. “Do I have your permission to ask for Sarah’s hand? Do you think she’ll come back to West Virginia to live?”
Dark Cloud readily said he was good with having Tom as a son-in-law, but as for the second question, Tom would have to ask Sarah, not him. Tom was happy with the answer to the first question but concerned about the second part. What if she said no? “No” to the marriage because she didn’t want to leave the only home she’d ever known. He couldn’t blame her. He knew how much he loved his home and wouldn’t want to leave. Tom pondered on this and the possible outcomes. He knew how Caesar felt standing by the Rubicon River. Once crossed, there was no going back. He’d accept her decision either way and move on with or without her. On that same note, he’d put in job applications to local, large factories that always were hiring and applied to West Virginia University. He could use his GI Bill to pay for schooling if he needed it.
His father drove him to the airport in Baltimore for the noon flight back out west to Albuquerque. There he’d meet Dark Cloud, get his microbus back, and take care of unfinished matters on the Big Rez.
Part of the new Interstate Highway was complete, but not all of it. Someday, there’d be a four-lane limited-access road from Cumberland to Baltimore, but that was years away. Still, the road was much better than it was a few years ago when old, narrow, and winding US Route 40 went over every mountain between the two cities. Rumor had it that several miles of road going up Sideling Hill with its sweeping horseshoe turn on the top and then back down, would be replaced by making a deep cut through the mountain, but both men doubted they’d ever see it.
It was a clear day with a bright sun. Old Man Winter may still have a few tricks in his bag before he departed for good, but he was nowhere to be found that day. Perhaps he was saving it for an Easter finale. Some years, he went out like a lion.
Tom felt lucky to find a nonstop flight to Albuquerque. The three-hour flight took him directly over his home along Knobley Mountain in Mineral County, West Virginia. The plane was only half full, and Tom was able to pick the seat he wanted, one by the window. He loved to study and marvel at the landscape down below. A few years before Tom, his dad, and Wernher von Braun, the pilot of the three-person glider, flew over his home below, but today Tom was much higher and could see further. Is this was how God saw the earth, so much smaller from His viewpoint, or did He see it even smaller as a little blue marble in His kaleidoscope of planets and galaxies?
So much of what man saw as insurmountable problems must seem so tiny to the Creator of everything. Thinking about how big the whole universe was and how much bigger its Maker had to be, overwhelmed Tom’s imagination. As he had heard a hippie say, “Man, it’s mind-blowing.”
The plane flew over the steep hills of Kentucky and the wide and muddy Mississippi River. He viewed the flat plains of Oklahoma and Texas with the vast green fields of winter wheat. Ahead, he saw the snow-covered Rocky Mountains. It was apparent why the songwriter had penned the words to the song, America the Beautiful.
The pilot announced that all should fasten seat belts and prepare for the upcoming landing. As the plane slowly descending, his ears popped. The aircraft flew over a gap where a long mountain dipped, and Tom felt it being buffeted by high winds forced upward by the mountain. It lasted only a few moments, and he was greatly relieved when it ended. The pilot banked the plane to the left toward the awaiting runway. The plane’s wheels hit the pavement, bounced once, hit again, and stayed on the hardtop. The pilot reversed the engines and raised the flaps to slow the plane. They taxied to the terminal. The half-full plane quickly emptied. Tom had a large-sized carry-on bag and Sarah’s small Beatles suitcase, so he didn’t need to wait for any checked baggage.
Quickly, he found his way to the double doors into the arrival waiting area, and he saw Dark Cloud. Tom went over to him, and the two embraced.
“It’s so good to see you,” said Tom. “It seems like it was just yesterday when I left. Where’s Sarah?” Tom said as he scanned the nearby crowd. Apprehension was thick in his question.
“Yes, good to see you,” said Dark Cloud. “Sarah sends her best. She had to work at the mission. She tried to get off, but the mission daycare was already short-handed. Seems everyone but her has picked up the bug the kids are sharing. She’ll be eagerly awaiting us in Lukachukai, especially you.” He took Tom
by the arm. “Come. I’ve something to show you.”
They walked out into the cold New Mexico afternoon to the nearby parking garage and took the elevator to the third floor. After getting out, they took a right into the open and vacant top floor. Right in front of them was a VW microbus. He looked at Dark Cloud questioningly. Dark Cloud nodded, “Yup, that’s your VW you left with me. That’s the work of a guy on the Rez. He said he had always wanted to show he could do this, but never had the opportunity.”
“It’s beautiful.” He walked around the van. “Who are all these guys?” He pointed to the incredible portraits painted where the psychedelic drawings were.
Dark Cloud said, “Some are local favorites. That’s Sitting Bull in front of you. To his left is Crazy Horse. Next to him is Geronimo, and the next is Tuba.”
“Tuba?”
“A great Navajo chief few people even in my tribe know of,” Dark Cloud said. “So few remember the old ways and people, and I fear it will get worse unless we do something soon.”
Tom pointed to the next man, “And who’s this?”
“Tecumseh, the Shawnee warrior who nearly succeeded in uniting the eastern Indians, but was betrayed by his own brother.”
“I’ve heard of him. Union General William Tecumseh Sherman was named after him. He marched through the South in the Civil War, and some down there still haven’t forgotten or forgiven.”
“One and the same,” Dark Cloud said. He pointed to the mural covering the front of the van. It was somewhat different than the others. This Indian didn’t look like a warrior, but more like a scholar. He wore mixed white and Indian garb, had spectacles on his nose, a quill pen and paper by his side, and smoked a long clay pipe. It had eastern tree species in the foreground and redwoods behind them. “Do you know who that is?”
“He looks familiar, but I don’t know. Who is he?”
The older man smiled. “That’s the great Cherokee man, Sequoia, first Indian to create an alphabet for his native language. The tallest trees in the world are named after him.”