Achai motioned to the two bucks on Chogan’s travois. “I see you got more than one this time.”
“I wanted there to be enough food so when Julia gives birth, I can be here,” Chogan replied.
“Ah.” He nodded. “I understand. Are you worried?”
“Julia is strong. She’s a survivor. Childbirth won’t be any different.”
As much as Chogan said that to others and to himself, he couldn’t help but worry. Julia’s stomach was larger than he thought it should be. His first wife never got that big, and of late, Julia was already experiencing the early stages of labor pains. The pains lessened, warding off the impending birth, but it worried him that she experienced them at all.
Achai smiled. “Julia is strong. Stronger than most, and that includes men. She has the heart of a warrior. It’s almost a shame she was born a woman. We could use her skills in hunting buffalo.”
“Hush,” Chogan replied. “It’s good she’s a woman.”
Laughing, his friend patted him on the shoulder. “For you, it is. For the rest of us, not so much. I better go hunt. I hope you didn’t scare off all the game.”
“No. I left a couple of rabbits for you.”
He rolled his eyes. “What a generous friend you are.”
Chogan grinned. “You need to hunt earlier instead of sleeping all day.”
“All day? The sun hasn’t even hit the noon hour.”
“I can’t help how late you are in getting started.”
Achai sighed. “You are not fair, but I will talk to you after I hunt.”
Still smiling, Chogan entered his lodge, pulling the travois behind him. His mother, Erin, and Julia looked up from the deerskin robe they were decorating for the baby.
His mother gasped and stood up so she could walk over to him. “Two strong bucks?”
“I got lucky today,” he said, glancing over at Julia as her aunt helped her to her feet. It had to be his imagination, but Julia’s stomach seemed bigger than it had that morning when he left. He turned back to his mother. “I hope you have enough room for these.”
“Oh, I’ll make room. These are good quality deer.”
“Are you saying I don’t always get good quality?”
She jabbed him in the side. “You are trying to be funny?”
With a slight smile, he nodded.
“Well, I don’t think you are,” she teased.
Julia came up to him and looked at the deer in awe. “Two of them? That must have been a thrilling experience. I wish I’d been there to see it.”
Chogan put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. “I will let you go with me after the baby is born.”
She rubbed her belly and sighed. “I can’t wait.”
Erin clasped her hands together. “Your mother’s right, Chogan. These are beautiful deer.”
Julia turned to her. “They’ll make nice clothes, won’t they?”
“With skin like that? I’ll say!”
Julia returned her attention to him. “I want a deerskin dress. I want to decorate it so it matches your headdress.”
He absentmindedly touched the headdress she’d made for him last year. He hoped she’d get to make that dress. Forcing aside his fears, he squeezed her shoulders and entertained thoughts of seeing Julia wearing the clothing of his people.
***
Two weeks later, Chogan realized Julia’s contractions were getting stronger and more frequent. The baby wasn’t supposed to be born for another four weeks. He knew better than to ask if she could delay the birth. Once labor started in earnest, there was nothing save the delivery of a baby that would stop it.
As he rose in the middle of the night to get the medicine man and tell his mother and her aunt, she grabbed his arm. “Will you be here when the baby is born?”
He shook his head. “I can’t. Only the old women are allowed in the lodge.”
“But Chogan, I want you to be here.”
“Do white men attend the birth of their children?”
She frowned from where she sat on their bed. “No, but why should that matter? White men wouldn’t dare wear as little clothing as Indians do. The same rules don’t apply here.”
When she clenched his arm and winced, he saw another contraction was upon her so he grabbed his buffalo robe and hurried out of the room to wake the others in the lodge.
“So soon?” his mother asked.
“Why? Aren’t her months complete?” Erin spoke in a hushed voice.
“It should be another month,” Chogan replied.
“Sometimes,” his mother said. “Not always. Some children come earlier. This is one of them.”
“I’m getting the medicine man,” he replied.
“Not so fast. Things might be fine.” His mother squeezed his hand. “Try not to think of the little ones you lost before. Julia is not your first wife.”
When his aunt came over to them and handed his mother a robe, she turned to the other women. “Are any of you menstruating?”
One of his aunts nodded. “Tell me when I can return?”
“We will,” Chogan’s mother said. While his aunt went to retrieve her robe, his mother turned back to him. “You can’t be here. Go shut off part of the smoke hole and wait for one of us to tell you to return.”
His aunt pulled her robe tightly around her shoulders and took him by the arm. Ignoring the fact that Julia called out for him, he put his robe on and hastened to shut off part of the smoke hole. Afterwards, he rushed over to the medicine man’s lodge.
The medicine man came to the entrance when Chogan called out for him and asked, “What is the nature of the emergency?”
“Julia’s in labor.”
“There are complications?”
“Well…no. I don’t think so.”
“Did the women tell you to come get me?”
Chogan shook his head.
The medicine man sighed. “Then there is no need to worry. When the women tell you to come, come and I will assist.”
“But it’s too soon,” Chogan said. “She shouldn’t be giving birth for another month.”
“Julia is due to give birth at any time now. Her pregnancy is complete. Not all babies are carried—”
“Will you stop talking and tend to her?” Chogan shouted. “It’s too soon. Don’t tell me I don’t know how long a woman should carry a baby. I was married before and lost all my children. Do you think I’ll take any risks this time?”
The medicine man gave a solemn nod. “I see your concern. Very well. I’ll gather my supplies and will be there shortly.”
Relieved, Chogan ran back to the lodge and paced back and forth in front of it. He didn’t know if the fact that the only sounds he heard in the still night air were horses neighing and coyotes howling in the distance was a good thing or not. Footsteps crunching in the snow brought his attention to the medicine man. Glad the man didn’t delay in coming, Chogan thanked him.
The medicine man entered the lodge, and Chogan heard Julia calling out his name. For the first time in his life, Chogan debated whether or not he should go into a lodge when a woman was giving birth. It was strictly forbidden. His place wasn’t in there with her. Not right now.
He gritted his teeth and paced again, not liking the scenarios that played out in his mind. What if the baby didn’t make it? What if she didn’t make it? If the baby didn’t make it, would she forgive him for not being there? He recalled his first wife’s grief and how she’d shut herself off from him and others for a couple of months after their daughter died before she took her first breath. He never wanted to bury another child for as long as he lived. And if Julia died, could he forgive himself for not being with her when she wanted him by her side?
The final question decided his next course of action. He barged into the lodge, and, as he expected, his aunt ran over to him.
“You must leave!” She pushed him toward the door, but he put her hands down and stepped around her. “What do you think you’re doing?”
The medicine man and his mother came out of the room before he could enter it.
“You must leave!” his mother said in exasperation. “Everything is fine.”
“Chogan!” Julia called out.
“She wants me with her,” Chogan insisted and tried to step past them, but they blocked him. “Move or I will knock you both aside to get in there, even if you are old—” he told the medicine man—“and you are my mother,” he told her.
“Listen to me,” the medicine man said. “Julia is fine. Things are progressing as they should. There are two babies instead of one. That is why she is early.”
It took a moment for the man’s words to sink in. “Two?” Chogan dumbly asked.
“Twins always come earlier than a single child,” he replied. “So you see everything is fine.”
“But she’s still calling for me.” Even if he was excited by this sudden turn of events, Chogan decided he was already in the lodge so he might as well press forward. “I don’t care if it’s appropriate for me to be here or not. If she wants me with her, then I’ll be with her.” Then, because he knew it would make them relent, he glowered down at them, making sure to emphasize that he was taller and stronger.
It worked, though the medicine man shook his head and his mother rolled her eyes. Fine. So they weren’t exactly intimidated by him, but at least he got his point across.
Julia called out for him again, and this time, he pulled aside the buffalo skin so he could enter their room. Erin was kneeling beside Julia who was sitting on the buffalo robe spread out at the foot of their bed. He winced at the sight of his wife in pain as she gripped Erin’s hands and groaned.
“Try to concentrate on breathing,” Erin softly told her.
Julia glanced up and held her other hand out to Chogan.
Without hesitation, he shook off his robe and took her hand. Kneeling on her other side, he ignored Erin’s surprised look and told Julia, “I’m here. I won’t leave you.”
And he didn’t. The labor continued at what he thought was an agonizingly slow pace, but as dawn arrived, his mother held out her hands to accept first one boy and then another. It was a beautiful experience to watch living children come into the world—children who cried and waved their fists in the cool air while his aunt cleaned them up. Erin followed his mother’s instructions and placed a belt tightly around Julia’s abdomen while his mother took care of the afterbirth.
Chogan was too busy watching the quick efficiency his aunt employed as she greased his sons and spread ocher under their arms, around their necks, between their legs, and on top of their heads to prevent chafing. Then she wrapped them in tanned buffalo calf hides. Erin took one boy and settled him in Julia’s arms before she took the other and handed him to Chogan.
The babies quieted and Chogan took a good look at the boy in his arm, marveling at how tiny but perfectly made he was. He glanced at Julia who laughed as she caressed the other boy’s cheek. She turned her attention to Chogan and smiled.
Smiling in return, he asked, “How do you feel?”
“Wonderful,” she replied.
Though his mother gave him an exasperated look, she grinned. “Now you can rest assured that everything’s alright.”
He squeezed Julia’s shoulder. “Yes, now I can, but I’m still glad I was here.”
Erin peered down at the boy in Julia’s arms and laughed as he yawned. “You two never cease to surprise me. But I will say you two make the most adorable children.”
That was one thing he definitely wouldn’t argue with. He returned his gaze back to his sons and thought his heart would burst with pride. As far as he was concerned, they were the best looking children in the tribe. He had no doubt they would grow up to be mighty hunters. With Julia for a mother, he would expect no less.
He glanced her way again. In her smile was the silent affirmation of her love for him and their children, and he smiled, not needing to say the words for he knew she understood he shared the same love as well.
***
In December, Julia and Erin took the twin boys to Woape’s lodge where they sat with Woape, her aunt, and Phoebe and Penelope by the fire. While Julia snuggled one of her sons to her chest, Erin held the other.
Penelope ran over to Erin, and Woape sighed. “Penelope, sit over here. Erin is holding your cousin.”
Erin chuckled. “I can manage. God gave me two arms for this reason. Come on over, Penelope.”
Woape smiled and shifted so that Phoebe, who was breastfeeding, was more comfortable. “How are my nephews today?”
“They’re wonderful,” Julia replied. “I still can’t believe they’re here.”
“I bet Chogan’s the happiest man in the world,” Woape said.
“I’ll say,” Erin added. “He can’t help but dote on them.” She glanced at Julia. “Not that he didn’t already have someone to dote on before.”
Woape chuckled. “You and Chogan make a good match.”
“Thank you, Woape.” Julia glanced around the lodge. “Where is Onawa?”
Woape motioned to Onawa’s room. “She is working on her wedding dress.” She smiled. “The wedding is next month, and she’s a bundle of nerves.”
“I think I’ll go see her.” Julia stood, careful not to wake her child. “I’ll be back soon.” Erin and Woape nodded so Julia made her way to Onawa’s room. “May I come in?” she called out.
Onawa removed the flap over her door. “Yes.” Her eyes lit up when her gaze went to Julia’s son. “Which one is he? Tate or Dakota?”
“Dakota.”
“I’m surprised you wanted to take Indian names when Woape and Gary took white man names.”
“Chogan thought we should take white names, but I thought we should take Indian names.”
“You got your way.”
With a shrug, Julia said, “We compromised. We decided on Indian names that were easy to pronounce. Some of the people in this tribe have long names.”
“You mean like Chankoowashtay?”
Julia blanched. “I won’t even try to repeat that one.”
She giggled. “That’s why people call him ‘medicine man’.”
“I don’t blame them.” Julia noted the delicate work of beads that Onawa had painstakingly sewn into her wedding dress. “This is beautiful.”
“I’ve been working on it since this past summer.”
“You really love Citlali, don’t you?”
Blushing, she said, “I’m afraid it’s obvious.”
“Does he feel the same?”
“I don’t know. With Citlali, it is hard to tell how he feels, one way or the other.”
“I hope if he doesn’t now, then he will. You’re a lovely person.”
“Thank you, Julia. I think you’re lovely too.”
After they continued to talk about the upcoming wedding where Onawa explained the ceremony, Julia left her to continue on the dress. By then, it was time to return back to her lodge.
“I will see you tomorrow,” Julia told Woape.
“Maybe we can take a short walk,” Woape replied.
“I’d like that.”
Once Julia and her aunt returned home, Julia fed her children and settled them into their leather cradles.
“They’re precious,” Erin whispered, peering down at the sleeping children.
Julia chuckled. “That’s because they’re both sleeping at the same time. Usually, when one is sleeping, the other is up. But it’s all worth it. I love being a mother.”
“You used to hope for this moment ever since you were a little girl, and now it’s here. I’m glad I got to see this day.”
Julia hugged her. “I’m glad too.”
Patting her back, her aunt pulled away from her. “I’ll let you take a nap. You’re going to need your strength once they wake up.”
“Yes, you’re right.”
Once her aunt left the room, J
ulia settled into her bed and drew a blanket up to her chin. She closed her eyes, enjoying the way her body sank into the soft furs.
Someone stepped into the room, so she opened her eyes and smiled. “How did the hunting go?” she softly asked.
Chogan returned her smile and checked on their children. “It didn’t go so well today. I only caught a couple of rabbits. At least we have some of that deer left.”
“Since you’re done, why don’t you join me? It’s nice and warm in bed.”
Grinning, he took off his robe and set it aside so he could slip in next to her.
She rolled over and snuggled up to him. No matter how many times he held her, she never tired of feeling his strong arms around her or listening to the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“For warming the bed for you?”
Chuckling, he gave her a light squeeze. “No. Thank you for completing me. I was only half a man before you came along.”
“You complete me too.”
He kissed the top of her head.
Content, she closed her eyes again, and soon they both fell asleep, assured that each day they had together in the future would be even better than the one before.
Brave Beginnings Page 36