"Mostly a lot of your blood, just like in my dream. I couldn't move or make a sound no matter that reaching you was the most important thing to do at that moment. It crystallized everything I felt for you. Young Buck fell. It looked like he tripped over a rock. He didn't move after that. It was like invisible bonds released me. I ran to you, held you. The weather became more and more bizarre. The fog and rain cleared just enough for me to see the water spout." She shivered at that memory. She'd been sure that whatever life she was living was about to end.
"A water spout? I didn't see that. I felt you holding me. The tune started playing in my mind, and then I could have sworn we were flying. The next thing I knew was waking up here."
"I closed my eyes when I saw it head towards us," Melodi admitted. "The song played for me too, intermixed with incredible howls from the wind. It felt like we were lifted up. I don't know how to describe it. Like you, the next thing I knew was waking here. I thought I was dead. The only thing I could think of was hoping you were with me. Dead or not, I couldn't imagine being without you."
He hugged her for a long moment. "It's funny, I must have been hallucinating, but I could have sworn I saw…. Forget it, it's too bizarre." The image of giant talons and an eagle's huge feathered face skittered across his mind's eye. In the end, Grandfather had been their savior. Someday he would tell Melodi.
"Now what?" Melodi asked as a ray of early morning light found them. The storm had stopped with the dawn. The world was covered with pristine white in the new day.
"Joe will be back later, he must hear everything."
"That's what I told him. You know, his was the first face I saw when I woke. I could have sworn it was Fleet of Foot, I even called him 'Father'. That's when I realized that we'd been returned to our own time."
Darien was silent for a moment, his voice was thoughtful when he said, "I'm not sure anymore what 'our own time' means. While we were there we were so assimilated into the culture that it felt we belonged."
"I know what you mean. The dual lives we shared were more real than the ones we left here. And now that time is more real than any dream or memory."
Pounding on the door broke their reverie.
"It must be Doc," Melodi said. "I should have called him back and told him to meet Joe at the hospital instead."
She hurried to the kitchen to let Doc in. Darien followed her and started a pot of coffee while Melodi divested Doc of his overcoat, hat, and snow-covered boots.
"I'll go up to the hospital as soon as I've warmed up a bit. I'm sorry I wasn't here in time." His lined face took on a sadness that must be reserved for doctors who had lost friends. He turned his attention to Darien. "How is your throat, young man? Anymore fainting spells or fever?"
Darien shook his head and laughed. Melodi joined him. Doc just sat there and let the two young people enjoy their private joke.
When Darien could answer, he said, "I feel fine Doc. Haven't felt so good in days."
"Good, but take things slow. That fever could return. Remember, the less you use your vocal chords, the less damage will be done."
"Yes sir." Darien refilled Doc's mug.
Melodi pulled a frozen coffeecake from the freezer and put it in the oven to heat. By the time the impromptu meal was over, the day had turned dazzling. The sun glinted off the snow, setting it to diamond-like brilliance. After they waved Doc off they returned to their cozy nest by the fire.
"What about your voice?" Melodi asked. "You don't have any hoarseness at all, and we've been doing a lot of talking."
"Let's just see what the rest of the day brings. My voice isn't very important in the scheme of things right now."
* * * *
Two days later Darien and Melodi emerged from their self-imposed isolation to attend Grandfather Larkfeather's funeral. It was held on Indian Island at the Penobscot reservation. When they walked into the hall it seemed that the whole town was there.
"Look at these people, Melodi. Don't they look familiar to you?" Darien stopped in the doorway and stared.
"Well, of course they do, I've known them for years…." Melodi's voice trailed off as she adjusted to the impact of Darien's words. If Little Raccoon's family and village had been uprooted and moved to this place and time, they couldn't be more alike than this group of people.
"Melodi, I'm so glad you came." A middle-aged woman broke away from a small group and came to where Melodi and Darien stood. A tear came to Melodi's eyes as she hugged Joe's mother, who was the twin of Little Raccoon's aunt, Plant Growing Woman.
June Larkfeather eased away and touched Melodi's tear. "Come, smile. He was an old man and lived a full life. Who is this?" She turned to greet Darien.
"My fiancé, Darien Stewart." Melodi smiled at the gasp of surprise, replaced by a smile of sincere delight that her announcement elicited from June.
"You're getting married? I'm so happy for both of you." Her congratulations were sincere and warm and she pulled them to her circle of friends to spread the news.
Darien was greeted with warmth by all and quickly accepted by the Larkfeather's family and friends. The rush of familiarity stayed with him, included him, surrounded him. He'd been uncomfortable with announcing their decision to marry on this more solemn occasion, but now was glad Melodi had talked him into it.
Joe shook his hand in cheerful congratulations. He hugged Melodi as a brother might and warned Darien to take care of her "or else."
At last everyone was seated for the ceremony. The tribal leader took his place at the podium and said a few words before turning his place over to Joe. Joe's remarks were short and heartfelt. When he was done he asked if anyone else wanted to say anything. Melodi and Darien stood together. Joe nodded at them and took his seat.
Melodi took a simple reed flute from her bag and joined Darien by the battered piano. She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and put the instrument to her lips.
Clear, pure notes sang from the flute. The people nodded in appreciation of the love song that tugged at the ancient tribal memories in their hearts. The older ones were transported back to the days of their courtship, the youngsters given a glimpse of what might come.
When the piano joined in, a delicate counter melody to the flute's song, Melodi shared the soaring freedom of the released spirits of these people. Darien's song flew them, with the eagle, almost to heaven's door -- then said good-bye and allowed them all to drift back to earth. The piano and flute balanced and strengthened each other on the journey back to the ground. The tune's promise would remain in the hearts of all who heard its true message.
EPILOGUE
"Mommy, you got some mail today." Little June Stewart handed the envelope addressed to Melodi Stewart, Ph.D., to her mother.
"Thanks, Sweetheart. Will you go tell Daddy that dinner is almost ready?"
"Okay."
Melodi watched her small daughter's shining black hair swing in its two plaits down her back as she ran to the former guest cottage-turned music studio. Darien was working with Joe on a third album of combined New Age and Native American music. Even though his voice had returned in full strength, amazing every specialist who examined him, Darien had happily given up the touring life. He now devoted himself, very successfully, to full time composing.
The kitchen door slammed. "How's my son?" Darien asked as he reached his arms around Melodi, her very pregnant belly his hand's destination as he nuzzled her neck.
"How can you be so sure it's a boy? What if I said I want another little girl?" Her eyes sparkled as she turned in his arms.
"Trust me, I know. Let's just say a little bird told me."
"Know-it-all." She handed him the plates. "Here, I made enough for Joe. Is he going to join us?"
At that moment Joe entered the kitchen in the energetic wake of June. Though his huge form dwarfed the tiny child, it was clear that she enchanted him, and she knew it.
"You sit next to me, Uncle Joe," June demanded.
"Your wish is my command."
June giggled and sat in her chair. She started humming a tune under her breath. Melodi heard it just as Darien noticed. At the same time that they asked, "June what are you humming?" the telephone rang.
"It's for you," Darien said before anyone had a chance to answer.
Melodi rolled her eyes and went to the phone. Since their experiences with spiritual time-travel, Darien had acquired a unique ability to know who was on the other end of the phone line or coming down the road before anyone else had a clue. They accepted this gift. They'd learned to accept a lot of strange happenings that year.
"Hello?" She rubbed her extended belly as she spoke. The Braxton-Hicks, "practice contractions" Doc called them, were stronger each day. "Eric, hi." A pause as she listened to her brother. "How do you know the baby is coming tomorrow?… Just a wild guess, right. I think we're on the same wavelength. If you think that's weird, you ought to hear Darien's theory." They chatted a little longer, then she hung up.
"My brother and his wife are coming in two days. Besides wanting to see the baby, which he said will be born tomorrow, they want to discuss psychic genetics."
Darien choked on his tea. After much helpful back pounding from his daughter, he was able to speak. "He used those exact words, 'psychic genetics'?" He glanced at June to see how much of the conversation she was taking in. She appeared immersed in her pretty tune and in her tuna sandwich.
Darien spoke more softly to Melodi and Joe. "It's something I've wondered about since our experience. The genetics bit and whether we had a true psychic experience. I wonder what made Eric bring up the subject."
June interrupted their conversation. "Mommy, Daddy, listen to my song. The baby is singing it. It's his birthday song."
Melodi and Darien stared at their daughter. Her brother's birthday song? June smiled and began to sing. No recognizable words came from her small mouth; just the tune, sweet and pure, holding the promise of life. As the song ended, June sat down to finish her meal as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
Melodi felt warm water oozing down her leg.
"Joe, will you take June to your mother's house?"
"Sure Mel, why?" One look at her expression answered him.
"June, you sing that song again for me tomorrow, okay? When you come to meet your brother in the hospital," Melodi said, struggling for calm as her belly tightened again. "Darien, I hope you're ready to be a daddy again."
He swept her into his arms. "My son will wait until after midnight to be born." He kissed her as he carried her out to the car. "We'll greet him with music and love, the same way we found each other."
THE END
Melodis Tune Page 21