Blood of the Rainbow

by Shelia Chapman

  “I always want to be with you Jared.”

  Jared laced his fingers with hers, squeezed her hand, and then brought it up to his lips, kissing it. Then he kissed her lips.

  The doorbell rang. Jared answered it. “Yes, you can take those,” he said, referring to the luggage. “We’ll be right out. Time to go, Angel,” he said, poking his head around the corner. “Just leave your cup on the table by the stairs. Gerald will find it when he does cleaning rounds.”

  Jared and Sara got in, and the driver headed for the airport. Jared leaned his head down to hers and kissed her. “I’m sorry we were interrupted tonight,” he whispered in her ear, kissing the side of her neck.

  Sara sighed. “Me too.”

  “We will get there. I promise,” he whispered, and kissed the top of her head.

  Chapter 10

  Early in the morning, even for a busy city like Shreveport, there was little traffic on the road. The drive to the airport was short. Jared and Sara arrived on time with minutes to spare. After the driver had sat their luggage on the pavement, Jared paid him, and he pulled away. Sara waited by the luggage while Jared got a valet.

  Sara looked forward to seeing Arizona. She’d always wanted to visit there - just not under these conditions. This would be her first commercial flight, and she felt a bit apprehensive. To date, the biggest aircraft Sara had been in had been her father’s Cessna. James was a contracted fire-spotter, for the State Forestry Division. On rare occasions, when James was sure it was safe, he would take Sara and her mother up with him. It wasn’t Sara’s first flight; she’d been in the air before.

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  The valet loaded their luggage on a cart. Sara and Jared followed him to the check-in point. She nervously paced in the small space to the side of the counter, while Jared paid for their tickets. He told the flight attendant he was a doctor on an emergency flight. Among the first to board the plane were Jared and Sara. It didn’t take long before they were in the air and headed to their first stop - a fifty-one minute layover in Atlanta, Georgia.

  The flight to Arizona would normally have taken five hours, but they ran into some turbulence over the coast, and had to make a slight diversion. Six hours later, they touched down in Phoenix.

  Jared and Sara took another taxi to his parent’s house. Sara was a little surprised by the size of it. From Jared’s description of their house in El Dorado, Sara was expecting a small wooden frame house, or a tepee. The lack of attention Sara had paid during her tenth grade American History class had left her at a disadvantage. She intended to find a Specialties Bookstore where she could buy some books on Navajo Indians, at the earliest convenience. Maybe a little research might spare her future embarrassment.

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  The Thundercloud’s house was almost as large as Wisteria Hall. There was a dirt road leading to the circle drive and garage at the front of the house, and another one leading past the house, that disappeared into the distance.

  The exterior walls were made of medium peachy-terracotta stucco, with dark-brown wooden shutters. Various indigenous succulents, desert flowers, and shrubs were arranged in neat flowerbeds, in the front garden.

  The house was split-level. On the top floor, were the bedrooms and a pleasantly sized library. The ground floor comprised of a vast open-plan lounge, dining, and kitchen area that led into a glass conservatory, and then onto a boarded patio area. At the edge, beyond the pool, it changed to lush green grass the full length of the large back garden. Considering Sara was expecting dust earth, tumbleweeds and giant cacti as scenery, this was a little surprising.

  The taxi driver waited while they put their things in the house.

  Jared and Sara got back in the taxi and rode to the hospital. On the way, Jared phoned to check on his grandfather. The old man was still in a coma.

  ------------

  Hand in hand, Jared and Sara headed for the hospital entrance. Sara’s nerves and stomach were twisted in knots. She took a deep breath and sighed heavily. Jared squeezed her hand as they walked through the sliding glass doors to the information desk.

  “Nervous?”

  “Yes.”

  “Don’t be.”

  “That’s easy for you to say.”

  Jared laughed and brought her hand to his lips, kissing it. “They’re anxious to meet you Angel.”

  “You’ve talked to them about me?”

  “Sara, in my family, finding our perfect match, or at least someone we love, is a big thing. Finding our perfect match is next to miraculous.”

  “I thought it was a common thing for your tribal leaders.”

  “Don’t you wish?” he smiled and scoffed. “It rarely ever happens, and certainly not this early in life. We could quite possibly spend the biggest part of our lives with someone who is not our perfect match before we find them, and, in some cases, it may never happen.” Jared’s mood darkened. Sara wondered why, but now was not the time to ask questions, not of that nature. She was there for Jared’s grandfather and to support him and his family.

  Jared continued. “Usually, when we do find someone as I found you there’s a special meaning behind it,” he said, his voice trailing off.

  Sara smiled, and tried to look convincing. Great! As if she didn’t already have enough pressure to deal with, now she was meeting her boyfriend’s family, and they’d already put her on a pedestal. That would give her that much farther to fall when she failed. And, she did expect to fail. Sara knew a relationship as distinctive as the one she and Jared shared could not come without a price. A price she would have to pay, but a risk she would gladly take.

  Jared closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting stinging tears. His voice was choked with emotion. “I wish Granddad had….”

  “I wouldn’t give up on him Jared. Old people may seem fragile as tissue paper, but they can be tough as nails.” Sara touched his hand.

  Jared frowned angrily. “I’m not giving up Sara. I’m being realistic. It depends on the type of stroke he’s had, and the amount of damage it’s done. Remember, Granddad has already had one stroke. Keeping that in mind, Granddad could pull through with minimal damage, he could pull through, but not come out of the coma and have to be put on life support for the rest of his life, or,” he hesitated. “He may not… pull through at all.”

  Jared put his arm around Sara’s waist as they approached the desk. A nurse closer to Jared’s age, who was trying extremely hard to impress him, gave them directions to his grandfather’s room. Jared was polite to her, but it was obvious, the only thing he wanted from her, was what he got - information. Her high hopes plummeted when Jared kissed Sara’s forehead, and told her that he loved her, right in front of the nurse. She sighed, glared at Sara, and answered the phone.

  Jared and Sara rode the elevator up to the second floor, stepping out into a busy corridor. They meandered down the long hall to room 212C. A private room in the CCU ward. A man in his early fifties, with mid-back length, jet-black hair, sprinkled with the odd strand of silver, met them at the door, his face creased with concern.

  Jared’s voice was low, filled with admiration. “How is he Dad?”

  Jared’s father shook his head. “He’s not good Shiye.”

  “Sara, this is my father, Thomas Thundercloud. Dad, this is Sara Foster.”

  Tom smiled. “How are you, Sara?” he asked, shaking her hand. “I’m pleased you came with Jared. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Did you have a nice flight?”

  Sara smiled and shook his hand. “It wasn’t bad, Mr. Thundercloud.”

  “Please, call me Tom Sara. Jared, you and Sara wait here; I’ll get your mother. Despite the circumstances, you know how excited she’s going to be when she sees Sara. I think introducing them in the corridor, rather than in the room is the safer idea,” Tom said, looking directly at Sara.

  Jared smiled. “Yes it would. Brace yourself Angel,” Jared said, leaning in, whispering in her ear, and deliberately brushing his lips
against the side of her neck. “Mother can get a little emotional.”

  Jared’s warm breath tickled Sara’s ear, and the side of her neck, re-igniting a familiar burning inside her. That wasn’t fair. Jared knew how that affected her. Sara fought to regain her wits, while Tom collected his wife.

  Tom opened the door, and a woman in her late forties followed him out. She had long black and silver hair, which she wore in a single braid down the middle of her back. Her face lit as she hugged Jared tight. Then the tears started flowing. “Shiyaazh! I’ve missed you so much.” She eyed Sara approvingly. “You’ve got to be Sara.”

  Jared put his arm around Sara’s waist and smiled at her, “Mother, this is Sara Foster. She’s my – ah – she’s my girlfriend,” he said, trying to find a suitable word to describe their relationship. Sara and Jared were so much more than friends, but not yet lovers.

  Jared’s mother studied Sara’s eyes for a few seconds. She grinned. “Nizhoni!” she whispered to Jared.

  Jared beamed and winked at Sara. She wondered what the Navajo words meant. She decided it was another compelling reason for her to find some books, and get started reading. The sooner – the better. Sara knew her chances of finding books on Navajo Indians in the hospital gift shop were slim-to-none. She guessed it would have to wait. It wasn’t that imperative right now anyway. Jared and his family were.

  Jared squeezed Sara tighter. “Yes, she is… very!”

  “Welcome Sara. My name is Nadine, but you can call me Nada, or Mother if you prefer.” Jared gave Sara a worried glance. Sara’s eyes widened. “I’m pleased to meet you at last,” Nadine continued, hugging Sara. “Jared speaks very fondly of you.”

  Jared smiled, slightly embarrassed. “Where’s Myra?”

  “She’s at the cafeteria, getting us some coffee. I’ll ring her and tell her to pick up a couple more.”

  “I don’t want any,” Jared responded and glanced at Sara. “Sara?”

  “No thank you.”

  “Jared, you and Sara, should go in and see your grandfather soon,” Nadine suggested, a note of concern in her voice. “Tom and I will stay out here while you visit. The nurses get a little cranky if more than two or three people are in there at a time.”

  Jared knew Sara was nervous about meeting his family. To Sara, it was crucial that she be accepted. He took her hand and squeezed it for moral support. “Come on Angel.” They entered the room. Jared quietly closed the door behind them. His grandfather was connected to all kinds of tubes and equipment. Had it not been for this, he looked as though he was sleeping. His wizen face showed no sign of pain or suffering. Jared’s mood changed to one of respect and reverence as he led Sara to the side of the bed. He kissed his grandfather’s forehead and leaned close to his ear, whispering something in Navajo. Even though Sara couldn’t understand what he’d said, from the tone of voice, she knew they must be words of endearment. A single tear slid down Jared’s cheek, and he quickly brushed it off.

  Sara bit her lower lip to keep it from quivering. Not so much for Jared’s grandfather, she didn’t know the old man, but for Jared. It hurt Sara to see him cry. She squeezed his hand. Jared looked back at her and weakly smiled. Sara loved Jared, and his pain was almost unbearable for her.

  “Grandfather, you were right – she was real. She’s here with me. This is Sara. The girl we spoke about, years ago. You remember – the girl from my dreams?” Of course, the old man couldn’t answer Jared, but Jared rattled on.

  Sara lightly touched the back of the old man’s hand. It hardly felt warm, almost lifeless. From her own experience, Sara sensed death couldn’t be far away. “It’s an honor to meet you Sir,” she said, trying to keep an even voice.

  “Sara, I need to speak with David Whitefeather, Granddad’s doctor. I want to see if David can tell me any more about Granddad’s condition. Would you sit with him?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’ll send Mother back in to sit with you, so you won’t be alone,” he said as he left the room.

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  “Hi again Sara,” Nadine whispered as she walked up beside her. Sara nodded and smiled. Nadine motioned to a couple of chairs in the corner. Sara was half expecting to be raked across the coals. To her surprise, Nadine was courteous. She wanted to know all about Sara. Who her parents were. Where she went to school. When Nadine asked Sara if she had any Indian blood in her family, Sara’s heart jumped in her throat. This is the part where she decides I’m not good enough for Jared.

  Sara told Nadine as far as she knew, she didn’t. Genealogy was not one of Sara’s strong points. Besides, with the hatred Mother feels to Native Americans – how could I?

  Nadine raised both eyebrows curiously. “That’s interesting….”

  Sara’s eyes widened. Her pulse quickened. “Is that a problem?”

  Nadine patted Sara’s hand and smiled. “No Honey. It’s not a problem - just interesting.” Then Nadine started sharing stories about Jared and his sister, when they were children.

  “Nada… thanks for letting me stay at your home.”

  Nadine softly laughed. She seemed surprised. “Where else would you have expected to stay Sara? You’re with Jared. I wouldn’t throw my daughter out on the streets, or expect her to stay at a crummy hotel. You’re family Sara. You’re always welcome in our home. I just wish we’d met under more pleasant circumstances. Jared should have brought you to see us sooner.”

  “Actually, Jared and I haven’t known each other that long.”

  Nadine laughed again. “Oh but you have Sara. Just not in the waking world.” She patted Sara’s hand again and glanced at Jared’s grandfather. “Sara, Jared has shared stories with me about you since you were ten. I assume he’s shown you his sketches?”

  Sara smiled. “Yes he has. Jared is a talented artist.”

  From the way Nadine was talking to Sara, it was obvious even she believed Sara was Jared’s ‘dreamgirl’. Maybe she was – maybe she wasn’t. It didn’t matter to Sara, and Jared had already made it quite clear, that it didn’t matter to him either. If Jared’s family wanted to believe she was the girl from Jared’s dreams that was good enough for Sara. She felt more at home and welcome here, than she did at her mother’s.

  Sara and Kaye hadn’t seen eye-to-eye in a long time. Nadine hadn’t judged Sara like Kaye would Jared. It felt nice to Sara to be accepted without conditions or criticisms. Eventually, Sara would have to introduce Kaye and Jared. When she did, Sara hoped her mother would at least be civil to him.

  “Jared says he became a doctor because of what happened to my mother-in-law, but I don’t think that’s entirely right. I think you’re the reason,” Nadine continued.

  Sara furrowed her brow. “I don’t understand.”

  “Well, you see, it troubled Jared when you were hurt or ill in his dreams. He wanted to take care of you, and he felt, by him becoming a doctor, he would be able to do that. You’re the only girl he’s ever been serious about. Well, really serious about anyway. Has he told you about the girl from Australia?”

  “Yes, he’s told me a little about Eve.”

  “She seemed like a nice girl in the beginning, but she used Jared, and hurt him. She was very jealous of you.” Nadine smiled.

  “How could she be jealous of me?”

  “When Jared started getting serious about Eve, he felt it was only right, so he told her about you. From that point on, she changed. She was jealous of you, and she led him on. Eve never loved Jared, but she failed to tell Jared any of this until she’d broken his heart. Jared was heartbroken, but not so much as he would be if it didn’t work out with you. But enough talk about that,” she said, patting Sara’s hand again. “She was never right for him, not like you,” Nadine added earnestly.

  “Nada… even if things don’t work out for us, I would never do anything to hurt Jared.”

  “I know Sara. You’ve been there with him from the beginning, even when he was with Eve. You would no more hurt Jared than he would hurt you. He lov
es you Sara.”

  Sara smiled. “I love him too. I know some would say it’s silly, considering how long we’ve known each other, but I do love Jared. I have no doubts about that.”

  “To an outsider, it would be silly, but not to Jared, and certainly not to us. We don’t see things the way the rest of the world does. Many a match is made in the dream world that never sees the light of day. What has happened between you and Jared is rare - special. Just because we’re shown our perfect match in our dreams, does not guarantee we will find them in the waking world. It all depends on how much we’re willing to sacrifice, and how patient we are. It also depends on how much we’re willing to sacrifice for them.”

  Nadine checked on the old man, and then continued, eager for Sara to hear the whole story. The more Nadine told Sara, the more Sara believed.

  “You see, it used to be that in the dream world every Navajo was shown his or her perfect match. Then, times changed, and our people became more modernized. Now days, only a chosen few enjoy this gift, tribal leaders and high council elders. Even still, some of them refuse it, because they don’t want to wait. They mistake what feels like the real thing, and then they forget the promises made to us by our ancestors.”

  Nadine paused briefly, sighed, and then continued. “People put more trust in today’s modern ways of life. Jared almost made that mistake. Thank goodness you were patient with him. You stuck by him, and kept reminding him that you were out there, waiting. Even when the mortal part of your spirit thought it had found true love, your immortal part held fast. You kept steering events in the right direction for the day when you and Jared would meet in the waking world.”

  “Nada, Jared believes I’m his perfect match – the girl from his dream. What if I’m not? Is there any way of knowing for sure? If the girl in his dreams is his destiny, I don’t want to be the one that stands between them.”

  Nadine sighed. “Oh you are a noble one. There is one way of knowing for sure.”

  “Tell me, please, I need to know.”

  Nadine opened her mouth to speak. Sara sat, her attention piqued, eagerly waiting.