by Stephy Smith
Sarah sat on the edge of the bed in her three-room log cabin and listened to Liz's gripes coming from the long room. Liz always complained about her life. With the courage Shining Moon gave her by being at her mother's funeral, she resisted the urge to respond to Liz's rambling.
****
Shining Moon watched the slender woman dressed in black slug along behind the death wagon. Her face was covered with a thin cloth of some sort. Partially hidden behind a lone tree, he shivered in the cold as the rest of the congregation of town's people, church friends, and neighbors followed the woman to the tiny cemetery. In his fifty-four years, he had never witnessed a white man's funeral. It was a strange thing to him.
Funerals for his people consisted of wailing and slashing of skin. Sweet Sarah had told him it wasn't their custom to do those things. He watched with fascination as the silent procession trudged up the hill.
Three others, two women and a man, walked too close to Sweet Sarah. From this distance, he couldn't tell much about them. Their dark murky auras sent a disheartening shudder down his spine. Whoever they were, he was sure they were not good. His chants of protection for Sarah and her sons escaped as a low murmur.
Sarah's three sons followed behind her. Their heads hung low, each one's hat gathered the flakes of sleet. Jessie, Cord, and Travis jumped forward to catch their mother when she stumbled. The strangers, who he suspected were her siblings, walked beside her and covered their mouths, but their hands failed to conceal the laughter in their demeanor.
It was important that Sarah and her family have peace. The twisting, burning fire consumed him like a prairie in blaze. There had to be a way for him to relieve the Eastin family of the three evil spirits so Sarah and her sons could mourn.
Shining Moon couldn't risk being noticed by the citizens of Eagle Glenn. It would bring more misery down on the family. Sarah didn't need any more added stress following Mrs. Burgess's passing. So, in the drizzling sleet, he stood back and watched from afar.
With each step she took, he convinced himself not to run to her. He knew the meaning of love and of loss. Sarah and her sons seemed all alone in the crowd. The two women and the man walked as if the old woman meant nothing to them. They held their heads high while everyone else's forms were slumped. Pointing at others and then laughing behind their hands pricked his nerves. Shining Moon wanted to spit upon their shoes. Why would they waste their time coming here, adding stress upon his Sweet Sarah, if they had no care for her mother? Even Mrs. Burgess called her other children ungrateful vultures and mangy rascals. She knew there was evil in their hearts and had said so. When Sarah would leave the tiny cabin, the old woman would tell him to watch over her daughter. She made him promise to protect Sarah from the wickedness in the hearts of others. The day before he had seen the carriage arrive. His heart wrenched when the three walked past Sarah as if she hadn't even been standing there to greet them. He looked forward to the day the carriage left her place, and then he could go to her.
For the time being, he could rely on her sons to be there for her if they could. The local town's people would also watch out for her if she needed them. Bile rose in his throat. To be a shaman and not be able to help the people you care about was a horrible feeling. He tried to shake it off as he watched the crowd disperse and move on with their lives. As for Sarah, she was strong and the most beautiful creature upon the earth. The Great Spirits would be with her to guide her through her terrible loss.
Cord glanced to the hill where Shining Moon stood, and with a knowing nod, he turned and walked down the hill. The last two years Shining Moon had helped Sarah take care of her mother. There were many times when Cord would come to him for information about Mrs. Burgess or Sarah. They had been friends for a long time.
Since the day young Cord, ten years old at the time, found Shining Moon paying homage to his dead wife and infant son, who had been dead for many moons. They had died of the white man's disease brought to the area along the Santa Fe Trail before Fort Larned was built. He was kneeling at the burial site when the child showed up. The boy raised his hand and placed a handful of corn by his wife's grave. Then he fished around in his pocket. He pulled out a tiny wooden wagon and placed it next to Shining Moon's son's grave. When Cord turned around, tears ran down his face, and he walked to Shining Moon and lowered himself to the ground.
Cord wailed and moaned as if it were his own family lost. For several days, the young boy brought corn and milk for the mother and child to make their journey to the spirit world. Shining Moon didn't think Cord knew the significance of his actions, but it didn't matter. For Shining Moon would never forget
After three days of the interaction, little Cord introduced himself and took Shining Moon by the hand. He led him to the iron fence where his mother leaned over a grave and placed wildflowers on it. The woman raised and gazed at Shining Moon. Her eyes were void of fear, but held love and understanding. He wondered if his young friend had told the mysterious white woman about him. What had she thought of the friendship? Sarah and Cord invited him to come meet the family and have supper with them.
Shining Moon's heart leapt with joy that afternoon. Being the shaman of his village didn't allow much room to be himself. Ever since that day, he had kept an eye on the family. The son of the sandy blonde woman with one long braid down to her waist showed a kindness that Shining Moon thought whites were incapable of possessing. He thought a gift from the medicine man in the sky brought strong magic into his soul. Sarah's pure innocence and love burned within her golden green eyes and brought extra healing powers into his life. His breath caught as he recalled that day. An unexpected bond between them had formed. He let out his breath when the creaks and chains of a wagon rattled from Sarah's farm and brought him back to his present state of mind.
He turned and walked to his horse. At the bend in the road, just beyond the group of trees, he would meet up with Cord and his brothers. Once mounted on the horse's back, he turned it toward the bend in the path. Tugging his buffalo robe tighter around his neck, he glanced up at the approaching wagon.
At an early age, a white man had taught Shining Moon to speak English. The chief of the tribe thought it was a good idea to know the white man's tongue. Along with his shamanistic studies, he worked hard at perfecting the language.
"Hello friends." He narrowed his eyes against the stings of the sleet. "How's your mother?"
"As well as she can be considering…" Jessie glanced back toward the farm.
"Keep an eye out for her, will ya? Carolyn, Liz, and Will have already started in on her." Travis thumbed over his shoulder.
"When they leave, high-tail it down there. She's gonna need someone she respects." Cord said.
"Are they the ones who walked beside her?" Shining Moon wasn't sure if he wanted confirmation to the question. He tightened his fist in the horse's mane.
"That'll be them. They're an evil lot, those three. Mother insisted we go back to our farms. Otherwise I would stay with her until our aunts and uncle leave," Travis said. Jessie and Cord nodded.
"I will go to her when it is safe. Safe trip my friends." Shining Moon turned his horse toward his village. His pulse pounded in his neck. The wind whipped across the plains and whistled in the sleeping, frozen grass. He glanced toward the sky. The rest of his ride went by in a blur.
Upon reaching his village, children giggled and ran from one teepee to another. The familiar sounds pulled his attention to his own people. Their lives were simple. The men hunted; the women prepared the food, carried water, and moved the camp when the seasons changed. Sarah's way of life was different than he was accustomed to. He had liked the feel of the cabin. Growing used to the idea to live in one area was odd but appealing. To stay warm all winter where the cold couldn't reach into his old bones tempted him. He had built himself a small one-room cabin in the breaks near the edge of the river. For the last few winters, he had stayed upon the plains while the rest of the tribe moved to the winter camp. Mrs. Burgess had needed him, a
nd he needed to be near his Sweet Sarah.
Shining Moon's sister ran to him and clutched the mane of his horse. He slid down its side and turned to face her.
"What is it Walking Doe?"
"Standing on Edge fell. Leg broken, I think." She heaved the words between breaths.
"Will the boy never learn?" He patted his sister on the arm. "I will go to him."
"He is in a lot of pain. Broke skin, bone sticking out." Walking Doe led the horse toward the pasture.
Shining Moon entered his lodge. Orange embers in the circle of rocks glowed. He tossed a few buffalo chips in to stoke the fire. The light of the fire brightened and he piled a few sticks to the blaze. He placed a pot of water on to boil. While he waited, he pulled out the herbs and crushed them in a curved stone. The long slender stone he held in his hand grated against the bottom of the bowl. The herbs to make tea were set aside in a wooden bowl. He poured the water and let it steep until he finished mixing a small amount of water with the herbs he had crushed for a poultice. With his medicine in hand, he made his way to Standing on Edge. His sister's child was of the reckless sort, always into something without a care of the consequences of his actions.
Chapter Two
Day Three
Sarah had worked hard to take care of their ailing mother. Only one thing was left, and that was to finish the division of her mother's estate. The morning was getting out of control. Carolyn and Will had already been harping on Sarah to give them their share of the inheritance. She scurried around, gathering the needed documents for the lawyer. Then her three siblings could be on their merry way.
Liz's voiced droned in the background of Sarah's thoughts. Most of what Liz had to say had nothing to do with their situation. "If I were you, I would have—"
"Liz, it's not your place to fix things you know nothing about. If you knew about them, Mother would've put you in charge. If Mother would have wanted you to know, she would've sent for you." Sarah paced the long room of her cabin. She pursed her lips as she tried to control a loose strand of hair. She wanted to pull it out, while she fought the urge to pull Liz's thick brown hair instead.
Sarah was aware that her brother and sisters would group together. All they ever thought about was their share of the money. They expressed their thoughts at every opportunity of how they wanted to leave the awful place on the prairie where Sarah and their mother made their homes. Not only had they wanted to leave, but they wanted to burn the place to the ground. And they didn't want Sarah stopping them from gathering their evil friends to hold meetings on it.
Liz, Carolyn, and Will kept up their ruse of not wanting the land. She would sell the land to one of her sons, the Indians, or someone in Eagle Glenn before she let her siblings get their hands on it to conduct their evil meetings with the coven friends. Her mind was so frayed at this point all she wanted was for them to be gone. She didn't care where they went as long as she didn't have to listen to them any longer.
On the other hand, Sarah was devastated at the loss and could not care less if there was money, land, or anything else involved. She would give it all away just to have one more night with her mother. Just one more day of "Sarah do this, Sarah do that" would set well with her.
"My neighbor's father was in one of them homes for the old folks. We call them sanatoriums, in the city. Anyway, his estate was complete two days after his funeral. Why don't you have Mother's taken care of yet?" Liz glared at Sarah with cold, dark brown eyes, and her remorseless chin lifted higher. Her youngest sister sounded like a buzzard waiting for an animal to die so that she could feast upon its carcass.
"Her funeral was yesterday, Liz. I'm working on the inventory for the lawyer. Mother had a large estate, and I can't get anything done with you rambling about something that has nothing to do with us." Sarah threw her arms in the air, staring at Liz's judgmental stance.
"There's no need to get hateful, Sarah. We just want to get this over with so we can get on with our lives." Liz said.
Carolyn nodded. Will agreed, sending little knives shooting out of his dark blue eyes at Sarah.
"That's all you ever wanted to do, get on with your own selfish life. You never took Mother's life into consideration if it disrupted yours." Sarah whirled around and stomped out the door.
With hurried steps, she covered the short distance to the gloomy, little one-room log cabin where she had found her mother's lifeless body four days before. Sarah wished her mother would have allowed Sarah to move in with her. Mrs. Burgess had insisted they remain in their own homes. Her mother had said it would be too much of a burden if Sarah had to be around her all the time. Then she had patted Sarah's arm and told her what a caring daughter she was.
Tears slid down her stained cheeks, she lit the kerosene lamp, placed wood in the fireplace and lit it. She resisted the urge to look at the bed, while concentrating on the list was heavy on her mind. If she hadn't insisted her sons return to their own farms, they would have been there to help her. Sarah couldn't bear the thought of subjecting them to the ridicule of their aunts and uncle that she now faced.
Briefly she scanned the vacant bed to make sure this wasn't a nightmare. The numbness she felt faded at the first glance, when the reality of her mother's absence slapped her in the face.
Sarah ran blindly toward the barn as the tears rolled down her cheeks. A blood-curdling scream escaped from her mouth. Sobs convulsed her petite body. She threw herself upon the cold pile of hay stacked near Betsy's stall. Covering her face with her hands, she let the pent up emotions flow.
The need to get away and the need to stay battled furiously for her attention. Sarah tried to stay focused on the task and away from the bed, upon her return to her mother's cabin. She found herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions after each little item of the cabin was added to the list.
Her hand shook as she forced herself to continue. It would be best to put this behind her. Once the chore was done, she could cut her ties with the vultures and properly tell her mother good-bye.
Not long after noon, she finally blew out the kerosene lamp. Walking out to the porch with list in hand, she worked the kinks threatening to make her body their permanent home.
With her hand resting on the knob, she paused by the open door. She cocked her head to the side and waited for a call for help that often broke the silence when she stepped out of the cabin. Sadly, the call never came, but a sense of loneliness crept deep within her soul. Shivering at the thought of being alone forever, Sarah crossed her arms at her waist.
Sarah looked at the clearing sky. The bright sun reflected off the wet tan grass as the slight breeze spread across the Kansas plains. She could feel the strong eyes of Shining Moon keeping watch over her from somewhere in the distance. A small amount of relief washed over her.
The chickens at her feet gently clucked to each other to let the others know they were not in any danger. Sarah realized the chickens were more of a family to one another than her family had been to her mother for the last five years. Nausea sprinkled with anger threatened to take over, as she turned and walked to her own cabin.
She was tired of being responsible; after all, she had been responsible for her mother. Now, she had to be responsible for herself and the neglected farm. Her undesirable guests could leave and she would mail their share to them. They had no right to voice their opinions when they opted to stay away during their mother's illness.
Grabbing a milk bucket and a couple of hands full of chicken scratch, Sarah walked to the barn to do her evening chores. Her tense body ached as she milked the cow, fed the horses and chickens, and slopped the hogs. She carried the milk into her kitchen to separate and churn butter. Her siblings sat around complaining, never offering to help, but were willing to consume all the food within grasp of their evil, disrespectful hands.
Tired and lonely, Sarah had collapsed on the bed the night before, leaving her brother and sisters to fend for themselves. Without a doubt, she knew they would scour the place like they always
did.
Sarah had stayed in her room, going over the list. Her eyelids grew heavy and she gave in to sleep. The few times she woke in the middle of the night, a voice had warned her to watch out for her brother and sisters. She waved off the thoughts of having to take care of them after she settled everything in town.
****
Day Four
Early that morning she had completed her chores. Excitement coursed through her veins. To be away from her siblings for a few hours was a welcome thought. Hurriedly she hitched the team of horses to the buckboard. After loading the extra milk and eggs to sell to the mercantile, she basked in glory knowing her siblings couldn't cut in on her own profits. With little coaxing on her part, the wagon lurched forward, heading to Eagle Glenn.
Shining Moon caught up with her on the trail. He jumped from his horse's back and into the wagon with her. His rugged face had remained handsome over the years. The pounding in her heart wasn't caused by desperation, only his nearness. The world seemed to come to a standstill as she gazed into his deep brown eyes.
"Hello Sweet Sarah."
A flutter bounced around in her stomach. She loved hearing him call her that. He made her feel special. When his calloused hands rubbed across hers to take the reins of the wagon team, warmth spread throughout her body.
"And a good morning to you."
"How are you holding up?"
"I've seen better days, Shining Moon. When will this unrequited feeling end?"
"I cannot say, Sweet Sarah. I suppose when the mourning period is over."
"I'm not sure that's… I wish my siblings would leave. Is that a mean thing to hope for?"
"In my village, they never leave, so I don't know how to answer. I have never wished for my family to leave. Every life has a destiny we are taken down. You will find your way." He cast a smile her way.