Delayed Justice

by Constance Bretes

  “Do you wish that things today were like they were in yesteryear?”

  “Not really. I enjoy all the modern conveniences we have now. But I do respect and admire our former tribal leaders, especially Chief Black Kettle, who advocated for peace.”

  “I love to stop at the village downtown and look at the artwork.” Sami smiled.

  “Yes, you can find some pretty exquisite work there.”

  “You obviously like to do woodworking.” Sami looked around at the beautiful woodwork on display.

  “Yes, I do like to work with wood.”

  “What happened to your wife?”

  “My wife divorced me fifteen years ago. She decided she just didn’t like living out here and enjoyed life in town more. That, and the fact that she is an alcoholic, which of course, caused many problems in our marriage.” Shadow Dancer smiled sadly. He got up and put some wood in the fireplace and lit it. The warmth surrounded the room and took the chill out. “Would you like some more ice tea?” he asked.

  “Oh, no, thank you. I’m fine.”

  Shadow Dancer then asked, “Sami, did you have any happy memories at all of your childhood?”

  “Not that I can remember. My grandmother became a very bitter and unhappy woman, and I didn’t know my mother or my father. I did have some pleasant memories with Stephanie. But by then I pretty much grown up.”

  “Oh yes, you told me about Stephanie,” Shadow Dancer said.

  “I watched her suffer and die in so much pain. There was just nothing I could do to help her. I wished that I could have done more for her.” A tear slipped down her cheek as she reflected on it.

  “The most important thing is that you were there for her.”

  “I remember the day she died. I got up and got ready for work, and she took her meds before I left, and I gave her a hug and she held on to me a little longer than usual and said, ‘you’re on the right path now, you continue on it and you’ll have a good life’. So I left for work, and when I came home at lunchtime to give her the afternoon meds, she was gone. I felt so awful. I wasn’t there with her and she died all alone.”

  “Some people don’t want anyone around when they die, Sami. She hugged you as her way of telling you she loved you, and she knew you would remember it always. She knew it was her time to go.”

  Sami let a teardrop slip from her eyelid. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. You know, she would have stood right beside me when the bombing incident took place.”

  “Most good parents do that for their children.”

  “Makeeta never told me much about his childhood. Were you a part of his life at all?”

  Shadow Dancer nodded. “Oh yes, before I bought this land, I lived on the reservation. We were, and still are, a very close-knit family. I just don’t see them as often as I used to. I live my life out here, and they live their lives on the reservation.”

  “Why do you live out here now and not at the reservation?”

  Shadow Dancer thought for a bit, and then answered, “At the reservation I saw a lot of people living in poverty. It sickens me to see my fellow people living that way. I know they can get out of the straits they are in if they try hard enough—I did. I worked for thirty years and saved up my retirement, and I decided I wanted to spend my retirement off the reservation, on this beautiful land, and enjoying my life. We can’t help people who refuse to help themselves.” Shadow Dancer let out a sigh.

  “I love this house you built for yourself. Makeeta has a log home as well, and it’s quite grand. I loved being in it when we were seeing each other.”

  “Makeeta is a fine example of someone getting off the reservation and making something of himself. Do you think you could find it in your heart to forgive Makeeta and let him back in your life again?” Shadow Dancer asked.

  “I don’t know, Shadow Dancer. I fell so deeply in love with him, and sometimes now, when I look at him, he does things to my mind and my body. Sometimes I can’t get him out of my mind. But that interrogation that he did to me five years ago really broke me and really hurt. It’s not something I seem to be able to get over. It’s hard to open yourself up to someone and love them again after they broke your heart and betrayed your trust.” She let out a sigh. She looked up at the old grandfather clock and noticed the time. “Well, I guess I better get back home and work on my book. I managed to negotiate postponing my deadline until after the trial is over with, so I can have something more concrete to write about.” Sami got up. Shadow Dancer and the dogs walked her to the door. “Thank you for the wonderful dinner. It was delicious.”

  “I hope you forgive me for springing this sudden surprise on you about Makeeta being my grandson.”

  “It was a shock at first, but I’m comfortable with it,” Sami replied.

  “Good. You be careful going home.”

  * * * *

  Shadow Dancer watched Sami drive away from the house. He looked at the clock—good, it wasn’t too late to call Makeeta and start working on him.

  The answer Sami gave him was better than Shadow Dancer expected. She actually admitted to having feelings for Makeeta.

  He picked up his telephone and punched in the number.

  “Hey, Granddad, what’s up?” Makeeta asked when he answered his phone.

  “I’m calling to see if you’d like to come over for dinner tomorrow night. I’m having venison.”

  “That sounds good, I’d love to come.”

  They set the time and Shadow Dancer rang off.

  Shadow Dancer felt that Sami and Makeeta were soul mates who got separated before they were able to cement their relationship and commit to each other. He had no doubt that Makeeta and Sami would be together right now if it wasn’t for parental interference. It wasn’t appropriate for family members to interfere with the relationships of their kin, but this situation was different, and he believed that he had the blessings of The God Most High to help them in getting back on the path together.

  Chapter 6

  Sami made a pot of coffee and sat at her kitchen table while it dripped. She’d thought a lot about what Shadow Dancer had asked her last night—do you think you could find it in your heart to forgive Makeeta and let him back in your life again? She really didn’t know if she could do that. Ever since the day he came out there and brought the district attorney and another deputy with him he’d been on her mind. She could still feel the pain, both physically and emotionally, of the interrogation he did five years ago. She couldn’t get past it, and she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to trust him again.

  She got up, poured herself a cup of coffee, then sat back down and looked out the kitchen window. She then realized that she’d never really stopped loving Makeeta. As painful as everything was, she couldn’t rid herself of the feelings she had for him. Seeing him again had triggered something within her. Something that had buried itself deep inside her, and it’d been breaking forth ever since. The question now was, what should she do about it, or what will she do about it?

  * * * *

  Makeeta arrived at his grandfather’s home at 6 PM. Right on time for a change, Makeeta thought. The dogs welcomed him and he reached down to pet them.

  “Come on in, Makeeta. I’ve miss your company, we haven’t seen each other in a while,” Shadow Dancer said.

  “Yeah, I know, Granddad. I’m glad you called and invited me over.” Makeeta walked over to the fireplace and saw a small five-by-seven picture of Sami and the dogs. “When did you take this?” he asked.

  “Oh, a few weeks ago. Sami and the dogs love each other.”

  “How is she doing?” Makeeta asked somberly.

  “She’s doing fine.”

  “Have you talked to her at any great length?” Makeeta asked quietly as he continued staring at the picture.

  “Yes, I have a lot of conversations with her.”

  “Really? What have you guys talked about?”

  “Why are you so interested in what we’ve talked about?”

  Makeeta shrugg
ed. “I don’t know, I just am.”

  “I’m not really at liberty to discuss our conversations. One of the things she depends on me for is trust—she trusts that I won’t tell anyone what we’ve talked about. We all need someone like that in our lives.”

  “Yes, and I broke that trust five years ago,” Makeeta remarked sadly.

  “Come on over to the table, and let’s eat.”

  Makeeta walked over and sat down at the dining room table. “This looks good, Granddad.”

  For a while they ate in silence.

  “Are you looking to have any of this for leftovers?” Makeeta asked, smiling.

  “No, go ahead and eat up.” Shadow Dancer smiled at his grandson.

  Makeeta grabbed the dish and took another helping. “You know, Granddad, if I had lived with you, I’d be overweight.”

  “Naw, you wouldn’t, I’d put you to work chopping firewood and stuff like that.”

  “Hmm, yeah, you would.”

  “How is the bombing case coming along?” Shadow Dancer asked.

  “Pretty good. I think we’ve got a lot to lock him up with. Unfortunately, he wants a trial, so we all have to go to court and testify. I don’t know how Sami will be able to handle all this. Another issue is that we won’t be able to go to trial until January at the earliest. So we all have to wait on this, and I’m sure it will wear on Sami as well.”

  “Why is the date so far away?”

  “It’s the earliest they can get it scheduled.”

  “They can’t put other cases aside and move this one up, huh?” Shadow Dancer asked, shaking his head.

  “No.”

  “Who does Wilkes have as a defense attorney?”

  “He has a public defender, someone I haven’t heard of, his name is Charles Yates.”

  “Well, maybe he won’t be a very good attorney.”

  “I actually hope he’s a good attorney, then Wilkes won’t be able to file an appeal asking for new trial saying he didn’t have good representation in the first one.” Makeeta let out a sigh.

  “I see, there is that too.”

  “Sami’s testimony will be crucial to the trial. The evidence will be there, but her being able to say that she saw him there will really tie up everything.”

  “Makeeta.”

  Makeeta looked up from his plate to his grandfather.

  “It seems you’re set on talking about Sami. Do you want to talk more about her?”

  Makeeta laid his fork on the plate. He put his elbows on the table with his hands clasped and rested his chin on his thumbs. “You said you can’t talk about her.”

  “I didn’t say I can’t talk about her, just that I can’t talk about what she has told me in confidence. What are your feelings about her?”

  “I don’t know. I think I still love her.” Makeeta’s voice went from sadness to resignation.

  “I think you still love her too. Have you thought about approaching her to talk to her about things?”

  “No, there’s no chance of us getting past what happened.” Makeeta grabbed his fork and took another bite.

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t think she can forgive me for what happened and for breaking up with her in the first place. I should have never allowed Mom and Dad to convince me that I needed to marry Carol Shields. I should have stood my ground. None of this would have happened if I did.”

  “Well, you can’t change the past, but you can change the future. Do you think Sami is your soul mate?”

  “Since our breakup, I’ve felt an emptiness inside that no woman seemed able to fill, not even Carol when she was alive. I mean, I have needs, and I can get satisfaction sexually with another woman, but then it leaves me feeling alone, and lonely. I don’t know if it means that Sami is the one or not.”

  “Do you want to do some prayers and a peace pipe asking for the Divine to intervene and bring you two back together?” Shadow Dancer asked.

  “I don’t know if it will help, but we can do it. If it’s meant to be, then maybe we’ll be together. I’d like it to be that way.”

  Shadow Dancer cleaned up the kitchen and put the dishes in the dishwasher, then he and Makeeta went outside by the campfire. They sat down and offered up prayers, and then smoked the peace pipe and watched the smoke go up toward the heavens. It is the Native American belief that smoke that comes out of the peace pipe carries the prayers up to the heavens to The Great God of All.

  “I will continue to offer up prayers for this to work out for you, Makeeta, but realize, it will take a while. You both have a lot to overcome.”

  “Yes, I know. I appreciate your willingness to do this for me.”

  Chapter 7

  The holidays were always harder for Sami to deal with now that Stephanie was gone and she had no one to spend it with. She got up Christmas morning at 4:30 AM and looked out her window. A few more inches of snow had fallen overnight, but she didn’t think she needed to get the snowblower out. She took a shower and got dressed then drove to the Harvest Gathering Shelter in Billings to serve food to the homeless and poor. After she was done there, she would be going to Shadow Dancer’s for dinner.

  The Harvest Gathering Shelter was a building erected with donations from different charities and from the public. At the back of the building was a large kitchen. It was separated from the main dining room with a wall, and along the wall were three tables where the food would be put in buffet chafers to keep it warm. The rest of the area had banquet tables with chairs. People would line up along the outside wall and servers would give them what they wanted and then they would be seated at a table to eat. Sami noticed that the tables were covered with white tablecloths and each one had a beautiful Christmas centerpiece.

  Father Benjamin walked up to Sami. “How wonderful to see you, Sami! We were praying that you would come today and help out.”

  “Hello, Father.” Sami smiled. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m doing fine, just fine. How have you been this year?”

  “I’ve been doing very well, thank you. Are we expecting a large crowd today?”

  “Yes, we are, probably double from what we had last year.”

  “The economy has really been hard on folks,” Sami commented.

  “Yes. The number of people who come to the shelter for food on the holidays has increased each year, and now that the economy has taken a downturn, we expect that this will bring an influx of people who have no money to buy food.”

  “It’s so sad that people have to depend on shelters just to eat. I wish there was more I could do to help. Where would you like me to start today?” Sami asked.

  “Well, we need to get the buffet chafers out and get them heated so the food will be hot, then, how about you serve at the first breakfast table with the eggs, bacon, and sausage?”

  “Okay, will do.”

  Sami went and put on an apron, and walked into the kitchen area to get the chafers. She started the flame under the chafers to heat them.

  “Hi, Sami. How have you been?” Betty Shannon, one of the cooks, asked.

  “Hello, Betty. I’m doing fine, how have you been?”

  “I’ve been pretty good. Father Benjamin and I prayed that you would show up to help. We’re kind of short-handed today.”

  “Is there anything I can help you with here in the kitchen?”

  “Well, I think everything is ready to be taken to the tables so we can start that.”

  “Okay,” Sami said.

  Sami and Betty, along with a few other volunteers, worked together to bring out the food. When they were done, the chafers were loaded with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes. They also put out fresh fruits and other breakfast items. Father Benjamin and a few helpers set up the coffee and orange juice along with the paper plates, plastic silverware, and napkins. By the time he opened the doors to let the people in, it looked like a buffet you’d find at a restaurant or a banquet hall.

  Before serving the people, Father Benjamin offered a pr
ayer. The first person to be served was a middle-aged woman. She walked up to Sami’s table, looked at the food, and smiled. “This looks so yummy.”

  “I hope you enjoy your breakfast,” Sami said, smiling as she doled out a portion of scrambled eggs and placed it on the woman’s plate.

  “Thank you. This will be the first hot meal I’ve had since Thanksgiving.”

  “Really?” Sami asked aghast. “What or where have you been eating all this time?”

  “Oh, I sometimes go behind restaurants and try to get food they’ve thrown out, or sometimes, if there are leftovers here during the week, I’ll get something out back.”

  Sami couldn’t imagine searching for food behind restaurants and in dumpsters. She started to ask the woman why she didn’t come into the shelter and get a meal, but then she remembered what Betty had told her as they were setting up the food. Through the year the shelter struggled just to feed the residents, but thankfully, during the holidays people felt more generous and their donations increased enough to allow them to open the doors so that non-residents could also eat in their dining room.

  The woman moved on down the line and others came up behind her. All through the morning people from all walks of life continued to pour into the shelter for breakfast. There were a lot of young families, pregnant young girls, middle-aged folks, and some elderly people who had braved the cold for a hot meal. Mostly though, they were homeless people.

  At 11:00 AM, the volunteers and the cooks started changing the food over to a lunch menu. The meal consisted of turkey or chicken with mashed potatoes, vegetables, bread, and either coffee or tea to drink. There were twice as many people there for the lunch meal than there had been for the breakfast meal. Sami thought that she recognized some of the people as ones who had shown up earlier for breakfast.

  The shelter was starting to run out of food, so at 4:00 PM, Father Benjamin closed the doors and fed the last of the people who were in line inside the shelter. After the final person was served, Sami left the shelter and headed back home.