Bordello Walk

by Melissa Bowersock

  Lacey grabbed the panic handle above her window and braced herself against the dash as the car tipped and bucked. She realized it was impossible to have a conversation when she was gritting her teeth.

  “So Ben can fix it?” she asked.

  Sam nodded. “Yeah. We’ll need Gabe and Roxanne and the boys.” He looked over at Lacey. “It’s kind of complicated.”

  ~~~

  SIXTEEN

  They didn’t have time to delve into that particular discussion. As they pulled up to Gabe and Roxanne’s house, Roxanne was just retrieving bags of groceries from the passenger side of her truck.

  “Hey, guys,” she called. She didn’t wait, took the last bags inside, and left the door open. They parked and followed her in, where she got her first good look at them.

  “Hi, you two. How—?” Her question died in her throat when she saw Sam. She went to him and immediately folded him into her arms, holding him tightly. Sam buried his face in his sister-in-law’s long, black hair.

  After a long, silent moment, Sam let her go. She released him reluctantly, went to hug Lacey, then stood with her back to the kitchen counter and her arms crossed.

  “What’s going on?” she asked sharply.

  Sam sat down heavily on the couch and tried to smile, but it didn’t come off well. “Long story,” he said. He shivered as he spoke.

  “Can I make some hot tea?” Lacey asked. “He’s got chills.”

  “Sure.” Roxanne went with Lacey into the kitchen and snapped on a burner under the tea kettle. She dug boxes of tea out of a cupboard while Lacey found two coffee mugs.

  “Is he okay?” Roxanne hissed to Lacey.

  Lacey smiled grimly. “No. We were just at Ben’s. He’s got something in mind to help.” She raised her clear, green eyes to Roxanne. “I don’t understand it all yet, but Sam said we’ll need you guys, too.”

  “Of course,” Roxanne said, but her immediate agreement didn’t jive with the worry in her dark eyes.

  “I’ll go get our stuff while that’s heating,” Lacey said. She went back outside and got their two bags, brought them in and stowed them behind the hide-a-bed. Sam watched, his eyes dull, but didn’t offer to help. Lacey was glad for that.

  The tea kettle was steaming, so Lacey went ahead and fixed two cups of tea. Roxanne was unloading her bags of groceries, but glanced uneasily at Sam from time to time. When Lacey took the two cups into the living room, Sam accepted his gratefully. She settled beside him and they sipped in silence.

  Just as Roxanne was finishing up, the front door opened and her youngest son walked in. Lacey glanced up and did a double-take. Griff had changed considerably since the last time they’d seen him. At thirteen, he was growing taller and leaner, the baby fat disappearing. But he still had the same sweet, shy smile.

  “Hi, Griff,” she called.

  Griff ambled over. “Hi, Aunt Lacey. Hi, Uncle Sam.” He leaned down and gave each of them a brief hug. Lacey saw how quickly his smile faded when he got a good look at Sam.

  “What’s going on?” he asked tentatively. He looked from Sam to his mother.

  “We’ll talk about it when your dad gets home,” she said. She unwrapped an aluminum tray filled with frozen lasagna and put it in the oven. “Where’s Carson?” she asked.

  Griff pulled milk from the fridge and poured a glass. “With Kira, where else?” he answered. “He’ll be home soon.”

  Roxanne set a timer and came to join Sam and Lacey in the living room. Griff took his milk to the dining room table and sat there.

  “Who’s Kira?” Lacey asked.

  Roxanne let out a small sigh. “Carson’s girlfriend. She’s sixteen and has her driver’s license.”

  “Oh,” Lacey said. “How… nice.”

  “Yeah, nice,” Roxanne scoffed. “He’s gone more than he’s home. He swoops in for a few minutes to eat dinner, then he’s gone again.”

  Lacey could imagine. “I guess we’re lucky neither Daniel nor Tori has their license yet. They still spend weekends with us, but Daniel will get his learner’s permit in a few months.”

  Roxanne nodded. “Carson’s got his, but of course he can’t drive without an adult. And I daresay he’s not getting much practice in while he hangs around with Kira.” She tossed a look over her shoulder at Griff, as if he might have anything to add, but he was staunchly silent.

  “Well,” she said, dismissing that subject, “how was Jerome?”

  Lacey glanced sideways at Sam. He seemed unwilling to answer.

  “Good news, bad news,” Lacey said. “We did what we went for, but… it’s having an effect.”

  Roxanne’s eyes widened as the realization set in. “Oh.” Her low, heavy tone said it all.

  Just then headlights slewed across the front windows. Roxanne checked her watch. “That’ll be Gabe.” Then a second set of lights followed. “And Carson.”

  She rose and went to the kitchen to check the lasagna. Lacey was about to follow, her empty coffee mug in hand, but checked with Sam first.

  “You want more tea?” she asked.

  He thought about it, then shook his head. She picked up his half full, cooling cup and took both to the kitchen. “What can I do?” she asked Roxanne.

  The answer was lost in the minor bedlam that rode in with Gabe and Carson. Gabe, Sam’s slightly older, slightly heavier brother, tossed his truck keys on the counter and gave Lacey an exuberant bear hug. When he released her, Carson was there, shyly waiting for the hug he barely submitted to.

  “My God,” Lacey said. “You’re taller than your dad now.”

  Carson’s face glowed with an embarrassed flush, but he smiled wickedly. “That’s right,” he said.

  Gabe blew a raspberry and went to greet his brother. He took one look at Sam and said, “Jesus, man, you look like shit. What’s going on?”

  “He’ll tell us over dinner,” Roxanne said. “I don’t think he’s got the strength to tell it more than once. Boys, how about setting the table? Lacey, you can get drinks.”

  The kitchen and dining room were quietly manic with Roxanne, Lacey and the boys going back and forth. Gabe shed his heavy work jacket and sat with Sam, talking in a low voice. Lacey would have liked to hear that conversation but knew they’d all have their answers soon enough.

  When they were all seated at the table, Roxanne passed the salad and let Lacey have first dibs on the lasagna. Gabe passed garlic bread. Lacey noticed Sam only took small portions of each, a marked contrast to the heaping plates of Gabe and his two growing boys.

  Lacey felt antsy. No one seemed inclined to start the conversation, no doubt to give Sam some moments of peace to eat, but Lacey noticed he pushed food around on his plate more than actually eating it.

  “So, Jerome,” Gabe finally started. He pointed his fork at Sam. “Do you know I haven’t been there since we went with Mom and Dad that time?”

  Sam smiled grimly. “Yeah. Me, neither. Until this week.”

  Roxanne leveled a warning glare at her husband, who just shrugged. Lacey decided to take up the slack.

  “We got a call about clearing a building there,” she started. “The place used to be a brothel, and the ghosts made it impossible to use or to sell.”

  Very briefly, she told the story—the walk, the research, the resolution. The boys listened with rapt attention, no doubt getting a jolt out of the forbidden sexual aspect. Gabe chortled at the idea of Shorty grabbing a customer—and later, Sam. Roxanne was too shocked to even censure her husband.

  As Lacey wrapped up that part of the story, Gabe leaned toward Sam. “So what’s this about?” he asked pointedly.

  Sam pushed a bit of salad around, then put his fork down with a sigh.

  “Ghost sickness,” he said.

  Lacey gaped at him. “Wait. There’s actually a name for this? This is like a real thing?” If she was shocked by that, she was doubly so by the looks of dread in Gabe’s and Roxanne’s eyes. She turned to Sam expectantly.

  “Yes, it has a name,”
he said. “And it’s real. It’s more common in people who have lost a loved one and can’t process their grief. Their longing to see their loved one can interrupt the spirit’s journey, so then the spirit becomes attached… to the detriment of both.”

  “But this,” Gabe said, waving his fork at Sam, “this isn’t like that.”

  “No,” Sam admitted. He raised his eyes to his brother. “You remember how many people died in Jerome in that hospital? Something like 9,000 people. And that’s not even counting the mine cave-ins, the explosions, the fires. They wouldn’t all become ghosts, of course, but a lot of them did.” He paused. “Grampa thinks several of them attached to me.”

  “Oh, shit,” Gabe said under his breath.

  Sam nodded. “Yeah.”

  For a pregnant moment, everyone was silent. The boys, Lacey noticed, continued to eat quietly, but Gabe and Roxanne looked thunderstruck.

  “What’s he want to do?” Gabe asked finally.

  Sam fiddled with his knife. “He’s talking about doing an abbreviated Evil Way.”

  Gabe nodded, as if that were what he’d expected, but that did Lacey no good at all.

  “What’s an Evil Way?” she asked. She certainly hoped it was more comforting than it sounded.

  “It’s a ritual to rid someone of negative things. It’s also called the Enemy Way, because it’s often done on people returning from war.” Sam turned back to Gabe. “He’ll do a short Blessing Way, too, after that.”

  Lacey liked the sound of that much better.

  “Why abbreviated?” she asked.

  Sam gave her a quick half smile. “The Evil Way normally takes about a week, and usually involves an entire village. We don’t have the time for that.”

  “A week?” she squeaked.

  “We’ll try to get it all done in three days,” Sam said. “Starting tonight.”

  Gabe nodded once decisively. “We’ll have to get cracking right after dinner.” He tipped his head at the boys. “You, too.”

  Carson groaned audibly, while Griff just nodded, his eyes wide.

  “But, but…” Carson started.

  Gabe held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it. Helping your Uncle Sam takes priority over hanging out with Kira.”

  Roxanne leaned forward. “Actually, we could use Kira.” She stared intently at Carson. “Do you think she’d help?”

  Carson mulled that over, his expression revealing the struggle. Lacey could imagine: asking his girlfriend to participate in a ritual of the ancients? Would she think that was cool or stupid?

  “I’ll ask her,” he said finally. But not happily.

  “Thanks,” Sam said to the boy. “I appreciate that.”

  Carson’s face flamed again.

  “So what do we do?” Lacey asked. “I know zero about this.”

  Gabe stared off through the sliding glass door to the back yard. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got a stick outside for the staff.” He looked back at Roxanne. “You’ve got yarn? Feathers?”

  “I should have plenty,” she said.

  “Corn meal? Pollen?”

  She nodded. “I’ll check to make sure. If I need more, I can get it tomorrow.” She arched an eyebrow at her husband. “I’m thinking we both need to call in to work tomorrow.”

  “I think so, too,” Gabe agreed, then turned to the boys. “If you two want to help out, we’ll let you off school tomorrow. If not…”

  “I’ll help!” Griff said immediately.

  “Me, too,” Carson said.

  “Okay.” Gabe looked around the table. “Let’s finish our dinner and get to it.”

  ~~~

  SEVENTEEN

  Lacey felt as if she had somehow dropped down a rabbit hole into another world. After the dinner dishes were cleared away, this normal, easygoing family she knew disappeared and instead she was surrounded by a group of laser-focused, industrious strangers. Sam and Gabe went outside to find a suitable staff, and returned with an almost two-foot-long limb of dried juniper, as big around as Lacey’s wrist. While they huddled over the staff and Gabe carved designs into it, Roxanne pulled out several storage boxes of earth-toned yarn, assorted feathers and small copper bells. The boys looted their own private collections and brought out simple flutes, deer hoofs and horns, gourd rattles and beaded armbands. They all spoke more Navajo than English to each other, leaving Lacey to only guess what needed to be done.

  “Lacey,” Roxanne said finally. “Come help me sort yarn.” She had pulled several skeins of hand-dyed colors, all the hues of the reservation: slate gray, rose, sage green and deep purple. Lacey helped Roxanne pick through them all, but left the decisions on which to use to her sister-in-law.

  When Gabe and Sam were satisfied with the staff, they brought it to the women to decorate. Roxanne took it and wound the yarn around it, thickly in some places to completely cover the wood, single strands in others that let the wood show through. Periodically she would ask Lacey to pass her a feather—either an eagle feather or a turkey feather—and she would tie those on in strategic places. As Roxanne tied off the various colors of yarn, she would ask Lacey for beads or bits of leather or copper bells to finish strands. When the staff was judged complete, everyone but Sam disappeared.

  “What’s going on now?” Lacey asked.

  Sam dug into his luggage for his wide silver cuff bracelet inset with a large chunk of turquoise, then pushed the quill end of an eagle feather into the band that held his ponytail. Then he grabbed his peacoat.

  “They’re all changing their clothes,” he said. “Normally an Evil Way is done in the summer, but it’s too cold for us to dance around bare-chested or bare-armed now. We’ll just have to work around our jackets.”

  Lacey nodded, picking up her own Jacket. Dancing? This would be new.

  Roxanne came down the hall dressed in jeans and a heavy sweater with soft moccasins on her feet. She offered a second pair to Lacey.

  “I think these might fit. They’re soft, so you’ve got some play in them.”

  Lacey sat down and pulled off her tennie-runners, then slid the roughout moccasins on. Pulling the rawhide ties tight, she got the moccasins to form pretty well to her feet. Roxanne tested the fit, feeling for her toes at the front, and called it good.

  “Here. You can borrow some of my jewelry.” She handed Lacey a large silver necklace set with delicate turquoise squash blossoms. Roxanne wore a similar necklace but hers was heavier, the turquoise settings larger. She also wore long, dangling turquoise earrings and gave Lacey a pair of beaded porcupine quill earrings. Lacey threaded them through the holes in her lobes and felt the length of quills and beads just brush her shoulders.

  Headlights swept across the front windows.

  “Carson,” Roxanne called. “Kira’s here.”

  There was a light knock at the door before Carson appeared, so Roxanne answered it. “Hi, Kira,” she said. “Thanks for coming.” She let the girl in and introduced her.

  “Kira, this is Carson’s Uncle Sam and Aunt Lacey. Kira Begay.”

  “Hi,” Lacey said. She held out a hand to Kira and the girl took it with a shy smile. She was slender, with a round face and warm, dark eyes. Her long black hair flowed down her back, and she had a feather tied on one side. If she was surprised to find out Carson’s aunt was a red-haired, freckle-faced Irish-American, she didn’t show it.

  “Carson, Griff!” Roxanne called. “Let’s go!”

  Gabe came down the hall, followed by the boys. All wore moccasins over the legs of their jeans. Gabe sported a beaded choker around his neck, and Carson wore a silver cuff bracelet similar to Sam’s. Griff had beaded armbands around his developing biceps.

  “Let’s take the two trucks,” Roxanne said. “Sam, Lacey, you want to ride with me? The kids can go with Gabe.”

  Happy to have Roxanne directing, Lacey pulled on her jacket, careful not to catch the earrings on her collar. Roxanne gathered up an armful of woven Navajo blankets, and they all trooped to the trucks.

  La
cey got into Roxanne’s truck and slid to the middle, making room for Sam and his staff. The kids all climbed into the bed of Gabe’s truck. Roxanne started hers and took the lead, heading across the desert with her headlights stretching out into the darkness.

  Wedged between Roxanne and Sam, Lacey didn’t get thrown side to side too much as they navigated the downward slope into the wash, but only had to brace one arm against the dash. She was keenly aware of Sam’s staff weaving back and forth with the motion of the truck, the feathers shifting, the copper bells jingling. The long beaded earrings she wore slapped lightly against her neck.

  As Roxanne pulled up in front of Ben’s hogan, there was no sign of the old man. Lacey wondered if he was doing something magical inside, but even when Gabe parked next to them and all the kids tumbled out, there was still no movement from the hogan.

  They all assembled in front of the mud hut. “How do you want to do this?” Gabe asked Sam.

  Sam scanned the area, considering. “I guess,” he said, “I’ll go out the back and come around this way.” He waved one arm to indicate his planned track. “We should probably leave lights on so we don’t trip.”

  Gabe agreed, nodding. “Sounds good.” He looked to the kids. “You guys ready?”

  They all nodded. Carson and Griff held up their simple reed flutes, and Lacey saw that Kira had a small drum.

  Sam gave Lacey a smile and laid his palm alongside her cheek. “In the old days,” he said, “we’d be doing this on horseback.”

  She was suddenly glad for more modern customs. She hadn’t ridden a horse since she was five or six years old.

  Sam stepped outside of the group and held the staff up high before him. A slight breeze set the feathers dancing. As he began to move, the copper bells around his knees made a hollow, tinkling sound, and Sam began to hum a tuneless, timeless song. His baritone voice carried on the thin night air.

  Gabe immediately followed Sam, adding his own voice to the chanting song with a deeper counterpoint. Then Carson, Griff and Kira fell in behind, the flutes and drum adding to the song, and Roxanne and Lacey came last. Roxanne’s high, clear voice soared above the men’s solemn chants, and she encouraged Lacey with a smile to sing along. Lacey was too uneasy about making an inadvertent blunder, so only hummed at first, trying to follow the notes of the others, then finally opened her mouth and let the instinctive sounds spill out as they all headed up the sandstone rise behind Ben’s hogan.