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warrior who fought Custer. Anthony Graham came along after the fact. According to Nana, he even
knew about her real father.
"Bullshit." His laugh was shallow.
"Look, daddy." She took the button from around her neck and placed it in his hand. "The button says US
7th Cavalry. I found it in Nana's cabin along with a blue jacket with more buttons like these. The jacket
belonged to Nana's real father. He took it from a soldier he killed at the Little BigHorn. There's a whole
trunk full of relics and pictures to back up what she wrote."
"She would have said something before this," he hissed at her.
"She didn't. Not to you, not to me. Maybe because she knew how you would feel."
He shook his head and laughed. "This only proves what I knew all along. She was mad, Cathleen. Her
own life wasn't good enough so she had to invent another one. And we weren't good enough either. Papa
and me." He sighed sadly and rubbed his hand through his graying hair.
"Well at least now I know why she always seemed so disappointed. We just didn't fit into her fantasy.
Just before she left, I remember thinking her mind had snapped with all her talk of greed and retribution.
But telling me that I was dragging you down with me was the last straw. You want to know why she left
The Hollow, Cathleen? I told her to get the hell out. I was sick and tired of listening to her, of taking her
silent sorrow routine. She's lucky I let you visit her here."
"No, daddy." Tears welled up as she listened to him. She could feel his pain enter her, a child cast away,
a woman dislocated, too wounded to nurture her son. In a flash she understood that Nana believed that
she had made Anthony McCaffrey what he was, and in so doing, bore the responsibility of his actions.
How must it have felt to understand that in giving Vincent and Elijah back to the people, she was creating
the same monster that devoured them?
"She moved back here to protect her people, daddy, to give them the strength and the tools to rebuild
their lives. Ask Aunt Bridget and Aunt Lilith, they'll tell you about Nana's vision quest. That's why she left
The Hollow."
"I'm supposed to change my life on the word of an old bat and a cripple?" he scoffed.
"They know about Elijah." She glanced off the barb. "Bridget was with Nana when it all happened. And
she stayed with her all these years out of devotion."
Drums and chanting rose into the air behind them. "We'll talk about this later." he hissed and jumped
down from the stool.
She made her way over to Elijah, who was placing something in the coffin.
"Red gloves. When a member of the Midewiwin dies, we put red gloves and tobacco in the coffin to help
them in their journey to the other side." He turned and smiled. "You told your father about his
background, about us, didn't you?"
"I had to, before he heard it from the people here."
"He's taking it pretty hard." Eljiah motioned with his head to the corner of the room where her father sat
sullenly by himself.
"What can I do, Elijah?"
"He needs to find his own way, just like you need to find yours," he answered quietly.
Elijah started toward the double doors at the end of the hall, and then turned back. "I will be making a
speech in a little while. I'll invite anyone else who wishes to speak to come forward. If you are planning to
say something, tell me now. As her female descendant, you will be expected to speak right after me."
"I want to say something. But I'm not sure I can stick to the rules."
He smiled the same smile that had so often lit Nana's face, but with the eyes of Vincent Gidagakoons, she
thought. "Just follow my lead. Besides, I think everyone here will understand." He reached into his shirt
pocket for a little pouch. "It is customary for a speaker to put tobacco into the coffin before they speak. I
brought this pouch along because I didn't think you would have any." He led her through the crowd to the
circle Mina had drawn in chalk around the coffin.
Together they greeted the townspeople as the Drum Society sang quietly behind them. "This is Meya's
granddaughter Cathleen McCaffrey, Wase'ya to us," he said proudly and in turn introduced all those who
passed by both their white names and their Ojibway names if appropriate. Through the smiles and the
handshakes, she marveled at his easy familiarity with all the people. She watched them proceed from the
reception line to the coffin. It was almost ghoulish, she thought, the way they touched Nana's hair and
cheeks. They lifted her lifeless arms to deposit small gifts underneath her, knotted dried herbs in her hair
and waxy hands.
An old man supported by two women approached Elijah. The chief kissed his leathery cheek with
reverence and then referred him to her. "Waseya, this is No'dinens, Wolf Clan Elder, friend to my father
and my spiritual guide."
Here was the wild child from Nana's journal, shadowing his father in the forest; she smiled. "I will call you
uncle if you will let me."
"It makes me happy to hear you say so." he answered quietly in the voice of a child strangled by age.
Someone familiar made his way up to Elijah and shook his hand sheepishly. The braids she had put in his
hair were still in place. Only he had enhanced them with rawhide and feathers. "I believe you and Douglas
Fairchild have already met, Wase'ya." Elijah grinned knowingly at both of them, then turned away.
Douglas took her hand and gave her a quizzical look. "Wase'ya?"
"Maybe I should tell Elijah what you call yourself," she whispered back.
He winced at the blackmail and looked around to see if anyone could hear them. "Can I talk to you later,
Kate?"
When all had been formally greeted, Elijah raised his hands for attention and stepped in front of the
coffin. "We are here to help Nookomis Meya'wigobiwik enter into the land of her ancestors to join her
mother and father in the ghost dance. Everyone of us here has been touched in some way by this
extraordinary Midi woman. And there are many stories that will be told in the coming years about her
powers and her life."
"I, Weza'wange, Yellow Wing, named for the northern lights, am son of Gidagakoons Sundancer and
elected chief of the White Earth Ojibway. I offer this woman tobacco for her journey and wish to be the
first to tell you a story about Meya'wigobiwik."
"A long time ago, a woman and two men were forced to flee into a terrible snowstorm to escape their
enemy. The woman was very round in the belly and already in labour, but she went with them anyway
and did not complain when the pain struck. The Gitchi-Manitou went with them as well, and showed
them a safe place where she could lie down and give birth. In a vision, her mother told her to give the
child to his father so he could bring it back to the people. She herself could not go back because duty led
her down another path. So she served by sacrificing her own happiness to the greater happiness of her
people. For her decision and on behalf of the People, I say Miigwech."
The assembly repeated his thanks. "Who else wishes to speak?" He found her where she stood in the
crowd. "This woman wishes to come forward." He motioned her to his side and then stepped back.
"I am Cathleen McCaffrey whom Yellow Wing has called Wa'seya: Light." She cast about for her father
and found him still in the corner staring intently at her. She spoke tentatively at first, but then took courage
in the accepting looks that greeted her story. "I am the granddaughter of Annie McCaffrey, who you
knew as Standing Strong, Meya'wigobiwik." She pulled out the pouch Elijah had given her and placed it [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]