Read Online A Coffin for Santa Rosa by Steve Hayes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Steve Hayes
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One.
‘Go inside, child,’ the older woman said. ‘Meet your future.’
Raven stood there a moment, nervously wondering what this was all about. The elders were no longer seated about the fire, which had burned down to embers; but smoke curling out of the smoke-hole in the roof of the hogan indicated they were gathered inside.
Here goes nothing, she thought and ducked through the low doorway.
Inside, it was dark save for a small fire burning amid a circle of stones in the center of the hogan. Almighty Sky and the same elders were seated around the fire. But unlike outside all themen were now naked save for G-strings. None of them looked up as she entered; instead, they stared fixedly at an unusually tall peyote cactus growing in a clay pot positioned in front of the old shaman. The floor of the hogan had been swept clean and sage sprinkled over it. Raven vaguely remembered her father telling her that the Mescaleros considered sage to be a friend of the peyote. She hadn’t understood what he meant then, but now seeing it scattered on the ground she guessed this was what he was referring to. Next to the pot lay a deerskin pouch tied at the neck by a red string.
Almighty Sky sat with his back to the west. There was a place left for Raven in the circle that was south of the doorway. The old shaman, lidded eyes downcast, motioned for her to be seated.
Raven obeyed. But embarrassed to be naked before all these men, she kept the red blanket pulled tightly about her.
Almighty Sky nodded at one of the elders. He began beating a small drum. At the same time he chanted softly, all the while staring into the fire.
The old shaman untied the string around the pouch, opened it and reached inside with his left hand. He then began passing out handfuls of peyote buttons. He passed them to his right, which was to the south, and when everyone had two handfuls he served himself and then replaced the pouch next to the pot.
In the flickering firelight Raven saw that some of her buttons were green with tufts on them, the others dry. The green ones were the size of a silver dollar, the dried buttons no bigger than a small pebble.
The elder stopped beating the drum.
Almighty Sky now looked at Raven for the first time. ‘We, The People, are honored by your visit, Ish-kay-nay ,’ he said, using the Apache term for boy or one who is indifferent to marriage or, in Raven’s case, tomboy. ‘Too many moons have passed since we last shared words.’
‘This is true, Wise One. But it was not because I did not want to see you, but because my mother and I moved a great distance away.’
‘This was told to me in a vision,’ Almighty Sky said. ‘I am happy for your new life. But I am much saddened by the loss of Nah-tanh. ’
Raven frowned, surprised. ‘You heard about Momma’s death?’ she said, forgetting it was rude to ask him a direct question.
‘I hear many things, Ish-kay-nay . This particular sadness was whispered to me by the wind.’
‘While you were soaring above me?’
Almighty Sky didn’t respond.
‘I ask you this, Wise One, because I followed a bald eagle here. And I am wondering if those were his eyes watching out for me or yours.’
Almighty Sky frowned, his face a thousand wrinkles. ‘Many strange mysteries occur when I stare into the fire, Ish-kay-nay. Not all of them have answers.’ Putting a peyote button into his mouth, he chewed it slowly and then swallowed it, his expression never changing. At once, the elders began eating their buttons, one after another.
Raven, who’d heard from her father how horribly bitter peyote tasted, especially the green tufted buttons, hesitated before eating one.
Immediately, a strange thing happened: the fire crackled and blazed as if stirred and in her mind she heard her name called. The voice belonged to Almighty Sky. It came from far off yet each word was as distinct as if he were talking into her ear. Raven looked across the fire at the old shaman. His eyes were closed;
‘Go inside, child,’ the older woman said. ‘Meet your future.’
Raven stood there a moment, nervously wondering what this was all about. The elders were no longer seated about the fire, which had burned down to embers; but smoke curling out of the smoke-hole in the roof of the hogan indicated they were gathered inside.
Here goes nothing, she thought and ducked through the low doorway.
Inside, it was dark save for a small fire burning amid a circle of stones in the center of the hogan. Almighty Sky and the same elders were seated around the fire. But unlike outside all themen were now naked save for G-strings. None of them looked up as she entered; instead, they stared fixedly at an unusually tall peyote cactus growing in a clay pot positioned in front of the old shaman. The floor of the hogan had been swept clean and sage sprinkled over it. Raven vaguely remembered her father telling her that the Mescaleros considered sage to be a friend of the peyote. She hadn’t understood what he meant then, but now seeing it scattered on the ground she guessed this was what he was referring to. Next to the pot lay a deerskin pouch tied at the neck by a red string.
Almighty Sky sat with his back to the west. There was a place left for Raven in the circle that was south of the doorway. The old shaman, lidded eyes downcast, motioned for her to be seated.
Raven obeyed. But embarrassed to be naked before all these men, she kept the red blanket pulled tightly about her.
Almighty Sky nodded at one of the elders. He began beating a small drum. At the same time he chanted softly, all the while staring into the fire.
The old shaman untied the string around the pouch, opened it and reached inside with his left hand. He then began passing out handfuls of peyote buttons. He passed them to his right, which was to the south, and when everyone had two handfuls he served himself and then replaced the pouch next to the pot.
In the flickering firelight Raven saw that some of her buttons were green with tufts on them, the others dry. The green ones were the size of a silver dollar, the dried buttons no bigger than a small pebble.
The elder stopped beating the drum.
Almighty Sky now looked at Raven for the first time. ‘We, The People, are honored by your visit, Ish-kay-nay ,’ he said, using the Apache term for boy or one who is indifferent to marriage or, in Raven’s case, tomboy. ‘Too many moons have passed since we last shared words.’
‘This is true, Wise One. But it was not because I did not want to see you, but because my mother and I moved a great distance away.’
‘This was told to me in a vision,’ Almighty Sky said. ‘I am happy for your new life. But I am much saddened by the loss of Nah-tanh. ’
Raven frowned, surprised. ‘You heard about Momma’s death?’ she said, forgetting it was rude to ask him a direct question.
‘I hear many things, Ish-kay-nay . This particular sadness was whispered to me by the wind.’
‘While you were soaring above me?’
Almighty Sky didn’t respond.
‘I ask you this, Wise One, because I followed a bald eagle here. And I am wondering if those were his eyes watching out for me or yours.’
Almighty Sky frowned, his face a thousand wrinkles. ‘Many strange mysteries occur when I stare into the fire, Ish-kay-nay. Not all of them have answers.’ Putting a peyote button into his mouth, he chewed it slowly and then swallowed it, his expression never changing. At once, the elders began eating their buttons, one after another.
Raven, who’d heard from her father how horribly bitter peyote tasted, especially the green tufted buttons, hesitated before eating one.
Immediately, a strange thing happened: the fire crackled and blazed as if stirred and in her mind she heard her name called. The voice belonged to Almighty Sky. It came from far off yet each word was as distinct as if he were talking into her ear. Raven looked across the fire at the old shaman. His eyes were closed;
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