A Kachina Dance by Beverley Andi Read Free Book Online Page B

and oversized pieces of furniture from the house and was anything but Zen . Nothing my parents did was ever laid-back or simple. I knew the little lunc heon would turn into a fiasco. Somehow I would have to prepare Jay for a very unique experience.
    We buy wine and flow ers and take the bus over on Sunday . I have tried to prepare Jay all week about what he will see and hear . He wears his slight smile and looks so damn cool, I don’t know if he needs m y help.
    T he first comment Mother whispers as we enter is , “You didn’t tell me he wore his hair in a bun.”
    Cara winks and whispers , “He’s cute, I see why you fell for him.” At least someone will be on my side.
    Of course , we do n’t have burgers; Father gri lls steaks , salmon and chicken. Mother dominates most of the conversatio n, probing Jay with questions. Thankfull y , Mark jumps in and speaks about his many tri ps to the southwest.  Cara asks how Jay likes working at A MA which peaks Mother’s curiosity. Now she kno w s he has a paying job at a big institution that silences her for the moment. I steer the conversation to Cara and Mark’s n ew house in Greenwich , that’s Greenwich, CT. I tell Jay he has to see the house since Mark designed it .
    “Do you live with your parents on the reservation?”  Mother begins .
    “No, they died years ago.”
    “What kind of business was your father in?”
    “ He was a miner and a farmer. T he Peabody Western Coal M ine is a big mine on the reservation .”
    I can see Mother rolling her eyes.  Luckily, Jay was spearing his meat.
    “Any siblings?”
    “ I had a sister who died as a child; and I have two brother s who moved away to get work and never return to Hopiland .”
    Mother harrumphed.
    “So what kind of a name is Hopi? The New York Indians have long names , like the Rockaways, the Shinnechocks , the Setaukets , the Marsapeaques , the Canarsies . Those are just the names of Long Island tribes. Then you have the upstate tribes like the Algonquin , the Iroquois , the Onondagas, and the Tonawandas . Why is your tribe ’s name so short?” My Mother asks indelicately.
    “Hopi is derived from Hopituh ,” he answers softly, “or more precisely from Hopituh Shi-nu-mu . Our language comes from the ancient Aztec. We ar e the only Pueblo people to speak this language.”
    I interrupt. “ Hopit uh Shi-nu-mu , isn’t that pleasant sounding?” I look at my mother who watches Jay smile at me .
    “Mrs. Knight y , there are New York tribes with short names , for example the Mohawk s , Cayuga s and Senecca s .”
    Yes! I cheer inwardly. I wink at him across the table; he won’t let her ruffle him.
    Everyone except mother smiles. I’m wondering on what cocktail napkin or paper placemat she read this information on Native American tribe names. She really is a corker! But she continues.
    “Well, how many of you are there?”
    “Mother, please, will you let him eat,” I snap.
    “ It’s fine, I’m used to these questions on my tours.” He gives me his slight smile . “There are about 7,000 Hopi living on the rez …the reservation, according to the 2000 census.” He smiles at Mother.
    As we finished, Mark leaves the table and ask s Jay to join him o n the terrace . I thank Mark silently. Father tag s along. Cara and I clear the table and Mot her follows us into the kitchen .
    “I could have had my girl come, to help with the dishes,” Mother says.
    “No, that’ s the last thing I would want Jay to see, your hired help . This was to be casual, remember?”
    “ Well, it is. Now, m ake the coffee; take out the cake and ta rts. There are nice cookies too. Your yo ung man doesn’t talk much, K ate. H e seems very shy.”
    “Mother, please stop badgering him with questions. He’ll talk if you give him the chance.”
    “Mother,” says Cara, “Do you remember how nervous you made Mark the first time he came for dinner? I thought I’d never s ee him again after that night. Ease up,