Cedar Woman by Debra Shiveley Welch Read Free Book Online

f u sed to g et h er as on e ?

C h apter Five
     
    May t h e sta r s ca rr y your sa d n ess a w ay, May t h e flowers fill yo u r h e ar t wit h b e a u ty, M ay h o pe f o r e ver w i pe a way y o u r tear s ,
    A n d , abo v e all, m a y sile n ce ma k e you stron g .
     
    Chief Dan G eo rge
     
    Dean C o u n tr y m an g r oan e d and s t rai g htened, s t ret c hi n g his sp i n e and r ub b i n g t h e b a ck o f his ne ck . L o w e ri n g h i s s h ovel t o t h e ston e -s t r e wn g r o u n d , and s l o wly hu nk e ring to a sitting po sition o n a lar g e rock n ear t h e cre e k b e d, he all o wed h im self a f e w m o m ents of rest.
    He h a d been w o rk i n g at t h e s o u t h e n d o f t h e pas tu re m o st of t h e da y , build i n g a sweat l o d g e a n d fire pit f o r M ary Catcher.
    Dean left t h e ho s p ital in t h e early m o r n ing h o urs, br ingi n g Le n a ho m e to t h e big, w h ite far m hou s e o v erl oo k ing t h e A p pala c h ian H i g h way
    w h ere h e and Nellie li v e d . Mary ref u sed to lea v e Peter, bu t tur n ing t o
    Dea n , h e r be a u ti ful e y es lumi nous w it h u n s h ed t ear s , a s ked i f s h e c ou l d build a s weat l o dge down ne a r the cre e k.
    “ It’s r o c k y t h ere, and t h ere will b e n o dan g er of fire. I n eed to p ray and fi n d g u i d ance. W o uld y ou m ind, D ea n ? ” He l o ok e d at her i n surpris e . Wh a t is a swe a t l o d g e? he wo nd e r e d t o h im self, a nd t h e n
    dis m issed it as uni m port a nt. If t h at is what she need e d , t h en that is what
    she w o u l d ha v e. S h e h a d e x p lained:
    “ The L o dge is wh e re you c a n be kind of born a g ain. It’s a chance to m a k e a fresh start in life, a n d l earn from your m istakes. You learn f r o m wh at comes to y o u in t h e L o d g e, and u se it in a good w ay. It’s k ind of a ‘d o o v e r. ’ W e l eave a l l t h e bad t h i n gs b e h in d , an d t ake on l y t h e g oo d . W e L a ko t as c ons i d er t h e Lo d g e to b e li k e a w o m b , and to lea v e t h e L o d g e is to b e b o rn a g a i n , in a g ood way. S o , w h en we go i n to t h e l o dge to n ight to pray for Peter, not only will we be reborn, but h o p e fully h e will b e as well.”
    Dean n od d ed sl o wly. He u n derst o od what s h e m eant. It w as a way of p rayi n g f o r a n e w s t art, a n ew beg i nn i n g , a way to m ake Peter w h ole.
    “ Mary,” he pl e aded, “let m e do it. You can s tay here with Peter and get pr e p a r ati o n s u n d e rway f o r m ovi n g to C o l u m bus. Tell m e what to d o .
    I need to d o somet h i ng !”
    At f i rs t , he w as w o rr ie d s h e w o u l d re f u s e , but alwa y s a pract i cal wo m an, M ary acquiesc e d r e adi ly . She g a ve h i m t h e i n s t ruct io ns, a n d said s h e w ou l d li k e to h a ve t h e l o d g e rea d y b y s u nd o w n . In t h e m eant i m e, she w o uld talk with Pete r ’s doc t o r s , a n d arr a nge f o r h i s tra n sportati o n to t h e m e d ical ce n ter i n C o l u m bu s .

Dean was gra t eful to Mary. My Go d , Dean th o ug h t, I ’v e kno w n Peter and Ma ry since I w a s a te e n age r . The y ’re like my b r other and sister! Placing his s w eating face in h i s work-worn hands, he allow e d hi m self a brief m ourn i n g . H e loved Pete r , lov e d Pet e r’s f a m il y . Hell, Le n a c a lls me Uncle D e a n , he griev e d. No w he was l o sing the m .
    Ne x t t o h is wife Nellie, Dean a d m ired Mary m o re t h an a n y w o m an he kn e w. He r e m e m b ered the first ti m e he saw her – a br i d e, a rr i ving at t h e far m , s h e a n d Peter still fres h ly in l o ve. Mary h ad g lowed li k e a
    candle fla m e in a c o zy roo m , w a r m , l ov in g and co m for t i n g .
    W h at is t h e word s h e u se d ? It was in h e r f i rst la n g u a g e , the Lak o ta lan g uag e . W o uan i ha n , 18 to res p ect, to ho n or. T h a t ’s h o w h e felt ab ou t