When Grnadfather Journeys Into Winter by Craig Kee Strete Read Free Book Online

room.
    Grandfather Tayhua opened his eyes. He
seemed very fragile, like something delicately carved that could easily be broken. "Come to my
side, my grandson, so that these weak old eyes of mine can look upon you again."
    Little Thunder came up beside his
grandfather's bed.
    "Sit beside me. Hold my hand and we shall
talk," said the old man, his voice soft as falling snow.
    Little Thunder pulled a chair up next to the
bed and sat down. Tayhua pulled his right arm out from under the blanket. He was too weak to do
more than let his arm lie across the top of the covers. Little Thunder took hold of his
grandfather's hand.
    For the first time, Little Thunder noticed
how white Grandfather's hair was, his braids like two white ropes against the pillow. He saw how
painfully thin his grandfather had become. When he saw these things, he could not hold it in any
longer, could not hold back his tears.
    "Oh, Grandfather!" he cried. "I don't want
you to die!" Little Thunder buried his face in the blanket covering Grandfather's bed and wept
unashamedly.
    Grandfather Tayhua just patted the hands
that held his and let Little Thunder cry.
    After some time had passed, Tayhua said,
"Grandson, if you love me, you will dry your eyes so that you can listen to what I have to say,
for I do not have much time left upon this world."
    Little Thunder sat up in the chair and wiped
the tears from his eyes. He straightened his shoulders and tried bravely to choke back the flow
of tears.
    "I am sorry we did not have more time
together," said Tayhua with a look of deep regret on his face. "There was the school they sent
you to....so much of our time together was lost there."
    "I didn't want to go," said Little
Thunder.
    "Yes, I know. There are things in this world
we have to do that we don't want to do. Tell me, are you learning good things in the white man's
school?" asked Tayhua.
    Little Thunder looked away for a second. He
wanted to say no, to say that nothing the white man had to teach was any good, but the truth was,
there were many good things to be learned. And many bad things too.
    "I am learning some things I need to know.
And some things I don't want and don't need to know," answered Little Thunder.
    The old man nodded his head a little. He
understood.
    "We have this time together, then. It will
be enough time for me to tell you the last of the things that is mine to give you. Bend over
close to me so that I do not have to talk so loud. I shall whisper this last story to you. It is
my last gift to you."
    Little Thunder seemed ready to cry again.
"Oh, Grandfather, I don't want you to die!"
    "Yes, I know how you feel. I have felt this
thing you feel," said his grandfather. "Dying seems to you a very sad thing, but do not feel
sorry for me. I have lived a very long time and I have had a full life."
    "But it isn't fair," said Little Thunder. "I
want to be with you always."
    "That is not the way of this world," said
his grandfather solemnly.
    Little Thunder got down on his knees beside
his grandfather's bed and leaned over close to Grandfather's mouth. Grandfather Tayhua began to
whisper to him.
    "It is so, in this world of ours, that all
things that live must some day die. It is true for me too."
    Little Thunder held tightly to Tayhua's
hand.
    "I don't understand,
Grandfather."
    "You are young and your heart is big and
your hurt is big, but you must try to understand," whispered Tayhua. "The life of a man is like
the life of a bird. He has a journey of spring and summer which he must travel. In this time, he
builds the nest of his life and raises his young."
    "Like the barn swallows?" asked Little
Thunder. "Like the barn swallows in the nest above the old smoke house? Every year they have
their babies there."
    "Yes," said Tayhua with a smile, "just like
the barn swallows."
    There was a look of pain on Tayhua's face,
and he stirred a little on the bed before he spoke again. "Each year they raise their