Dream Catcher Dreams

Tecumseh

Tecumseh

As the last bell rang, Iron Eyes and I walked out of our last class of the day and headed for the school parking lot.

“Going to my place today, Riverwater?,” Iron Eyes asked as we climbed into his old beat up red rabbit.

“Nah, man. I gotta go home today. Shima said her and Shizhé'é had something important to talk to me about,” I replied while rolling my eyes.

He nodded his head and we pulled out of the parking lot.

When we finally got to my house that‘s about ten miles from the school, he dropped me out and I trudged my way up the front stairs to my house.

“Shima! I‘m home,” I called as I dropped my book bag on the floor beside our couch and started making my way through the house.

“I’m in the backyard, honey!” my mom called from outside.

I finished making my way through our house and saw her at the clothes line hanging out clothes.

“How was your day, sweetie?,” she asked as I walked out to where she was.

“It was school, mom. It was as good as it could get,” I said with a shrug.

She rolled her eyes, and added, “Well, your sisters certainly enjoy telling me about their day when they come home.”

“Yeah, but they‘re not a senior in high school either, mom.”

“Don‘t try to get smart with me, boy. I gave birth to you!,” my mom said as she turned to me and put her hands on her hips.

“MOM!,” I yelled, flustered.

Before my mom could come up with a response, we heard a chuckle come from behind us. When we turned around we saw my Shizhé'é standing on the porch shaking his head.

“Now, now Doli. Do you have to bring that up every time you think he‘s trying to get smart with you?,” my dad asked as he started walking towards us.

My mom glared at him, and replied, “Yes, I do. I went through eleven and a half hours of labor with him and I‘m not going to let him forget it!”

I winced as the words left her mouth, and my dad put his hand on my shoulder and shook his head. “Don‘t pay her any attention son. You know how moody your Shima can get.”

As soon as the words left my dad’s mouth, I knew he was going to get it. And I was right. Not even two seconds after his words sunk in, my mom glared ruthlessly at my Shizhé'é and started fussing in Navajo.

“Uhhhh….. I‘m going back in the house,” I mumbled as I slipped away from my mom and dad.

When I got back in the house, I walked straight over to the refrigerator and opened the door. “Hmmm….. What do I want?”

As I continued to rummage through the fridge, I heard two familiar girly giggles. When I turned around, I saw both of my little twin sisters entering the kitchen.

“Where‘s Shima and Shizhé'é?,” Kai, the eldest twin, asked me.

“They‘re in the yard. Last I heard, Shima was giving Shizhé'é an ear full.”

“Ugh. What did he say this time?,” Mai, the youngest, asked as she looked out the back door.

“She was fussing at me about her labor pains and he asked if she always had to bring it up, and it just started from there,” I replied with a shrug.

“Did you see Sequoyah today?,” Kai asked as I turned back to continue my hunt through the fridge.

I grunted in response, but didn’t look back.

“I never liked her,” Mai muttered quietly.

Not finding anything appetizing in the fridge, I closed the door with a sigh and set my eyes on my youngest sister. “Well, you won‘t have to worry about her anymore. After today, I don‘t think she‘s going to want to say two words to me from now on.”

“Oh my God! Cumseh what did you do to her? You didn‘t get her pregnant did you?!,” Kai screamed, being her over dramatic self. I’m so glad Mai’s completely opposite of Kai. I don’t know what I’d do if I had two loud, crazy, overly dramatic sister.

“No I didn‘t get her pregnant! I‘m not stupid, you know!”

She held up her hands defensively, and said, “I was just asking, gosh. Don‘t bite my head off.”

“Well, you should know your big brother better than that!”

“Well, I don‘t know what goes through the mind of a seventeen year old hormonal teenage boy,” Kai muttered as she crossed her arms.

“And I don‘t know what goes through the mind my ten year old little sisters. But you don‘t see me investigating you,” I mocked her.

She stuck out her tongue in response and walked back into the living room. Mai slowly followed her, shaking her head.

As I moved to open one of the cabinet doors, my parents walked through the back door.

“What are you doing, honey?,” my Shima asked curiously.

“Hunting something to eat mom,” I replied as I opened the wooded door.

“I was just about to go cook dinner. You can wait another hour, can‘t you?,” she asked as she moved towards the stove.

I shrugged and was getting ready to walk out of the room, when she stopped me. “Oh, and before I forget. You got a letter today.”

She handed me a white envelop with the words ‘Lacrosse Legacy League’ printed at the top.

“I wonder what this is about,” I muttered to myself as I tore into the envelop. When I started reading the paper, my eyes started to widen more and more as I continued to read.

“Oh my God, mom!! You won‘t believe it! They want me to play for a team of the best lacrosse players in all of the states out west! Can you believe it?!,” I shrieked in awe.

“That‘s fantastic, sweetie!,” my Shima cheered happily.

“Congrats son!,” my Shizhé'é congratulated.

“Wow,” I breathed silently as I started rereading the letter all over again.

　

　

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Hey ya’ll! Okay, so in this story, some Navajo words were used. The word Shima means mother and the word Shizhé'é means father.