Forgotten

Talutah Chepi Kimi

    The sun shines bright in the clear, blue, grassland sky. Doves fly by as a warm breeze blows from the South. Every flower's in full bloom and there's not a cloud in sight. Butterflies and bees flutter all around.

    I walk down the bank of the gurgling river, listening to the serene sounds of my homeland. I kneel inches away from the riverbank and run my hand through the clear, cold water. I have the sudden urge to jump in and go swimming. The water whispers my name beckoning me in. So settle a nature I almost missed it. The Sun burns the back of my neck gently pushing me toward the water.

    I slip off my deerskin dress and moccasins. I upbraid my long, silky hair and rest my eagle feather on top of my cloths. With a running start I jump curling my knees tight to my chest. The water instantaneously cools my skin making the extreme heat bearable. I smile as I float in the water without a care in the world.

    The sound of a breaking twig snaps me out of my day dream. I stand upright with water up to my neck. There's no way that someone from the tribe followed me out here, and that's when I hear a familiar voice. My brother Eyota Ptaysanwee (Great White buffalo) comes out from his hiding place behind a willow tree on the riverbank. 

    "Chepi what are you doing out here? You know Mama dosn't like you walking around by yourself." He says in our native tongue.

    "I just wanted to go swimming." He smiles and rolls his eyes.

    "Mama knew you were trouble the moment you were born, that's why she named you Talutah Chepi Kimi (Blood fairy Secrets)."

    "Shut up!" I say and splash him with water. He scowls at me then smiles.

    "This means war!" I attempt to run away as he strips down to his bare skin. Within moments he's in the river with me, we're splashing and laughing like a bunch of wild animals.

    Our game ends with no clear winner. We gather our cloths and lay in the warm Sun out in the open field. When the Sun drys every inch of our skin we dress, but continue to lay in the hot Sun listening to the whistle of the cool breeze. Eyota Ptaysanwee weaves bright flowers in my hair as he braids it into a single braid at the back of my head.

    "Now you're as pretty as LuYu (wild dove)."

    "You like LuYu." I say in a taunting voice.

    "I do, not!"

    "Yes you do. Are you going to marry her?"

    "No!" I laugh at his embarrassment and anger.

    "Eyota's gonna marry LuYu! Eyota's gonna marry LuYu!" I chant as I twirl in circles. He yells as gets off the ground. I run away knowing that I've went too far. He makes chase and quickly catches up to me. He tackles me to the ground, but the soft grass breaks my fall.

    "I win." He whispers in my ear.

    "No fair. You're older than me and you're a boy." I whine. He shrugs and jumps off of me. I'm about to complain more but he puts his hand over my mouth. He removes his hand and points behind me. Still on the ground I attempt to look behind me. A grey wolf with white ears is standing almost two horse lengths away. I slowly sit up as Eyota carefully reaches for his knife. "You don't have to kill it!" I whisper. I slowly inch my way toward the clearly male wolf, for he just stands there unfrightened and calm. If I was a female wolf I would have been attacked or it would have ran or at least growled at me. But this wolf sits there as if he wants me to come to him.

    "Chepi get back here! Get away from it!" Eyota hisses. I ignore him and continue forward. For the first time the wolf looks me dead in the eyes. I stop, worried now that I should have listened to Eyota. The wolf slowly walks closer to me eyeing Eyota and his knife. We keep inching closer and closer until we are mere inches apart. I slowly raise my hand. He looks at it but dosn't move so I slowly get closer stopping whenever he looks. My Palm is centimeters away from it's head when it leans in and lets my hand touch it's head. After a few scratches behind it's snow colored ears he licks my palm and lays down with its head on my lap.