Buffalo Mesa Mummy

Chapter 28

Maria played a hundred questions with Amy and they learned much about her. Amy was a pretty good surfer and she had a mountain bike just like Marias. She was the same age and like them she was going to be a senior next year. Amy was taking a couple of classes at the junior college during the following summer and would be coming out for the spring semester the next year. She would be starting the same time the three Shik’is were.

“Miss Anna said you were the head photographer for the yearbook at your school.” Peter interjected.

“The yearbook and the school paper too. She even has freelanced for the Charleston News and Courier, the main paper for the Charleston area.” Miss Anna bragged.

“Auntie Ann, you are so bad. I just enjoy taking pictures and they happened to need someone at school to take them.” Amy protested.

“Well”, the woman laughed, “What good is it having a wonderfully talented grand niece if you can’t brag on her. Right Charlie?”

Charlie, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the southern girl since they had sat down, snapped back into the conversation and stammered, “What? I mean yea. I…”

“Hey, I didn’t know Indians could blush.” Peter laughed at his friend’s discomfort.

“It’s the Irish blood.” Maria said with a grin.

Charlie was glad that Maria’s statement turned Amy to asking her own questions. Although she did smile quite warmly at Charlie and he thought she looked at him several times during the conversation. 

Amy wanted to know all about Marias Kinaalda; every little detail. She leaned forward, listening intently.

“I would have loved to come to that. That is just about the neatest thing I ever heard about. Would they have let me take pictures?” Amy asked.

“Sure. There are lots of photos on the tribal website.” Maria said.

Amy wanted to see the pictures so she ran to her bedroom for her laptop. Maria logged on to the site and Amy spent a long time looking at each picture. She said Maria was the prettiest girl there and she loved the outfit her aunt had made for her.

Turning to Charlie Amy asked, “Is there a ceremony for the male Rite of Passage?”

“Not really, for the Navajo anyway, unless you plan to be a Shaman; that is another name for medicine man. With the Apache there is sometimes this ceremony where you go out into the desert by yourself for a couple days and wait for a vision of some kind.” Charlie explained.

“In the old days the boy became a man when he proved himself brave and an able warrior.” Maria added.

“Charlie is like the most able warrior you could find,” Peter injected, “He never misses with a bow or knife. He can live off the land with no problem, and he was the state champion for his weight division in wrestling last year.”

Charlie blushed again and began telling the story of Peter risking his life to save the eagle and how Maria how nearly beaten Chuck up for shooting Peter. Amy was nearly rolling on the floor with laughter as she listened to the story, especially the part about how the incident ended up being told and retold at school.

After a while Miss Anna said she was ready for bed and left them with hugs all around. Amy and Maria cleaned away the plates and containers while Peter and Charlie took Miss Anna’s dog for a walk. Amy wanted to see the website they had set up for The Lost City and when the boys returned they all gathered around the kitchen table.

First, Amy saw a slide show of the pictures they had taken of The Town, the hidden room, and the tunnel. Amy was fascinated by all of it and asked dozens of questions. More than once she said she wished she had been with them.