FAITH
FAITH (after an idea by Nesciri)
Jimmy was amazed. Kid always had a straight head on his shoulders. That was the problem with him sometimes. He was so predictable it was almost boring. The only thing he was unpredictable about was his relationship with Lou. Now, he's saying he believes in curses and bad luck.
"When I was a kid in Virginia, there was an
old lady who said she could tell fortunes and predict the future. Everyone thought
she was completely crazy until this guy decided to have some fun with her. He
killed a few chickens and left them on her doorstep. She walked right into church
and pointed at him and cursed him down right there in front of everyone. After
that, he was always saying he heard voices talking to him and little lost children
calling for him. He tried to organize search parties and told people that there
were lost babies in the woods. He spent all his time wandering in the mountains
looking for the voices until those same voices drove him insane. One year later,
he killed himself by throwing himself down his well. Some folks said it was
just a mountain lion he was hearing but others were convinced it was the devil.
Either way, it started with her curse."
Kid looked around the table to see what affect his
story had on everyone. No one knew whether to take Kid seriously or not. Rachel
had come to stand by the table holding a coffee pot in her hand. Cody realized
his mouth was hanging open and he quickly closed it. Jimmy stared at the Kid
before he looked down at his empty plate. Kid was pleased to see that even Teaspoon
looked slightly bewildered by the tale.
Kid broke into a grin and laughed. "I had you
all going, didn't I?"
Everyone let out a small breathe and laughed. Lou
punched Kid in the arm before he put his arm around her.
"Well, we sure are having our share of trouble
around here, but I really wouldn't worry about a little pile of sticks."
"Teaspoon's right. It's all just nonsense.
It's someone trying to scare us. Heck, I've survived twice." Cody said
with an air of supremacy about him. "Hey, I'd like some more pie. Buck
are you gonna eat yours?" Cody was already reaching for Buck's plate that
still had his uneaten piece of pie on it. He looked up when he realized Buck
was no longer sitting on the table. "Buck?"
All heads turned now to see Buck backed up against
the wall farthest from the table clutching the medicine pouch that hung around
his neck. Everyone had been too preoccupied with talk of voodoo dolls and delusional
mountain men to notice Buck's reaction to the bundle. When Buck saw Kid walk
in with the bundle, he made a hasty retreat from the table and took five steps
backwards toward the far end of the bunkhouse. When he felt the rough wood on
his back, he pressed himself up against the wall bracing his body with his feet.
"You shouldn't have touched it, Kid."
Buck's voice came out as a hoarse whisper and it was hard to understand him.
"What?"
"You shouldn't have touched it." Buck's
voice was louder now.
"Why not?"
"It's evil. Worse than that. It's death."
"Good Lord, Buck, what are you talking about?"
Jimmy glared at Buck while shaking his head. It was hard to get used to Buck
sometimes. He was so sensitive about his Indian background that you had to be
careful what you said around him. That didn't really bother Jimmy so much though.
They all had things about their pasts they would rather keep to themselves.
It was only when Buck started sprouting off some strange Indian gibberish that
he got under Jimmy's skin. It was as if he would pull this stuff out of his
hat at the oddest moments. Sometimes it wasn't even particularly helpful information.
"The bundle. It foretells bad and evil things.
Kid, you shouldn't have touched it," Buck repeated for a third time.
"You've said that, Buck. What does it mean?"
Jimmy tried again.
Buck licked his lips and said, "Someone wants
us cursed. See, there are six sticks for six of us. There are six feathers too.
The blood means death. You touched it Kid. You'll be the first."
Everyone was now staring at Buck. There was a little
sparkle now in Jimmy's eyes and Cody smiled openly at Buck's dire predictions.
"The first to what? Am I going to grow feathers
like this?" Kid pointed at the bundle on the table. Everyone chuckled now
and Kid felt immensely better. Whoever had been pulling these pranks sure couldn't
be too dangerous if they were using corny Indian sign and Voodoo dolls to make
their point.
"It's a serious matter. Kid, you need to try
to appease the spirits. You need to hurry. It might not be too late. I can take
you somewhere…"
"Hold on, Buck," Kid cut him off. "It
gonna be OK. It's just someone trying to play games with us. They probably know
you're Kiowa and are trying to get you scared. Think about it. Most everyone
here has had something happen to them in the last week or so. It's just your
turn."
"I don't think so. It looks real to me,"
Buck shook his head as if trying to shake off something else as well.
"Buck, Kid's right. If the Kiowa were trying to hurt us or even worse, they sure as hell wouldn't be this subtle about it," Teaspoon said holding up his hand when Buck started to protest. "The Kiowa have their ways, Buck, but so do we. We're not going to go off half-cocked because someone is playing a few tricks on us. But, from now on, everyone's going to be extra careful when they're out on a run. This isn't some ghost or spirit that's out to get us. It's just someone having a little more fun than they should be."
