Closing The Circle

Mom had slipped out earlier and about 6:30 she came in and told us that she had called in and ordered Pizza since she felt that family time came before cooking tonight and that it was on the table when we were ready to eat.

While we were eating Angela said that she had gotten a room at the nearest hotel when she arrived in town last night. Mom told her if she would like that she could go and get her stuff and sleep in Mary Anne's room in the other bed if she wanted to. She agreed and after they finished eating her and Mary Anne went to get her things from the hotel.

After they left I said to my parents, "When Angela and I last saw each other we were getting pretty close and I was about to bring her home to meet you when she said she had to go to help take care of her family. I still feel that way about her but I don't like the idea of feeling that way now that I found out she is my sister."

My mother spoke up. "You have always thought things through so just take your time and do a lot of thinking about it but just remember this. She technically is your step-sister you just don't have the same father or mother so that means that if you really love one another that would not be considered incest. I think that she is a fine girl and if you two are truly in love then I would be proud to have her as a daughter in-law as well as a daughter."

My father nodded his agreement as he said. "I feel the same way as your mother does on this issue. I think that both of you will take your time and think long and hard on this. It may not be an easy decision on either of you but you both will have our backing either way that you decide. I also think that both of you ought to talk this over and put this issue aside until the initial shock of this subsides."

"Thanks, both of you." I said. "I'll wait until she brings up the issue before we even start discussing it."

After Mary Anne and Angela returned, Angela decided that she was done in and that she wanted to go ahead and go to bed. Mary Anne took her up to her room and helped get her settled in for the night. Then she came back downstairs and set down at the other end of the couch.

She said, "Brent, Angela and I were talking on the way back about you and her. She told me she still cares very deeply for you but she doesn't think that this is the time to bring it up. She wanted you to know how she felt and to get your reaction because she didn't want to be staying here if it put any kind of emotional strain on you."

"I know sis. I still feel the same way towards her. I told mom and dad how I felt about her and we all think it best at this time to just let the subject alone for now and when things settle down then if later on we feel the same way then we can have a serious discussion about it. I really don't know whether us being step-brother and step-sister is going to have any effect on it or not but that is the most important factor I can see at this point."

"Ok Brent I'll go tell her that. She didn't think she could bring up the subject right now but she also doesn't want to hurt you either so I volunteered to ask you about it. I'll go let her know so that she will have one less worry to deal with right now."

"Just tell her that I understand and I know that this is not the right time for us to even think about it for right now."

As Mary Anne got up off of the couch she leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and said. "I love you bro, you’re the best. Good night."

"Good night Mary Anne." I said.

The next few days were a drain on most everybody with Angela getting used to her new family and trying to get Mary Anne ready and packed for her trip to the dig site.

When Saturday rolled around she started wanting to call the trip off but Mom, dad, I and even Angela knew how important this would be to her schooling and ultimately towards her career. We all helped pack up her car and she left Sunday morning for the University where she was to meet with the rest of the group and take a bus from there.

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A month after my sister left dad took a week off of work and drove mom, Angela and I up to get some more of her things. We got to meet her sister Melissa and she let Angela know that her father was getting over the hurt a little at a time and was starting to miss having her around. About the time we started to leave her father came in and Angela went over and gave him a hug and started to introduce us. You could see the hurt come back into his eyes when she introduced him to my father.

When I shook his hand I asked if I could talk to him alone for a few minutes and he nodded his head and pointed towards the kitchen.

When we got into the kitchen I said. "Mister Morgan, I pretty well understand how you feel. When I was just six I found out that my father was not my real father and it was a pretty hard blow for me then. I was young when I found out so that made it easier for me to adjust to the circumstances. Just seeing what my stepfather is going thru is just a part of what you must be going thru. All I know is that girl in there loves you a lot, at this stage even more than she loves her own father at the moment. You see I never knew my father he was killed in a traffic accident on his and my mothers honeymoon. I grew up with that man in there and I know he just wants the best for her. If it means coming back here to live he will give his right arm to see that she does. I think that she has the better deal because she now has two fathers and was able to grow up knowing her mother."

He shook my hand again and said. "I know it's not Angela's fault and it seems like I took a lot out on her after I found out but I was so mad at her mother I started to take it out on her. In fact I was just about to apologize to her before you asked to talk to me."

"Mr. Morgan there is something else you should know before we go back in there."

"What is it son?"

"I don't know how much she told you about college but her and my sister were in one of the same classes and my sister introduced her to me. We started to get pretty serious before she had to come back home. Her and I have agreed to postpone that part of our relationship until both of us are able to search within our selves about the step-brother and step-sister issue."

"You were the boy she said she was falling in love with?"

"Yes Sir."

"Well I see at least you do have a pretty good head on your shoulders and since you and her have put that on the back burner for now I won't mention it to her. I'll let her bring it up when the time is right."

"Thank you sir."

When we walked back in the room he went over and put his arms around Angela, then he said. "Baby I'm sorry if I took things out on you but I was so hurt at the time that I just started lashing out at you. Can you forgive me?"

Angela looked up at him and said. "Yes Daddy I do. After finding out about Brent's father I actually feel lucky about having two fathers. James has told me that it was you who raised me and made me the person that I am and no matter what you will be my father also. In fact I just came to get a few more of my things so that I can spend the rest of the summer with them. Then by then we will both have things sorted out in our heads and be able to come to grips with our feelings."

"I know baby, that’s part of the reason why I thought that you should go ahead and go visit with them. All I ask is that you never forget me."

"Fat chance of that." She said "You know that you will always be part of my life just like Melissa will be. Just remember I am leaving the rest of my stuff here and that means I will be back."

He hugged her one more time then let her go and walked over to my mother and father and shook their hands, telling them. "I know you will but take good care of my baby there please?"

They told him that they would and then Dad said. "Well kids we had better get rolling if we plan to make Oklahoma City by dark."

We left Mr. Morgan and a crying Melissa in the driveway as we left.

When we got back home we had a message on the machine from my grandfather. He wanted Mary Anne, and I to come up and see him. I called him back and told him that Mary Anne was on a trip to a dig site and when she got back we would come up to see him. Mom then got on the phone and explained about Angela. He then told my mother that all of us were to come up, Angela, her father and sister needed to be there too and also he wanted mothers parents there but would not explain why. We all thought that sounded strange but he had always done some things different from most other people.

Angela called her fathers office and relayed the message to him and he agreed to come down to Lawton to meet us. Just let him know when and where to meet.

Mary Anne got back on the following Wednesday and Angela called her father and set up the time to meet us on the northeast corner of junction 62 and 115 at noon on Saturday.

I then called my grandfather and let him know that all of us would be there Saturday afternoon.

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We all met at 12:10 that Saturday. Angela and I finished the ride up to my grandfather's place with her father.

When we arrived my great aunt Bernice came out to greet us. Telling us that my grandfather was out back putting the finishing touches to the Ceremonial Circle and that we should come on in the house. After she lead us in to the living room Mary Anne and her went back into the kitchen to finish up supper. We hadn't hardly gotten seated my grandfather came in and I introduced him to Angela, Mr. Morgan and Melissa he had already met my other grandparents. When he started to greet them they just gave him a dirty look but otherwise kept their greetings formal.

He sat down in his favorite chair and said. "I know you are wondering why I wanted all of you here but I'm not going to go into it much right now. Brent and Mary Anne both pretty well know the Circle Ceremony and they can fill you in on some of it but tonights is a special one that has been long in coming. Mr. and Mrs. Hastings whether you know it are not you are part of what ever happens tonight"

Mary Anne came back into the room and started to tell us that supper would be in about 15 minutes, and then she spotted grandfather and went over and kissed him on the cheek. She then sat down at his feet and started telling him of the site she had been on. She had to stop when aunt Bernice hollered that supper was on the table.

After supper grandfather cornered Angela and I then led us back to the bedrooms. He said, "Brent, I want you and Angela to put on Indian Ceremonial costumes tonight. Yours Angela is in here and Brent yours is in my bedroom."

"Why grandfather?" I asked.

"You will see later on. Angela Bernice will be here in a few minutes and show you the proper way to wear it."

Angela looked at me with a puzzled look and all I could do was shrug my shoulders with just as puzzled look at her.

He then went on to say. "Brent you already know the way it goes. I am going to get the others out to the circle. Bernice will bring both of you out when it is time." He then turned and walked back to the living room.

About 30 minutes later Aunt Bernice knocked on the doors and told us that it was time for us to go out to the circle.

When I stepped out of the bedroom, there stood the most beautiful Indian Princes that I believe ever set foot on this earth. My heart started to beat a mile a minute. I was speechless all I could do was look at her.

When we got out to the circle grandfather was sitting in the center of the circle in full Indian Dress. Everybody else was sitting around the inside of the circle with two spaces left between Mom and Dad.

Aunt Bernice stopped us on the outside and told us to sit down and wait till grandfather was ready.

Grandfather started the ceremony in the usual way putting a small amount of gunpowder into the small fire in front of him. Then he began to speak.

"Many years ago there was a young warrior named Swift Buffalo and an Indian Princess named Blue Fox. They were very much in love. Swift Buffalo went out hunting the rare White Elk to give to Blue Fox to make her a beautiful wedding dress. While he was gone a band of Pawnee raided the camp and the Chief carried her off to be his woman. Blue Fox was so heartbroken that she would never see Swift Buffalo again that when they were riding next to a cliff she tried to throw herself off of the horse and over the cliff. When Swift Buffalo came back successful from his hunt and found that the Pawnee had taken her he jumped on his pony and started racing away in the direction they had taken. He followed every lead he could to find The Chief. After a year had passed he came back to the tribe and took a wife and later on had a son. In the Pawnee camp Blue Fox died in childbirth but the baby girl lived and was raised by the Pawnee Chiefs second wife. A few more years passed and he came upon the Pawnee Chief and challenged him to fight for the honor of Blue Fox. During the fight they were both mortally wounded and with his dying breath he swore that his decedents would not rest until the circle was closed." He stopped the story there and motioned Angela and I into circle to stand on either side of him.

Mary Anne and I had heard a similar story almost a hundred times, but this time the story was different. The look on everybody's face was in itself compassion on one hand but bewilderment on the other. I looked at Angela and she had a tear running down her cheek. I reached out and brushed it away with my fingertip.

Grandfather started speaking again. "That was over 200 hundred years ago but tonight I stand here with Morning Dove and Running Elk."

With those words Angela and I looked at each other and knew without a doubt that we were that boy and girl so long ago that shared a story at summer camp and realized how my grandfathers words about our lives being intertwined together was true. As we stared at each other with love in our eyes as grandfather started to speak again.

"As of tonight and with these two people that circle will once again be full. I knew of this moment years ago but as with so many lives there has to be many pitfalls and traps along the way." Turning to Mr. Morgan and said. "It was your wife that brought part of this together. She was the descendent of Blue Fox." He then turned to mother and told her, "Joan you are the descendent of Swift Buffalo thru your great-great grandmother."

He then turned and put Angela's hand in mine and smiled at both of us and said. "Tonight we have not only brought back together two sets of loves, that of Blue Fox and Swift Buffalo but also the love between Running Elk and Morning Dove. We have also helped to start healing two sets of families."

He then turned and looked my grandmother in the eye and continued. "I know how your feelings run Mrs. Hastings but if you will do a search of your family you will find that your great grandfathers first wife was full blood Arapaho. She was the granddaughter of Swift Buffalo. After she died in childbirth he married again and his second wife raised the girl as her own, in a white world."

He then looked at Mr. Morgan and continued. "Your wife was the descendent of Blue Fox. I do not know the different relations down the line but when I first met Angela at the summer camp when she was twelve I saw it. I already knew about Brent. They were both too young at the time to fully understand the implications of the situation. I had to let them grow up and develop their lives and ultimately their love. Your wife gave you two of the most precious gifts that anyone can give. She gave you Angela's and hers love. She tried to hide the pain of Angela's birth as long as she could to save you the grief and frustration that you have been feeling."

Turning back to Angela and I he went on. "Both of your lives down the line starting with Swift Buffalo and Blue Fox and from then on as led you to this point in your lives. As I said so many years ago at that summer camp your lives would be intertwined as of this day it will be up to both of you to untangle and straighten out all of the joys and pain that started so many years ago."

As he left the circle and walked over to mom and hugged her and told her. "I did not tell you about all of this because I did not know when or even that Angela and Brent would ever meet again before I died. You have done my son a great honor by reuniting a love that held out thru the centuries."

My mother hugged him back crying on his shoulder.

When my mother finally let him go he said to all of us. "I know it will take time and patience to heal all of the wounds that have occurred in your lifetimes but now you have a basis from which to work on, if for no other reason than for Angela's and Brent's happiness but I hope all of you will find the joy of finally coming to the fact that despite all of the heartache and pain you do love one another. I know it is late but if you want you can stay here and talk together around the circle. When you are ready for bed Brent and Mary Anne will show you to the cabins." He then left us and headed back towards the house.

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After my grandfather left Mary Anne came over to Angela and I and said. "I knew both of belonged together before I introduced you to each other. I just didn't know how special each of you were. I had always listened to grandfather's stories and had thought that was just what they were. But as I studied about American Indian Culture and after the way he was aware of all of the circumstances involved I have more understanding just how much an Indian Medicine Man is so aware of people and their surroundings."

Angela's Father stated that it seemed as a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart as he heard my grandfather so what he did about Angela's mother.

My grand parents never said a word except to each other and it looked like they might have been having a little argument between them. After a few minutes they asked Mary Anne to show them to there cabin. The rest of us spent a good bit of the night talking and there was some joyful crying. It was late before everyone got in bed.

Angela and I being the last ones. When I kissed her goodnight she said. "Brent, I have been in love with you since that night at summer camp when we were twelve and I didn't realize it until tonight. I never want to lose you again."

"I love you too Angela, if I have anything to say about it we will never be apart again." And we kissed again.

When everyone got up and moving the next morning my grandfather told me that my grandparents left early that morning without saying a word to anybody.

After breakfast we all had to say our goodbyes. With grandfather making everybody promise they would be welcome anytime. He told Angela and I that he expected us to come and visit often hinting about great grandchildren in the process.

Angela's father made all of my family promise to come up and see him and Melissa as soon as we could, since she would be going to college there in Tulsa and living at home.

We all made them both promise to come and see us also. Angela and I would be going back with my parents so that we could start our wedding plans.

On the way back in the car Mary Anne told Angela that she was free to use her room until we got married but mom and dad didn't like the idea of us living in so close of an environment until we married. Angela said that she would get an apartment but I told her that since she didn't have a job as of yet that I would get the apartment and she could move into my old room. Mom and dad liked that idea because it would let them get to know Angela better. In the meantime Angela could still use Mary Anne's room until I moved out.

Over the next few months I moved into an apartment and Angela moved into my old room. Angela and my mother basically took over the wedding plans. We set the date for the wedding for next July that way Mary Anne and Melissa would be out of school.