Drumbeats Within His Soul

She was happy and relieved when he called that afternoon. She was nervous and jumpy the entire day waiting for it. He was constantly on her mind after he left and she found it difficult to concentrate when she graded her student's papers later in the evening. She tried not to worry, but she secretly hoped he would call her before she went to bed. And she was sadly disappointed when he didn't.

Melanie sighed as she sat on the couch. Looking back at her feelings when it got later and later without the call, she knew she was kidding herself. This wasn't just about liking someone and caring for him. She was falling for him. It was as simple as that. When the realization hit her, she sat back and laughed lightly. "Well," she giggled, "it finally happened."

For the next hour, she argued within herself about her feelings, trying to persuade herself she couldn't be in love with him that soon. Melanie questioned herself about every aspect of their relationship thus far. Normally, she felt she was a cautious, level-headed person; one who didn't get caught up in fairy tale, romantic nonsense. She certainly wasn't looking for romance when he appeared at her door, nor was it love at first sight for her. He was nice looking, certainly, and his features pleased her, but he wasn't someone who made her jaw drop and salivate. But, he grew on her quickly nonetheless and no matter how hard she tried to rationalize against her innermost feelings, it was plain to see she was losing the battle and she knew it was useless to fight it. Melanie would now embrace it, welcome it, and ride it out for however long it would last. And she hoped it would last for a few more centuries.

A funny thing happened on the way to the superintendent's office, thought Dan as he drove away from the school. His first two days had gone well. His classes were pretty close to where they should have been and the students were actually pretty well behaved and attentive. He turned in his resignation to the principal that Monday morning along with a copy for the superintendent and the board. It went without fanfare and he didn't tell any of his faculty friends. When the principal called him Tuesday afternoon to tell him the superintendent wanted to see him, he was mildly surprised. He wasn't expecting a meeting and figured his resignation would be accepted and he would be notified of that.

Once at the board of education, he found Dr. Nichols' office easily. He had been there before. Dr. John Nichols was an imposing man whose education and background dwarfed many learned persons. He was fully six and a half feet tall and close to three hundred pounds. His deep, thundering bass voice scared most people and that was when he was being pleasant. Dan's only previous dealings with him was during the parking lot mess and it was not a pleasant experience for him.

"Come in, Dan," he commanded when Dan appeared at his door. Dan came in quietly and sat down in a chair in front of Nichols' desk.

"What is this?" he asked, pushing a copy of the resignation towards him.

"My resignation," Dan answered politely.

"I can see that, Dan," Nichols said impatiently. "Why are you resigning?"

"I received a better offer."

"Where, may I ask."

"Midwest City, Oklahoma."

"Did they offer you more money?"

"No, in fact, they're offering me about half of what I'm making here," he replied.

"How is that a better offer? Forgive me, math wasn't one of my best subjects, but how did you receive a better offer when you'll receive half the salary?" Nichols sat back in his plush leather chair, his fingers tapping on the desk in front of him.

"It's called peace of mind. I haven't had much of that around here lately."

"Peace of mind? At least we let you keep your job," he said, alluding to his suspension.

"How gracious of you," Dan said sarcastically. He didn't know where this was heading, but he was tiring of it. "A three day suspension for protecting myself and dozens of students was very gratifying. Thank you so much."

"If you hate it here so much, why don't you quit today?" Nichols asked, his voice becoming more threatening. Dan refused to be goaded into quitting at that time. If he quit, he would be ineligible for unemployment benefits during the final weeks of the school term.

"No, thank you. I believe I'll continue until the end of the school year, as stated in the letter." Dan sat back and smiled.

Nichols smiled malevolently and opened a folder in front of him. "Your performance has slipped since your unfortunate incident, Dan."

"I still received good marks," Dan replied.

"Did Midwest City see your evaluations?"

"No."

"Do they know about your suspension?"

"Yes, they do. In fact, they were very sympathetic and couldn't understand how it could happen."

"Why don't you just quit now and avoid the embarrassment of being fired?" he asked quietly.

"Fired? It seems like an awfully drastic measure to take against someone who merely wants to resign after the school year, don't you think?" Dan couldn't believe Nichols was that stupid.

"What would Midwest City think of their new teacher being fired for sub par performance?"

Dan laughed. Nichols seethed.

"You're an idiot," Dan said, still laughing, "if you think they give a damn about your worthless evaluations. They know what kind of teacher I am and they have my credentials. Nothing you can say or do will affect that." Dan shook his head, still laughing at the audacity of his boss.

"You leave me no choice, Dan," he said. "We've tried to help you and you've basically spit in our face. Your contract is terminated, effective immediately."

"For what? Resigning?" Dan's voice was starting to rise as his temper was growing. Usually, he was meek under these circumstances, but now he just didn't care.

"For insubordination." He pushed the termination papers to Dan and he snatched them without looking.

"For calling you an idiot? You are unbelievable! I'm sorry if you can't handle someone disagreeing with you, but I feel sorry for this school system and the other teachers if you continue to be in charge. You're nothing but an egotistical lunatic who can't stand the thought of being disagreed with. Thank you for firing me. I will enjoy the next month collecting unemployment at your expense." Dan stood to leave.

"Good luck with getting any benefits, Dan. After I'm through with my report, you won't get a penny!" Nichols smiled sweetly, but showed no warmth.

It was Dan's turn to smile. He had taken precautions because he had a feeling things could turn ugly. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small tape recorder. "You can write anything you want, Nichols," Dan said coldly, "but I have the truth right in here." He pointed to the recorder and to the termination papers. He then turned and left without looking back.

Dan closed the door behind him softly. Trembling and a bit scared, he walked away from the office and to his car. As he sat in his car, he thought about his immediate future. His rent was paid through May even though there was a few days left in April. Financially, he was in sound shape and on solid ground. His savings account was healthy enough to cover his expenses for the next few months, with or without unemployment compensation. If worse came to worse, he had some stock he could sell. He took out the paperwork given him by Nichols and read it thoroughly. He smiled. He was free and he could go back to Oklahoma whenever his affairs were in order. He estimated it would take him at least two or three weeks to take care of everything before he could begin his move. His heartbeat quickened as the drumbeats within his soul began to roll. He was going home.

Blackhawk took his customary walk that Wednesday evening. He decided to go into the more rural regions to clear his mind and for a change of scenery. The sky was clear and star lit, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the trees lining his chosen path. He had not had any visions recently, but that was nothing unusual. Sometimes, he could go weeks without seeing anything. His thoughts moved to his people, as it always did. Things had been running smoothly throughout the reservation and Blackhawk thanked Meneto daily for His blessing. At the tribal council meeting the previous evening, his deputies had reported only minor problems and the citizens had very few complaints. His announcement of Dan's pending employment was well received and he was pleased. He wished it was always this peaceful.

With his walking stick to help him, Blackhawk continued his slow, methodical pace deep in thought. Soon, his mind was open and free and he put himself in a light trance, still conscious about his surroundings. Nothing appeared for a few minutes and Blackhawk thought it would be another empty night. He began to bring himself back when a hazy picture began to appear before him. Surprised, he allowed the image to come to him. A few minutes later, it was finished and Blackhawk stopped walking. Looking up at the sky, tears fell from his eyes as he sighed. "She will be happy," he said softly before he turned and began his journey home.

She dreamed of Dan that night, her first ever of him. Melanie was having a rough time with him being gone. She never thought it would be this hard on her. Her body ached to hold him and to be held and her lips needed his soft kiss. She foolishly wondered if others had felt this way when their loved one was away. When he didn't call for a few days, Melanie was tempted to call him, but she let the temptation glide past. She knew he was busy and she didn't want him to think of her as a needy, immature woman who had to be in touch with him constantly. Damn, she missed him!

Maybe that was why her first dream of him was of them making love to each other. She could feel each kiss, every tingle from his touch, and every thrust as she accepted him inside her own quivering flesh. The dream ended quickly, offering her only a brief glimpse of what could be.

Melanie woke from it, sad from it's sudden ending and finding her own hand between her labia, stroking herself tenderly and wishing it was his hand instead of her own. Her climax came quickly as her thoughts were of him, but it was wholly unsatisfying. She wanted Dan inside her, not her fingers. She didn't want a dream. She wanted him in the flesh, in front of her, next to her, and joined with her. She wanted him. And because of that, she cried herself into an uneasy sleep.

Dan was nervous when he called her Thursday afternoon. He wanted to come out and visit, but he didn't want to tell her. He planned to go to bed after their phone call and wake around midnight to begin his trip. Hopefully, he would arrive in time to see some of the children before school let out. And he didn't want to tell her about the firing until he got there. He only hoped he could keep it a secret and not let on.

He had thought a lot about her and was excited to be on the verge of seeing her again. He didn't know how he would have lasted those four extra weeks. He wished he could say he was in love with her, but he needed more time with her. Maybe visiting her would give him a better idea of his truest feelings.

"I miss you," she said as a greeting, having checked the caller ID. Her heart leapt with joy when she saw his number appear.

"I miss you, too," he replied, loving the sound of her voice, one of the few friendly voices he had heard in the past few days. "How are you?"

"I've been better," she sighed, trying not to get emotional. That's one thing he doesn't need, she cautioned herself. "The kids have been pretty good and Autumn got her glasses yesterday. She's so excited. She wanted to move back to her old seat so she could prove that she could see the blackboard from there. You're so wonderful to do that for her."

"It was my pleasure. I can't wait to see her so she can show me them." Dan checked his thoughts.

"What about me?" Melanie pouted.

"You know you're the first person I'm looking for when I get out there," he said. "I can't wait to see you."

"Me too," she said. Melanie was quiet for a second. "How did your week go so far?"

"Monday and Tuesday went pretty well," he said truthfully. "Yesterday and today have been alright." He had spent Wednesday morning cleaning out his desk and saying good-bye to his colleagues. That day, he had just bummed around his apartment and began to get rid of things he knew he wouldn't be taking with him to Oklahoma. He didn't even know where he was going to live once he settled there. Perhaps he would be able to talk to Blackhawk about it.

They talked for almost an hour this time and neither wanted to end the conversation. He was so happy to hear her voice, to really listen to her and take in the magic of the pleasure it gave him. He never fully appreciated his wife when they were together, never took the time to really know her and find out what made her tick. He was truly sorry for that and he didn't want to make the same mistake again.

"I do love you, Dan," she said just before they were to hang up.

"I know you do. I can feel it in your voice. I love you, too."

"I know. I love hearing you say it." Melanie fought back tears.

"It won't be too long before I'm back," he said, smiling at the other end. "It'll go by quickly. I promise."

"I hope so..."

Dan felt fresh and alive when he began to drive that evening. He woke up before his alarm went off, so he started a little earlier than planned. If he was lucky and the traffic wasn't too bad, he thought he could get there before noon. Every three hours, he took a ten or fifteen minute break to rest and stretch his legs.

He didn't start to feel tired until around seven o'clock. His rest stops became more frequent, but he pushed through his tiredness and arrived at the reservation around eleven-fifteen.

Snow Wolf greeted him warmly when he saw who it was. "It's good to see you back so soon again. Blackhawk left a note last night saying you might be coming this weekend."

"That's funny," Dan said, "I didn't tell anyone I was coming. How did Blackhawk know?"

"How does he know about other things, too?" Snow Wolf asked in reply. "He's just Blackhawk and he has a way of knowing, that's all. It's no use trying to think about it or rationalize it. You'll only get a headache from it," he laughed. "He said for you to go to the lodge and he'll have a room ready for you."

"Thanks," Dan said before he left Snow Wolf and began his short drive to the lodge. He parked in front of the lodge and got out, debating whether or not to put his things away or go to the school and see Melanie. Suspecting the children in Melanie's class would be at lunch, he decided to go to her room on the chance she might be alone.

He walked down the hall of the school and noticed that some of the classrooms were empty. When he arrived at Melanie's room, it was deserted too. There was no sign of her. Disappointed, he figured she was with the children during their lunch time, so he decided to leave, get situated at the lodge, and then come back around noon or twelve-thirty.

Melanie rounded the corner coming from the teacher's lounge. It had been a pretty good morning for her, although her mind wandered occasionally to their phone conversation the previous afternoon. It had been so good to hear his voice and she really hated it when it ended. She looked up as she neared her room and saw the familiar figure of Dan perhaps forty feet in front of her. She blinked once, twice, not believing her eyes.

"Dan?" she said. Dan continued to walk, not hearing her. Melanie hurried forward a few steps. "Dan!" she said more forcefully. Dan heard her voice calling her name as his heart skipped a beat at hearing her again. He stopped and spun around quickly, smiling at her as he did.

Melanie squealed something unintelligible and hurried to him, throwing her arms around him and hugged him deliriously. She somehow managed not to kiss him, although she desperately wanted to. It just wasn't the right place.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you home? When did you get here?" The questions came flying out before Dan could even answer. She hugged him again. "I don't care. You're here and that's all that counts."

They walked back to her classroom and they sat at her desk. "The kids will be back pretty soon," she said. "Would you like to stay?"

Dan shook his head. "I'd like to, but I'm really tired and I need some sleep. I'll stop by Monday."

"Monday?" she asked. "Why are you staying until Monday? Dan, what's wrong? What's going on?" Her brown doe eyes frantically searched his face for answers.

Dan put his hand on hers. "Melanie, I swear to God, nothing is wrong. Stop by the lodge after school's out and I'll tell you everything. Nothing is wrong. Believe me."

"You're sure?" she asked, not totally convinced.

Dan kissed her forehead lightly. "I'm sure."

"Okay," she said, still searching his face for clues. "It's so good to see you, Dan. I really missed you." Melanie glanced in the opposite direction to the sounds of the hallway coming alive with students coming back from their lunch break. "I better let you go," she said, her hand upon his shoulder. "What room are in?"

"I don't know," he replied, "I haven't checked in yet. I wanted to see you first."

Melanie smiled. "You're too sweet. I'll stop by after school. Get some rest and you can come over to my house for supper."

"I'd like that," he said as he held her hand for a moment. "I guess I'll see you in a little bit." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before he left her room.

A soft knock woke him just after his head hit the pillow, or so it seemed. He checked his watch and it was three-fifteen. He slowly shuffled to the door and opened it. A smiling Melanie wordlessly stepped into the room, dropped her briefcase on the floor, and closed the door behind her. She moved forward, placed her arms around his neck and pulled his face to hers. "I missed you so much," she whispered before she kissed him.

Dan didn't know how long they kissed by the door. Time stood still for him at that moment as his entire being was focused on the woman in his arms. He felt every sensation her kisses gave him. He took in every feature of her face. He breathed in her scent and her soft, delicate fragrance would be etched forever in his mind. Her kisses were soft and exquisite like a whisper in the wind and he didn't want her to stop. He wanted it to last forever and ever.....

.....as Three Feathers moved away from him. She smiled and reached down to the bottom of her dress. Swiftly, she pulled it up and over her head, revealing her tan, naked body to him. She shook her head and her once tousled hair smoothed to a black river of silk once more. Black Water marveled at her features, checking her from her lovely face to her small, round breasts. His eyes traveled to the twisted tangles of coarse raven hair that covered her pubic area and then to her shapely legs. He smiled his approval as he never got tired of seeing her naked.....

Melanie stopped kissing Dan when she couldn't feel any response coming from him. Perturbed at first, she saw the blank stare in his eyes and understood immediately. She held his hand and patiently waited for him to come back to her.

It was but a few seconds later when he returned, blinking and slightly confused. The first sight he saw was Melanie staring at him with a concerned looked on her face. Dan smiled sheepishly and hoped she didn't notice his erection.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah...I'm fine...a little tired. Was I out long?" Dan began to rub his temples with his fingers.

"No, not really. You weren't kissing me back and I thought I was losing my touch," she laughed softly.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's okay. What was it about this time?"