Montana Summer Ch. 14

Jessi relayed the messages from Becky's mom and brother. She reached down and picked up a small backpack. "Here's the stuff you wanted."

They sat and chatted back and forth until the nurses came with a gurney to take her for surgery. As they wheeled Becky out, she looked up at Jessi with a faraway look in her eyes. The medication the surgeon had prescribed to relax her had taken effect. "You know that you are like my sister, and I love you."

Jessi squeezed Becky's hand. "And I love you too, Becky. "

It was just after midnight when the surgeon sat down in the chair in the waiting area and tapped Jessi on the shoulder and woke her up. "We're all done. There were no surprises and she will be just fine. I will be in about nine to see how she is doing. I fully expect that she will be ready to go home."

"Thanks." Jessi yawned.

"You will be able to see her in little bit. The nurse will come and get you."

Jessi nodded. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

After Becky was wheeled back to her room, Lisa called an orderly and had him bring a cot in and set it up in Becky's room. "You just lie down and get some sleep. Becky is going to be asleep most of the night anyway."

As she was doing her rounds, Lisa peeked into the room at the two sleeping girls. She was reminded of her best friend when they were growing up. A tear appeared in the corner of her eye as she whispered their pledge, "Friends to the ends." A drunk driver had cut her friend's life short.

---

Norm checked all of his gear. All was ready. He only had to wait for Vincenzo to pick him up at the office that he and Hank had rented. He had been caught totally off guard when Vincenzo told him that they were going to travel to Montana in a RV. It would take them a few days to get to Montana, and it would give Vincenzo a chance to take some photos along the way to establish their cover of doing a shoot for a travel magazine.

"Watch yourself," Hank had warned. "Don't trust that guy as far as you can throw him. His boss may be charming to talk with, but he is as ruthless as they come."

Hank's warning had made Norm feel uneasy. He had already suspected as much, but had tried to ignore his suspicions.

"Take this." Hank had given Norm a small automatic pistol. "And don't let on that you have it."

Norm took the weapon and studied it.

"Just pull back on the slide. That will put a round in the chamber. Then just pull the trigger."

Norm felt for the weapon in his pocket. He had to admit that the cold steel of the automatic in the palm of his hand gave him a sense of security. He just hoped that he would never have to use it.

He was still holding the gun when he saw Vincenzo drive around the corner. The RV pulled up to the roll up door and Vincenzo emerged from the vehicle.

"Are you ready to go?"

Norm nodded and pointed to where his luggage and gear was stacked. "Yes, just show me where to stow this stuff."

---

All had gone well. Becky had gone home the next morning as the surgeon had predicted. She had been sore for a few days but with each passing day there was significant improvement. Life soon fell into a routine with going to school and doing homework.

Josh had called Becky everyday and had even come over to the apartment to see her a few times.

"Saturday night is the Annual Firemen's Ball and I was hoping that you might like to go with me." Josh had finally worked enough nerve up to ask Becky out.

Jessi had to go into the kitchen. She didn't want to laugh. She thought poor Josh looked like a scared rabbit.

"I could find a date for Jessi, too." He added this hoping that the prospect of having someone for Jessi would make her agree.

"I don't think Jessi is interested in meeting anyone," Beck replied.

Josh looked crestfallen. He saw his hopes of a date going up in flames. He cursed himself for his stupidity. He should have waited a bit longer before asking her out.

Becky continued, "She has a guy back home. I'd love to go with you, though."

It's funny how one moment a person can feel disappointment and in the next feel joy. That's what happened to Josh. "Well, Jessi can still come with us, that is, if she wants to."

Jessi had heard the conversation through the kitchen door and at that moment she missed Ryan more than she thought possible.

---

Charlie stood and stared at the picture that Ryan had called him about. The resemblance between Ryan and the man in the picture was nothing short of amazing. He had stared at Runs With Elk and tried to memorize every detail of the man. He reminded Charlie of his grandfather, especially the eyes. It wasn't the look of a defeated man that stood there. The eyes seem to burn with pride, with who and what he was.

"Tokala," Charlie whispered. "Look at the wristbands."

Ryan studied what Charlie had pointed out.

"He must have been a man of bravery and honor to belong to the Kit Fox Society." Charlie marveled at the detail present.

"I remember him from the dream. From what I remember, I think he was highly regarded. There was great strength in him." Ryan thought for a moment. "Do you think he became chief after Spotted Owl?"

Charlie shook his head. "I don't know. There were no written accounts kept, just stories passed down from one generation to the next."

"I wonder if there will be something in the diaries about Runs With Elk?" Ryan wondered out loud.

"I didn't think about that," Charlie answered. "I would very much like to read those, if you wouldn't mind."

"Aunt Suzanne has been talking to that fellow from local historical society. He suggested that we make copies of the diaries so that the originals are preserved. I'll ask her to make a copy of them for you."

"I would like that." Charlie was looking forward to reading the accounts of the past that were written by people that were actually there. "If I could, I would like to get a copy of this picture, too."

"I'll tell Aunt Suzanne that you want a copy."

"I would like to talk to you a bit tonight about the Hunka Lowanpi," Charlie spoke as they sat down.

"Hunka means ancestor. Once you become Hunka you are related to all other Hunka.. If another Hunka is hungry, you will take the food from your mouth and give it to him, even if it means that you will go hungry. If he has no moccasins for his feet, you would give him yours, even if it meant that you would go barefoot. If he is cold, you will give him your coat, even if it leaves you with nothing to wear." Charlie paused. "If your brother needs help, you will do everything in your power to help him. In the old days, Hunka would not steal horses or women from other Hunka even if they were from another tribe."

As Charlie spoke, Ryan could recall bits and pieces from his dreams. He knew that in his dreams he had been familiar with the Hunka practices.

"We are going to give you a Lakota name. Ihanbla Mato

"Dreamer of Bears?" Ryan liked the name. "That seems appropriate."

"I thought so. It came to me in a dream. I heard the name and I didn't recognize it at first. Then I saw you riding Mato and I knew the name was yours."

Ryan nodded. He knew what it was like to be astride Mato and to feel the power and strength of the great bear.

"You talked about wanting to see where the old Lakota camp was. I was thinking about us going up there in a couple of weeks. One of the things you will need to do before the ceremony is to seek a vision. I thought that would be a good place for you, as you have been there in your dreams."

Ryan wondered if he would recognize the place from his dreams. He felt drawn there. Something almost magical had happened there. The world of his ancestors and the world of the man sitting next to him had come together and had forged a bond that transcended cultural, racial, and generational bounds.

"As the Hunka, you will be expected to provide a feast for the people, and you will be expected to give gifts," Charlie explained.

Ryan nodded his understanding. "I've talked to Uncle Bill about that and we are going to donate a whole beef for the feast." Ryan stood up. "I'll be right back. I have your gift already."

"I want you to have this." Ryan spoke quietly after he had returned. "I found this at the bottom of the trunk and didn't say anything. As soon as I saw it, I knew what it was, and it is important to me that you accept this gift."

Ryan opened a leather pouch and removed a bear-claw necklace and handed it to Charlie. "If I'm not mistaken, this is the necklace that Spotted Owl gave to Will."

Tears formed in Charlie's eyes. His normally stoic face was overcome with emotion. It took him a few minutes to say anything. "I don't know what to say. I can't accept a gift like this. I have nothing to give you in return."

Ryan put his hand on Charlie's shoulder. "You have given me a gift already, a great gift. You have given me your friendship and your wisdom. Through you, I have become who I was meant to be."

Charlie listened to Ryan's words as he stared at the necklace in his hand and he looked up, his eyes still wet with emotion. "You are indeed wašicun waken. You may not be aware of it, but you are wise beyond your years."

---

"Hi, Becky." Stan's voice was warm.

Becky was glad to hear from her brother. "Hey Stan! It's good to hear from you. I apologize for not calling sooner, but things have been hectic around here."

"No problem," Stan replied. "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. How are you feeling?"

"Really good." Becky paused for a moment. At first she wasn't going to tell Stan, but Jessi had told her about her brief conversation with Stan.

"Stan." Becky closed her eyes. "It's important for me to tell you this. I really don't know why, but it is. I was pregnant. There was a problem. It was a tubal pregnancy and they took care of it."

Stan felt his hand holding the phone tremble. "Oh god, Becky..."

"You and Jessi are the only ones that know...well, other than the doctors," Becky went on. "I'm glad that I'm not pregnant, but I'm sad at the same time. I will always wonder what the baby would have looked like."

"I'm sorry that it happened. It's my entire fault." Stan was glad that Lindsey was out shopping. He wouldn't have wanted her to hear what he was saying.

"No, Stan," Becky replied. "I'm the one that started it. I don't know why. I had these fantasies and it was me that pushed you."

"I should have had the sense to just leave the room and walk away. The door was never locked." Stan sat down in a chair and put his hand to his head. "I should have known better. I should have been a better big brother to you."

Becky laughed softly. "Oh, Stan, you were always the best big brother a sister could want."

"Thanks, Becky. I appreciate that."

"I still have those fantasies, Stan, that's what scares me," Becky admitted. She hadn't even told Jessi. No matter what fantasy was in her head when she masturbated, it always ended up being thoughts of Stan that drove her over the edge. Although, the past couple of nights a certain cute fireman had replaced Stan in her fantasies.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't," Stan replied. "But, I think I know now that's where it's best kept, in fantasies." Stan didn't want to admit to Becky that more than once he and Lindsey had engaged where Lindsey was his little sister. Not Becky, but his imaginary little sister.

"Yes, I agree," Becky replied. "Hey, I met a guy here, and I really like him."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it." Stan was glad the subject had changed.

"Well, we are going on our first date on Saturday night. I'll let you know how it turns out."

"You had better." Stan laughed. "Well, I should get going. I've got a paper due that I need to write."

"Okay, Stan. Thanks for calling."

"You're welcome." Stan stopped for a moment. "I love you, and tell Jessi that I said hi."

"Bye, Stan, and I love you, too." After Becky hung up the phone she was glad that she had told him the truth.

---

Suzanne had read most of Ellen's diary over the past few days. She had called Mr. Higgins from the local historical society and told him of their find. He had been ecstatic to learn of their discovery. She had taken the books in for him to look at. His first advice was to copy the books to protect the originals.

She looked up as her husband walked into the room. "Bill, I want you to read something." She opened the diary to the first page. "This has been on my mind since I first read it."

Bill pulled his glasses from his shirt pocket and then sat down and began to read.

06/08/1890 My life here has become an intolerable purgatory. It matters not that the accusations made against my character have been proven false. I still wear the Scarlet Letter and find myself under increasing pressure to resign my position in both the school and my membership in the church. It seems to me that hypocrisy reigns supreme in these so called progressive times. What is worse is that my accuser remains unscathed. Mother has written to family in Montana and has heard back at last. Her cousin and her husband traveled to the Montana Territory ten years ago and have a small ranch outside of the town. There may be a chance for me to teach school in those parts.

09/22/1890 I find myself now in the wilds of Montana. The ranch is small, but cozy and the family has done everything to make me feel most comfortable and welcome. Cousin Will is a cowboy and looks quite dashing. He is quite friendly with the local Indians and can even converse with them in their own language. He chastises me when I use the word Indian and tells me that they are Lakota. I received quite a scare the first time that I met one of them. I was led to believe that they were a savage people with no morals. Through Will I have learned otherwise, and he has offered to take me to their village.

12/17/1890 It has been some time since I have taken the time to sit with pen in hand and write down my thoughts. I have become quite adjusted to life in the West. I am awestruck by the simple beauty of the land and of the people who make this place their home. I will only admit this to these pages, but I have found myself falling in love with my cousin. I know it is wrong and against the teachings of the Bible. He is not my full cousin, but a second or third cousin. I pray each night for guidance from God above, but my feelings for him only seem to get stronger.

01/02/1891 It's the dawning of a new year, and a new decade. This century is drawing rapidly to a close. Last night we went to a dance in the town to celebrate the New Year. It was bitterly cold and I had to bundle warmly in the wagon with Will as aunt and uncle drove us all to town. I had impure thoughts about Will as we rode into town and do not dare to write them down. I am scared of my feelings and thoughts more than ever now. Will kissed me at the stroke of midnight and admitted that he had feelings for me as well. How my heart raced!

02/12/1891 I know not whether to hang my head in deepest shame or to dance with joy. Will and I were caught in a most compromising position in the barn by my aunt a few days ago. She has demanded that the two of us be married.

Bill's jaw dropped. He looked up from the pages at his wife. "I had no idea. I'm—I'm—speechless."

"That's how I felt as well. As I read it, all I could think about was Jessi and Ryan and the similarities." Suzanne had been keeping this to herself for two days now.

"You're not going to give this to the historical society, are you?" Bill asked.

Suzanne shook her head. "No, I didn't tell him. I don't think it would be right. I may take passages from it at some time and allow them to be published, but not the whole diary."

"It's almost spooky when you think about it," Bill mused. "I don't put a lot of truck into things like destiny and such, but when it comes to Ryan, I really have to wonder."

Suzanne looked at the picture of Will and Ellen that she held in her hand. Thinking of Ryan and Jessi and looking at the picture made the past come alive.

---

"So Ryan is coming up next weekend?" Becky called from the bathroom as she applied her makeup.

Jessi had just finished doing up her bra and was trying to decide what top to wear. "Yes, he is. I'm so excited. It will be the first time in a long time that we will have some real time together."

Becky laughed as she examined herself in the mirror. "Are the two of you going to make it out of the bedroom?"

"I haven't decided yet," Jessi replied with a grin, then she added. "I hope not."

Jessi was excited because Ryan was coming up to spend next weekend with her. She had talked to the graduate student that taught her biology course and asked him how they would go about getting a DNA test done. The graduate student told her that he was doing a doing a paper on DNA for his doctoral thesis and would be happy to take samples from the both of them. She had explained what they were looking in the vaguest terms possible and he had reassured her that he would tell her the results. She had even enlisted Becky into the program on the spur of the moment.

"Well, how do I look?" Becky emerged in the doorway.

"Hot! Wanna stay home and fuck?" Jessi teased. "Seriously, you look great Becky."

Becky had decided to wear a short denim skirt with a black, lacy top. Jessi had finally decided on jeans and a white sweater.

The doorbell ran and Becky looked nervously at Jessi. "Do I look okay?"

Jessi grinned as she went to answer the door. "You look just fine. He wouldn't notice if you had pie on your face. Now, go hide in the bathroom and pretend like you aren't ready."

Jessi pushed Becky into the bathroom and closed the door.

"C'mon in." Jessi greeted Josh and let him in to the apartment. "Becky is just about ready." She laughed to herself. She had never seen two more nervous people. 'This is going to be a fun night,' she thought to herself.

As Josh, Becky and Jessi walked into the hall where the dance was being held, they were being observed by a young man standing at the bar sipping on a drink. Most girls would have called him good looking. He bore an uncanny resemblance to a popular young actor of a few years ago, it was a resemblance that he did all he could do to encourage and exploit. He noticed immediately that Jessi seemed not to have a date for the dance and he smiled.

"Oh, baby," he whispered softly as he ogled Jessi. "You're going to ride the baloney pony tonight."

He had done this many times in the past. He knew not to approach too quickly, instead followed them with his eyes and made note of where they sat. It was from experience that he had learned to let the quarry get seated and get comfortable before making his move.

'Would she come willingly?' He wondered. 'Or, would he have to resort to the little vial in his pocket?' Either way, he didn't care. Some nights he even preferred them a little drugged up. It gave him more opportunities to pursue some of his kinkier thrills.

---

"You going somewhere?" Bill asked as Ryan walked into the house.

Ryan had showered and changed into some clean clothes. "Yeah, I'm supposed to meet some people from school. We're going to a movie and then out for pizza after."

Suzanne smiled. "It will be good for you to get out."

"Yeah," Ryan replied. At first he didn't really want to go, but Jessi had talked him into it. "Just no messin' round with Laura Hannah," she had warned with a laugh.

Ryan had blushed as he had told her about the fantasy that he had masturbated to a few weeks earlier. "No, I don't see that happening."

Laura Hannah was glad to see Ryan show up and disappointed at the same time. She had made a date with Jim Oliver. While they weren't really dating, they had gone out a few times. A date with Jim usually entailed her giving him a hand-job in the theatre as he felt her tits up. This was usually followed by pizza and then more fooling around in the car and culminated by Laura giving him a blow-job.