Life after the Lottery Ch. 75

Amy and Samantha were brushing out their hair and getting ready. Linda and Rachel came down a little later.

Dawn didn't stop for several hours while the rest of us snacked. She had been cooking all day, and now things were in the oven to stay warm.

About 8:00, Dawn had me start the fire with a flint...as she required. It felt like the weather was going to be nice for her ceremony. I had also placed blankets on the ground around the fire for all of us to sit on. Once the fire was going, I finished by making sure everything was ready, then walked back to the house.

Dawn had the girls getting ready. They had been surprised when they saw the ceremonial white tunics that had been made for each of them. They all had ornate beadwork on them, and Dawn had blessed them. I got dressed in my white leathers while Samantha, Amy, Rachel, and Linda finished.

Once we were all ready, we walked down to the lake after 8:45.

The fire was roaring as we all sat while Dawn got ready. We watched as she faced the fire and chanted and tossed different things into it for a while. There was no moon tonight, and it was a very clear sky. When she finished, she turned and started with me by chanting and blessing me. Then she moved through the girls. Linda wasn't sure what to make of it as Dawn stood in front of her, blessing her, then Rachel.

"This ceremony is a very old one," Dawn said. "It is to bring forth the Spirits of the Old Ones and to bless us with good health and fertility."

"I am asking the Ancient Ones to bless us and be with us as we move forward and bring new life to us all and honor us by being part of the new lives."

Dawn turned and chanted at the fire for a while. She then opened a leather bag, pulled out some things, and held them up to the fire. She then spoke in Cherokee for a few minutes, then turned to us.

"Each of you will wear this stone this weekend. It will bring forth health and fertility."

Dawn walked to me and placed another small stone around my neck to go with the other one I had been wearing all month. Then she went to Samantha and Amy and placed one on them. She pulled two more from her bag, held them up, and chanted. When she finished, she placed one around Linda's neck and one around Rachel's neck.

Dawn retrieved two smoking bundles from her bag, moved to the fire, and lit them. She came to each of us and blessed us with them.

"All of you stand now," Dawn said.

We stood, and Dawn reached back into her bag and pulled something out. She came to me and spoke in Cherokee as she marked my face with paint. She did the same to Samantha and Amy, then moved to Linda and Rachel.

"You two are part of my family. Linda, you are of my bloodline. I ask you this now. Will you accept the blessing of the Ancient Ones and allow them to be a part of you and a part of our child?"

"Of course," Linda said.

Dawn spoke in Cherokee as she made several lines with the paint on Linda's face.

Dawn moved to Rachel.

"Rachel, you are part of my family, but you are not of my bloodline. You have been accepted into my family as if you were of our bloodline. It is an honor to have you in my family. I tell you this now. The Ancient Ones have allowed me to bless you as one of my family, as one of my tribe. It is a high honor. I ask you this now. As much as the Spirits allow, will you accept their blessing upon you and the new life you will bring forth?"

"Yes."

Dawn spoke and marked Rachel's face with the paint.

"I ask you this, will you honor me by allowing your child to be of my bloodline."

"Yes, of course."

"As the Cherokee way, you are now of my tribe. You have been adopted by my ancestors and me into the tribe. Thank you for accepting this honor."

Dawn turned back to the fire and held her hands up.

"Ancient Ones...I have done as you asked and told me to do to bless my family. Now I ask that you move within all of us. Bless us. Bless our future children. I ask that you fill us now with your Spirit and fill our children with your Spirit and blessings. Spirits...bless our union these following days and bring forth new life, full of love and new beginnings. In our children bring forth the blood of my ancestors."

Dawn stood and chanted for a few more minutes before she turned back to Linda and Rachel.

"Linda and Rachel, you have been blessed by the Ancient Ones as they told me to do. You honor me by accepting this blessing. You are now part of my tribe, part of my Cherokee family. Thank you. Be seated now."

Linda and Rachel sat, and Dawn walked to Amy.

"Amy, you are of my bloodline. You are of my tribe. You have been blessed by the Ancient Ones as they told me to do. You honor me by allowing this blessing. Thank you. Be seated now."

Dawn went to Samantha.

"Samantha, you are of my bloodline. You are of my tribe. You have been blessed by the Ancient Ones as they told me to do. You honor me by allowing this blessing. Thank you. Be seated now."

Dawn came to me.

"Husband...you are of my bloodline. You are of my tribe. You have been blessed by the Ancient Ones as they told me to do. You honor me by allowing this blessing. Thank you. I ask you now, will you honor all of us by allowing your children to be part of my tribe."

"Yes."

"Husband, I ask you now. Will you accept the blessings the Spirits and the Ancient Ones have for you and me."

"Yes."

"Husband, I ask you now. Will you accept the path that our children will take if they so desire."

"Yes."

"Husband, I ask you now. Will you bless the continued bloodline our children will bring forth."

"Yes."

Dawn spoke in Cherokee as she waved the smoking bundles around me.

"Be seated."

"We have all been blessed by the Ancient Ones and now filled with their Spirit. Each of us and our children will be filled with the Spirits of the Ancient Ones. We are all honored."

I sat and watched as Dawn spoke toward the fire for a while. She then sat quietly between us and the fire for a long time. When she stood, she turned to us. I could see by the firelight that tears were running down her face.

"To all of my tribe...thank you for allowing me to bless you. Thank you for allowing my great-grandparents to be here, and bless you. Thank you for accepting the blessing of the Ancient Ones that are here with us. Our time together now will bring forth new life. I ask that you wear the amulet I placed on each of you until I say to remove it. Together, we will increase my tribe. Together, we will increase our tribe."

"The future holds much for us. The future holds much for our children. I have been shown some of it and some of the possible paths we may take. No path is right. No path is wrong. There are many possible paths for us and our children. Each of us will decide which path we follow. Each of us will guide our children on the path they will choose. No path is right. No path is wrong. Each path holds a different life direction. Each of us will guide all of our tribe."

"I have seen many of the possible paths. No path is right. No path is wrong. We each are part of these paths. We are all part of the paths as one family, as one tribe, as one Spirit. We will guide and direct. Our children will trust us to lead. There are paths that will lead toward the beliefs of the Cherokee. There are paths that will lead away from the beliefs of the Cherokee. No path is right. No path is wrong."

"For each of us and our children that decide to follow a path toward the Cherokee, I will be one of the teachers. For each of us and our children that decide not to follow the path toward the Cherokee, I will be one of the teachers. Each of us is now a teacher. This is a huge responsibility. My path is to be a teacher to any that desires to learn my ways and my tribe's ways. Any that select that path honors me. Any that do not select that path honors me. We are all honored to be a part of a new path for us and our children. We will all be blessed. They will be blessed. The Spirits bless us now."

Dawn stood quietly for a minute.

"Husband, please stand."

I stood, and Dawn took my hands and looked into my eyes.

"Husband to us all, father to our children, you assume a huge burden now. It will be your place to guide the new lives in a way that is honorable. It is your responsibility to be a strong father to all our children. It is your responsibility to teach our children what they need to know from a father. It is your responsibility to love all our children as only a father can. You are a husband of us all. You will be a father to many."

Dawn looked at me as tears ran down her face.

"Husband to me. I must ask you a question now. The Ancient Ones have come to me, and now I must ask you. You and I have a choice. You are Cherokee by blood and have always had the Cherokee Spirit. I am Cherokee by blood and follow the ways of my tribe. I ask you now these questions. Will you choose to allow the Ancient Ones to fill our children with their Spirits if they so desire?"

"Of course."

"Husband...will you choose to allow the Ancient Ones to bring forth in all our children the continuation of our bloodline and the Cherokee bloodline?"

"Of course. It will be an honor."

"Husband...will you allow our children to be Cherokee if their Spirit desires that?"

"Of course."

"Husband, with the blessing of the Ancient Ones, and with my blessing, all our children will now have and feel the Spirit of the Cherokee before they are born. Before they are born, they will communicate with my ancestors, your ancestors, our ancestors, and decide the direction they will take. It will be up to you, and me, and all of us, to guide them all on the paths they will choose before they are born. Do you accept this responsibility?"

"Yes, honey."

"You honor me. You honor our tribe. You honor our Ancestors. Thank you, husband."

Dawn wrapped her arms around me and held me for a long time. When she released me, she turned back to the fire and held up her hands.

"I have done as you guided me," Dawn said. "You have filled me with the Old Spirits, and I have blessed my tribe and our husband as you asked and directed me. You have many to choose from my husband's seed. Ancient Ones...we ask that you choose all of our children, if you please, to be filled with the Cherokee Spirit and Cherokee Blood so they will have a desire to learn our ways. Now I ask that you come forth and give us your final blessing."

We all watched as the fire burst into huge flames, and sparks drifted far up into the night sky. We could all see ghostly apparitions in the flames now as they appeared to watch over us. I felt like I heard Cherokee chants that were not coming from Dawn. It all continued for several minutes.

"Thank you, Ancient Ones. You honor me. You honor my tribe and family. You honor our children. You honor your future children. Thank you for your blessings this night," Dawn said.

She then spoke in Cherokee for a while as the fire grew.

"My Ancestors...I hear your commands. I hear your directions. I understand and have asked that the new lives we bring forth will be Cherokee...in Spirits...and in blood. Ancient ones speak to our children now. Guide the decision they make before they are conceived. Guide their footsteps to honor you...honor us...and to honor them."

Dawn tossed the smoking bundles into the flames, and the fire burst into even larger flames for a few seconds, then went back to normal, and the ghostly images had disappeared.

Dawn turned to us and held her hands out and said one final thing in Cherokee, then said, "We are now ready to continue our bloodline, my bloodline, the Cherokee bloodline. The Ancient Ones have blessed us and have been here with us, just as the animals of the forest have been here to protect us this night. Now...we are all prepared to receive the Spirits, the seed, and the new lives. With the new day, we create new lives."

"Thank you all," she said. "Thank you, my family, my tribe...I love you all."

She walked past us toward the house. I hadn't noticed it until now. On the other side of the fire, there must have been over a hundred animals in the firelight. There were at least 50 deer standing and watching. One huge stag in the front with massive horns. I saw coyotes, a couple of bobcats, and a host of small animals, including rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons. It appeared they looked at us as Dawn walked away. Then in one motion, they all turned and began walking back toward the trees.

"Now what?" Amy asked.

"Grab your blanket, and let's go inside," I said.

"Did you see all the animals?" Samantha asked.

"Yes."

Linda came to me and hugged me. Then Rachel hugged us. I looked at them, and they had both been crying.

"Thank you, Rachel."

"Thank you..."

We all followed Dawn back to the house. She was standing in the den waiting on us.

"It is Cherokee tradition that on the night of new life creation, that husband and wife spend it together naked in their tent celebrating. Our home is our tent. We shall spend this time celebrating and welcoming the new day of conceiving. May we all join together and feast!"

Dawn began removing her leathers, so we all took ours off.

Dawn went to the kitchen and started taking things from the oven and the fridge for our feast. I went to help her.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Why were you crying then?"

"I couldn't help it. That is a very ancient ceremony and a very important one. I was filled with happiness."

We put all the food on the bar.

"The Spirits have blessed this food and provided it for us. Everyone eat and be happy. We shall not consume any alcohol until after the births," Dawn said.

We all sat to eat. Samantha looked at some of the meat Dawn had pulled from the oven.

"Uhh...what is that?" Samantha asked and poked with her fork.

"Squirrel," Dawn said. "Try it."

"And that?"

"Rabbit...and that is frog's legs. Try it."

"No venison?" I asked.

"No. It would be wasteful for just six of us."

We all began to eat.

"Dawn, that was a very special ceremony," Linda said.

"It is a very ancient ceremony not performed often anymore. I have been studying for it for several weeks."

"What is its meaning?"

"It brings forth the Ancient Spirits to bless our children and be with them as they grow inside of us."

"Was that all?" I asked Dawn.

"I was called upon to continue my bloodline. My great-grandparents told me that they performed this ceremony with my parents. By doing so, their ancient wisdom, powers, and blood were passed down to me."

"So, you would be a medicine woman?" Samantha asked.

"Yes."

"Does that mean that one of our children will be the next?" Amy said.

"It depends. A child that James and I have may more likely make that decision. But the Spirits work in mysterious ways. Any of our children may be chosen. Even yours, Rachel. I asked that all our children be blessed with the Spirits and the powers that I have."

"But you said the child would choose before it was born," I replied.

"It will."

"Did you make that choice?" Linda asked.

"When I first started living on the reservation during the summers, I was only three. Several years later, my great-grandparents told me that I had made that choice before I was born. I didn't understand it until later when they explained that I had it within me to learn and become what I am now. But I was also told that I still had to make the choice to learn and accept it, which I did. Our children will decide to be a Spiritual Medicine man or woman, or not. Since they will only be part Cherokee by blood...they will need the help of the Ancient Ones. That is what I asked for tonight."

"What of us?" Linda asked.

"Any of our children can decide. It is just more likely that it will be my child. All of our children will have Cherokee blood from James also. However, I asked that all of our children be filled with the Spirits so they will have a desire to learn the ways of the Cherokee...if they choose. Linda, you and Rachel will decide how much your children know. If you two desire they learn the Cherokee way, I will teach them."

"Dawn? Can it be more than one of our children?" Amy asked.

"Yes. It would be wonderful if they all chose. That is not up to us, though."

"I just want all of our children to be happy and healthy," I said.

"Dawn, how unusual would it be for a child that is not Cherokee to become a healer?" Linda asked.

"To be a true Cherokee healer, as I am now, is not all from blood. It is from accepting, believing, and studying the ways. It is possible that a non-Cherokee can become a healer. There is mention of a few in my old books. It is not all from blood but belief. But, you must remember, Linda, you are of Cherokee blood. Rachel, your child, will be of Cherokee blood."

"So...your powers come from your ancestors...by blood?"

"What you call my powers, or my abilities to feel and extend my energy, is passed down from my Ancestors. But...those abilities are not just of the Cherokee."

"I am sure other Native Americans have them too."

"My learned abilities to heal...are from my studies. Yes...my powers help me feel and determine what may be wrong. But...my powers...this ability...comes from the Earth and from the Spirits. This is not unique to Native Americans. However, it does seem to be passed down through the blood."

"Are you saying it is a God-given gift?" Linda asked.

"It is from God...the Spirits...and the Earth. No one knows where it originated. There are plenty of people outside Native Americans that can do as I do. Knowing from birth helps someone, like me, to be able to understand it and cultivate it easier."

"Dawn, if my child has even some of your abilities, it will be wonderful," Rachel said.

"If any of our children possess this ability at birth, I will know. It will then be the job of all of us to guide...if they accept it."

We all talked and ate and had a good time until after midnight.

"It is time. It is now the new day, the day of creating new life. It is time for bed," Dawn said.

"How do we do this?" Linda asked.

"There is no right way...for all of us," Dawn said. "But...I would like for you and Rachel to be with James tonight. Your spirits need to be together. In the morning, the three of us will be with him."

"Are you sure?" Linda asked.

"Yes. I want the three of you to have the time and togetherness you need. I need some rest now and will sleep with Amy and Samantha tonight and be with their spirits and theirs with mine."

"Okay."

I stood and took Linda and Rachel's hands and led them up to my bedroom.

It was a bit odd for the three of us, but we all just wanted to be with each other and have some loving sex. I felt great energy from Linda. She was full of love for me and all of us. Rachel even seemed to be consumed by love. I was sure that Dawn's ceremony had a lot to do with it.

Linda and I took our time and made passionate love to each other. A little later, Rachel and I made love to each other. No overly aroused sex, just slow lovemaking. After that, the three of us held each other and went to sleep.

*****

When I woke up, Linda and Rachel were both turned toward me with an arm over my chest. I smelled breakfast cooking.

"Hey, you two. It's time for breakfast."

I shook them awake.

"Time for breakfast."

"Oh, good. I am starving," Linda said and stretched.

Rachel and Linda got out of bed and went to the bathroom. I grabbed a robe and slipped it on, and waited. Linda came out first and wrapped her arms around me, and held me.

"Thank you," Linda said. "I love you."

"I'm looking forward to working on it more!"

Linda kissed me, and I got her a robe.

"I love you too," I said to Linda.

Rachel came out and wrapped her arms around me also.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked Rachel.