Life after the Lottery Ch. 83

"Then she needs the perfect name," Dawn said with a smile. "Do you have a special one just for her, Grandmother?"

"There is a very old word that she should have for a Cherokee name because it will fit her perfectly."

"What is it, Grandmother?" Samantha asked.

"Tsistunagiska," Enolia said with a smile.

"Isn't that for Wild Rose?" Dawn asked.

"Yes! She will be a Wild Spirited Rose! She deserves an old name!"

"Then Tsistunagiska!" Samantha said.

"Wild Rose!" Dawn exclaimed. "Perfect!"

"Then Rose Tsistunagiska Chloe Smith," Samantha said.

"Somebody spell that!" Kelly said. Enolia spelled it out for her.

"I think she will like being called Rose," Samantha said.

"She will be a Wild Rose!" Enolia exclaimed and laughed. "And she will live up to her special name!"

"Grandmother! You are making me nervous!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, you will have your hands full! She will be Spirited...but very focused and driven."

Enolia walked to Linda as she held her twins carefully.

"And you wish to honor us all by taking a Cherokee name for your children, Beautiful Tall Holly Tree?"

"I do...we do."

Enolia placed her hand on the baby girl.

"What name have you chosen for your girl?"

"I have decided on Elizabeth Rose. I guess she will have four names also!"

Enolia closed her eyes for a minute.

"We know this one will be like her mother. A strong, resourceful leader. But there is a girl's name that this one should have. It means the beginning of an event after her birth and Eagle child. It will be perfect for her. That name is Behita."

"Should that be her first name?" Linda asked.

"It should."

"Then Behita Elizabeth Rose Williams it is. Elizabeth is my mother's name, and I have always liked Rose. She will be Elizabeth."

"You all are going to start a tradition with four names!" Kelly said and laughed as she wrote.

Enolia had moved to Linda's boy.

"Ahyoka told me that she has Spirit Eagles over their land sometimes. They would be over your land also, Tall Holly Tree. There is a name in Cherokee that will fit this young warrior. It will fit him because of the work he will do. That name is Wohali. It means Eagle, but in this meaning, it is to bring him royalty, power, and determination. This name is good because he will need and have this. Wohali."

She pronounced it as U-wohali.

"I like that. Then Wohali Johnathon James Williams it is. Johnathon for my dad. And James for his father."

"Kelly, it is spelled W-o-h-a-l-i. There is no U," Dawn told her.

Enolia moved to Rachel and smiled as she put her hand on her girl.

"I have seen this one will be the protector of this clan. The Warrior, like her mother. Small Warrior Cat. It will be her job. Her name should be Qaletaqa. It is a special, strong name for a girl because it means guardian of the people and fighter for their rights. She will be the guardian of this clan."

"

"Then Qaletaqa Sarah Danielle Miller-Williams," Rachel said. "That is special."

"That is pretty," Dawn said.

Enolia spelled it for Kelly.

"These are good, strong names," Enolia said. "They all will live up to their special names!"

"Two Roses," Ann said. "That is special."

"One Wild Rose!" I said.

"Thank you two," Claire said to Amy and Samantha.

Everyone stayed for a while until the babies began to fuss. The nurse said it was time to feed them and took Amy and Samantha back to their rooms with Claire.

"Linda and Rachel...thank you," Dawn said. "You have honored my current family and my family of the past."

"All the children will be taught what their names mean and how they will live up to them," Enolia said.

"I hope you can explain all of this," Linda said.

"We will," Enolia told her.

"Dawn? Can you teach our three children Cherokee?" Linda asked.

"A child has to desire to learn Cherokee. There are many on the reservation that can speak little."

"Is that a yes? I think it would be special of they could."

"I have a feeling the seven on them will desire to learn Cherokee."

"Why?" Rachel asked.

"Your children will be a part of the Cherokee Nation as they grow. They will desire to learn," Enolia said with a big smile.

"Is it hard to learn?"

"Harder to learn to write than speak," Dawn said.

"A person that does not appear to be Cherokee that can speak the language will be well respected by the tribe," Enolia said.

*****

I spent my evening going from room to room. My parents were very happy, and they went from room to room, even Linda and Rachel's rooms. Ann and Charlie had already said they were their children's grandparents also. They all had seven grandchildren now. Linda and Rachel were happy their children had four more grandparents. Claire was going between Amy and Samantha's room. They all wanted to see all of their Grandchildren.

I had talked Enolia into going to the cafeteria with me to eat dinner.

"My father and mother will be very happy to see all seven of their Great-great-grandchildren," Enolia said.

"Enolia...Dawn said Great-grandfather's time was coming."

"It is...but not for a while. They will get to see and know their Great-great-grandchildren!"

"And they both know of all that is to come?"

"Of course. We have discussed it for years."

"I wouldn't let Dawn know that." She smiled.

"It is something we have known for a long time, but...we did not fully understand how you and Dawn would have seven children to lead. That did not come together until this last year."

"And no one told Dawn of this?"

"No. It was still her decision."

"Doesn't sound like it."

"The Spirits only guide and suggest!"

"Not for her."

*****

By midnight, I was wiped out. We had sent our parents home to get things ready. They took Enolia with them. Claire had gone to sleep on the pull-out bed in Amy's room. Stan and Jeanine had come and gone. I was nodding off in Dawn's room.

"James, honey. Go home and get some sleep," Dawn said as I nodded off again.

"Will they let you all go home in the morning?"

"Yes. I asked for us to stay overnight."

"I'll stay then..."

"Then pull out the sleeper sofa and get some sleep. It may be your last for a long time!"

"One question. How many babies did you tell the nannies about?"

"I...told them what we were all having. They were under penalty of death to not say anything to you all or Linda and Rachel."

"Did we get a bulk discount?" I asked. Dawn giggled.

"The last bedroom upstairs will be big enough for the four of them. That will keep them close," Dawn said. "They will need to be close."

"I'll have to get another bassinet and crib..."

"They're hidden in the garage," Dawn said.

"I don't think Sylvia will like running up and down the stairs. We can convert the big bedroom downstairs..."

"We do have an elevator, honey. You need to get some sleep...you are babbling, honey."

"Okay. I'll get Sam to set up cameras and a monitor in the nanny's room. And I guess all of ours..."

"Honey...we all have TVs. You need to get some sleep. You are getting punchy."

*****

I slept for a few hours. When they brought the babies to nurse, I was up watching. I went to check on Amy and Samantha while Dawn nursed, but they were asleep. The nurse said she was going there next.

When the nurse came in around 6:00 in the morning, she woke me up and asked if I wanted to get some breakfast while they nursed again. I got up and went to the girls' rooms. They were up nursing the babies. I told them I was going to get some breakfast.

As I ate breakfast in the cafeteria, I was thinking about having four...or seven children now. I thought about what Great-grandfather had told me and was wondering if Dawn had figured it all out. Things really were going to change if any of it was true.

*****

I closed the side doors on our stretch Escalade after everyone was secured. We would be home before lunch. Stan had loaded the extra car seat in it at some point. I walked around and got in the driver's seat.

"Are we ready?" I asked.

"We are all ready to go home, honey," Dawn said.

Samantha and Amy had made Dawn sit up front with me. They were sitting with our four new babies in the backseats. I slowly pulled away from the hospital. Linda and Rachel had left about 30 minutes before us.

There was some fussing and crying in the back as I drove. Dawn wanted to help, but I made her stay in her seat. Amy and Samantha were taking care of the babies as Dawn watched and took pictures with her phone.

Once we parked in front of the house, Dawn and I stood at the side doors as Amy and Samantha handed off the car seats to us. Sylvia was standing there waiting and watching with my mom and dad. Charlie was taking pictures. Once we had all four babies out in their car seats, we headed into the house.

*****

By noon, Ann, Claire, and my mom had a nice hot lunch for everyone. Amy and Samantha now had their appetites back. Our dads were having a great time with the babies. Deb, Pete, Angie, and Brian were coming by later. Everyone else was settled on the sofas as I took photos.

After we ate, we watched all the babies nurse as Grandmother and our moms gave instructions. Dawn was trying to figure out how to nurse the twins at the same time. When she had nursed only one at a time earlier at the hospital, the other one cried. I ended up sitting next to her, holding one while the other nursed. That kept them calm. If we didn't do it that way, they seemed to know they were apart. I had asked Enolia about it, and she said the twins would be very close and have a special bond with each other.

My dad had Amy's digital camera and was taking a lot of photos. Claire was very happy as she held her Granddaughters. Amy was smiling as she watched her mom in the rocking chair with Atsila. I knew they would be making up for lost time.

*****

Sylvia had been upstairs with the babies after they all nursed. They had taken them up to the nursery so they could get some sleep and the rest of us could take a break. Sylvia came down later.

"Sylvia, sit," Dawn said.

"I'm good. The twins are...something is very different with them. I separated them into two bassinets, and they cried. I put them together in the same one, and they stopped. They seem to be very aware when they are together and when they are apart. Moving their bassinets next to each other helped...some."

"They will be very aware of each other all their lives," Enolia said. "All four of them."

"Is that normal?" Sylvia asked.

"For those two...yes. They have a very special bond," Enolia said. "Galvquodi adanvdo unateladvgi. Soul joined. They will be much closer than regular brothers and sisters. It will be their nature."

"Rose and Atsila are very content babies," Sylvia said as she sat down.

"You all are going to learn that the four of them will be very, very close. They are already aware of each other and their bond. As they grow, they will always want to be together. Though Chaske and Winter are of one mother, and Atsila and Rose are from separate mothers, they were all conceived together and born together of the same blood. They have grown together in the presence of each other for nine months. They are of one Father. They are of one Family. They are of one Spirit. They are of one Love, from all of us together. They are all our children. They are of the same," Enolia said.

"That will be special," my mom added.

"Grandmother...what about Sarah, Elizabeth, and Johnathon?" Amy asked.

"They are and will be bonded to the other four in the same way. They are all of the Cherokee Spirit. More so of all of your Cherokee Spirits. In the same way, they each have Cherokee blood and a strong Ancient ancestral Cherokee Spirit."

Enolia paused a minute.

"I feel...I know these seven Cherokee will have a special life...just like Ahyoka. They will all be leaders like she is. They will all have some or all of her talents and abilities. Each of them will understand this and feel and know it. Each of them will understand how they fit together for the reasons."

"Why now, Grandmother?" Dawn asked.

"Tsuwagutanvsv dikanodi adanetliyvsgv uduladi nulistanv didatinehi aligodi unadotlvdi dadadlanvdadehv alisdelvdi ale atuyasdodi gvnigesv nusdvi anilasdalv," Enolia said.

Dawn looked at Enolia.

"How do you know this?" Dawn asked.

"Hilvhiyui tsunigayvlige iyulistanv."

"But the Ancient Ancestors did not show me this?"

Enolia and Dawn talked in Cherokee for a minute or so.

"Honey, you need to translate all that," I said, looking at everyone just listening.

"The simple translation is that the Ancient Ancestors determined before all of our children were conceived that they would be leaders of the tribe to organize all opportunities that are to come, to guide, and to assure the continued growth of the tribe," Dawn explained.

"Including Linda and Rachel's children?" Samantha asked.

"Yes. Sarah, Elizabeth, and Johnathon...will be a strong part of this..." Enolia said as she looked at Dawn. Dawn looked confused.

Dawn and Enolia talked in Cherokee for another minute or two.

"Grandmother...I did not see all this," Dawn said.

"You were not to know. Too much knowledge of the future can sometimes change the future. Also...you did not ask."

"But why now? Why these seven?"

"Why all of you? The Spirits have taken the opportunity of the great union of this family to bestow what will be needed to benefit the tribe in the future. Of these...there will be tribal leaders. There will be legal leaders of the white man's law. They will be scholars, educators, doctors, healers, Spiritual leaders, organizers, and more. These seven have the resources to learn, educate, and provide. They have been given the ability to learn much and use that knowledge. They will work together with others to be able to...Vgowatisgv Uwagudidisv."

"See the future..." Dawn said.

"Rough translation...yes..." Enolia said. "You know the significance of the number seven...galiquogi."

"Seven is a sacred number because it is the actual number of the tribal clans, the number of the upper worlds and heavens...wow...I hadn't thought of that," Dawn said as she had a realization. "Now that I realize the relationship to our seven children...things are beginning to come together..."

"You begin to see now," Enolia said.

"Grandmother...did we have seven children because of its importance?"

"Seven children...seven clans. One for each."

I was beginning to feel that Dawn was about to get some of the information I had received.

"The Cherokee will need many that can contribute to help them take advantage of things that will happen...to build from the past...to grow for the future," Enolia said.

"But Grandmother...in my journeys with the Ancestors, I did not see any of our children as able to...Vgowatisgv Uwagudidisv."

"Ahyoka, you concerned yourself with what the children's abilities would be. You failed to see the full picture. You were only eager to see the outcomes," Enolia said with a smile.

"But...there are seven children. I could see their futures and was aware of some of this. But no futures where any of them could...not sure of the words... Adelohohisdi Uwagudidisv?"

"Not forecasting the future, little one. Ina agawadvdi unelanvhi agatiya."

"Grandmother...I don't know those words to translate and understand."

"Ina agawadvdi...farseeing. Unelanvhi agatiya...Providence. They are old words not used and difficult to translate. Not seeing the future...knowing the future."

"But grandmother, all Cherokee of the Spirit can journey to see future outcomes."

"Like you?"

"Like me. Like you. Like Great-grandmother and Great-grandfather. Our children will be able to also if they are of the Spirit."

"What we see...you see...are possible destinies."

"Yes. We see what is to happen."

"Ahyoka, you know better than that. We have the ability to see what MAY happen. And yes, that is usually what will happen. But you know things can change what could happen."

"Of course. You know that is what I meant. There are always things that may happen that can influence a future. We only see that future as it is laid out now. We cannot see possible changes because of interruptions along the path. So, I am confused when you say one of the children will be farseeing of Providence."

"Great-grandfather said this would be difficult to explain because it is Ancient. I did not say that one of the children will be farseeing of the future."

"But you said one would have Ina agawadvdi unelanvhi agatiya."

"Unelanvhi agatiya is hard to translate. One who sees Providence is the only white man's words that come close."

"Grandmother, just tell me what ability one of our children will have then."

"First, I did not say it would be one of the seven. When we see a future now in our journeys, we see what will happen if nothing interrupts. But we all know things can happen that could change that future. Those we cannot see. If one could see all these possible interruptions or changes...and the final future as any or all changes would cause...what would that be called?"

"Prophetic...or a prophecy," Sylvia said as she listened closely. "Or actually... omniscient."

"I do not know the word omniscient," Enolia said.

"It means one who knows all...where prophetic means one that can predict," Sylvia said.

"Yes... omniscient would be the right word," Enolia said. "Or the ability to see all of the futures. We are not predictors...we see. Omniscient...that is as close as we will get, but still not correct."

"Grandmother, are you saying one of them will be able to see all futures?"

"Not see the future...know the future, Ahyoka."

"What!" Came from Dawn. It seemed to have finally hit her what Grandmother was saying.

"That is a very Ancient ability not seen for over a thousand years. Our history tells of some with that ability. But our history does not tell of their predictions," Enolia said.

"I know we can all see the future, as we call it, as to what may happen. I know of no one who has the ability to see short-term or long-term events that will impact all changes. Or fully know the future!" Dawn exclaimed. "I cannot believe one of our seven children will have that ability. I did not see it in them."

"Little one...you have made the mistake many that can see make. You were only eager to see the outcome...the future. As you grow older, you will learn and understand like your Great-grandfather knows...the past is as important as the future...or more, as well as the journey to get there. You failed to look back before you looked forward. You did not look at the journey. If you had looked to the past, you would have known to ask the why. Why now? The young make this mistake."

"Why...what mistake?"

"You asked the Spirits and the Ancient Ones at the ceremony to grant your children the knowledge, Spirit, and abilities of the Cherokee for all seven...did you not?"

"I did...we did."

"And what did the Spirits and Ancient Ones tell you?"

"They told me that all our children would be of the Cherokee Spirit."

Enolia looked at Dawn for a moment.

"Did you not wonder why the Spirits and the Ancient Ones would grant this to children not of a direct bloodline?"

"I just accepted it as a blessing."

"Ahyoka...all of you here...The Ancient Ones do not grant a blessing of this nature to a family like this unless there are reasons. Ahyoka, when you realized the blessing you asked for had been granted...you should have asked why. You failed to understand the magnitude of it. After that night, you should have consulted the Spirits to understand the why. Had you done that...you would understand. But Great-grandmother said it may have been too much for you to understand. You now will have to ask."

"Grandmother...I...I am confused. Are there those who will know the true future regardless of any changes? Are they to know all that may come or what needs to be avoided so the end is true?"