Onwaachige the Dreamer Page 9

  “Joshua ran away,” Gentle Eagle said.

  “Wow! Good for him,” Kiwi replied. “His mother was a real witch.”

  “Kiwi, we’re concerned for his safety,” Pastor Martin said.

  “Nope, haven’t seen him,” she responded as she shifted her focus back to Black Crow. “Well, break over. I need to get back to work, my little butterfly,” she said lovingly.

  “Okay, my sweet little hunk of gooey fry bread,” he said as the two pressed noses once again.

  Pastor Martin sighed. “This is going to take all day,” he said to Gentle Eagle. He tapped on Black Crow’s shoulder, trying to pull him away from Kiwi. “Perhaps we should ask some of the campers if they’ve seen him.”

  “Whatever,” Black Crow said, pulling away from Kiwi, who promptly returned to her job.

  Pastor Martin eagerly took the lead as a group of tourists walked by them. “Excuse me!” he said as he tapped a rather gruff-looking camper. “We’re looking for an Ojibwe Indian.” He raised his hand a few feet off the ground, indicating he was looking for a child.

  His buddy snickered. “There are a lot of those around here,” he responded.

  “Yes, of course, but an Ojibwe boy specifically, around fourteen? Maybe last night?”

  “What does he look like?” the tourist asked, sounding annoyed.

  “Well, he had dark hair, kinda long, I guess. And he usually wears a T-shirt and shorts. And his eyes are—”

  “Yeah, I’ve seen plenty like that. Indians, you know.” Again, his buddy snickered.

  “Well, we’re just looking for this particular one.”

  “Well, they all look alike to me.” The camper smirked as though trying to make clear his contempt for the locals. His friend broke out in laughter, eliminating any doubt that Pastor Martin had misinterpreted the derogatory remark.

  “Excuse me, friend, are you a Christian?” Pastor Martin asked, challenging the tourist.

  The camper acted surprised by the question, as though sensing it was some kind of trap. “Yes, of course,” he replied instinctively.

  “Then perhaps you should act like it,” Pastor Martin said, unleashing hours of tension on the tourist.

  The two buddies simply walked away, uninterested in teasing the pastor any further.

  “Hey, I think I should probably help out Kiwi. She is swamped today,” Black Crow said.

  “That’s very considerate of you,” Pastor Martin said, finding it all rather suspicious. He felt like Black Crow had been stalling for time from the very beginning.

  “Yes, very considerate of you, Butterfly,” Gentle Eagle joked.

  “Good luck,” Black Crow shouted as he ran to join Kiwi.

  Pastor Martin finally had it. Searching the campground was getting them nowhere, and his helpers weren’t much help. He decided upon a more direct approach. “Gentle Eagle, I suspect you haven’t been entirely honest with me. Do you know where Joshua is?”

  “I honestly do not know,” Gentle Eagle replied.

  Pastor Martin eyed him suspiciously, trying to ascertain if he was hiding something. “But you know those kids of yours were lying to us back at the village?”

  Gentle Eagle paused, as though considering his words carefully. “I will tell you what I know because I appreciate that we are getting along again. I know that if Mokwa is lying to me, it is for a very good reason. And I know that he would give his life to protect Joshua.”

  Pastor Martin was stunned at such a direct and honest response. He had expected an evasive denial. “Gentle Eagle, I know having Joshua live with his mother is not ideal. Trust me, I know. But to run away, that’s just not the answer. And consider this: if he’s not here, then he is somewhere else, lost and alone, and possibly in danger. And the police could be looking for him, but they aren’t because Catherine is convinced that he is here with you.”

  Gentle Eagle sighed, obviously agreeing. “I’m pretty sure they are hiding him at the village. But if you come with me, they will never admit it. I will talk to the boys. Give me till the morning to convince them to let me see Joshua. And we’ll go from there.”

  “Deal,” Pastor Martin said, happy to be getting somewhere.

  “In return, I need you to do something for me.”

  “What?”

  “Talk to her. She will listen to you.”

  Pastor Martin was startled at the strange request. “About what?”

  “You must convince her to let Joshua have some contact with the reservation. I know you disapprove. But he does belong here, and I think you know it.”

  Pastor Martin sighed. “That won’t be easy,” he said, though he agreed that it was best.

  “The right thing never is,” Gentle Eagle said.

  “I suppose as a pastor, that should have been my line,” he said. “I promise I will try.”

  Gentle Eagle stared at him, waiting for something more.

  “Okay, I will try really hard,” Pastor Martin added.

  “Then so will I,” Gentle Eagle offered.

  The two made their way once again through swarming crowds, this time heading back to their car. Pastor Martin was glad he could now call Catherine and tell her he was making progress. But convincing her to let Joshua have some reservation time would take a miracle.

  JOSHUA ARRIVED back at the lakefront and saw Pywacky occupied with sniffing flowers by the lake. The curious Maine coon immediately saw Joshua, who had unwittingly announced his presence by cracking twigs as he walked into the area. Pywacky greeted him with a loud “meow” and ran up to Joshua, his tail extended upward, indicating his approval at Joshua’s presence. He rubbed up against Joshua’s legs, marking his eternal friendship.

  “There you are, little guy,” Joshua said as he bent down to greet his pal. He rolled his hand up into a fist and extended it forward. Pywacky sniffed for a second before butting it with his head, inviting Joshua to scratch and pet him. Joshua obliged, and Pywacky collapsed to the ground, his feet giving way to the soothing comfort of pure affection. A little chipmunk jetted out of the forest and ran by the lake, scrambling around cautiously, before continuing on its way toward the forest. Pywacky got up, his ears propped, and he crouched, focusing all of his attention on the fascinating intruder. He then darted off after the chipmunk, stopping just short of reaching his target, finally crouching down as if to further study the latest amusement.

  “Well, you have fun, then,” Joshua said.

  Joshua took in the calm breeze and gentle rolling ripples of the crystal clear lake. He no longer felt tired, a sensation almost entirely new for him. The nap he had prior to visiting with the interns had done the trick. Unfortunately, he was still bored. After all, he still had hours to kill before his friends would be done running the village for the day. Then Joshua spied the birchbark canoe stored upside down in the brush by the lake where Mokwa had last placed it. An afternoon ride on the lake was exactly what he needed.

  He flipped the canoe over and lifted it gently onto his knees, awkwardly guiding the rough, heavy object as he waddled it over to the lake. This was the only way someone of his size and strength could move a canoe without harming it. Beginners often tried to drag canoes along the ground, often causing subtle damage as they scraped it against the roots and stones embedded in the ground along a lakeshore.

  Joshua placed the front of the canoe in the water, shoving it in a little more than halfway before carefully entering it. He saw Pywacky watching him apprehensively, visibly nervous that Joshua was about to leave him again. Pywacky abandoned his little rodent toy and scrambled over to the canoe, rubbing up against its back side, still embedded in the ground as it anchored the canoe to the land.

  Joshua laughed as he observed his friend’s curiosity. “I bet you’ve never been canoeing before,” he said. “Come on, it’s okay,” he said, tempting Pywacky to join him. As he coaxed his friend forward, Pywacky jumped up with his front paws, as if not yet fully committed to the bizarre territory before him. He gazed into the canoe, sniffi
ng frantically, looking for any signs of danger. Seeing none, he pushed off with his back legs and leaped forward into the canoe. His tail shot straight up, and he acknowledged Joshua from inside the canoe. He stopped just shy of him, sniffing around the bottom of the canoe, as if detecting the water underneath. Joshua was about to push off, before noticing Pywacky tense up as he looked over Joshua’s shoulder. Joshua turned his head and recognized that Caleb had entered the lakefront area.

  “Pukawiss!” Caleb yelled, trying to get Joshua’s attention before it was too late.

  Joshua hadn’t expected to see Caleb so soon after their conversation at the interns’ campsite, but he was glad for the additional company. He was tired of all the thinking and reflecting. And he was intrigued by Caleb’s knowledge, open-mindedness, and humility. Caleb represented a true contrarian for Joshua and that intrigued him. A good mystery is exactly what he needed right now to help him occupy the rest of the afternoon.

  “Going for a ride?” Caleb asked.

  “Obviously,” Joshua replied with a sarcastic but friendly response.

  Joshua could tell that Caleb wanted to talk and so drew him in with an inviting hand motion. He then got up and walked carefully toward the front of the canoe to make room for Caleb in the back. He thought Pywacky would take that opportunity to escape from the canoe to the safety of his forest sanctuary, but instead he followed Joshua to the front. Pywacky obviously didn’t like having the extra visitor on board, but as long as he was with Joshua, he seemed to feel safe. Joshua sat down on the front seat, his back facing Caleb, who shoved off with his back foot against the wet and muddy lakeshore, dislodging the canoe. It moved gently forward, disturbing the loons, unhappy with the lake’s newest residents. Pywacky looked a bit confused by the movement, sitting fully alert by Joshua’s feet at the bottom of the canoe, refusing to take his eyes off Caleb.

  “Wow, that’s one fraidycat,” Caleb teased.

  Joshua directed a disapproving glance at Caleb. It’s what the men who had abused him had called Pywacky a few weeks before. Joshua resented the cruel and disrespectful nickname. “Don’t call him that,” Joshua commanded.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

  “You’d be afraid too if the people who were supposed to provide for you abused you instead.”

  “Yeah, I get it. You’re right.”

  Joshua felt bad for chiding Caleb. He hadn’t meant anything by it, but Joshua was feeling rather protective of Pywacky and didn’t want anyone teasing him.

  “And besides, he’s obviously not afraid of water,” Caleb said, evidently trying to defuse the situation. “Hey there. Come on over here,” Caleb called, hoping to earn Pywacky’s trust.

  Pywacky eyed him cautiously, before turning about and jumping into Joshua’s lap. He sat down and began to purr.

  “Hmm, should I take that personally?” Caleb joked. “I think we know who its owner is.”

  “I’m not his owner, I’m his friend,” Joshua corrected as he scratched Pywacky behind the ears.

  Caleb nodded, obviously understanding the distinction. “So tell me about yourself, Pukawiss.”

  Joshua continued to scratch Pywacky, taking special care to get him behind the ears. “I’m an open book,” Joshua said, not even looking up.

  “Ha, that’s just not true,” Caleb insisted.

  “What do you want to know exactly?” Joshua asked, not getting what Caleb found so interesting about him.

  “I don’t know.” Caleb paused and looked as though he was examining ways to break the ice. “Music maybe,” he finally said. “What’s your favorite band?”

  “Nirvana,” Joshua replied, not even having to think about it.

  “Oh, yeah, grunge. Pretty old school.”

  “Dude, it’s not that old,” Joshua insisted, only then realizing that it had been several years since Kurt Cobain’s death.

  “I also like Pearl Jam, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and—” Joshua paused as he considered all the different music he liked. “And Hanson, I guess.”

  “Ha, that’s quite a combination,” Caleb said.

  Joshua smiled. “Yeah, I guess so. How about you?”

  “Oh, I’m more of a country fan, all the way.”

  “Ugh, get out, now,” Joshua teased, pointing at the lake water.

  Caleb laughed. “I get that a lot,” he said.

  “No, I’m serious, I can’t let you stay in my canoe any longer.” Joshua smiled just in case Caleb wasn’t used to his sense of humor.

  “All right, how about TV, or movies?” Caleb pressed, trying to change the subject.

  “The X-Files,” Joshua responded as his face lit up in excitement. “Love The X-Files! Did you see the movie?”

  “Not really into science fiction,” Caleb said. “I’m more into comedies, I guess. Do you like the show Friends?”

  “No, never watched it,” Joshua said.

  Caleb sighed. “Well, it looks like we don’t have much in common.”

  “Yeah, I’m used to it,” Joshua said. “No one shared my interests back in Eagle River either.”

  “Oh, cool, that’s not far from me. I’m from Rhinelander. Finally, something we have in common.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been to Rhinelander,” Joshua said. “I’ve been snowmobiling there.” His father had taken him on snowmobile trails many times during the winter months. Like summer, winter brought many tourists to northern Wisconsin. And Rhinelander was a mecca for those wanting to snowmobile. But Joshua felt odd talking about his old life as though he still lived it. It felt like a distant memory to him.

  “Yeah, there was this summer camp near Eagle River I used to go to when I was about your age,” Caleb said, reflecting on his childhood experiences. “What was it called? Nakashen or something like that.”

  “It’s Camp Nishkendan,” Joshua corrected, “and I don’t want to talk about it.” The last thing he wanted to get into right now was his traumatic week at summer camp.

  Caleb looked surprised at Joshua’s sudden change in tone and wasn’t sure how to react. There was an awkward silence as the two continued to paddle.

  “So what’s your story?” Caleb asked, taking a more straightforward approach.

  “What do you mean?” Joshua answered.

  “How did you get your name? Pukawiss? It’s so cool. You’re named after a manitou!”

  Caleb’s excitement looked legitimate, and not like a forced way to make conversation. Joshua appreciated that about him and decided to open up. “Well, I’m a bit of an outcast, I guess.”

  “What do you mean? Don’t you have a home? I mean, here on the Rez.”

  “No, not really. It’s a long story.” He then decided it wasn’t fair to Caleb to keep changing the subject. So again, Joshua decided to open up. “It’s also because I’m a two-spirit, as you know,” Joshua said, deciding it was okay to further discuss the subject with Caleb. After all, he had some very positive, though unusual, interpretations of the Bible.

  “I really think that’s awesome!” Caleb said, excited.

  “Okay, I still don’t get it,” Joshua said, referring back to their theological conversation.

  Caleb smiled as he readied himself to explain. “Being a two-spirit means to be touched by God, or the manitous. You’re pretty special, Pukawiss. What’s so hard to get?”

  “That you think that,” Joshua said.

  “So are you seeing anyone?” Caleb said, changing the subject.

  “Yes—well, no—I mean, it’s complicated.”

  “It always is,” Caleb agreed, as if talking from experience. “Although there is nothing complicated about wanting to be with someone.”

  “Reality, that’s what’s complicated,” Joshua said.

  “What do you mean?”

  Joshua sighed, deciding he couldn’t avoid this conversation. But he also saw that he could open up to Caleb. “Cody,” he finally said.

  “Cody?”

  “Yeah, my boyfriend. We can’t be together, though. Ev
er.”

  “I don’t understand, because he doesn’t live here on the Rez?”

  “No, because his father is a Christian,” Joshua said. He then paused for a moment, realizing that the designation was now more complicated for him than he had previously thought. “I mean, a real Christian,” Joshua corrected himself. “Sorry, I mean, not like you.”

  Caleb smiled again. “It’s okay, not offended,” he offered, shrugging off the unintended insult.

  “It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you. But not everyone is like you. You’re different.”

  “Well, finally, something we really have in common.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “I have another name too,” Joshua said.

  “Really?” Caleb asked, sounding both confused and intrigued.

  “Yeah, it’s from my grandfather. Onwaachige,” Joshua said. “It kind of translates as Dreamer. I see things, and they tend to happen.” Joshua sounded apologetic. “I’m sure that’s pretty bad in your eyes.”

  “No, not at all. Why? What’s bad about it?”

  “You’re not much on Biblical rules for a Christian,” Joshua said. “I know psychics aren’t very well liked in the Bible. So between that, and being gay, your God really hates me.”

  “As you know, I’m a very different Christian.”

  Joshua smiled, accepting the obvious. But at the same time, he didn’t get this guy. He decided to press him further. “So, how do you know your version of Christianity is right?”

  “Well, that’s not always easy. But I guess for me, it’s all about love.”

  “Ugh, lame,” Joshua teased.

  Caleb smiled, obviously expecting the reaction. “No, seriously. If you have love for your fellow man, right actions will follow. You will listen to them, get to know them, accept them. Nothing else matters.”

  “What about getting people to do what God wants?” Joshua pressed.

  “Ah, the rules.”

  “Yeah, the rules.” Joshua had learned about Christianity from his mother, and for her the rules were the most important thing. Although she didn’t actually follow any of them.