Saucer in the Dunes

34 Apologies

The room got quiet, too quiet, and all eyes were on us. I looked at Ronnie; he looked nervous too. Jimmy was grinning ear to ear like he was hearing the story for the first time. Mom was wide-eyed. I felt a little sick. She was about to find out everything.

The Chief continued.

"I explained the sources of my people's fortune. This is all very new for most of us. As you can imagine, it is hard not to give your children everything they want when until now, you could give them practically nothing. Such was the case with Jason Littlebear. He purchased a mini-bike a few weeks ago for his children. All of the children enjoyed it. They were playing and riding west of the finished homes on the reservation when they met a group of boys who took it from them."

While mom was saying how awful it was for kids to bully and steal, we were looking at each other. I knew we were all remembering the mini-bike the Chief put in the back of the truck with us. That had to be it—those damn Durleys.

"I know you boys were not among them. I know you, boys. I know you like the Chief and are not the type of boys to steal. The sons of my people don't know you, however, and when they saw an opportunity to right a wrong, they acted on their own. You cannot right a wrong with another wrong," he said, waiving his finger at the group of us kids, then turned to us and did the same.

"You boys were not supposed to be on the reservation without permission, but I understand you may not have known that."

"We were coming to see you, Chief," Ronnie spoke up.

"I understand that too. My niece here told me so, only not as quickly as she should have," he said, turning to look right at her and embarrassing her.

She looked down at her feet.

"You boys were treated unfairly because of the misdeeds of someone else. For that, I have brought the people I feel are responsible for this before you so they can apologize."

The Chief nodded. Each of the teenagers rose and looked at us and apologized for taking our bikes and for starting a fight with us. He then made his niece apologize for not telling him about the incident sooner than she did.

The property taken from you is being returned now. The Chief rose and asked everyone to join him outside. We all did. Ronnie beamed at the realization that he was getting Black Beauty back. Mom would kill me for lying, but at least our bikes were back, and months from now, when I wasn't grounded any longer, I could ride again.

We followed the Chief and the teenagers to the truck, and the boys began taking the bikes off one by one. They were clean and undamaged. Mom was still railing on about the kids that took the minibike. Dad was getting the worst of it.

We stood around our bikes, smiled, and thanked the Chief and even the teenagers for returning them. Then the Chief surprised us all.

"As is Creek tradition, when you have taken something that does not belong to you, you must return that thing and offer a valuable possession of your own for the misdeed."

The little girl had to go first. She reached into the truck's bed, pulled out the bow and quiver of arrows, and held it out for any of us to choose. She passed a quick glance at all of us, but none of us moved. We didn't want anything in return. There was silence for an awkward moment or two, and the Chief looked at the ground as if he could pause forever. Finally, Ronnie stepped forward and gently took it from her extended hand.

"Thank you," he said humbly.

The Chief nodded to the first teenager on his right. He reached into a cardboard box in the back of the truck and pulled out three records. He held them out before him.