Red Thunder

~Chapter One: Part II~

"Huh?" I queried, not understanding him.

"Nice... to meet you," he translated.

"Oh." I smiled, a blush beginning to warm my cheeks. "Nice to meet you too Walk-ee, Walk-een, uh..." I trailed off in embarrassment, trying and failing to pronounce his name.

"You call me 'Red Thunder'. My name in wašíču tongue," he told me.

I blushed. "Alright. Nice to meet you Red Thunder." What an unusual name! But very bold and powerful.

The Indian boy pointed up the bank and through the trees. "You live there?"

I nodded eagerly, excited to be having a conversation with someone my age. That did not happen very often, living out in the country. My snooty cousin Angelica and her family came over for Thanksgiving every year, but she had only nasty things to say. Mostly to do with me, of course.

"Yes. Yes I do," I replied. "And where do you live?"

Red Thunder paused for a moment, touching his chin in thought. "Past hills over there," he told me, pointing to them through the trees behind and to his left, maybe five miles away. "Oglala camp. We move much, new camp a season."

"Oh alright, how interesting! I've always wanted to go camping."

We stared at one another for a long moment, each curious about the other —I taking in his long, raven black hair held in two shining braids, and his equally dark eyes. Red Thunder's nose was broad and striking, and his eyebrows thick and black. He was slight of build, still a child too, and not so much taller than me either. He wore no shirt on this sweltering day, exposing his shiny, skinny copper chest, and I secretly envied him that. It grew very hot here on the prairie in the summer! Red Thunder had some tight form of hide pants and a skirt-like thing tied around his waist that covered his lower half. On his feet was a pair of comfy looking leather slipper-shoes, with pretty beaded designs.

"Winnie!" the voice of my mother called distantly from the house.

I jolted out of my reverie, remembering the water I was sent to bring back. No longer feeling afraid of the Indian boy at all, I smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry Red Thunder, I should go. I have to get this water back to the house." I made gestures along with my words, and I believe he seemed to understand my meaning.

"I go too. Long way home."

I grinned at him once again as I filled my bucket and said farewell. "Safe journey Red Thunder! I hope to see you again sometime. Do you think I will?" I really hoped so.

He grinned and replied mysteriously, "Háŋ,yes, I think it so."

With one last look and a wave, I hurried off towards home sneaking glances at the fascinating boy behind me before the cottonwood trees and shrubbery obscured my view.

When I finally opened the door of my house and set the water down, Papa demanded, "Winifred, what took you so long? And where is the other bucket?"

I avoided his gaze guiltily, remembering conversations I had overheard between him, my mother, and our neighbors. Things about the evil of Indians, and how they needed to be rounded up and driven away. Therefore I could never tell him about my new friend! So I lied: "A deer spooked me at the river and I dropped a bucket. It floated away, and although I followed for a bit, I couldn't reach it."

Papa sighed as Mama looked on in worry. "Winnie, those buckets were expensive, please try to be more careful next time ok?"

I looked up at him sadly. I hadn't known that! "I will Papa, I promise."

He knelt down and gave me a hug. "Good girl."

The rest of the day passed in lounging around our small cabin and checking briefly on the animals. It was still too hot for us to do much else. As evening slowly fell, I got up to go put the hens back in their coop. When I swung our front door open, I saw sitting there on the porch as if nothing had happened —the bucket I had dropped in the stream!

"Mama, Papa!" I called, hurrying inside, my find clutched tightly in my hands. "Look! Look what I found! It was sitting right there on the front step!" I exclaimed excitedly, holding the bucket out in front of me for them to see.

My mother and father looked at one another in shock, then Mama replied, "Well then, I suppose it's a miracle!" And that was that for her. My father on the other hand, had a more befuddled expression on his sun-tanned face.

"Yes," I said with a secret smile, realizing what had happened, "A miracle!" Thanks to my newfound friend —Red Thunder!