Weak in Body, Strong in Mind and Spirit

The trip to Chase Lake and then down the mountain trail took no time at all. Kimberly and Pamela were smiles and laughter all the way. We were soon at the Wizards’ no longer used abode, and took the trail to Pamela’s part of the Forest that she refers to as ‘our property’. We got to the place near the old Infant nest, when Kimberly put her right hand in the air.

“Whoa!” said Kimberly.

“What?” said Puyallup.

“It is what we say to our horses for them to stop. The beasts we ride. We say either ‘whoa’ or ‘ho’,” she explained.

“Why not just say ‘stop’?” said Puyallup. “Or do your beasts speak a different language?”

“Just set us down,” said Pamela. “We need to proceed cautiously from here.”

She no longer got the words out of her mouth when a gray conveyance came down the conveyance trail. Its symbols were ‘JEEP’ on the front. I think that might be its name or something. As I watched, two Little People emerged from its portals. They stood looking around.

“It’s Billy T and Herman,” said Pamela. “Kim and I will go meet them and talk with them first to make sure they’re alone. You stay here until I call you.”

“Alright,” I answered.

Ouragan’s eyes narrowed. “If this is a trick or a trap, they’ll regret it. Don’t make Ouragan angry.”

“Easy Ouragan,” projected Pamela. “If it is a trap, I’ll let you know. You can quickly leave. They wouldn’t hurt us.”

“If they try, you saw what Ouragan is capable of,” said Puyallup.

We watched from a stand of trees as Pamela and Kimberly walked up the game trail to the cleared land. Billy T saw them coming and waved, as Kimberly and Pamela waved back.

“Hi, I’m Pam and this is my friend Kim,” said Pamela.

“Hi. I’m Herman, and the guy with the Nikon is Billy T.”

“Pleased to meet you,” said Kimberly.

“Same here. So, no Sasquatch?” said Herman.

“They’re here,” said Pamela, “But I want your promise of no tricks or traps. I think I know you both pretty well from many years at the Leader-Herald, but still...”

“No, no tricks,” said Billy T. “I’m only here for the photographs.”

“And I’m only here for the story,” said Herman. “This has gone from a simple ‘local author makes good’ story, to perhaps the story of the century if it’s true.”

“No doubt,” said Pamela.

“So can we meet your Sasquatch?” asked Herman anxiously.

“Yes, but first let me warn you,” said Pamela. “Sasquatch are very gentle beings. Very warm, and very kind. But if you threaten them, their friends, or their tribe, they can turn in a blink of an eye.”

“Gotcha,” said Herman.

“Do nothing that could be interpreted as threatening moves towards them, Kim or me, or even to each other,” said Pamela. “The Keepers of the Forest watch over all things in it, and everything that happens, including even you.”

“Keepers of the Forest,” said Herman writing on a note pad. “I like it.”

“I’m going to call them up one by one,” said Pamela. “If you get scared or nervous, just tell me and I’ll send them back.”

“So you can talk to them then?” asked Herman. “They speak English?”

“No,” said Pamela. “Our languages are completely different. We speak with our thoughts. Mindspeak.”

“What?” said Herman somewhat with astonishment. “What is mindspeak?”

“Well, when a human and a Sasquatch connect emotionally and spiritually, we can exchange thoughts. We don’t speak with words,” she explained. “We’re not sure how or why it works, but it does.”

“How close do you have to be?” asked Herman.

“We can be thousands of miles apart,” said Pamela. “I can’t mindspeak directly with David, but I can through Madu.”

“Madu?” asked Herman.

“Madukarahat. The first Sasquatch I met,” she said, “and the real author of David’s book.”

“I thought Dave wrote it,” said Herman.

“He was the person who took dictation. The title is ‘Living Among Little People: A Guide for Sasquatch, by Madukarahat as told to Dave Gibson’.”

“I figured that was just a gimmick,” said Herman.

“No gimmick,” said Pamela.

“So how long have you been fascinated with Sasquatch?” asked Herman.

“Three years total now, since I first found Madu’s footprint,” said Pamela.

“That’s it? What about Dave?” asked Herman.

“Same thing. Before the footprint, he thought it was all silly,” said Pamela.

“So do I,” said Herman. “Prove me wrong.”

“OK. Meet the author, Madukarahat,” said Pamela.

“Madu?” projected Pamela.

“Yes?” I answered.

“Everything is OK. Would you please come here? You others stay put, for now,” she said.

“Alright,” I replied.

I rose from the log I was sitting on and slowly walked up the game trail.

“Holy shit!” yelled Billy T. He began to raise his camera, but Pamela stopped him.

“No pictures yet,” said Pamela. “I’ll tell you when it’s safe.”

“Safe?” asked Bill.

“Yes. Madu has to understand that your camera is not a weapon,” she answered.

Herman stood staring, his mouth agape.

I arrived and stopped, looking down at the two.

“Madu, this is Herman and Billy T. They’re from the Leader-Herald,” she said. “Herman is going to write the story, and Billy T would like to take some pictures like you saw in the newspaper. That device in Billy T’s hand is his camera. It takes photographs.”

“Oh, that’s like David’s one eyed device that does nothing,” I replied.

“David’s takes pictures too,” answered Pamela. “OK?”

“If you say it is alright, I trust you Pamela,” I answered.

“OK Billy T, you can take Madu’s picture. Slowly,” she said.

Billy T slowly raised his picture device and pointed it at me. I heard it click, just like David’s. And like David’s, it did nothing.

Herman was looking at me, studying me carefully.

“Can I look behind him?” asked Herman.

“For what?” asked Pamela.

“To see if I can find the zipper. Great costume,” said Herman.

Pamela laughed.

“Sure, but wait first,” she said.

“Madu, Herman is going to look behind you. Is that OK?” she asked.

“Alright. What for?” I asked.

“To look for a zipper,” she replied.

“What’s a zipper” I asked.

“Like this,” said Pamela pointing to her jacket.

“Why would I have one of those?” I asked.

“You might if you were a Little Person in a suit,” she answered.

I watched as Herman the Reporter walked behind me and studied me carefully.

“I don’t know how you did it, but this is pretty good,” said Herman.

“So you don’t believe we have a Sasquatch? How about two?” she asked.

“Puyallup, would you come up and stand by Madu?” asked Pamela.

“I’m on my way,” said Puyallup.

Puyallup walked up the game trail and stood next to me.

“Holy crap,” said Billy T. “Those two have to be eight feet tall each!”

“This is Puyallup, Madu’s friend,” said Pamela.

“Can you spell those names for me?” asked Herman the reporter.

Pamela did, as Herman made symbols on his notepad.

“Pamela, can I take their photo together?” asked Billy T the photographer.

“Wait,” said Pamela.

“Puyallup, Billy T is going to take your picture with the device in his hands, pictures like you saw in the newspaper. OK?” asked Pamela.

“If you say it is alright, Pamela,” answered Puyallup.

“OK Billy T,” said Pamela. “Slowly.”

Billy T slowly raised his picture contraption and it started clicking. Why, I do not know.

“No one is going to believe this,” said Billy T under his breath.

“So two? You have two of these things?” asked Herman.

“Two?” Pamela laughed. “Dozen and dozens. I don’t know how many exactly, and they’re not only all around here, but all over the country.”

“Then how come no one ever sees them?” asked Herman.

“You don’t see them?” asked Pamela with a smile, as Kimberly giggled.

“Well... yeah... but...”

“But nothing. People do see them. The Bigfoot Field Research Organization has ten thousand sighting reports on file. Bill Brann in nearby Whitehall has two hundred just from this area,” said Pamela.

“Really?” asked Herman, as he made symbols on his notepad.

“Yes, really.” said Pamela. “How could I fake an eight foot tall Sasquatch by putting a guy in a suit?”

“Well, I don’t know...” said Herman.

“Herman, Billy T, I want you to meet a mighty Sasquatch warrior,” said Pamela, “Can you deal with it?”

“A warrior?” asked Bill.

“You’ll see what I mean in a moment,” said Pamela.

“Ouragan?” projected Pamela.

“Yes?” answered Ouragan.

“Would you come here and stand next to Madu and Puyallup?”

“Yes, if you so desire,” said Ouragan.

The massive warrior stood and slowly strode up to the group and stood motionless, glaring down at Billy T and Herman. Both stood in awe.

“He’s huge! Ten feet tall!” said Billy T. “Can I take his photo?”

“Wait,” said Pamela.

“Ouragan, Billy T has a camera in his hands. He uses it to take pictures to put in his newspaper like you’ve seen at the Circle of Elders. He’s going to take your picture. OK?”

“I don’t know,” said Ouragan. “I don’t like it, but if you say it is alright, I suppose he can.”

“Billy T, OK, take his photo, but move slowly. No sudden moves,” said Pamela.

Billy T slowly raised his camera and it started clicking and clicking. Then he handed his camera to Herman and said “Herman, take my picture.”

Billy T walked and stood in front of Puyallup, Ouragan, and me. Ouragan looked distrustful. He reached down and picked up Billy T and held him high in the air with his feet kicking.

“Hey!” shouted Billy T. “What’s he doing?”

“I think he’s making sure you know who’s in charge,” said Kimberly, giggling.

“Don’t kick!” said Pamela.

Herman aimed the camera contraption and it clicked several times.

“OK Ouragan, you can set him down,” projected Pamela.

“Holy crap,” said Billy T. “Did you get my picture, Herman?”

“Sure did. Are you kidding?” said Herman. “Pamela, would you spell Ouragan?”

Pamela did, as Herman made his symbols in his notepad.

“I’m gonna get an award for this,” said Herman as he wrote.

We heard a noise. A conveyance was coming down the trail.

“A trap!” hollered Ouragan.

“No!” said Pamela. “I don’t know who it is. Get out of sight.”

Puyallup, Ouragan, and I did as Pamela asked without question. She is very wise, so wise that our Elders seek her counsel. We quickly made our way down the game trail to the stand of saplings.

A small conveyance came noisily down the trail and stopped. Its rider got off and removed a strange head covering.

“Dick!” said Pamela.

“Hi everyone,” said Dick. “I was talking to the editor of the Leader-Herald about Kathryn’s column and he mentioned that Herman and Billy T were in my neck of the woods, so I thought I’d come by to see what was going on.”

“Well, Herman and Billy T are here to write about our Sasquatch,” said Pamela.

“Oh, that. Yeah. I know, I wrote the introduction to Dave’s first two books, but I’m still not convinced,” said Dick.

“No?” asked Pamela. “Would you like a topic for the next ‘Kathryn’s Korner’?”

“What do you mean?” asked Dick.

Herman and Billy T chuckled.

“Wait Pamela,” said Billy T. “I want to get a photo of Dick’s face...”

“Madu?” projected Pamela.

“Yes,” I answered.

“This is Dick, a friend,” she replied. “Would you, Puyallup, and Ouragan please come to meet him?”

“Alright,” I said.

The three of us stepped out of the saplings and walked slowly up the hill. The one named Dick stood frozen, as Billy T the photographer pointed his picture device at him and made it click over and over.

“Dick, meet Madu, Puyallup, and Ouragan,” said Pamela.

“They’re real!” said Dick.

“Of course. That’s what David and I have been telling you,” said Pamela. “Madu here is the one that hung around our cabin and interacted with us, and made stick symbols, called glyphs, on the stump.”

Dick just stood with his mouth agape.

“I can’t believe this,” said Dick finally. “I have to go get Kathryn! Will you be here? It will take me about an hour to get home, fetch Kathryn, and come back.”

“Sasquatch have no schedule, Dick,” said Pamela. “Sure, get Kathryn.”

“Madu, Puyallup, Ouragan... Dick is going to leave, but return soon with his life partner Kathryn,” she projected to us. “Is that OK?”

“If you say it is,” I replied, but I could tell that Ouragan was very uneasy and unsure of this.

“Go ahead, Dick,” said Pamela.

Dick placed that thing back on his head, jumped on the back of his two legged conveyance, and it noisily made its way up the conveyance trail. He’ll never sneak up on anything riding that, I thought.

Herman the reporter was making symbols furiously on his notepad, as Billy T the photographer was making his device click over and over. Why doesn’t he understand that it doesn’t work?

“Pamela, where do they live?” asked Herman.

“The Forest People live in the forest,” said Pamela.

“Well duh. But where?” he asked.

“Exactly where, I won’t tell you,” she answered. “They would be hunted by idiots looking for fame and fortune. And then the idiots wouldn’t leave the forest alive.”

“Why? I thought they were gentle? That’s what you said,” stated Herman flatly.

“They are. But if they feel their tribe is threatened, all bets are off. Like you, if you felt your family was threatened, wouldn’t you protect them?” asked Pamela.

“Well yeah, but these are animals...”

Herman no longer got those words out when Pamela scolded him.

“THEY’RE NOT ANIMALS!” she shouted a little too loudly.

Herman was taken aback.

“Do they look like animals to you?” she asked.

“Well no, but they aren’t human...”

“OF COURSE THEY AREN’T HUMAN!” she yelled. “But they are a people. Just because they’re different doesn’t mean they aren’t a people, and they’re not really too unlike you and me.”

“Well, do they have any intelligence...”

“Intelligence? What in the world do you mean by that?” she asked testily. “No, they don’t fight wars, and no, they don’t have a means to end all life on the planet like we do, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t intelligent. They are perfectly adapted to live in harmony with nature, in their world, in the way they choose to live. Trying to compare our intelligence to theirs makes about as much sense as comparing our intelligence to dolphins. Bad example, but you know what I mean.”

Herman was making symbols. I don’t know about what, but I could tell that Pamela was very angry about something. Ouragan’s eyes narrowed to slits and his brow furrowed. He wasn’t liking this at all.

Pamela and Herman the reporter talked more. Herman made symbols, and Billy T the photographer’s device clicked away. Just bury it, I thought.

We heard a noise up the conveyance trail.

“Madu, Puyallup, Ouragan, hide until I see who it is,” projected Pamela.

We did as she asked. An odd conveyance arrived and a portal opened. It was Dick.

“OK guys, you can come out. It’s Dick and Kathryn,” she said.

We walked back up the hill and stood. We watched as the one named Dick walked to the side of the conveyance and the portal opened. He went inside and came out pushing a sitting contraption. In it was a Little Person. This contraption was unlike other sitting contraptions I’d seen. It had round legs like a conveyance.

“This is Kathryn,” projected Pamela to us.

“What is wrong with her?” asked Ouragan.

“Kathryn has MS. Multiple Sclerosis,” said Pamela.

“What is that?” asked Ouragan.

“It is a disease of the central nervous system,” said Pamela. “It slowly robs a person of their mobility,” she explained.

Dick pushed Kathryn over to us. She showed no reaction that I could see.

“This is Kathryn,” said Dick. “She can’t talk, but I can tell you that she’s thrilled.”

Ouragan walked over to Kathryn and knelt down next to her.

“I’m Ouragan,” he said.

“She can’t understand you,” said Pamela. “She doesn’t speak your language, but I can translate.

Ouragan looked towards us. He had tears on his cheeks.

“Tell her that Ouragan is sorry she has this MS,” projected Ouragan.

“OK,” said Pamela.

“No need.” It was Kathryn. She had connected instantly somehow.

“Hi Ouragan!” thought Kathryn. “I’m very pleased to meet you!”

Ouragan seemed surprised, as did we all.

“Kathryn is a very free spirit,” said Pamela. “She is very kind, loving, and happy. Somehow she instantly connected.”

“Hello Kathryn,” said Ouragan. “Why are you in this contraption?”

“I can’t walk because of my MS,” she replied. “I also can’t talk much anymore. You have no idea how nice it is for me to be able to talk with you like this. What is this? How are we doing this?”

“It is mindspeak, Kathryn,” answered Pamela. “It is communication with thoughts. It only happens when a person and a Sasquatch connect spiritually and emotionally.”

“What’s going on?” asked Dick.

“Kathryn and Ouragan are having a conversation,” answered Pamela.

“What?” asked Dick

“Mindspeak,” said Pamela.

“What? That’s not real,” said Dick.

“Yes it is,” replied Kathryn.

Dick stood, not moving, for a few seconds, and then turned and looked at Kathryn.

“Yes it is, Herman,” projected Kathryn.

“Herman is Kathryn’s name for Dick in her column, Kathryn’s Korner,” said Pamela. “The same as Herman the reporter.”

“What is a column Kathryn’s Korner?” I asked.

“A column is a story,” explained Pamela. “Kathryn publishes it in the Leader-Herald and online.”

“Online?” I asked.

“Too complicated to explain right now,” said Pamela with the look that says I need to not ask any more questions.

“Oh,” I answered.

“Does it hurt?” asked Ouragan.

“Sometimes,” answered Kathryn.

“This makes me very sad,” said Ouragan, as he gently took Kathryn’s tiny hand is his.

“Don’t be sad,” said Kathryn. “I used to be sad, and sometimes I still am. But this is my life. We play the hand we’re dealt.”

Ouragan looked at Pamela.

“It is a saying, Ouragan,” said Pamela gently. “It means we just learn to live as best we can with whatever happens to us in life.”

“Can your Healers fix this?” asked Ouragan.

“No, but they can help make it easier to deal with,” answered Kathryn.

“Maybe Aurora can help,” offered Kimberly.

“Do you think?” asked Pamela.

“Well, she helped me,” she answered.

“I’ll ask,” said Pamela.

“No. I will ask,” said Ouragan.

“Windago? Nakani? It is Ouragan,” he projected.

No answer.

“Ouragan, clear your mind of all thoughts and concentrate,” I said.

“Windago? Nakani? It is Ouragan,” he projected again loudly.

“Ouragan?” answered Windago. “Is everything alright?”

“Well, we’re all fine, but I need the counsel of the Elders. We’re meeting with the Little People, Herman the reporter and Billy T the photographer, and we were joined by two named Dick and Kathryn. Kathryn is ill and her healers can’t cure her. May I have permission to bring Kathryn to see Aurora?”

“If Kathryn goes, I need to go,” chimed in Dick.

“What do Pamela and Kimberly think?” asked Nakani, who joined in the conversation.

“It was Kimberly’s idea, and Pamela likes it,” answered Ouragan.

“Then yes,” said Windago.

“I agree,” said Nakani. “I’ll let the Elders know, but I’m sure they’d agree as well.”

“We’ll leave soon,” said Ouragan.

“What is going on?” asked Herman. Billy T’s device was clicking.

“Ouragan asked permission from his tribes’ elders to bring Kathryn to them to have Aurora, a healer, look at her,” Pamela answered. “They’ve agreed.”

Herman and Billy T looked at each other.

“Can we come?” asked Billy T.

“No,” answered Pamela. “We’ll give you the interview here, but then we must leave. And a warning. Do not try to follow us. Sentries might kill you.”

“Some gentle forest people,” muttered Herman.

“They will defend their tribes, Herman,” said Pamela firmly. “And you write that down, and make sure it gets into your story.”

“No problem,” answered Herman.

After another hour or so of Herman the reporter asking questions and Billy T the photographer trying to get his picture device to work, they were done.

“I think we have more than enough,” said Herman. “Thank you for a fascinating interview, Pamela and Kimberly. And thank your Sasquatch friends for us. This is more fun than sitting through some city council meeting.”

“You’re welcome, Herman,” said Pamela. “Our goal is to teach people that Sasquatch are real, and that they just want to live in peace, to co-exist with us in harmony.”

“As do we all,” said Billy T. “Thank you for allowing photographs.”

“Madu thinks your camera is broken,” laughed Pamela.

“Broken? Why?” asked Billy T.

“Because it doesn’t do anything. It just clicks.”

Billy T laughed, as Herman made more symbols on his notepad.

“That should go in the story,” said Herman.