Weak in Body, Strong in Mind and Spirit

The sun was close to setting. Before seeing my parents, I thought I’d give Pamela a mind call.

“Pamela? Are you there?”

“Hi Madu. Yes, I’m awake. What’s up?”

“Well, I have a surprise, but first a question.”

“What?”

“Where do ducks go in the winter?”

“What? What kind of a question is that?”

“Well, I want to know,” I replied.

“Like many birds, ducks migrate. They fly south for the winter, like David and I used to do before moving from the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York to Florida full-time.”

“Ah. Good to know,” I answered. “Thank you.”

“No problem. What’s the surprise?”

“Well, you know that late last winter, just before the snows melted, Kamela agreed to be my mate?”

“Yes, of course, you told me. You were very excited,” said Pamela.

“Well, today she told me that I’m going to be a father.”

“That’s wonderful news!” exclaimed Pamela.

“Well, I hope so. But I don’t know if I’m ready to be a father. I’m not as smart as fathers, like my own Clackamas.”

Pamela laughed and laughed. Finally, she said “Madu, no man, um... I mean male, ever thinks he’s ready to be a father. Believe me, you’ll be fine. And Kamela will be a wonderful mother I’m sure.”

“Yes, I have no doubt about Kamela, but I don’t know about me. I don’t know anything about infants,” I said in a low voice.

“Madu, it comes naturally.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I have a question for you,” said Pamela.

“For me? How can I possibly help a Wizard?” I asked doubtfully.

“Do Sasquatch... Forest People... get sick?” she asked.

“Well, sometimes. Not often, but sometimes.”

“What do you do?”

“Well, if it is not serious, we see our Mothers. If it is serious, we see old Females, in particular a Healer here named Aurora, who is a very old Female and very wise,” I answered. “Why do you ask?”

“I just got off the ’phone...”

“Phone?” I asked.

“It is how humans... Little People... communicate over long distances. We can’t mindspeak with each other like you and I,” she continued. “Anyway, I just got off the ’phone with Kimberly...”

“Kimberly the Healer that tended to Puyallup and me after we were attacked by Shaniko the Bear?”

“Yes,” she said with a sob and a quaver in her voice.

“Pamela, what is wrong?” I asked gently.

“Kimberly’s cancer may have returned. This could be very serious,” she cried softly.

“Tell me about cancer.”

“Cancer can be a very serious disease, or not serious. David has skin cancer, but it is non-malignant. He’ll be fine after seeing his doctor to be treated,” she said. “Other cancers can kill a person.”

“Can Kimberly see this doctor?” I asked.

“Well, she was treated for it before with radiation and chemotherapy and we thought it worked. It may have not. It has possibly come back, and Kimberly said she doesn’t want to go through radiation and chemo again. It made her very sick before,” said Pamela.

“Tell me about her cancer and I will ask Aurora’s opinion,” I offered.

“Well, she had breast cancer and had a lumpectomy... had the lumps removed, but it has possibly metastasized... spread... to her lymph nodes, and now her liver.”

“Will she die?” I asked too bluntly. Good Earth Mother, I wish I could take some thoughts back.

“God, I hope not,” cried Pamela softly. “Kimberly and I have been best friends for many years. I don’t know why I’m telling you all this, but I needed to talk to someone now. David is a good listener too, and he also knows about it, but he’s not here right now.”

“I’m glad you told me, Pamela,” I replied. “I’m going to see Aurora about it. I’ll speak with you later.”

“OK, bye Madu,” projected Pamela.

I walked back to our nest. Kamela was making a breakfast of Bird’s eggs and Slugs, my favorites.

“What’s the matter, Madu?” she asked. “You look very sad.”

“I am indeed, Kamela,” I sighed. “I spoke with Pamela and she told me that Kimberly the Healer could be very ill.”

“What is wrong?”

“She might have a sometimes deadly disease called cancer. Pamela is very upset about it.”

“Why did she tell you? And not David?”

“I think she did tell him, but she just got off a device for communicating long distances with Kimberly and I think she just needed to talk to someone, and David wasn’t there,” I answered. “I need to see Aurora. I’m sorry, but I’m not hungry. I must go see her right now.”

I left the nest and headed to Fisher Lake. Many Fishers were there, as well as a group of Females bathing. Aurora was not there, so I went to her nest just a short distance away. I approached slowly so as not to startle her.

“Aurora? Are you in your nest?”

“Yes, I just arose. Who is there?” she asked in a very old, ancient voice.

“It is Madukarahat, son of Clackamas and Yolo. I need to speak with you about something very important.”

“Certainly, come in, come in,” she answered softly and kindly.

I sat down inside on a pile of ferns. I started to cry.

“Madu, what is it? Is it Yolo or Clackamas? Is it Kamela or the baby?”

“You know about our baby?” I asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yes. Kamela came to me because she wasn’t feeling well. I told her it was because she was going to have an infant.”

“Oh. But no, no, none of those. It is my Little Person’s friend Kimberly the Healer. She might be very sick. I wonder if you could help her.”

“Well...” and here she paused thoughtfully. “I’ve never tended to a Little Person. I don’t know,” said Aurora.

“Little People seem much like us, only mostly hairless and smaller,” I said. I then described Kimberly’s cancer as told by Pamela.

“Well, with permission from the Elders, I’d try. Where is she?” asked Aurora.

“Pamela is far away, in a place called Flori-duh. I’m not sure about Kimberly.”

“Well, I am very old, Madu. A long trek is out of the question for me now. Kimberly would need to come here,” she said.

“Let me go speak with Pamela first to see if Kimberly can travel here. If she can, I will speak with the Elders,” I said hopefully.

I thanked Aurora and left and walked a short distance to my place of solitude on the lake. I sat for a minute to watch the moon reflect on the gentle waves and to gather my thoughts.

“Pamela? It is Madu,” I said.

“Madu? Again? What, I’m getting ready to go to bed,” she said somewhat crankily.

“I’m sorry, Pamela, but this is very important. It is about Kimberly,” I said.

“What?”

“Where does Kimberly make her nest?” I asked.

“Not far from you, actually. Only maybe a 45 minute drive,” she answered. “Why?”

“What is a drive?”

“It is a trip in a car... a conveyance,” she said again rather crankily. Pamela sure gets cranky when she’s tired.

“Oh. OK. So she is close? But listen, I spoke to Aurora, an elderly Healer. She said she’d try to help Kimberly, but she’d have to see her here, and that requires me getting permission from the Elders,” I replied.

“That would be wonderful! When can you see your Elders?” she asked.

“I shall go to see them now,” I answered.

“Fantastic! I’ll stay awake so you can tell me what was decided,” said Pamela.

“Um... Elders seldom make fast decisions,” I answered.

“Right. But I’m staying up now anyway. I’m too excited to sleep!” she said with much happiness in her voice.

“OK, bye,” I said.

“Bye Madu. I’ll see you later. And thank you for trying,” she answered.

“But you can’t see me... oh, that’s one of those Little People sayings, right?”

“Yes, now go,” said Pamela with a laugh.

When Pamela is happy, Madu is happy.

I ran back to my nest.

“Kamela, I must go to the Circle of Elders right now!” I said. “It is about Pamela’s friend Kimberly.”

“I’m going with you!” said Kamela.

Off we walked the short distance to the Circle of Elders. The Elders sat as they always did, in a circle, based on age, with the two oldest, Windago of the Panther Tribe and Nakani of the Lower Wolfjaw, at the head of the Circle. Not long ago, the two Tribes had banded together with to live in peace in the lands of the Five Brothers, our home.

I approached slowly with my head bowed in respect. Kamela was next to me. Everyone of both tribes seemed to be there. My parents, Clackamas and Yolo were there, as were Kamela’s mother and father Hilgard and Blalock.

I stood for several minutes, not being noticed. I finally cleared my throat. Windago looked up.

“Madu? Are you here to see us?” he asked.

“Yes!” I said, a bit too loudly.

“Come, approach the Circle,” said Windago.

I approached.

“What is it you need, young Madukarahat?” he asked.

“Well, I spoke to my friend Pamela tonight with my thoughts. She was very sad and upset,” I began.

“Your Little Person Friend? Upset? Sad? Why?” asked Windago. All eyes then moved from Windago to me.

“Her friend, and our friend, Kimberly the Healer, is perhaps very ill,” I answered. “She might have a disease. A dangerous and deadly disease.”

All of the eyes moved back to Windago. He said nothing. He too looked sad.

Nakani spoke. “Madu, I have heard stories of your friends Pamela and Kimberly, and of the idiot David.”

Many of the audience giggled.

“I am saddened to hear of this disease, but the Earth Mother makes these decisions,” said Nakani.

“I know. But I spoke to Aurora the Healer and she said she’d be willing to try to help her, with your permission.”

“Aurora is a great Healer, the best in my long lifetime,” said Windago. “We shall pray on this and discuss it.”

“Wait, there’s more,” I added. “Aurora has to see her. Herself.”

“Aurora would visit her?” asked a stunned Elder. “She is too old to travel.”

“Kimberly would come here,” I answered quietly.

The audience murmured. The Elders sat in stunned silence.

“Madu... you know we have great respect for your Little People Friends, but this is simply not done, for the safety of our Tribes,” said Nakani.

“I know... but I was hoping...” I said.

“Nonsense!” interrupted an Elder. “Never!”

“Irrigon, my old friend, we must consider Madu’s request,” said Windago. “His friend Pamela was a great help in counseling us to stay here at the Five Brothers instead of moving on to new places, and Kimberly helped heal both Madu and Puyallup when they were injured by Shaniko the Bear. Leave us, Madu. We shall summon you when we reach a decision.”

I thanked them for their kind consideration and backed away from the Circle.

“Madu!” called Windago. “Isn’t there one more thing to tell us?”

“What? No. I told you everything,” I answered, confused. Kamela elbowed me in the ribs.

“What?” I whispered to her.

“Well Madu, it seems that, according to Aurora, you have other news,” said Nakani.

“Other news?”

“Madu!” whisper-shouted Kamela, pointing at her abdomen.

“Oh! I forgot! Esteemed Elders, Clackamas and Yolo, Blalock and Hilgard, our Tribes will be increased by one infant this winter!” I proudly exclaimed.

“And you call David the Idiot,” muttered Kamela.

The Elders and audience laughed.

Our four parents came running to hug us. My Friends Puyallup and Ouragan came to congratulate us. I looked towards the Elders and they were all smiling. Giving birth to a new Keeper of the Forest is always call for celebration and happiness.

We all walked slowly away from the Circle so the Elders could discuss my request.

“I must go to my peaceful spot and contact Pamela,” I said to Kamela.

“I understand, Madu,” she said. “Please go, talk with your Friend.”

“Thank you, Kamela.”

I walked to my place on the lake and sat.

“Pame....” was all I got out and...

“What did they say?” asked Pamela.

“They will discuss it,” I replied flatly. “When I told the Elders that Kimberly must come here, some Elders were upset and angry. I don’t know what their decision will be.”

“I see,” said Pamela, rather dejectedly.

“Pamela, the Elders never make quick decisions, no matter the request. And this is a big one for them,” I answered.

“I know,” she said, “but I was hopeful.”

Just then Kamela appeared.

“Madu, the Elders are calling you back to the Circle,” she said.

“What? Already?” I asked.

“Yes, a Young One came by our nest as messenger.”

“Pamela, I have to go. The Elders request my presence.”

“I see,” said Pamela. “This doesn’t sound good.”

“Don’t despair,” I replied. “Let me see what they want.”

“I’m staying up, so please let me know,” answered Pamela.

“I will,” I replied.

“Oh, and Kimberly called me on the ’phone and said Puyallup contacted her when he heard about her being ill, to say how sad this news made him.”

“Puyallup is very fond of Kimberly, Pamela.”

“I know. Anyway catch you later.”

“Catch... how? Oh, another saying, right?”

“Right.”

“OK, catch me later,” I answered, and I jumped up and hurried to the Circle.