Page 89 (1/1)

I nodded a brief yes

"This place is in my heart, but it can’t be my home, not now, ht, so she dug up the cord and put it on the gun rack?"

Again, I nodded

"There are many kinds of warriors, Josie I’ve been one kind, and you know the saying goes, once a Marine always a Marine, but now I need to be a different kind of warrior for the Navajo people I want to get ree so I can help native people retain their lands, and not just the Navajo people Our government doesn’t need acres and acres of land Do you know that the United States Government OWNS more than half of the land out west? As oes in and takes the land in the na the land froreat chiefs, would be rolling in their graves if they knew about the land grab that has happened by our own govern his hand froet ain "So you think I should live here with , Josie? Live here and herd sheep? Do you think randma would think I loved her more if I did?"

I felt like the lowest of life forms, and I shook my head miserably "No, Samuel, I don’t I’m sorry I’m not really sure what I meant"

The silence around us was broken only by the occasional distant laughter floating up froan below and an orchestra of happy crickets united in their evening song Several long ently, "Maybe we aren’t really talking about me, Josie"

Sanificant time passed without a response, he silently rose to his feet He reached his hand down, and I took it, letting hi tooat gut ice cream"

"Ugh!" I cried out, totally falling for it

"Just kidding, sweetheart Goat eyeballs are actually quite tasty, though They’re considered a delicacy a in my heart, and I followed hiht of Grandrand The sun was just peeking her way over the eastern ether, Sa on her shoulder, his back bowed to accommodate their embrace I turned from them, embarrassed to find uess I just didn’t like goodbyes

I felt a gentle touch onclose beside , I’ to overcome theh pallish was al Samuel loves you You love Samuel Go and be happy"

I put my hand over hers and held it for a moment Then she stepped away from me, andinto the cab of the truck Samuel must have heard what she’d said; he was only a few feet away Our ss and the two bedrolls were already stowed in the truck bed ready to go, so it was only a minute before he climbed in beside me and started the truck

As we pulled away, I foundas I tried to stem the flow of tears that would not be calrabbed a handful of brown Taco Bell napkins and scrubbed atto dahed gently "Your heart is too tender for your own good"

"I don’t usually cry like this, Samuel Geez, it’s been years since I’ve cried like this Since you’ve been back I can’t seeht in a constant downpour"

"Come here, Josie," Saently on the forehead and smoothed o ahead and just let it rain for a while"

And so I did I cried until I was all wrung out, and I didn’t think I would cry again for a good ht thigh and fell asleep with his hand in"Don’t Take it Away" on the radio

We ood time on the way home Apparently, all those tears I’d cried had been heavy, because I felt strangely weightless and empty for most of the drive Samuel and I talked of this and that, but the conversation was light and roaht in a downpour, of the natural variety this tie rainbow traversed the sky This pro to reach the Turquoise House of Sun-God across the Great Water The story told hohen they reached the Great Water, they followed Spider Wos and prayers, put their hands into the Great Waters and a huge Rainbow Bridge appeared to take the a little red headedfour tiardless