When The People stopped wandering and stayed in one place
their numbers begin to multiply until they were so many that their dirt, smell
and noise begin to overlap. Soon the air becomes dark with the smell, silence
could not be found , and nothing green could rise from the trampled soil.
The People took stones and covered the earth so they would
no longer step upon the soil nor any form of vegetation. They averted their
eyes from the land and stayed inside their walls and would look at nothing that
they had not made with their own hands. Everything living, human and animal
alike lived in boxes and cages. And they called this land Sittee.
Raimo and his sister were only children when their parents
took them away from Sittee to live in the house by the Little Woods. The house
was far from any other people, which was just fine with Raimo. He felt happiest
under the open sky away from everyone. The rocks and trees, animals and insects
were Raimo's friends and toys.
Raimo loved the Little Woods and explored it for many hours
at a time with only his sling shot and his water bottle. He imagined the woods
were alive and he would talk to the plants, cactus, trees and wildlife he saw.
Raimo shot at things with his slingshot but never at living things. He had shot
at a bird once not really expecting to hit it. He had hit it though and it had
died. He cried a long time about it. His dad had said, “You are right to be sad. That bird will
never beautify the land again with its flight or its song. You will never know
how other creatures are affected by his loss either. I know you did not really
mean to kill the bird so take this as a lesson to not be careless with the
lives of others.”
When Raimo walked in the woods he would stop for a drink
from his water bottle and would be sure to dribble some on the little cactus at
his feet. Raimo had noticed the little cactus scattered about the forest floor
early in his exploration. He knew they thrived with very little water in dry
environments but still when he would drink from his bottle he would be sure to
splash a little water on them. Later that same day he noticed that they had
bloomed little cactus fruits. Raimo's father told him the fruits could be eaten
once the little thorns were wiped off. Raimo thought they tasted kind of like
strawberries with lots of seeds and they turned his fingers red.
Raimo began to notice something else about the Little
Forest. It seemed like all the animals were watching him, not cautiously like
animals do but studying him, like people do. Then one day while he played among
the trees he thought he saw small people slide silently into hiding in the
trees or behind rocks of the Little Forest but he never saw anything in the
open.
At dinner Raimo said, “I think there is something strange
living in the Little Woods”
His sister said, “Like Armadillos?”
“No goofy, like people.”
“People?” his mother asked in surprise.
“Little people…” Raimo was starting to feel self conscious
now. Why had he opened his big mouth!
“You call me goofy but you’re the one seeing fairies in the
woods.” Laughed his sister.
Raimo’s dad had stopped chewing and looked at Raimo quietly.
His dad’s family had lived in this country long ago, he knew this land. He was
of the Native People.
Raimo’s mother was of mixed heritage she was Native and
Black. Some of the unfriendly kids Raimo had known would call Raimo
“Afro Indian”. Raimo’s mother loved his loose curled long hair and would put her
hands in it when she hugged him.
His mother laughed. “It’s not silly to have a good
imagination. Besides, they have always said in our family that there is a
little magic in us. Maybe Raimo did see a fairy.”
“I didn’t say I saw fairies!” Raimo growled. His dad smiled
and gave him a wink but just changed the subject and asked his sister about
school.
That night Raimo’s father came in his room and sat on his
bed.
“Before you drift away on a stream of dreams I have
something for you.” he said. He clasped in his hand a leather cord upon which
was strung two large rattle snake rattles set into a piece of bone like a
wishbone with a symbol carved upon it.
“I was given this charm by my father to keep me safe when I
was your age. Your mother said there is magic in our family but that is nonsense.
“Open eyes” or sight might be a better way to describe the talent in our
family. You probably don’t need to be protected from anything but keep this
charm anyway for good luck.”
“Are there fairies in the Forest, Dad?” Raimo asked
sleepily.
“This forest was sacred to the people who lived here long
before us and there is no such thing as fairies,” he stood and walked to the
door, “at least that is not what they are called in this land. Goodnight, son”
And turned out the light.
