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“Tell me about your family? Tell me about your home; about your people and about your land.”
Nakoma had been impressed by Bill’s innate understanding; that their land was more than their home. It was family. It was their mother. It was what nurtured them and made them strong as a people; together and individually.
The two had been making their way back home to Nakoma’s people and had been sitting together upon the grassy shoreline. The overhanging boughs of a tree had cast them into deep shadows; as they threw twigs and stones into the river.
“Our home. I will tell you about our home and I will tell you about our family. I will tell you about our grandmothers and our grandfathers and their grandmothers and their grandfathers. I will tell you about our land…and I will tell you about our heart; because our land is our heart. It is as our mother, as it is what gives us life, nurtures us and sustains us.
I am all that is left of my bloodline. When my grandmother and my grandfather are gone; there will be no more of us.”
“Your son….”; Bill interrupted gently.
“Would have continued the line.”
Nakoma paused for a moment. Bill saw a sort of far away look come over his brother’s handsome face.
He gave him a moment; while he picked up a stick and threw it into the water for the golden dog to retrieve. That had become her most favorite trick to preform for him. She was also a good swimmer and often swam alongside him at night.
He was her human; the one who had taken her off the streets of Billings and had given her a home…here…where his own heart had found its home.
In less than a moment; it seemed; Nakoma came back to himself.
“You, Bill, could be the fresh blood that…”
Bill quickly interrupted Nakoma before his thoughts carried him away.
“Nakoma. That’s Your dream…and dare I say it. That’s YOUR job. I can’t contribute to the bloodline of your family. I don’t carry that blood…and I can’t be with a woman…in that way.
Nakoma’s brow creased. After a few seconds; his face softened and he shyly smiled at Bill
“Sorry….sometimes when I look at you; it’s easy to forget.
Bill looked down at himself; then back to meet his brother’s eyes.
He would have put his arm around Nakoma’s shoulder; as he urged him to get up and walk with him. The difference of four inches between them was not always so noticeable; except at times when they were standing side by side.
Bill was considered to be small in comparison to most men; White or Red. His bone structure was fine and delicate; much like a woman; but his compact muscularity was decidedly masculine. Nakoma didn’t know what Bill did to obtain that physique. Maybe walking all those years after Ev’s death.
Nakoma continued the discussion as they walked.
“Yet my brother made a child with Walks Far Woman. Maybe you can father a child, too, Bill.”
“Hmm mm.” Bill shook his head vigorously. “That’s not gonna happen. I don’t function like that…and if your brother d….”
Nakoma interrupted Bill.
“Our brother.”; he corrected Bill.
“Our brother. If our brother could father a child…like that…then we aren’t as much alike as you seem to think. “
Bill had stopped walking. Nakoma stopped as well and looked down at his little brother.
Bill looked up into Nakoma’s dark eyes. Between them; that all too familiar crease appeared; the one that popped up when Nakoma was having trouble understanding something…usually something that a White man had just said…or lately…something that Bill had just said.
Their walk had already taken them upriver from where a handful of men and boys were cooling off from the heat. Bill had to walk away; finding things a bit too distracting to speak coherently to his brother Nakoma.
Now that they were alone; the cool river was proving to be too tempting for Bill and wearing only a breechcloth; himself; he walked chest deep into the water and swam across to the other side; leaving Nakoma behind to observe.
Over the proceeding months of traveling among White men; Nakoma had heard the unkind and harsh comments that were made behind Bill’s back and sometimes flung directly to his face. Watching Bill swim now; Nakoma couldn’t see one thing feminine about him.
His shoulders were broad; his arms were strong. The muscles across his back rippled as he stroked his way across the water and his chest and abdominal muscles were nicely developed and led to a flat belly and narrow hips. His legs were well conditioned from walking many, many miles…long before Nakoma had ever met him.
As he watched Bill swim back to his side of the shore; the only feminine thing about him was his lovely face…the face of Willa.
Nakoma would never give up hoping that some day; Bill might be able to father a child; to have his own family.
In his heart; he knew; beyond doubt; that Bill would be a wonderful father. He was already followed around by a handful of children; almost daily.
Nakoma often times thought that it was Bill’s own childlike nature that drew children to him. They would sit; entranced; at Bill’s fire at night; begging him to tell them stories of his travels in the White mans’ world. His tales of the large cities that he had visited all over the world were like dreams to the young, the small and the old as well. Often times, Nakoma and Wise Eyes, too, would sit and listen.