Archangel of the Fallen by Devin Lee Carlson

Author:Devin Lee Carlson [Carlson, Devin Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781673235319
Published: 2019-12-22T22:00:00+00:00

25

Don’t Sweat It

O n the flight to Arizona, Jesse gave me a rundown of the Navajo or Diné people. A short history claimed they had passed through three worlds before coming onto Earth, known as the Fourth World. The Diné people have two classes of beings: Earth People and Holy People. The Earth People of the Diné were a vital part of the universe. Through the teachings of the Holy People, the Diné understood how to conduct themselves in their day-to-day lives while maintaining a healthy relationship with Mother Earth, Father Sky, and elements such as mankind, animals, plants, and insects.

Unlike my obsession with the number three, the Navajo believed four was important: four directions, four seasons, the first four clans, and the four colors associated with the four sacred mountains. Some Navajo rituals utilized four songs. The lesson kept my mind off the general malaise I could not shake. The soreness increased day by day. The rest of the trip uneventful, we hired a rental and drove straight for Kayenta.

A déjà vu worse than all others slugged me in the gut. I staggered from the virtual blow.

“You, okay, Pop?”

My hand reached out for my son’s shoulder to steady myself. “Aye. I’ve been here so many times, it’s like coming home.” Other than Edinburgh, something about Arizona made me feel welcomed.

As we gathered outside the hogan, my gaze settled on the small structure Gray Wolf used as a sweat lodge. The word Ta'Chéé flashed in my mind. Without even thinking, I mimicked my son’s gift of language, Navajo being one of the most complicated to learn. Cool beans. Gray Wolf once said something about Ta'Chéé or grandfathers amongst us.

The night after the HFA meeting, Jesse’s grandfather promised to perform a ceremonial sweat or purification to ease my son’s troubled mind. Erase the evil Serine had polluted him with. I doubted the ceremony would be the real deal, so many of their traditions closed to outsiders. Between Azrian and me, we couldn’t be any more outside.

In front of the hogan, I shook Gray Wolf’s hand without bothering to introduce myself. He already knew who I was. “Thank you for your extended hospitality, Gray Wolf.”

One of the stones in my pouch wiggled. My wager fell on the Zuni Fetish his wife had carved. Odd, but when I met Gray Wolf this time, the second time for me if not for him, he spoke as if I had only been away for a few days. Acted as if he had known me all along. Nothing surprised me anymore, not even the idea that Gray Wolf, himself, had probably come from the Lighted Realm. Maybe a being similar to White Ghost.

“Gray Wolf, my son, Azrian.” I stepped aside when he leaned in to shake Azrian’s hand and pulled away as if he had grasped hot coals. An act or did Gray Wolf sense the conflict that plagued my son? A chuckle almost slipped, recalling how the future-past Gray Wolf arranged a fake sweat with Sabree to find his true animal self.

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