Christmas at Wapos Bay by Jordan Wheeler

Author:Jordan Wheeler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: danger, Native traditions, city kids in the forest, wilderness survival, family, multigenerational, celebration
ISBN: 9781550508512
Publisher: Coteau Books

Back at Mushom’s camp, however, they do notice the dark grey clouds – they being all of them – Mushom, Kohkum Rosalie, Uncle Peter, Aunt Anne, Alphonse, Sarah, and Jacob standing outside, staring at the ominous storm clouds. Jacob turns and stares off in the other direction – the direction the kids went earlier.

“How far could they have gotten?” he asks.

“Depends when they got up,” Mushom answers, chastising himself for sleeping a little too late this morning. Usually up before the first rays of light, Mushom knows he was tired and not feeling well, but if there was one morning to wake up on time, or even early, it would have been today. He shakes his head, also realizing he had perhaps given T-Bear and Talon too much praise for their work on the land. They obviously felt they were ready to go out alone, and as their teacher, he must have been the one to make them feel that way.

“They followed the trail I took them on yesterday,” he says.

“Take my dog team,” Uncle Peter tells him. “Alphonse and Jacob and I can walk out to my traps and check as many as we can before the storm arrives.”

Alphonse gives Uncle Peter a look as Jacob turns to Mushom. “I’d rather go with you,” Jacob tells him. It’s on the tip of Mushom’s tongue to tell Jacob that he would only slow him down, but he manages to hold it back.

“Your father will travel faster if he goes alone,” Uncle Peter advises Jacob. Jacob reluctantly nods, knowing his uncle speaks the truth, and knowing there’s no one who knows the land in this area better than his father.

Without another word, Mushom walks over to Uncle Peter’s dog team and releases the foot brake. “Aiee!” he yells, and the dogs spring to life, all of them barking as they move down the hill towards the lake with Mushom urging them on. “Aiee!” he yells again as they leave shore and accelerate onto the frozen lake.

The rest of the family remains on shore, watching, concern etched in all their faces. Kohkum Rosalie looks at them all and sees their worry. “That old man will find them,” she announces. “He knows where to look.”

Uncle Peter and Aunt Anne nod. Alphonse, Sarah, and Jacob just hope the old people are right. “Nothing we can do now but get ready,” Aunt Anne tells Sarah with a sympathetic look. Sarah nods as Jacob turns to his aunt.

“Get ready for what?” he asks.

“To either stay and have a big family Christmas or split up and go to our separate traplines,” she tells him. “We’ll have to do one or the other by the end of the day.” Jacob nods. So do the other men.

Aunt Anne looks at the three of them and raises her eyebrows. “It would be nice if you found enough in the traps for everyone to stay,” she tells them. The men nod again. “So you can leave anytime,” she adds sarcastically.

Uncle Peter,

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