Escape from the Past by Annette Oppenlander

Author:Annette Oppenlander [Oppenlander, Annette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-78535-214-0
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Published: 2016-02-26T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

By early afternoon, the contents of Grandmother’s and my hut were packed and attached to several horses. Most of the supplies had been repackaged and spread across the mules. A few women were still working in the open, rolling up hides and folding blankets, strapping pots and baskets on more horses.

I sat in the shade of a pine tree, sipping from a water skin. My forearm felt amazing despite the morning work. Nana had the Power all right.

“You ready for your surprise?” Ela shielded her eyes from the glare with one hand, holding the other behind her back. I jumped up, trying to catch a glimpse of what she was hiding. She laughed as she revealed a rifle and six bullets.

“I teach you to shoot. Nana brought ammunition, but we must save most of it for hunting and the white…” Her eyes grew darker. “I mean—”

“I know what you mean,” I hurried. “I don’t blame you a bit. It’s okay to hate white people. They’re stealing your world.”

She nodded and touched her throat. “You are not like other pale eyes.”

I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. I know history and how it all ends. Clearing my throat, I said, “So where do we go?”

“Come.” Ela took my hand. We climbed downhill until we reached a narrow clearing. The ground was covered in rocks and grasses. Brush clung to the gravelly soil. Ela stopped at a shoulder-high boulder. She’d brought a piece of bark and, with the help of a small rock, draped it on top so that the bark hung over the side.

“Follow me,” Ela said, stepping back thirty yards. “The first thing we do is shoot with our mind.” She faced the boulder and closed her eyes. “Do this with me.”

I came alongside and stared at the bark.

“Close your eyes. Can you see the target in your mind? Imagine you’re pointing a rifle. Oh, here.” Ela handed me the rifle. “Let’s do this first. Hold it correctly or you can hurt yourself.” She adjusted my right arm, so the butt rested against my shoulder, forefinger at the trigger. “The left hand supports underneath. Like this.” She moved around me, her hands cool on my arm and hand, her chest leaning in.

I was trying to focus on the gun, her nearness taking my breath. Concentrate. Why had I never shown any interest when my father offered to teach me? I would’ve been able to impress her. Of course, I’d hated the Army business, our constant moves and my father’s absences.

“Good. Now stand still and close your eyes. Feel the weight of the gun. How your arms and fingers hold onto it. Now think about the target. Point your rifle. Imagine the bullet inside, how it flies along the barrel…and finds its mark.”

I stood, visualizing the bark bursting apart. Even after what Wade and the Irish had done, I couldn’t imagine shooting a person.

“One more thing.”

I opened my eyes. Ela walked around me like a master drill sergeant. “Your legs and feet must be strong.

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