A Land Remembered by Smith Patrick D

Author:Smith, Patrick D. [Smith, Patrick D.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: Ingram Distribution
Published: 2012-09-13T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

Emma ran to them immediately when they entered the clearing, her cries of “Tobias! Tobias!” bringing the others outside.

Tobias dismounted quickly and hugged her, and then she said, “You’ve been gone so long. I was worried about you. But I’m glad you’re back now. We had a bad thing happen while you were gone.”

“What’s that?” Tobias asked anxiously, alarmed by the gravity in her voice.

Frog spoke up first, “Bonzo died, Mister MacIvey. He took real sick on the way back from Punta Rassa. It was malaria. We done everything we could for him, and for a while it seemed he got better, but on the first night back here he just up and went away.”

“That’s too bad,” Tobias said regretfully. “I’m real sorry to hear it. I wish I could have at least been here for the funeral.”

“He’s down by the river,” Frog said. “Miz Emma said words, and it was a proper burial. It surprised us all, and I sure hated it. Me an’ ole Bonzo went through a lot together.”

Zech said, “Pappa had it too, and that’s why we’re so late getting home. He was so sick he like to have died. The medicine man cured him.”

“Tobias!” Emma exclaimed, grabbing his arm. “You had it too? Oh, Lord! I should have been there with you!”

“There’s nothing to fret about now,” he assured her. “The Indians looked after me real good. I still got some medicine Miami Billie made for me, and they’re getting in some quinine at Fort Drum. All I need is a few days’ rest and I’ll be fine.”

“Did you have trouble findin’ the Indians?” Skillit asked. “We all figured you’d end up down in Cuba.”

“It wasn’t easy,” Tobias said. “There were times I didn’t think we’d make it.”

“We seen things you won’t believe,” Zech said excitedly. “I walked on vines right over the top of the woods, and the cypress trees down there are so big they make everthing here look like nothing. And I went to Pay-Hay-Okee.”

“What’s Pay-Hay-Okee?” Emma asked curiously.

“It’s a place like nowhere else. We went there in a dugout canoe. Tawanda took me.”

Emma said, “Let’s go in the house and I’ll fix something to eat. Then I want to hear all about your trip and everything you saw.”

The entire troupe followed Tobias and Zech inside.

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