Summary:   Here is the second story I mentioned for the October Chaps and Spurs challenge. Again I hope you like it.

Rated: K+  1700

 

                                                                                               Memories

Adam smiled again at the Indian sitting across from him, then looked to his gun lying at the man’s feet. Adam wasn’t so sure surrendering his gun as he had had been the brightest thing to do, but what was done was done. Would the Indian now hold he and Joe hostage? Maybe he was only playing with them, giving Adam hope that his only intention had been to help him with Joe. Everything had happened so fast that Adam couldn’t be sure if he had been in the group of braves that had attacked the men he and Joe had been riding with but it seemed the most likely explanation as to why he was here. Somehow he had gotten separated from the rest of his people and was now only waiting for darkness to fall so he could make his escape. Adam thought perhaps he would come back with others because he would know, same as Adam, that Joe wouldn’t be traveling until sometime late tomorrow. Joe had taken a nasty fall and he would need to rest. Adam figured he’d done what he needed to and whatever consequences befell them because of it he’d deal with as they came.

Adam turned his attention back to his youngest brother whose head was resting in his lap. If it hadn’t of been for the man sitting across from him he would have never been able to get Joe into this cave that was now providing much needed shelter. Accepting that knowledge as fact made Adam realize he had no choice in what he had done and it helped to put his mind at ease with his decisions and that allowed him to let his mind reassess the situation. He was well aware there would be a frost tonight and he was thankful for the fire that now burned brightly in front of him, another offering of the so called savage that shared this cave with them.

Adam thought of how fast the weather had turned this year. It was as if one day they were working in rolled up shirt sleeves and sweating under the summer sun and the next they were all searching for their woolen underwear that had been pushed to some distant corner and had been forgotten when they had become unnecessary.

Adam stared into the fire and as he watched the smoke drift out of the caves entrance in search of freedom his mind followed and traveled down the path of memories. As he recalled things he spoke of them to his brother. He had all but forgotten the other person present.

“Hey Joe do you remember the day we all decided to go fishing instead of doing our chores? I guess you were about 12 or 13, or maybe it was closer to 11, anyway do you remember how you and Hoss thought it would be so hard to convince me to go along with you but you were both shocked when I didn’t even argue. Truth is little brother I was happy that you two wanted me along in the first place. Do you remember how pa tried to act like he was real angry with us for doing that? Shirking our responsibilities is what he said. I guess that was more for me and Hoss, or maybe just me.

Thing was he just couldn’t keep up the charade for too long. He was happy that we just wanted to spend a day together without work being the reason we had to. You’d have to admit that for a while after I came home from school back east it was kind of hard. Me and you just seemed to mix like oil and water, guess we still do. I just wish I knew why. I mean it’s never been like that with Hoss and me. I know what pa would tell me. Even though he’s always saying three wives, three sons, all so different, he’d say that’s because you and me are more alike then me and Hoss. I can’t see how he can believe that’s true. Everything I tell you to do you do the opposite. Maybe that only helps prove his point. I like to do things my own way too.

Joe do you remember how much your mother loved autumn? How she use to love to watch the leaves change color? I remember and I can remember pa having to go out and fetch her in from the cold more times than I can count. There were a lot of times he’d just bring her out a coat and stand there with her. There were a few times he just went out, put his arms around her and wrapped her up in his coat. I remember once you asked me how the leaves change color and I started explaining it to you with all the scientific reasons as to why.

You just looked at me as if I were crazy and said that’s not what your ma had said. You said she had said that the angels do it. She told you that God lets the angels come down and paint them at night and that’s why it sometimes seems that they change color overnight. You said you asked her if the angels worked so hard to paint them then why did they all fall off and she told you that God makes them fall so He can make new ones grow so that next fall all the new angels get a chance to try it too. You then asked her why didn’t the pine tree’s needles change color and fall. I thought you had her there but Marie was always a quick thinker. She told you that the angels use the needles to make their paintbrushes so they had to stay because those were needed all year to paint sunrises and sunsets and such. Then you asked me since your ma was an angel now could I tell which leaf she painted. To this day I can’t explain how that one leaf fell and landed at our feet, but it did. It was as if it heard what you had asked me and wanted me to have an answer. I recall picking it up and thinking it had the most beautiful colors. I told you that it must be the one I held and that your ma had heard you and she sent it to you. You said she sent it to us and that we had to keep it forever. We took that leaf and put in the Bible to press it. I remember pa’s reaction when he opened that Good Book early the next Sunday morning trying to decide just what passage he was going to read to us. Even then you were a notoriously late riser. He was none to happy about finding a leaf in his Bible. Once I explained it to him though he gently placed the leaf back between the pages. It’s still there Joe. I know you’ve seen it and sometimes I want to ask you if you remember why.”

“I remember Adam.”
Joe saw the smile his brother gave him and wondered if he realized he was still stroking his hair. Joe’s admiration for his oldest brother became something he felt very strongly just then. How many times had his brother sat by him that he didn’t even know of? As brother looked at brother in a way that spoke of the love they felt for each other three leaves blew into the cave and landed beside them.

“One for each of them Adam?”

“I suppose we better take these home to pa.”

The third man, the one that had been all but forgotten, stood up from the shadows where he had hidden himself to listen. He had been afraid that if the big white man with the dark hair remembered he was there he would stop talking. While he hadn’t understood the words he had heard quite clearly the love and the sadness and the longing. He knew now these two men must be brothers. Ones who, as many brothers do, had had their differences but never so great a difference that they wouldn’t always remain brothers. He knew the one who was injured would not be able to travel until tomorrow. He thought he would go back for some other braves to help him drag these two to their camp to hold as hostages, because he knew they would not go without a fight. He knew that he needn’t fear that he would come back to find only one hostage because one would never leave without the other. He may not have known they were brothers before but even then he knew they would remain together. Hadn’t the dark haired one stayed behind to help the other one when he had fallen? He had been the only brave to see that and he had followed them knowing to have white hostages to trade would be a good thing. Now he could no longer carry out that plan with a clear conscience. He said only two words as he left the cave. “Bavi, rami.” *

“What did he say Adam?”

“I don’t know Joe.”

“You think he’ll come back?”
“I don’t know Joe?’

“Maybe we should go before he does.”

“We wouldn’t get far and you know it.”

“I wouldn’t get far but you could.”

“No little brother whatever comes we’ll face it together.”

“Just like always, right older brother.”

“Yes Joe just like always.”

“Does that include pa when he finds out what happened?”

“No. I wasn’t the one having so much fun that we were late in leaving. It wasn’t me who fell off of his horse to put us into this situation. If you had stayed in your saddle we would be at the fort by now.”

“I didn’t FALL!”

The brave smiled as he walked away. Yes most definitely bavi and rami.

 

* Bavi and rami mean older brother and younger brother in the Comanche language according to the Comanche Vocabulary compiled by Manuel Garcia Rajon