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safely to the other world.
The song wound round like the endless seasons, the steady drone putting Bryan in a near trance. Peace
came upon his spirit and with it, the release of tension.
Grandpa exhaled another rattling breath then fell silent. Bryan stopped singing and waited, one
second, two, three, four, but his grandfather didn t inhale again. It was over. A mingled sense of relief and
sadness washed over him. No matter where he d traveled or what he d done, he d always known his
grandfather would be here if he needed him. Now the comforting blanket of his presence was gone.
Grandma Naomi s eyes glistened with tears, but her face was calm. It is good. He suffered too long.
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They sat for several minutes gazing at the shell of the man they had loved and listening to the lonely
cry of the hawk overhead. Neither touched him. Old beliefs were too ingrained for that, but they shared the
moment, offering comfort to one another in complete silence.
Leave me now. Her tone was abrupt. He knew her too well to offer to hold her right now. She
wanted to be alone in her grief. Later there would be time for hugs and tears.
Bryan rose, squeezed her shoulder and walked back toward the house. Wolf appeared from wherever
he d been exploring and pushed his head under his master s hand. The dog panted heavily from running.
He needed water.
Stay, Bryan ordered when he reached the steps. Wolf settled on his haunches as his master
abandoned him to go inside.
In the kitchen, Sylvia was rolling out pieces of dough, and his mom fried them.
It s over, he announced, suddenly feeling nothing but exhaustion.
His mother turned from the stove to embrace him. He stood stiffly, nothing forgotten or forgiven. He
would ve liked to have been a bigger man than that, but there was too much history between them for him
to want to return her hug.
After a moment, she released him. I ll go check on Mom. She left the kitchen.
Sylvia wiped her hands on a dishtowel and walked toward him. Hers was an embrace he was glad to
accept. He wrapped his arms around her slender body and held on tight, nuzzling his face into the side of
her hair, wishing they could curl up together and rest right now. He hadn t an ounce of energy left as the
tension of the last few days caught up with him. The drama in Gary s dungeon seemed light years and a
lifetime away. The long drive to Arizona was like a river that separated this world from the other he d been
living in. Here, he had to be a different man than the carpenter from San Diego.
He wasn t ready to face the emotional ride of the funeral, to see all the relatives and friends he d left
behind, and hear their words of sympathy. God, he needed sleep.
I m so sorry, Bryan. Whatever I can do to help, let me know. Sylvia s voice was music to him, soft
and soothing.
Just be here, he whispered.
I m here.
For a long while, he simply relaxed into her comforting embrace. He may have fallen asleep standing
up, because his eyes suddenly opened and his consciousness returned. He pulled away from Sylvia.
The funeral will probably be tomorrow. Our people believe in getting the spirit on its journey as soon
as possible so it doesn t linger or get trapped here.
She nodded. What will happen next?
He drew a deep breath. We call the radio station to make an announcement since not everyone has
phone service, and we make a lot of calls to relatives. Some will arrive as early as today. Others have to
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travel from a long way. The burial process is kind of complicated since traditional and modern ways are
often at odds. If the family is Christian, they ll have it at the church, if not, a funeral parlor or at home. My
grandma hasn t told me what she wants done yet.
Sylvia removed the frying pan from the stove, flipping the burnt flatbread into the trash and setting
the pan aside. What s the traditional way?
My people fear being haunted by the dead. If things aren t done right, the spirit might return from the
underworld. In the past, a couple of men would prepare and bury the body while the family mourned at a
safe distance. The gravediggers would be naked except for a coating of ash to ward off evil spirits, and
there had to be a cleansing ritual performed on them afterward. Now we usually use a funeral home run by
Anglos.
He accepted the glass of water Sylvia handed him and a piece of fry bread. His stomach rumbled
loudly. Life went on amidst death. Stomachs still had to be filled. He wolfed down the bread.
Anyway, now many Diné are Christian, but they still do everything in their power to make sure the
dead stay buried.
I can help with the cooking or anything else you need done. I want to be here for you.
Thank you. He kissed the anxious frown from her forehead and stroked her soft, fine hair then he
pulled away abruptly. Crap! I forgot about Wolf. He needs water.
I ll go out and see to him. You go to your family.
Outside by yourself again? He raised an eyebrow. You ve come a long way in just a few days.
She smiled. Didn t say I d like it out there, but I ll be fine. Please, let me do this for you. I want to be
useful.
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