JC: William Redman Carter Noble Savage Chapter 30 By Lazlo Zalezac Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2005 Sunday afternoon found William sitting in the backyard enjoying the sun while sipping on a soft drink. It was a beautiful day with very few clouds in the great blue sky. The sun was warm, but the soft breeze blowing from the north was cool. He closed up his light jacket to keep the cool air from chilling him. He sighed in contentment as he took another sip of his soda. Looking around at the neighboring yards, he noticed Mark step out the back door of one of the houses across from him. Raising an arm, he shouted, “Hello.” Mark looked around before spotting William and headed over towards him with a shout of greeting. “Hello.” Putting one hand on the top of the fence and swinging his body, Mark hopped the fence to the alley and made his way to the gate of the chain link fence at the back of William’s yard. He opened the gate and walked over to where William was seated. Gesturing to one of the chairs, William asked, “What are you up to this afternoon?” “I was supposed to see Birdie, but she got some call about a bird that got injured.” He sat down on the offered chair and looked around. “Ah,” William replied. His cell phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. There was a text message telling him to call Derrick along with a telephone number. It took William several seconds to realize it was the Derrick from South Dakota. Frowning, he looked at the number for a second and then said, “Excuse me, I had better contact this person. It could be important.” Not really believing that someone his age would receive an important call, Mark shrugged his shoulders with indifference. Lots of kids used their cell phones to look and act more important than they were. He decided that it was nice to know even kids of William’s background were the same. Curious, William dialed the number. When Derrick answered, he said, “Derrick, this is William. I got a message that you called.” “Thank God you’ve called. I didn’t know who else to call,” Derrick said as his words tripped over themselves on the way out of his mouth. His voice was excited, but not in a happy way. The emotion in the voice on the other end of the phone intrigued William. He couldn’t figure out what had gotten the man so upset. He asked, “What’s the matter?” “They’re going to kill that White Buffalo.” William sat up straight at the announcement. Even Mark picked up the sudden concern on William’s face and wondered if it was just possible that he did get important calls. William asked, “What are you talking about?” “Some of the guys were talking about going out to the ranch where the White Buffalo lives. They were saying that they were going to shoot it before the Indians had a chance to move it.” “When are they planning on doing it?” “Tonight. I’m sorry for the short notice, but I just learned about it. This was the first chance I’ve had to let you know,” Derrick answered. The regret in Derrick’s voice was clear to hear. “That’s okay. You’ve given us enough warning,” William said as he calculated the logistics of getting his mothers to South Dakota in time to react. “Well, I just couldn’t stand by and do nothing.” Knowing the personal price that Derrick was going to pay for making that call, William said, “I really appreciate the warning. I’m sorry that you had to make this call. I know that it puts you in a horrible position with respect to your friends.” Derrick was silent for a moment and then, with real anger in his voice, said, “What kind of friends would put me in a position like this? I’ve been telling them for two months to leave that animal and the Indians alone, but they won’t do it.” “I’m really sorry,” William said. He knew that Derrick had to live with those people after this. More than likely they would know that Derrick had informed on them. In a gentle voice, he said, “Look, let me know if you need to leave the area.” Derrick swore, “Shit, if I can’t take care of those bastards then I don’t deserve to live. They’re cowards. At least you stood up to me, straight up and willing to go all out. I respect that. The way they are sneaking around just disgusts me.” William had to suppress a laugh and said, “I’m sure it does. Let me call my mother and get her up there.” The shiver his words induced in Derrick could almost be heard over the phone. Derrick said, “Don’t tell me that Ling is coming here.” “Yes. She’ll take care of the situation,” William said. Derrick said, “I guess I better buy a suit ‘cause those guys aren’t going to be around for much longer. God, I hate funerals.” “I’ll tell her to use restraint. I’ll expressly ask her not to kill too many people.” “Don’t bother. They’re the one’s who picked this fight,” Derrick said. He was silent for a minute and then said, “If she wants some help, let me know.” “I will let her know that.” “Thanks. Bye,” Derrick said right before hanging up. William stared at the phone for a minute and then dialed his mother’s number. She answered on the third ring. The irritation in her voice was clear when she asked, “Call to brag that I still haven’t found you?” “I got a call from Derrick in South Dakota. He told me some guys are planning on killing the White Buffalo tonight,” answered William. He could hear Ling drop something as she turned her entire attention to the phone call. On hearing the topic discussed, Mark stared at William incredulous at the nature of the call. “I need as many details as you can provide. I need to know when, where, who, and how,” said Ling. “I can’t tell you that. I’ve got Derrick’s number. He said that he would be happy to help you,” William said. Ling was quiet for a moment and then asked, “Can I trust him?” “Yes.” “Give me his number. I’ll call him while Claire and I are on route there.” William gave her the number. As soon as she had repeated it to him, she hung up without saying goodbye. William smiled as he folded up the cell phone and said, “I love you too, Momma Ling.” Mark had listened only to the one end of the conversation with eyes that were the size of saucers. When William put the phone away, he asked, “What was that about?” “Some men are planning on killing the sacred White Buffalo. I sent two of my mothers to take care of it,” answered William. “Aren’t you worried?” Mark asked wondering how someone could send his mother into what had to be a dangerous situation. “Not at all. I knew this was going to happen. I just didn’t know when.” “What do you mean, you knew this was going to happen?” William sighed and then took a sip of his soft drink. Looking over at Mark, he said, “I knew this day was coming for two months. Now it is here. Today, a man just earned his redemption by turning his back on forces that were dragging him down. Tomorrow, he’ll be a new man with a new future.” “A new future?” Mark asked in confusion. As far as he knew, there was only one future and no one knew what it was. Smiling, William added, “My mother will see to that.” “What about your mother?” “She’ll take care of him and see that he comes out of this situation in good shape.” “No, I meant aren’t you worried about your mother going into a dangerous situation?” William answered, “I know a dozen of the most lethal people in the world. These are people who can and will kill if necessary. Most of them have already killed hundreds of people. My two mothers are among the most dangerous of them all.” “Who do you know that’s so dangerous?” Mark asked wondering if the guy was making up stories just to impress him. “Momma Ling, Momma Claire, Oscar Meyers, Oliver Brown, Jimmy Lee, Penny Vinter, and my little sister Betsy.” Mark didn’t recognize any of the names except Oliver Brown. He remembered that the guy had spent some time in South America fighting drug lords before becoming the Grand Druid. He asked, “So who’s the most dangerous?” William was silent for a moment as he considered the answer. Shrugging his shoulder, he answered, “I guess that would probably have to be me.” “Oh.” “So why didn’t you go see Birdie?” William asked in an attempt to change the subject. “She’s busy with some injured bird.” “You could help her.” “Are you trying to set me up with her?” The laughter that came from William was easy and heartfelt. He asked, “What? I send you over to help an attractive young woman and you complain?” Shaking his head, Mark said, “Hey, we’re talking about Birdie.” “Yes and she needs you almost as much as you need her,” William said. The suggestion that they needed each other caused Mark to burst out in laughter. Shaking his head, he asked, “Why do you say that?” “She needs you so that she can gain acceptance amongst her peers,” William answered in a very serious tone of voice. There was no hint of a smile on his face. The answer surprised Mark. He could see how he could open doors amongst her peers just by inviting her to join him in his normal activities. He asked, “Why do you say that I need her more than she needs me?” “You are adrift. She will point you in the direction that you need to go. You definitely need to find a direction for your life more than she needs acceptance.” “What do you mean?” Mark asked defensively. William was beginning to sound a lot like his father. “You are a senior in high school. You haven’t applied to any colleges. You haven’t even thought of applying to any colleges. You don’t have a job and you don’t have any plans to get one. You don’t even have any major hobbies. Still, you are content to just relax and hang out with your friends.” It was amazing how closely William echoed what his father had been telling him for the past two years. Mark stared at the young man wondering how he knew so much about his life. This was only the second time they had met and the topic of his lack of plans for the future had never arisen. Stuttering, he asked, “How did you know that?” “I just know things,” William answered with a tired sigh. Mark leaned forward in his chair and asked, “So what is seeing Birdie going to accomplish?” “I have no idea. I just know that she will point you in the direction that you will follow for the rest of your life,” William answered. He paused, took a sip of his soft drink, and then added, “I wouldn’t wait around too much longer.” Slowly standing, Mark said, “I guess I’ll go now.” “Take Joe with you.” “Joe?” “Yes. He needs to learn a little gentleness,” William said. His can was empty and he crumpled it in his hand. Mark stared at the can for several seconds as if mesmerized by the simple act of destruction. “Okay,” Mark finally said. It was after dark when Joe and Mark sat down on the couch in William’s living room. Joe gave the impression of excitement while Mark appeared to be introspective. Grinning, Joe said, “You should have seen that sucker. It was huge. I’m sitting there wrestling with it and then Birdie talks to it in this real soft and gentle voice. Then she put this little hood over its head. It quieted down and just stayed there. I couldn’t believe it.” “What kind of bird was it?” William asked. “A hawk. It was a huge hawk,” Joe said. He held his hands apart to approximate the wing span. He had been impressed with the raw strength of the bird. “There are many different kinds of hawks,” William commented. Mark said, “It was a Red Tailed Hawk.” “Ah, those can be pretty good sized,” William said. Still amazed by what he had seen, Joe said, “I’ve never seen anyone so gentle. She just touched that bird and it calmed down. Even when she was working on the wing, the bird didn’t complain. It was like they were connected spiritually or something. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Mark shook his head and said, “Did you know there’s no way to put a broken wing in a cast? All they can do is tape the wing against the body. The bird’s body has to act like a splint.” “What do you think about that?” William asked. It was clear that each of the two young men had walked away from the experience with something different. “Well, I think there ought to be something better. Birdie was saying that sometimes the wings don’t heal correctly, particularly if the bone is broken in more than one place,” Mark answered while shaking his head. Even since watching her set the bone, he had been thinking about it. He could visualize a device that would help assure that the bone would heal correctly. “What are you thinking about?” Looking over at William, Mark answered, “I keep thinking there has to be a better way to fix a wing than the way she did it. There ought to be some sort of splint that could be placed between the body of the bird and the wing such that it holds the bone in the right spot. You’d still have to use the tape, but it would serve to keep the bird from using the wing.” Smiling at Mark, William recognized the expression of a man looking at a mental blackboard while trying to visualize some solution to a problem that he has found particularly interesting. In a very casual manner, he asked, “So what are you going to do about it?” “I’m going to the grocery store,” Mark answered upon coming to a decision that he would have to try his idea out. Confused by what appeared to be a sudden change in topic, Joe looked at Mark for a minute and asked, “What are you going to do at the grocery store?” “Buy a couple of chickens,” Mark answered. He didn’t know it at the time, but the family was going to be eating a lot of chicken for the next few weeks as he worked on the problem. Mark stood and headed towards the door. Upon reaching it, he said, “I’ll see you around.” “What got into him?” Joe asked confused by Mark’s sudden exit. He stared at the closed door and then looked back at William. “He just found his purpose in life,” William answered with a smile. It would start as a desire to invent a new splint for use with birds, but Mark’s interests would soon turn to prosthetics. Seeing that the puzzled expression on Joe’s face hadn’t gone away, William asked, “Did you learn anything while you were there?” “You know, I never thought much about Birdie. I mean, I kind of figured she was a kook, if you know what I mean. Today, I watched as she dealt with a tough situation,” Joe answered. He added, “When we got there, Birdie was talking with a cop and a game warden. She had some sort of paper from the state that authorized her to take care of big birds, but they were waiting for a vet to arrive. When the vet arrived, she took charge of the situation. These were important people and she was dealing with them like equals. I mean, she was even telling the vet what to do.” Knowing the answer, William asked, “You mean she was ordering people around and throwing her weight around?” “Oh no, she was real polite. She’d ask us to do something and we’d do it.” Shaking his head, William asked, “What do you think of how she was acting?” Joe hadn’t given her behavior much thought, although he had been impressed by the way she had taken charge of the situation. She had directed their actions for catching the bird. He’d felt weird getting told what to do by Birdie, but it would have felt even weirder not doing what she told him to do. He had been surprised when the bird practically hopped into his arms. Of course, things had gotten exciting for a few seconds once that had happened. Joe said, “It’s kind of strange. I would have been bossing people around. You know, yelling at them to do this or that. She never raised voice. Every time she asked someone to do something, she included the word please. No one argued with her.” “It sounds to me that she got a lot done without using much force.” “Yeah. I always figured that the loudest person ran the show. I guess she showed me that wasn’t necessarily the case,” Joe said. His voice faltered as he reached the end of his conclusion. He was silent for a minute as he thought about it. He took a sip of his soda and stared at the floor. Shaking his head, he asked, “Do you think that I’m a bully?” “Do you?” “I guess I am. I never really thought about it before.” William smiled and looked over at the clock. He said, “It’s time. I expect to hear about my mothers on the news about now.” Joe raised an eyebrow and watched as William turned on the television. The television turned on to a news channel. He asked, “You watch the news all of the time?” “Yes,” William answered. He was rewarded with the introduction to a breaking news story from South Dakota. He said, “My mothers are on.” The story described what happened when four men attempted to kill the Sacred White Buffalo. Two of the perpetrators were killed and two others were in serious condition. A fifth man had been taken to a local hospital for minor injuries. William smiled and said, “Red, white, yellow, and black men and women working together to save a sacred animal. It makes you think there is hope for the world yet.” “Did you mothers kill those men?” “Yes. I’m afraid that I forget to tell my mother not to kill too many people.” Joe had watched the news story with wide eyes. When he had seen video of the diminutive Ling, he’d been shocked at how small she looked compared to the police who were standing around her. Joe looked at William and asked, “You forgot to tell her not to kill too many people?” “Yes. Of course, that’s like asking ants not to show up at a picnic.” “She kills people all of the time?” Joe asked. He recalled the owner of the dojo saying that William’s mother was the most dangerous person in the world. Seeing the little woman on television made that assessment even more unbelievable. William turned to Joe and said, “There are all kinds of ways to accomplish things in this world. You can talk softly and convince people to pursue the same goals as you. That’s what Birdie does. That’s more the Druid approach to solving problems. You give good advice and provide lots of warning when things are going bad. “Alternatively, you can bully your way around and force others to do as you want. When my mother says no, you know that she’s more than willing to back it up physically. She’s a force of nature. I’m not saying that she uses force indiscriminately. It’s just that once force enters the situation, she will bring to bear everything she has on the situation. “Personally, I like Birdie’s approach much more. My fathers and I very seldom use our strength to accomplish our goals. We spend a lot of time keeping my mothers from going overboard.” William looked over at Joe to see the effect his words had on the young man. “It seems to me that a lot more people get hurt your mother’s way,” Joe commented while stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Yes, that is true. If my father’s had sufficient warning, this situation would not have developed to this point. Of course, they didn’t sufficient warning so my mothers were the only real solution.” Joe frowned and said, “I imagine your mother doesn’t have many friends if everyone is afraid of her.” Surprised at the insight, William replied, “Yes, she’s a very lonely woman in a way. Very few people outside the family understand her. Most people are unwilling to take the time to get to know her. Those who are willing to take the time to know her are usually very dangerous people in their own right.” Glancing over at the television and seeing that the coverage had moved to a different news story, Joe asked, “So what is she really like?” “When she gets tense or upset with the world, she retreats to her special room. Her room looks like something out of a Victorian photograph. Once there, she dresses up in antique clothes, reads Victorian Romance novels, and drinks hot tea. “She’s the best mother that I can possibly imagine. She can be an incredibly gentle and caring person. When we were sick as children, it was Ling who made sure that we were as comfortable as possible. Even though Momma Kelly is a nurse, it was Momma Ling who fluffed our pillows, brought stuff for us to do, and talked us through our fears. She’d take us to the park and generally did the kind of chauffeuring that mothers do for their children. “My sister is a little dynamo and is constantly in motion. My mother is patient with her; despite how difficult it is to keep up that kind of pace. She devotes a lot of her time to burning up the energy that my little sister possesses. She spends hours in the gym, the swimming pool, and the park, just so that my sister can be in constant motion without getting into trouble.” “Wow,” Joe said. He was having a hard time fitting the image of such a dangerous person with the image of a supermom. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “What was it like having so many mothers?” “Momma Kelly is a nurse. She made sure that we drank our milk, ate balanced meals, and got the proper amount of rest. We’d go to her for any bump, scrape, or complaint. Even if all she did was put a band aide over it, we’d feel better. “Momma Claire is a former police officer and is now a security specialist like Momma Ling. She’s just as protective of us as Momma Ling, but she’s almost a little more fun. She enjoys playing board games. As kids, we used to play Monopoly, Checkers, and Chess with her. Of course, she also taught us all how to shoot. She’s a national champion and would take us to the Police Urban Training facility where they had the pop-ups of criminals and civilians. Now that was a lot of fun.” The idea of going to a shooting range as being a fun activity for little kids was almost beyond Joe’s ability to imagine. He shook his head and commented, “I guess.” William smiled at the dubious tone in Joe’s voice and continued. “Momma Linda is the story teller of the family. She used to entertain us with her stories about animals. She was also the best listener of all the mothers. My brothers and sisters spent many an afternoon on the couch at home nestled in her arms while they told her about their problems. She’d listen and tell little stories that helped put things in context. I’m afraid that I was a little too self- contained to take advantage of that side of her. Of course, no one in the family was more supportive of me getting in touch with my Native American roots.” Joe stared at William and then asked, “So which of your mothers are you the most like?” “Ling.”