Shaxoa's Gift by DelSheree Gladden Page B

of
the old ways or believe in the old stories either. I guess we just
got too far away from it all.”
    “You don’t?” Worry sprang into my mind. What
if Kaya was one of those that didn’t really believe anymore? What
if being the shaman was a traditional title and nothing more?
    “No, we haven’t had Elders here in Hano for a
long time. People still turn to Kaya for help, but not very many
really believe in what she can do,” Ben said.
    “Do you believe?”
    “I’m one of the few who do.” Ben turned away
from me, giving me the impression that he did not want to discuss
his reasons for believing in the shaman’s abilities. I took the
hint and dropped the subject.
    I took another bite of the cornbread, hoping
I had distracted him enough to keep him from asking any more
questions. We ate in silence for a few more minutes, Ben finishing
first. I made an effort to hurry up with my last few bites.
Standing up to wash his hands, Ben moved across the kitchen
quietly.
    “Do you live here by yourself,” I asked.
    “Yes, I do. My wife died a few years ago from
cancer, but the sheep keep me company,” he said. “They’re good
animals.”
    “Yes they are,” I said.
    Ben’s eyebrows rose. “Do you keep sheep?”
    “Yes, sir. My family has a sheep ranch back
in San Juan. My father died of a heart attack last year, so it’s
just me and my mom now, but I enjoy the work.”
    Ben smiled and nodded. “It keeps me busy,
gives me something to get up for now that my wife is gone.”
    I frowned thoughtfully. Could I ever do the
same if I wasn’t able to free Claire? Even thinking of it sent pain
shooting through my chest. Nothing could ever replace Claire for
me. Perhaps, if I had already spent a lifetime with her, like it
seemed Ben had done with his wife, I could survive losing her by
distracting myself with work until we were together again. But not
now, not when the promise of a future with her was still so fresh
in my heart.
    “Well, I guess you could try heading over to
Kaya’s house now. She might be up,” Ben said. “You’ll be wanting to
get on your way, I suppose, but if you need anything before you go,
feel free to stop back by.”
    Extending my hand, I said, “Thank you, Ben. I
really appreciate the help.” The man merely nodded and walked me to
the door.
    I pulled the map Ben had drawn for me out of
my pocket as I walked away. My steps clapped along the hard dirt
road, moving at a hurried pace. The path seemed simple enough. Even
if I got lost, I felt confident that with as small as the town was,
I would find the shaman’s house eventually. Little puffs of dirt
followed me as I walked down the road. The streets wound around the
houses, not entirely straight, but well organized. Rows of hundred
year old adobe mud brick houses lined either side of every
street.
    While much of the town reminded me of San
Juan, there were subtle differences that displayed the mix of
Hispanic culture into Native American life. Many of the houses were
painted in more lively colors than I was used to, and many of the
decorative elements had a distinctly Spanish feel. A small yapping
Chihuahua darted away from one of the houses, intent on making a
new friend until a child’s voice called it back to the yard.
Luckily Ben’s map proved accurate, and I found myself standing in
front of the white stucco house with green trim much quicker than I
expected. My footsteps stuttered as I faced her house. The last
time I went to a shaman for help, I ended up spending three days
getting chased by a monster. What was turning to another one going
to put me through?
     
     
     
    6: Kaya

     
    Two quick steps brought me to the front door.
Raising my hand, I knocked sharply. My palms began to itch as
nerves raced through my body. Would she believe me? Would she help
me even if she did? I could hear movement inside the house. Claire
was depending on me to make her see our need. I shoved my hands in
my pockets and tried to focus my thoughts.