Previously: Bennie just rescued his folks from harm with the help Officer Charles. And the saga continues...

The Cure
by Harrison Lowe


Once the dust settled, Bennie placed his dad's handkerchief over the dead man's
face. Officer Charles and the back-up officers began to make a report of the mayhem.
Bennie, his mom and dad walked back to the house. The screen door was half off its
hinges; otherwise, just some household items were damaged -- a shattered glass
picture frame on the floor and some broken chairs. No one could understand why the
inmate would go to all this trouble and not take the truck to get away.

Bennie went back to the barn to get Spotty. He buried him down by the creek where
they’d played and hunted in the the woods. All the friendly creatures in the area
knew something wasn't right. The squirrels and birds seemed still during the burial.
The high creek seemed still, too. That moment of silence gave Bennie the connection
he always sought when he came to visit his folks.

For the next few hours, they cleaned and straightened up the place.

It was dusk, and the western skies burned bright red-orange. It meant it was time
for Bennie to head back home. His mom was still determined that Bennie should go
back to Arizona soon. She was concerned, but wasn't sure what consequences might
happen. As a child growing up, she had heard that something dire would happen if a
Navajo came near a dead person. After all, it was Bennie who saw the man's spirit
before Officer Charles shot the man dead, and that alone should mean something, she
reasoned to herself. Half-heartedly, he promised that he would. His Mom wasn't too
thrilled with his response, but wasn’t not surprised, either. She knew that Bennie
was one of those with the mindset of, “if it isn’t broken, don't mess with it.”

Bennie made sure his folks were o.k. before he left. Once on the Interstate, his
eyes became watery and could barely see. He wiped them with his shirt sleeve and
seemed unaware that his car was crossing over the white stripes and back -- he was
finding it hard to see. What he really wanted was to turn back, but that would only
make matters worse for his mom. He couldn't alarm her any more, after what they'd
been through. He thought she might catch whatever he’d gotten, and he sure couldn't
live with that agony.

So instead, he decided to pull over and stop for a short walk. After a while, he
felt better. Then he got back into his car and made it home safely. He unpacked his
duffel bag and took two aspirin. Then he made himself a sandwich and watched some
TV. Shortly after, he went to bed.

He felt much better the next morning. He thought that maybe it had been something to
do with the anxieties of the the duel back at the ranch. He never gave it another
thought. Later that day, he called his mom to see how they were doing, and they said
they were fine. However, that evening, he began to feel nauseous. Bennie couldn't
understand why he was feeling this way. His face felt warm and his body felt weak.
That had him thinking that maybe he was having a relapse of the effect. He seriously
pondered on the promise he’d made to his mom.

He couldn't remember the name of the trading post where his grandma did her shopping.
So he wrote a letter to her and told her that he was planning to come see her soon. There
are no telephones at his grandma’s place; otherwise, he would've called her. In the
meantime, he did what he could to keep from getting worse. He made some tomato soup
and hot tea. All that day, he stayed inside and rested. By that evening,
he was feeling much better again. He called his sister and told her that he was
going out to Arizona for a short visit to his grandma.

* * *

It had been a week since the ordeal with the prison inmate. He’d felt good to
not-so-good since. But more good than not.

He finally remembered the number of the general store where his grandma does her
shopping and mail all in one hour. Patty, the store owner, was there, and answered
the call from Bennie. He told her to tell Sandwater Woman that her grandson Bennie
is coming out to visit her in two days.

It wasn't one hour when Sandwater Woman came in for her routine stuff. Patty told
her that Bennie was coming for a visit in two days. That was surprise good news to
Sandwater Woman. She hadn’t seen him in almost six years. She was always happy to
see him when he visited, because Bennie always had money. She told Patty to save her
some meat, materials and a big 25# bag of Bluebird flour. Patty grinned, because she
knew, too.

Sandwater Woman was just about turn and go out when she looked back at Patty. She
asked her, "Are you sure that was all he said. No ‘I'm homesick,’ or ‘I’m hungry for
some mutton and frybread’?"

"Nope. Just what I told you. Why?" asked Patty.

"I had this dream about a week ago. Someone was carried away in an ambulance. I
don't know. It was like back when my daughter was 15. We would run up the hill and
stand over a bluff looking down on our hogan, hiding from my two sons, who would be
fighting after drinking all day. Then one day, they really got carried away. One of
them got hauled away in an ambulance. But that was many years ago. I don't know why
I would have a dream like that now.  I know what I’ll do for my grandson. I'll
arrange a sing for him. He doesn’t visit often enough. He needs protection out
there."

Sandwater Woman left the store in high spirits. Her grandson was coming for a visit,
and she was finally going to do what she’s been wanting to do for him for many
years.

For the next two days before Bennie's visit, Sandwater Woman made preparation for a
three-day sing. She drove to a well-known Stargazer up near Navajo Mountain. Stella
agreed to help when Bennie comes in. Then she went to a well-known medicine man who
did sings on a regular basis down towards Zuni. He agreed to be the medicine person.
Sandwater Woman told Hatali Sam that she would do it, except her eyes and mind
aren't good anymore.

Then she told all her sisters and brothers that her grandson was coming for a visit
and she was having a sing for him. Her neighbor down the road donated a fat sheep.
Her brother from Sheeps Canyon volunteered to bring barrels of water in his pick-up
truck. Another neighbor said he would get the wood. In two days, everything was
ready for Bennie's arrival. The sandpainting materials, the water, the wood, the
tobacco, the hogan and singers were all arranged.

Bennie called Patty at the store and told her he’d arrived in Albuquerque and was
driving a rental. Patty got off the phone and immediately drove to Sandwater Woman's
place and told her that Bennie was two hours away. They were all nervous and
excited.

That afternoon, Sandwater Woman and Bennie were finally together after a long
six-year-long absence. Neither was the affectionate type, and both were somewhat
shy. So instead of hugging and crying, they hugged one time and shook hands. Then
they each pulled up a chair to the table and visited over a cup of coffee and
tortilla bread.

Bennie tried to find a place in their conversation for his reason of coming. Just as
he was about to say it, Sandwater Woman told Bennie that they needed to hurry and
finish the visiting and get started before the sun went down. Bennie wasn't sure
what she was talking about. “Just as well.” he thought. He wasn't sure how was going
to tell Sandwater Woman why he was there, anyway.

So he followed her out the door and into her truck. She drove out to Hatali Sam to
bring him in and get the sing started. They arrived at his place and knocked on the
door. No one answered. After four hard knocks, someone from inside slowly cracked
the door open. It was Hatali Sam. He was drunk. Sandwater Woman was infuriated that
a medicine man such as he would do such a thing. She stormed from the door and back
to her truck. She sat in the truck collecting her thoughts, tapping her thumbs on
the steering wheel. Bennie sat silently beside her. Her eyes raced back and forth,
upper lip stiff, trying to come up with an alternate. She looked out into the
horizon and the sun was still two hands high. She quickly started the truck and
drove up north to Crystal Mountain, north of Gallup. She knew of another man who had
once tagged along with her late husband as an associate.

They blazed north up Highway 666. At about 20 miles north of Gallup, they took a
detour onto a very rough dirt road. Bennie hung on to his seatbelt as she ran over
deep ruts in the dirt road. The truck bounced left and right, as did Bennie. The
drive seem to go on and on for Bennie. One place looked like only a half-track could
go there, but Sandwater Woman swung the truck left and right and up the hill etched
with deep, crooked ruts-- and made it to the top. The truck was smoking, and finally
made it to the would-be medicine man's hogan.

They sat in the truck and waited for anyone from the hogan to come out and greet
them. Finally, a young lady came out. Bennie perked up at the sight of her. She came
to the driver’s side and looked Bennie over as she and Sandwater Woman spoke to each
other. The lady told them to wait in the truck, and she would bring Chester out.
Sandwater Woman looked out to the horizon once again. The Sun was nearing the point
of no return.

Chester emerged from the hogan. He walked toward the truck, and Sandwater Woman got
out to meet him privately. Bennie could see their heads bobbing and lips moving.
Chester looked back at the truck to see Bennie, then back at Sandwater Woman. After
five or so minutes, they shook hands, and Chester went back into his hogan.
Sandwater Woman returned to the truck. A couple of minutes later, Chester walked
back to the truck. Bennie hopped out to let Chester ride up front, and he in the
back.

After they shook hands and had gotten back onto the smooth highway, they headed back
to Sandwater Woman's place, where preparations had started. The sun had just gone
behind the horizon and the canyon was beginning to go dark. It was then that
Sandwater Woman finally told Bennie what was happening. Bennie had no idea. Tears
welled up in his eyes. He was overcome with joy that he was finally going to
experience a real sing.

They arrived at the house where everyone was busy getting the food ready. The
sandpainting was almost done. Chester walked into the hogan to clear out any spirits
who might be there. Then he told the sandpainter to finish up the painting for the
patient and get the sing started. Chester walked all the way around the hogan
clockwise and swirled a bullhorn to summon the Holy Ones to help him, and then he
said a prayer. He walked into the empty hogan and sat down north and above of the
sandpainting. Chester called out for Bennie and motioned him to walk clockwise
around the sandpainting and behind him and sit to his left next to him, and his
grandmother next to Bennie. Three male singers walked in behind Sandwater Woman and
sat to her left. Then three female singers walked in in single-file and sat on the
dirt floor to Chester's right. All the while, Chester sang songs. When everyone was
seated, he stopped singing and explained to everyone what was taking place. He then
turned to Bennie to repeat after him. His grandmother had to coach him on his
Navajo. But throughout the night, he didn't have to do anything else except sit and
listen to the singing and prayers. All night long, song after song. Bennie was
instructed that at no time should he sleep or doze. Singers could rest or sleep, but
his grandmother, Chester and Bennie had to stay awake until sunrise. Only then could
Bennie walk outside.

The second evening would be a repeat of tonight.

Bennie’s eyes and mind grew tired. He could barely stay awake. It wasn't fair that
others could rest their weary heads but not him, he thought. Then, in the early
morning before dawn, Chester took out his medicine bag and prepared a liquid
mixture. He rolled a cigarette and lit it. He took several puffs and passed it
around to the male singers, beginning with Bennie. He took a puff and handed it off
to his grandmother. She passed it to the singers to her left, who repeated this
until it was all smoked up. Then Chester took the bowl and took three small sips and
passed the mixture to his left until it was all drunk up by the singers.

The next morning, everyone got up and walked around outside. Bennie slowly got up
from his position and was helped by one of the singers to his feet. Bennie staggered
out the door. The bright sun nearly floored him to the ground. He eyes adjusted to
the sun. Then he faced the West, away from the sun. Something strange was taking
place in Bennie's mind. He stopped and looked behind him. He had a strong sense that
someone was standing behind him. But when he looked, nobody was there. That spooked him.
Chester came to him and asked how he was holding up. Bennie told him that he felt
light-headed and that he sensed someone following him. Chester wasn't sure what to
make of this, and quickly told him to get back inside, as he’d never heard of
anything like this in any of his sings.

As soon as Bennie got back inside, he heard Chester tell the others to be on alert
for unwelcome spirits.

The third day and evening continued in much the same fashion as the first two
nights. Everyone was back inside to sing and pray more. The third morning came, and
Bennie was asleep. Chester woke him up and told him to wash his body in the white
corn mix in the medicine basket. Bennie washed as much of his body and hair as he
could. Then Chester got up and went outside. He said a prayer to the rising sun and
sprinkled corn pollen to his path. Then he came back in and offered the corn pollen
to Bennie.

The sing had ended. And Bennie was whole again, according to his grandmother's
beliefs.

Bennie was feeling better, too, even after nearly two sleepless nights. Then
everyone gathered around him to help get his mind and spirit back in order. The
lovely lady from Chester's house brought a plate of food for him. But this time, he
was too tired to perk up; he thanked her, anyway. Her face seemed like it was from
another time.

The following day, Bennie got ready to return to Oklahoma. He was sure glad he’d had
the experience. He told his grandmother that he would visit her more often.

next---road construction PT 1

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