Well, one morning just as Sittingjing-gongala was going out to gather herbs in the meadow,
her brother Omwanaku came to her. In his arms he carried a little bundle. He laid the bundle down, beneath the
nearby fir tree.
"Look Sister, come here" he called to her. Sittingjing-gongala looked puzzled. As she
came close, she thought she heard a baby crying. The little bundle was moving. The baby kicked the blanket off
and Gongi was amazed to see the little smiley face of a beautiful baby girl. The baby stopped crying when she saw the
old woman. The two just stared incredulously at each other in awe. Then the baby burst into laughter because both
Omwanaku and Gongi looked funny staring at her motionless. She was kicking her feet and clapping her hands. The
baby sat up and began to crawl toward Gongi. The baby girl had a shiny thick mop of black straight hair.
Gongi fell instantly in love with the baby, and picked her up. She looked at her brother skeptically.
"Where did you find this precious bundle Brother?"
He looked sadly at her, and then almost silently uttered under his breath...."Leula came to
my lodge last night...."
Gongi's expression changed instantly from joyful surprize to joyous ecstacy.
Stunned with her mouth hanging up, she could barely move her lips to form the word....the sound that came forth was shaking
from her shock of incredulity. "Leula?"...the mother gasped as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She looked
at her brother as if all her pain was now gone and forgotten. Leula her baby was back...and now, with a baby of her
own. The sad lonely days and cheerless nights were over.
Omwanaku said nothing.
Recomposed, she spoke her daughter's name again. "Leula...well,
where is she brother. Is she coming this way soon?" Gongi looked around to catch a
glimpse of her.
He seemed hesitant to reply, but knew he must. Gongi sensed something was amiss.
His face was soured and hiding something.
"No. She returned to the forest. She did not look well."
"Brother,...is she alright?...How could you let her go?!"
"She's changed Sister. She's been through alot." he finally added.
"I don't care about that. She's my daughter. I love her. She made a
mistake, but her place is to be here. What about this baby. Is this Leula's baby?
"Yes, she's your grand-daughter." Omwanaku assured Gongi.
"What's your name little one" Gongi said affectionately cuddling the little girl in her arms,
her wrinkled skin falling in happy folds. The baby girl touched the old woman's skin with her finger and smiled.
The baby's smooth skinned chubby face contrasted distinctly with the old womans as they pressed their
cheeks together. They both laughed aloud at the very blissfulness of it. The baby kissed the old woman's eyes
and rested in the warmth of Gongi's neck.
Omwanaku's uneasiness seemed over, and he happily said, "I think you've got a buddy now old
woman. Ha! you're a grandmother now!"
"Isn't it wonderful Brother. Oh I have so needed a sweet little baby to love and take
care of again. Soon Salanka will give birth, and the children will have each other growing up. It's so wonderful!
It's a dream come true!!! Did Leula tell you her baby's name?"
"She mumbled something, he replied. "Why don't you give her a name," he added quickly..
Gongi was annoyed for a moment that Omwanaku was not forthcoming with the baby's name.
"Well, I will call her Peaciwawala(The Fragrance of Pine Cones). We'll call you Lali for short." She kissed
the little baby and played with her hair, twirling it in her fingers like ribbon.
"Isn't she coming back Brother?" Gongi finally asked as she and Omwanaku were walking
back to the tipi. Gongi held Lali on one hip. "Why would she leave her baby with you and return to the forest?
Is she with someone?"
"I don't know Sister," he replied. "I'll go out looking for her and when I find her,
I'll try to bring her back."
"Are you hungry Omwanaku?" Gongi asked as they went into the tipi. She put the
baby on the great grizzly bearskin rug that lined one area within.
"I'm still full," he replied. "I want to go now and look for her. She must have
a camp closeby." He smiled to see the baby on the bearskin.
"We haven't seen that for a long time."
"Are you sure this isn't your baby old man?! " Gongi chided. "Do you
have a girl friend somewhere we don't know about?"
Omwanaku laughed. "I wish" he replied as he moved the buffalo skin to open the door.
"I'll be back. I have traps to check. Maybe I'll have a squirrel or rabbit for your dinner."
"That would be nice Brother. Good luck" Gongi said gratefully.
"...and be careful."
Omwanaku went out leaving Gongi and Lali together in the warmth of the tipi. The fire was out
but the embers were still smoldering into ash, and the warmth of the sun beat tenderly upon the buffalo skins. Gongi
moved to open the door. She tied it up, and the sun flooded in bringing light and fresh air. Lali crawled to the
doorway and looked out. Then she looked at Gongi and sat up clapping her hands gleefully.
"Mama" she said clapping her hands and smiling at Gongi.
"No" said Gongi. "Grandma"
"Mama" she said again. "Mama"
*************************************************
The days passed quickly, and Gongi waited hopefully for Leula's return. The nights
were grueling and long, but Lali slept beside her on the great grizzly bearskin that Chin-Honaw had battled himself.
How Gongi wished Chin-Honaw were with her now to enjoy their grand-child. Having a baby alone was
alot of work. "If only Leula would come back" she thought hopefully.
Salanka gave birth in the Spring to a beautiful baby girl whom she and Red Horse named Rizing
of the Full Moon. As time passed, the girls grew up together. They were the best of friends and played together
all the time.
Sittingjing-gongala had now found a new purpose for living in caring for the little ones.
Although she still thought of Chin-Honaw as much as ever, her countenance was joyful again, and sorrow was just a forgotten
dream. Gongi went often to the cave where Chin-Honaw's remains had carefully been placed. She went with flowers,
chanting and whispering prayers in the wind for his soul.
Well, as time passed, Peaciwawala grew quickly. She loved to linger in the forest when
the sky was clear and the sun shone so brilliantly through the lovely meadows, down to the valley basin below. She listened
intently to the wind as it moved through the leaves of the trees, whispering the songs of the Great Spirit for all to hear
who had an ear to listen. Their secrets unfolded in her heart like a blossom, unfolding as it did, the immense sense
of womanhood growing within her. Inside Lali a river coursed it's way, pressing ever onward. She needed to sit
by the steam so she could listen....listen to the movement of the inexplicable feelings ripening within herself. As time moved
on, this calling to her through the things of Nature, became more intense. She stayed away for longer periods alone,
lingering in the forest dreaming the days away
It wasn't long before Salanka gave birth to twin boys, Ebi and Shiro. Lali lost
interest in helping Rizing Moon with them when Salanka and Gongi were working.
Ebi and Shiro were very active, and Rizing Moon was kept quite buzy helping her mother with them.
That left Lali to help Gongi. But she didn't like doing that either. She just had alot of dreaming she wanted
to do. She was like her mother in that way. And this was reason enough for Gongi to be concerned.
Try as she might, Gongi could not control Lali. Lali didn't like doing chores when she could be out and about with her
horse Lokie, and Tumbala her little dog.
Gongi had been overprotective of Lali and spoiled her rotten from the very first day.
Now she was paying for it.
"Lali, honey" Gongi would call, "we need water dear. Here's the jug. Go down
to the stream and fill it please"
Lali was a good girl. She wasn't mean. She was just wild and willfull.
When Gongi tried to get Lali to do her little chores, the child would throw a fit. She was quite impossible to live
with.
Finally Gongi would have to go get a fresh switch from a nearby bush. That's when Lali
would laugh and jump on Lokie or just run away into the forest with Tumby. Gongi couldn't catch up with her anymore,
so Gongi wound up doing all the chores herself.
As Lali grew, she became more and more unhelpful, and even rude.
Gongi was getting old and she had lost quite a bit of vitality. Lali didn't care. She would
say bad things to her grandmother and make her cry. Then she would run into the forest to spend the day.
No one understood Lali. Why was she like that. Couldn't she see how it hurt
her grandmother and the rest of her family. Salanka was plenty mad with her too. It didn't seem to bother Lali.
She loved being alone in the forest. She loved the freedom of tearing her buckskin dress and mocassins off and running
about barebutt, so she could feel the refreshing breezes. Even her uncle Omwanaku couldn't help her.
Omwanaku was Gongi's younger brother, and he was a wise elder with skill in healing arts.
He was one of the village shamans. Many came to him for healings far and wide, but he could only watch Lali and weap.
It was not until the child started having recurring fits, that Gongi actually called on him for help.
Go to Chapter 1, page 8
