Chapter 19
Cupping a match in his curled fingers to protect it from a light wind, William lit a cigarette. He shook his hand putting out the match and dropped the extinguished stick into a bucket. Holding up a hand, he said, "The screen door will slam in a minute."
Despite the warning, Dale jumped when the screen door slammed shut making a noise like a rifle shot. He said, "I'm glad you warned me."
"The cook takes out the trash every night about this time. It used to startle me every time I heard that door slam shut," William said.
Dale took a drag off his cigarette and studied his friend. William looked satisfied with his life. Pleased to see it, he said, "It seems to me that you've settled in here okay."
"Yes, I guess I have."
Patrick took a drag off his cigarette and then exhaled. Feeling a little dizzy from the effects of the tobacco, he asked, "Was there a problem settling in?"
"It's always a little difficult moving into a new place," Dale answered.
"I wouldn't know about that. I've lived in the same place my whole life," Patrick said with a slightly wistful tone in his voice.
"How's your sister adjusting to married life?" William asked.
Patrick laughed and said, "I think her husband is beginning to realize that he should have learned how to run faster. We had them over for dinner and I swear that he ate enough food to last a month."
"Why? Can't they afford food?" William asked.
"No, my sister is a horrible cook," Patrick said with a wink.
Someone opened the door to the house and the sounds of a party spilled out. Dale said, "Maybe we should head back into the party. I'm pretty sure that we'll be missed if we stay out here much longer."
"We can finish our smokes," William said looking out at the moonlit desert. He sighed and said, "Daddy Ed loves the desert. It really does grow on you."
"Yes, it does. I really missed it when I went off to college. Being away from here for five years was hard," Dale said. It seemed that he had a difficult time getting a feel for the land at the Native American College.
"I don't know about that. I've never really been away from here," Patrick said. He wondered if he was ever going to get off the reservation. Television presented a whole different world to him than he had ever experienced. It was his hope that he'd get to experience it one day.
"What are your plans for college?" William asked.
Patrick frowned at the question. He knew that he had told William before his plans for college. He answered, "I'm going to the community college. It is the only option that we can afford."
Dale studied Patrick for a moment pleased to see that William had been correct. He said, "You're not too happy about that."
"Not really," Patrick answered. He didn't want to complain. His father was working hard to improve the standard of living for the entire family and life was getting better. Opportunities were opening up for him. He stared off at the horizon and added, "It does bother me a bit. I'd like to get out and see the world. I feel trapped here on the reservation."
Dale and William exchanged a look. William grinned and said, "That can be corrected."
"Yes, that can be corrected," Dale said with a grin.
Patrick looked from one to the other with concern. Not quite sure that he wanted to know the answer, he asked, "What does that mean?"
"You'll see," William said. He put his cigarette out in a bucket of sand that had been placed there for that purpose. The person who washed his clothes had gotten tired of discovering that he had left cigarette butts in the back pocket of his pants.
"Should I be concerned?" Patrick asked while William led him back to the house.
Dale put an arm around Patrick and asked, "Have we ever tricked you?"
"Uh, yes."
William winked at Dale and said, "Then I guess you should be concerned."
Standing at the buffet, William was busy loading a plate with food. He was pretty impressed with the spread that Peter had managed to put together for this party. He looked at the little handmade miniature tacos and took a couple of them. He scooped a small serving of refried beans on the plate. Next to the refried beans were the miniature enchiladas.
A very large man with his hair braided down to the middle of his back approached William. There was a large feather in his braid. He stopped a few steps away from William and waited for the young man to notice him. It was a minute before William noticed him and, somewhat embarrassed, said, "I'm sorry, Daniel Coyote Paw. I didn't see you there. Am I in your way?"
"No, Talks With Animals. I have come to talk with you," Daniel said. For such a large man, he felt very nervous approaching William.
"Ah. Well, grab a plate and load up with some of this food. We can talk while filling our stomachs," William said. He looked over at the small tortilla topped with beans, lettuce, and cheese. Excited he said, "Look at that! He even made miniature tostadas!"
"Interesting," Daniel said while grabbing a plate. He had actually expected fancier food than what was being served, but on looking around he realized that the teenagers were really going wild over the selection.
"It took me thirty minutes to decide between the Taco Hut, the Burger Burner, and the Squid Shack. I decided that I'd do them all," William said looking down at his plate of food. Looking over at Daniel he added, "When I'm done with that, I'm going to hit the Dairy Bar and have one of those Banana Splits. They've got those little bananas that are about three inches long. There are three small scoops of ice cream -- chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream smothered with crushed pineapple, strawberry topping, and chocolate sauce. It is then totally smothered with whipped cream and cherries on top."
Daniel looked at William for a second and then put a couple of the small tacos on his plate. He figured that was enough to be polite, although the Banana Split did sound good. He said, "Maybe I'll get one after I eat a bit more."
William looked at Daniel's plate and asked, "Is that all you're getting?"
"For now," the man answered realizing that the small plate in his large hands looked a little ridiculous.
"Let's go over there where it is a little quieter and you can tell me what you want to discuss," William said indicating a table that was a little off to the side by pointing to it with his nose.
Daniel followed William to the table and sat down after William took a seat. He said, "I want to thank you for throwing this graduation party. It was very kind of you to think of our children like that."
"It was my pleasure. They are a good group of kids," William said. He bit into one of the miniature tacos, taking half of it in one bite.
Daniel was finding it harder to get to the reason he had sought out William than he had anticipated. He blurted out, "My oldest daughter is having a baby and we'd like you to preside at the naming ceremony."
"Okay," William said. He eyed the rest of his taco. Before putting it in his mouth, he asked, "When and where?"
"Uh, the baby hasn't been born yet. We are expecting her to have it around the eighth of June," Daniel said.
William pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. When Barbara answered, he said, "Hello, Barbara. This is William. Could you pencil in a hold on the week before and after the eighth of June? Mark it naming ceremony."
Barbara hadn't believed William when he said that he expected to get asked to do some things around the Reservation, but had stayed at her desk late that night just in case. She penciled the request into the calendar and asked, "Can't you be a little more specific?"
"Can't do it until the baby is born," William answered. He laughed and said, "Babies tend to have minds of their own concerning when that occurs."
"Okay. Consider the time reserved for a naming ceremony," Barbara said.
"Thanks. You're really great for ruining your evening on my behalf," William said before hanging up. Turning to Daniel, he said, "Got it marked in my calendar."
"Thank you, Talks With Animals."
"Please, call me William." He bit into one of the miniature Tostadas with a smile.
"Thank you, William," Daniel said. It was hard to believe that William had actually agreed to perform the naming ceremony. He said, "My grandchild will be truly blessed to have you at the naming ceremony."
William smiled and said, "You're grandchild is already blessed."
"What do you mean?"
"You're the grandfather," William answered.
Supervising the service at all of the serving stations, Peter watched William take another trip to the buffet. This time he was going after the Fish and Chips. He'd never seen William that excited about food. Shaking his head, he said, "I can't believe it."
Standing next to Peter, Lucy smiled at the Chef and said, "I told you he'd like the fast food theme."
"I can't believe it."
Lucy said, "You do know that he was upset that we wouldn't serve hamburgers from a Burger Burner at our wedding reception?"
"You're kidding?"
"Nope. Everyone in his family objected to it," Lucy said with a smile.
"I'm stunned."
Lucy looked over at Peter and said, "You serve food like this on occasion and you'll have a friend for life. The nearest Burger Burner is an hour away. I'm not even sure where the nearest Squid Shack is."
"What is a Burger Burner? And a Squid Shack?" Peter asked turning to stare at Lucy. He had never heard of any kind of fast food restaurant with those names.
Lucy laughed and said, "A Burger Burner is a place that sells hamburgers. A Squid Shack is a place that sells fish and chips."
"Oh."
"You're going to have to buy a couple bottles of that Malt Vinegar that they use in the one chain. He really likes that," Lucy said.
"What does he call a pizza place?"
Lucy laughed and answered, "It depends on his mood. Sometimes he calls them Bowel Binders. When he actually wants a pizza, he calls them Leaning Towers."
"Leaning Tower?"
"You know, the leaning tower of Pizza," Lucy said with a laugh at the grimace that flashed across Peter's face. He had really walked into that one.
Peter shook his head in dismay. There were times when dealing with Ed Biggers was easier than dealing with William. At least Ed Biggers appreciated great food. He wasn't sure that William did. He said, "So he really likes fast food."
Lucy looked at Peter for a second and then said, "You have to understand. William was raised eating some of the finest food to come out of American kitchens. He was raised on food prepared by Marguerite. The Druid College has food that is of the same quality as some of the finest restaurants in the country. He isn't impressed by great food. He is attracted to some foods that aren't so great just because it is unique and novel."
Peter was silent for a minute and then asked, "So why am I here?"
"He may not be impressed by great food, but he does appreciate it," Lucy said.
"Why does he make fun of it?"
Lucy looked at Peter for a second. She reached over and grabbed a slice of pizza. Putting it on a plate, she posed and said, "Allow me to present tonight's main dish. It comes all of the way from Italy and has a long distinguished past. There are rumors that Caesar was fed nothing except this dish growing up as a child. He gave credit to this wondrous delicacy for his strength of character and leadership qualities. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you  the Pizza."
Blushing at her characterization of his presentation of the meal, Peter said, "I get it."
"Some of us enjoy learning about what we are eating. I know that I enjoy it, but William doesn't. To tell the truth, I don't think you've cooked anything that William hasn't eaten a hundred times before," Lucy said.
Standing apart from the rest of the guests, William pulled out his phone. He dialed a number and waited for Barbara to answer. When she did, he said, "Hello, Barbara. This is William."
"What can I do for you?"
"I'd like it if you could arrange for Patrick to have a tour of the Druid College and to have him fill out an application for admission while he's visiting there," William answered.
"Okay. Doesn't the normal procedure require that the person interested in going there apply first?" Barbara asked.
"Yes, but Oliver will make an exception if you ask him. Oh and ask him to put Patrick up in the first year dorm," William said with a smile.
"Okay," Barbara said.
"I'd also appreciate it if you'd arrange for him go out to the Native American College for a visit. See if you can't get them to have him apply for admission there, too."
"Let me get this straight. You are paying his way to visit both colleges just so that he can fill out applications?" Barbara asked.
"Yes."
Confused, Barbara said, "Isn't the usual process to have them fill out applications and then mail them it?"
"Sure, but there's nothing usual about Patrick," William said. He waved to Dale to get his friend's attention. Once he had it, he gestured for him to come over.
"I'll see what I can do," Barbara answered shaking her head.
"Thanks. You're really a life saver," William said before telling her goodbye and hanging up the phone.
Dale asked, "So did you make the arrangements?"
"Yes, I did. His parents agreed with our plans. I've asked Barbara to arrange visits to the Native American College and the Druid College," William answered with a smile.
"I'd say that our young friend is going to grow up a bit over the next few weeks, wouldn't you?"
"Yes, I would," William answered.
Dale folded his arms and leaned against the wall watching Patrick making jokes with some of his classmates. Soon they would all be graduating high school and getting on with the business of establishing positions in life. He asked, "Which one do you think he'll go to?"
"That's hard to say," William answered turning to watch Patrick. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "I'm not even sure that he'll qualify for the Druid College. He's smart, but is he smart enough?"
"That's a tough question. Any chance they'll bend the rules?"
"Not at all," William answered.
"With Oscar Meyers bringing so much attention to the Druids, it could be a real career maker for him to graduate from the Druid College," Dale said glancing over at William. Seeing the sad expression cross William's face, he decided that it would be best to change the subject. He said, "It's getting late and most of your guests are young. They'll be leaving soon. You might want to make your little speech now."
"Good thinking," William said. He looked over at the Dairy Bar and asked, "Do you think there is enough time to eat a Banana Split before I give the speech?"
"Sure," Dale said with a smile.
It was only 10:30 in the evening when the party came to an end. Despite being a weekend night, many of the students had brought their families and that included younger siblings with early bedtimes. Parents, much to the teenagers' chagrin, insisted that they not overstay their welcome.
Lucy watched as the last of their guests left the house. It was a nice crop of young men and women who had been in William's classes. Like William, she had not had any experience with such a large group of people that age and found their social positioning interesting. It was easy to see why William had seen Patrick as special.
William came up to her and put an arm around her. He said, "I think the party was a success."
"I think so," Lucy said. She looked over at William and rubbed a spot where a little ice cream had fallen onto his shirt. Grinning, she asked, "Did you have enough to eat?"
"Yes. That was a great buffet," William answered without embarrassment.
"I noticed that you made trips to the Burger Burner, Taco Hut, and Squid Shack stands," Lucy said.
"I've got to say that Peter did a rather spectacular job of recreating the kind of food that you get at those places," William said. He had eaten enough to worry about getting a stomach ache.
"Yes, he did," Lucy said. She asked, "So did you get many requests?"
"Yes. I was asked to perform a naming ceremony and to officiate a wedding. We also got an invitation to a surprise retirement party for Chief Robert White Feather," William said.
"He's stepping down from being a tribal Chief?" Lucy asked surprised by the reason for the party.
"No. He's stepping down as Chief of the Tribal Police," William corrected with a smile.
"Oh, I didn't realize that," Lucy said.
"My uncle should have retired years ago," William said. He knew that it was going to be hard for his uncle to accept being retired. After a full and active life, sitting around the house was going to be impossible so he and Dale had been working to find something to occupy his uncle's time.
"What is he going to do?"
"Dale and I are trying to get him to teach some of the middle aged men of the tribe a bit more about the old ways. A lot of them had turned their backs on our culture and now regret their decision to do so," William said.
"Do you think he'll go along with the idea?" Lucy asked.
William smiled and said, "We are making it very difficult for him to resist by putting it in the context of it being for the good of the tribe. Uncle Robert has a very strong sense of tribal loyalty."
"That's good," Lucy said. Curious, she asked, "What about Patrick?"
"It is interesting that you brought that up. He was complaining earlier today about never having had a chance to leave the Reservation. Dale and I took care of that complaint, although Patrick doesn't know it yet," William answered.
"You didn't?"
"Yes, we did."
"The First Year Dorm?"
William smiled and nodded his head. He answered, "We'll see if Oliver will let him stay there."
"That's cruel," Lucy said. She could imagine poor Patrick entering the first year dorm and discovering that he was surrounded by naked men and women. The young man would die of embarrassment.
"Dale and I discussed the matter a long time. We felt that Patrick is going to have a great future, but he needs to grow up a little. We'd like it if he went to the Druid College for two years and then finish at the Native American College. It would help define his sense of right and wrong while putting him in touch with his culture," William said.
"Why are you doing this for him?" Lucy asked.
"He's a friend. You help friends grow into better people," William
answered.