I was able to do more work on the project, and now I was one-hundred percent sure that there was a better way to do the project than what the people from Los Alamos had said it needed to be done.

We learned that Charlie and Jackie would have an apartment on Saturday. And it was our old apartment.

On Friday, as I was in Dr. Joe’s office, we received several hangup phone calls. And then things started to get interesting. We met with the Dean and the people from Los Alamos. And by the time I was finished explaining what I’d found out, the people from Los Alamos agreed with me. Then we got invited to go out for dinner.

Here’s where it got really interesting. As we walked back to Dr. Joe’s office, we noticed that the door to the office was ajar. Earlier I’d watched Dr. Joe close and lock the door. There are only three keys to the high-security lock. And the three of us that have them were standing together outside the office. And no one should be in there.

As I was attempting to lock the door quietly, some guy came running out of the door. He caught me a little off guard, but as I started to fall, I was able to grab him and pull him down on the floor with me. Unfortunately, I pulled him down on top of me, but I was able to punch him in the throat. That hurt him.

The university police did their thing and hauled the guy off to jail via the hospital’s ER. I got to see Detective Edwards again. And he made a mess of the office as he took fingerprints.

I talked everyone into going to the house. And I talked Amy into making frybread tacos for everyone. She also surprised all of us with fried ice cream for dessert.

Then I took the Dean and our friends from Los Alamos back to the university in the ‘57 Chevy, and Dr. Joe went along for the ride.

Saturday morning, the four of us were up early as Amy and I were helping Charlie and Jackie move back into an on-campus apartment. So, after an excellent breakfast, we loaded everything that was going to the apartment into both Charlie and Jackie’s car and our ‘67 Chevy. And we headed to campus.

Once we were at the apartment, we helped carry everything in. Then Charlie and I went down the basement to look at the new electrical box. They’d used six of the eight possible locations for circuit breakers and had properly marked what each circuit controlled. Short of removing the cover and checking inside everything looked good to me.

Then Charlie and I went up to the second floor and looked at the smoke detector. It was too high to reach the test button without standing on something, but we could see the conduit running from the hall light to the smoke detector providing the hard wired power. I really wanted to test the smoke detector.

Charlie ran downstairs and came back with one of the kitchen chairs. He was going to climb up on it to push the test button, and I told him to wait a minute. I walked over and turned off the hall light, then told him to push the test button. He did. And the smoke detector sounded off.

Amy yelled, “What are you two doing!”

“Testing the smoke detector.”, I yelled back.

“Turn it off.”

“It’ll stop in a few seconds.”

“I hope so.”

And it did stop.

“Warn us next time.”, Jackie said.

Charlie and I went back downstairs, and I asked, “Is there anything else that we can help with?”

“Not a thing.”, Jackie said. “I think Charlie and I have this well in hand.”

“Just let us know if you need anything.”

“We will.”

Just before we left, we saw Jackie take out the piece of pottery with the Yei spirits on it and carefully put it on the window sill in their bedroom.

As Amy and I got in the car, Amy asked, “We still going to the resort?”

“I thought we would. Let’s go to the house. Pack some things. I’ll call Aunt Ruth and let her know that we’re coming.”

“Home, James.”

We were home in less than twenty minutes, went into the house, and I called Aunt Ruth and told her that we’d like to come up for the weekend. She said, to come on up. I told her that we needed to run to Taos and see Mr. Yazzie on our way, but that we should be there to help with dinner.

As Amy packed and changed into a long skirt and blouse, I double-checked that everything was locked. I also went and retrieved some silver jewelry from the safe. I felt that the new safe since it was bolted to the floor was really safe. So we didn’t take all the silver with us.

Then I went to our bedroom to see if I could help Amy with the packing. We were only going to be there one night, so she’d already finished. As I changed, I asked, “Do you want to take your car or mine?”

“You want to drive the ‘57 Chevy up there?”, Amy asked.

“No, either your car or the ‘67.”

“Aren’t both cars ours?”

“I guess all the cars are ours.”, I said.

“So, let’s take the ‘68.”, Amy replied.

“Okay.”

A little over two hours later, we were walking into Mr. Yazzie’s shop. And he was with a couple of customers. He looked over at us and smiled. We returned the smile.

While we waited, we looked in his showcases. I whispered to Ajie, “Don’t tell Mr. Yazzie that I said this, but his work is as good as Grandpa Nez’s.”

“I agree.”, Ajie said. “Maybe we should start collecting some of his silver.”

“That’s an interesting thought. We already have a few pieces of his work, and we could add to it. See anything that you really like?”

“A lot of things. But, there’s a really nice bracelet in this showcase.”

“Which one?”

Ajie pointed and said, “This one.”

I looked at it, and it was really lovely. So, I said, “Think we should get it?”

“I’d love to. If Mr. Yazzie will sell it.”

Mr. Yazzie finished with his customers, walked over to us, and said, “So, how are my two favorite customers?”

“We’re great.”, I replied. “And how are you?”

“I’m doing good. So, what are you two up to.”

“We stopped to see you and pick up those mounting hook if you’ve finished them.”

“There in the backroom. I’ll go get them.”

“Mr. Yazzie.”, Ajie said. “Could I look at this bracelet while you’re gone?”

“Of course. Which one?”

Ajie pointed to it and said, “This one.”

Mr. Yazzie placed a black cloth on the countertop, took the bracelet out of the case, and set it on the cloth. Then he walked to the backroom.

Ajie and I looked at the bracelet. It was very nice. I looked at the back of it, and it had Mr. Yazzie’s maker’s mark on it, but it was hand engraved. And I showed that to Ajie. Ajie then slipped it on her left wrist, and it looked beautiful on her.

Mr. Yazzie came back, looked at Ajie, and said, “That looks nice on you, Ajie.”

“Thanks.”, Ajie said. “I love it.”

As he set a cloth bag on the counter, he said, “Let me show you a good look for a bracelet like that one.”

We watched as he took other bracelets out of the showcase and slipped them on Ajie’s wrist. When he was finished there was a thinner bracelet in front of the one that she had picked out, then the bracelet that she’d picked out, then another thinner one that had twelve small turquoise stones set on it, then another one that was smooth in the middle and had twists on either side of that, and finally a wider one with a single square turquoise stone.

Then Mr. Yazzie said, “Many people wear silver this way. It’s a fancy look.”

Ajie looked at me and asked, “What do you think, Kai?”

“Mr. Yazzie.”, I asked. “Are all of these bracelets your work?”

“Yes. Some I made a long time ago.”, he replied.

“They’re all very nice.”

“Kai, you know how to make an old man feel good.”

“It’s the truth, Mr. Yazzie.”, I said.

“Let me show you your mounting hooks.”

Mr. Yazzie took eighteen Conchos, some square, some round, and some oval out of the cloth bag and put them on the black cloth. Then as he took eighteen hooks out of the bag, and set them on the cloth. And he said, “I drilled a hole in the center of each Concho so that you can run a screw through them, then through the loop in the hook, and into whatever you are mounting them to.

Then Mr. Yazzie said, “And if I were you, I would try and find some stainless steel screws.”

“Those look amazing, Mr. Yazzie.”, I said as I picked up one of the Conchos to look at. I turned it over and saw that Mr. Yazzie's maker’s mark was on it.

He saw me do that, smiled, and said, “Kai, do you think that I wouldn’t put my mark on something that I’ve made?”

“Mr. Yazzie.”, I said. “You’ve taught me too well. I always look for a maker’s mark.”

“That’s a sign of someone who knows their silver.”

I smiled. Then I said, “What would the bracelets that Ajie is wearing be worth?”

“To buy?”

“Yes.”

“To you. … A thousand dollars.”, Mr. Yazzie said with a sly smile.

“Mr. Yazzie!”

“Just kidding.”

“I’m glad.”

“So, what would the real price be.”

“You’re not kidding. You want to buy those five pieces?”

“Yes, we’ve decided that Navajo silver, good Navajo silver, would be a good investment.”

“My silver isn’t that good.”

I gave Mr. Yazzie a look, and said, “Mr. Yazzie, you know better. Don’t sell yourself short. You are an excellent silversmith. You are as good as what you call the old masters.”

“Kai, I’m at a loss for words.”

“That’s a first.”

“So, you feel my work is that good.”

“I know it’s that good. Write up a sales receipt for those five pieces.”

“I’d never planned to sell the one bracelet with the three pieces of turquoise. It’s one of my earliest pieces.”

“I noticed that your maker’s mark was hand engraved.”

“I have taught you well.”

"Yes, you have. So, write up the other four pieces for us.”

“But, Kai, I know that if you and Ajie have that bracelet, that it would be going to a good home where it will be appreciated. So, I will sell it to you.”

“Are you sure?”, I asked.

“Kai, knowing who you’re related to. And knowing how you feel about Navajo silver. Yes, I’m sure.”, Mr. Yazzie said.

He took out his sales book and started writing out a sales receipt. I watched as he described each piece and wrote the price next to each one.

When he finished, I said, “Mr. Yazzie, are you sure those prices are correct?”

“Kai.”, Mr. Yazzie said. “Those are the prices that I’m charging you. Yes, they’re discounted. And, yes it’s what I feel is a fair price. And, please don’t play games with me on this.”

“Mr. Yazzie, what are we going to do with you?”

“Come back and see me.”

“That’s a given.”

Then I said, “Don’t forget the hangers.”

“Oh. I all most did.”, Mr. Yazzie said.

He wrote up a second sales receipt. I watched as he wrote it and I shook my head.

When he finished, I asked, “Will you take a check?”

“Normally I only do a cash business, but from the two of you I will take a check.”

Then Mr. Yazzie asked, “Ajie, are you going to wear your new bracelets?”

“You’d better believe it.”, Ajie replied with a smile.

I took the checkbook out of my purse and wrote Mr. Yazzie a check for the total amount on the two sales receipts.

As we were leaving the shop, Ajie hugged Mr. Yazzie. Then we said hágoónee' to each other.

As we got in the car, Ajie said, “I can’t believe that you agreed to not play games with him over the cost of the bracelets.”

“I did.”, I said. “But, I didn’t make an agreement with him over the hooks. And I know he undercharged us for them.”

“I should have guessed.”

And less than an hour later we were parking by my aunt and uncle’s house. I expected to smell something good cooking when we walked into the house, but nothing. As we walked into the kitchen, my aunt and uncle were sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee. And, Ajie and I said, “Yá’át’ééh. - (It is good.)”

My aunt and uncle returned the yá’át’ééh.

Then my aunt said, “Some new jewelry, Ajie?”

“Yes, Aunt Ruth.”, Ajie said. “We stopped in to see Mr. Yazzie, and Kai and I talked about collecting Mr. Yazzie’s work. So, I was looking at this one bracelet, and Mr. Yazzie showed me a look wearing several bracelets, and both Kai and I liked it. So we bought the five bracelets.”

“So, you feel that Mr. Yazzie's work is good.”

“Aunt Ruth.”, I said. “I feel that his work is as good as some of the old masters.”

My aunt smiled, and just nodded yes.

We then sat with them for a few minutes and told them what had been going on. And they were surprised that the university had sent us to Tucson. And they were shocked about the guy breaking into the office, and were happy that I didn’t get hurt. And they were glad to hear that Charlie and Jackie were back on campus in their own apartment.

Then I said, “We thought that we’d take the Corvette back with us tomorrow.”

My uncle looked at me and said, “I’ll miss that car.”

“Well, I did say something to dad about you driving it. And he said that he didn’t have a problem with it.”

“Honestly?”

“Yes. So before we leave, we’ll take it for a ride, and you can drive.”

The smile on my uncle's face was amazing. I’ve never seen him with a smile that broad before.

Then my uncle said, “Why don’t you two get cleaned up. We have a retreat here this weekend, and as usually happens we’ve been invited to dinner.”

I gave my uncle a look and said, “Not another retreat.”

“Yes. And, it’s not like the retreat where you had your problems.”

“If you say so, Uncle Paul.”

“I do.”

“Oh. When do the barbecues start?”

“The first Friday in June. The seventh.”

“That’s only four weeks away!”

“What’s a matter. Can’t wait?”

“No. It’s been too long.”

Ajie and I headed back to our bedroom. Both of us were already wearing long fancy skirts, but we exchanged our plain blouses for fancy ones. And we traded our sneakers for our wrap moccasins. Ajie redid my hair into two braids, and I did her hair into a single braid. Ajie went with one of the plain braided leather headbands. And I chose the leather headband with the Eagle feather.

Both of us put on Concho belts. Ajie went with the choker with the Concho on it. And I went with the choker that both of my grandfathers had made. Ajie was still wearing the five bracelets on her left wrist, so she added one to her right wrist. Then she put on three rings. I went with one bracelet and two rings.

When we walked out into the main part of the house, my aunt and uncle were there, and they were also in fancy dress. My aunt looked at us and smiled. Then we headed for the hotel and the restaurant. As we walked, I asked my uncle, “Uncle Paul, what kind of group is this.”

“It’s an upper management retreat.”

“What company?”

“When you were in Tucson, did you hear anything about Raytheon?”

I stopped in my tracks and asked, “Did you say Raytheon?”

“Yes, why?”

“The boy who died in the fire, Tim, his father is in the upper management at Raytheon.”

“Is that a problem?”

“No. I’ll just be surprised if they’re here.”

“Honey.”, Ajie said. “If they’re here, it’s because life goes on.”

We continued walking to the restaurant. As we walked in, people were milling around with drinks in their hands, eating hors d’oeuvres, and talking. We stood there, and I looked around for Mr. and Mrs. Parker, Tim’s parents. And I couldn’t see them.

Then a man walked up to us, and my uncle said, “Mr. Zabel, it’s good to see you.”

“Hello, Mr. Biakeddy. You’ve outdone yourself this year. Everything has been fantastic.”

“I’m glad to hear that. You remember my wife. Don’t you?”

“Of course. Mrs. Biakeddy, it’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too, Mr. Zabel.”, Aunt Ruth said. “And, Mr. Zabel, these are my nieces Kai Nez and Ajie Nez. Kai and Ajie, Mr. Zabel is the head of the Raytheon operation in Tucson.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Nez and Miss Nez.”, Mr. Zabel said.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Mr. Zabel.”, I said a little quietly.

“Do you mind if my nieces join us for dinner?”, my uncle asked.

“No, that would be fine.”, Mr. Zabel said.

Then Mr. Zabel looked at us and said, “I’ve seen the two of you someplace before?”

“Yes, sir.”, I replied. “We were at the funeral for Tim and Rachel Parker.”

“Yes, that’s it.”

“Are the Parkers here?”

“Yes, but I haven’t seen them this evening. And that’s unusual.”

“We’ll watch for them.”

“Help yourself to the bar and the hors d’oeuvres. And we’ll be eating in about half an hour.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The four of us walked up to the bar. My uncle got an ice tea, and the rest of us picked, you guessed it, sangria. We continued to look for the Parkers. It was getting close to dinner time, and still no Parkers. I set my glass down and said, “Ajie, I’m going for a walk.”

“Why?”, Ajie asked.

“I haven’t seen the Parkers.”

“Worried?”

“Maybe a little.”

“I’ll go with you.”

Ajie and I walked out of the restaurant and through the hotel, and no Parkers. Then we went outside. I noticed that they had a fire laid in the fire pit. Then I saw two people sitting on a bench on the far side of the fire pit. We walked towards them, and as we got closer, we saw that it was the Parkers.

We walked up to them, and I stooped down and said, “Mrs. Parker, are you okay?”

She looked up at me with tears streaming down her face, then with a look of surprise, and between sobs, she said, “Miss … Miss Nez. … What … What are you … you doing here?”

“Right now, I’m going to try and help you.”

“But, how … how did you know that we were here?”

“Don’t worry about that now. Let’s worry about you.”

I went down on my knees, reached out for Mrs. Parker’s hands, and she gave them to me.

I sensed Ajie motion to Mr. Parker to get up and go with her, which he did. Still holding Mrs. Parker’s hands, I moved up on the bench to where Mr. Parker had been sitting. I looked at her, and she looked at me, and just like with Max’s girlfriend Christine I could feel the deep sorrow in her. Then I whispered, “Mrs. Parker, I feel your grief and pain. They will take time to overcome, but some will always be in your heart. Close your eyes and listen to me. She closed her eyes.

Then I said, “Do you remember my prayer?

She nodded, yes.

“Do you remember that the last two lines were, ‘Nurse not your loneliness, but live again. Forget not. Remember with a smile.’”

She again nodded, yes.

Then I whispered, “You need to believe those words. Take them into your heart. They will help you overcome the pain and sorrow that you're now feeling.”

We sat there for a while, just holding hands. Then Mrs. Parker opened her eyes, looked at me, and said, “Why … Why do I feel so at ease with you.”

“I’ve had many people tell me that. It’s just something that I can do. I can make people feel better just by sitting with them.

“But, you have native blood, and there are strong spirits in the area of the fire pit. I can feel those spirits now, and they can feel your sadness. If you embrace them, they will help you.”

“Miss Nez.”, Mrs. Parker said. “Who are you. You have to be someone special.”

“I am special to the Navajo people. I am a Nádleeh. I am a person that has two spirits. One is a woman’s spirit, and one is a man’s spirit. And I am supposed to be able to see things through the eyes of both. And maybe I do.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t have to understand. You have to try to believe.”

“I feel so much better just sitting here talking with you.”

“As you should.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, and then have dinner together.”

I stood up and waved to Ajie and Mr. Parker to join us. As they walked up, I said, “Mr. Parker, she’ll be fine. We’re going to take her into the ladies room in the hotel, and let her compose herself, then we’ll be in and join you for dinner.”

“Thank you, Miss Nez.”, Mr. Parker said. “I don’t know what happened. She just broke down, so I brought her outside, and we sat on the bench.”

“You picked a good place to sit. The spirits where here to help her.”

“Spirits?”

“We’ll talk later. And we’ll see you in the restaurant.”

Ajie and I then took Mrs. Parker to the ladies room in the hotel lobby. And, we helped her compose herself.

A few minutes later, the three of us were walking into the restaurant. Ajie and Mrs. Parker went over to where Mr. Parker was sitting. And I walked over to where my aunt and uncle were sitting with Mr. Zabel and his wife. I explained what had happened. And they were concerned, but understood.

Mr. Zabel said, “Miss Nez, you said that you were able to help her. How?”

I looked at my aunt, and said, “Aunt Ruth, I need to go back with Mrs. Parker. Will, you explain to Mr. Zabel.”

“Of course, Kai.”, Aunt Ruth said.

Then I said, “Uncle Paul, you didn’t tell me that you were having a bonfire tonight.”

He smiled and said, “Surprise, Kai.”

“Uh, huh. Any more surprises, Uncle Paul?”

“No. Not now.”

“Hmm!”

I walked away, shaking my head, and went over to where Ajie and the Parkers were sitting, and I sat next to Ajie. As I sat, a waitress came over. She first asked Mrs. Parker how she would like her prime rib cooked. Then she looked at me and asked, “Miss Kai, how do you like your prime rib?”

I replied, “Medium rare.”

Then she asked, “And you, Miss Ajie?”

Ajie replied, “Medium.”

Then she took Mr. Parker’s order. Then Mr. Parker said, “It appears that they know you here, Miss Nez.”

At the same time, Ajie and I both said, “Yes.”

Then I said, “Yes, they do. My aunt and uncle run the resort. And we live in Albuquerque. So we come up to the resort all the time. And just happened to come up today.”

“That must be nice.”

“It is, except my uncle puts us to work. And you can call me Kai and my cousin Ajie.”

“Kai.”, Mrs. Parker said. “How did you help me to feel so much better.”

“As I said, Mrs. Parker. It was the spirits. This area of the resort is sacred to the native people, and the area around the thermal pools and especially the fire pit have strong spirits. And when you chose to sit by the fire pit, it was a good choice. I was able to help the spirits help you. And remembering the prayer also helped you.”

“But, I don’t believe in spirits and things like that.”

“You don’t have to believe. I do, and I helped you.”

“I just don’t believe all of this, but I know that it happened.”

“Tim will always be in your heart. And you need to remember him with a smile.”

Just then they delivered our food. So, we started eating a perfect prime rib, which I haven’t had in ages, a sweet potato, and vegetables.

Everyone must have enjoyed the meal because the din of conversation dropped off as everyone ate. And that included us.

Just as we were finishing, Mr. Parker asked, “So, Kai, what do you do in Albuquerque? I know it’s something to do with the university.”

“Both Ajie and I are working on our graduate degrees.”, I replied. “Plus Ajie works in the hospitals emergency room and teaches in the College of Nursing. And I’m teaching and doing research.”

“What kind of research are you doing?”

I didn’t want to answer the question, but I did. “I do research in the electrical engineering department.”

“Oh? … Wait a minute. An Indian girl who is doing research in electrical engineering, plus teaching classes. I’ve heard about you.”

I sighed and said, “Yeah. Probably all bad.”

“Not at all. I’ve only heard good things. And you’ve done some things for Los Alamos.”

“Yeah. That’s me.”

“What’s your background?”

“My undergraduate degree in electrical engineering is from Ohio State.”

“Cum Laude.”, Ajie said with that sly smile of hers.”

I looked at Ajie and said, “Okay. Miss Smarty Pants with a Summa Cum Laude in nursing.”

That got me a frown from Ajie.

“You two did well.”, Mr. Parker said.

“Thanks.”, I said.

“So, what are you going to do after you earn your graduate degree?”

“Continue teaching and doing research.”

“You don’t want to go to work for someone like Los Alamos?”

“Or, Raytheon. No.”

“Oh. You know.”

“Yes, sir. I know that you work for Raytheon. This retreat is for the upper management of Raytheon, and they have the whole resort. So it wasn’t hard to figure out. Plus someone in Tucson told us about you and Rachel’s dad.

“I’ve also learned how Los Alamos works, and I don’t mind doing things for them, but I don’t want to work directly for them.”

“You seem to have your mind made up.”

“I do. I like the university atmosphere, I like teaching there, and I like doing the research the way we do it there. I also enjoy having the time to spend working with my people, hiking in the mountains, and spending time here at the resort.”

“Someone your age knowing what you are going to do is wonderful. I hope you accomplish everything that you want to.”, Mr. Parker said.

“Thank you.”, I replied.

Just then they brought out dessert. They brought out Sopapillas. Sopapillas are a fried pastry. And these were covered with honey and cinnamon sugar. YUM!

As we enjoyed our Sopapillas, Mr. Zabel got up and said, “I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Biakeddy and the resort’s staff for another wonderful retreat. We will have a morning session before lunch and then checkout.

“Mr. Biakeddy has told me that there will be bonfire out in front of the hotel soon after Sunset. He also has explained that two of our guests tonight, who are members of the Navajo Nation, like to meditate at these bonfires as these grounds are sacred to their people.

“And after they meditate they usually like to talk with the resort's guests. They can probably answer any questions that you have about the area and the local native people.

“Enjoy your dessert and the resort. And I’ll see you tonight at the bonfire.”

As Mr. Zabel sat, Mrs. Parker looked at me and said, “So, you meditate at these bonfires.”

“Yes, we feel the spirits of the fire and sometimes the Moon.”, I said. “It helps us stay close to our people.”

“What else do you do when you’re here?”

“We enjoy the resort, just like the other guests do. We soak in the pools, hike the trails, enjoy the spa, watch Sunrises and Sunsets from the cliff. And just relax.”

“And I think we’re going to watch the Sunset tonight before the bonfire.”, Ajie said. “If you’re up to a short hike you’re welcome to join us.”

Mrs. Parker looked at her husband and said, “What do you think, Paul.”

“It might be interesting.”, Mr. Parker said. “We’ve never been on any of the trails. Or even up on the cliff.”

“Kai, what time do we need to be up there.”

“Soon.”, I replied. “It may be good to go now.”

It wasn’t long until Ajie, the Parkers, and I were walking up the cliff trail. And it didn’t take us long to reach the top. We walked over to a good vantage point to see the western horizon. I pointed out that we were looking towards Arizona, and that sometimes we heard coyotes or saw wolves in the morning.

Then we watched a brilliant Sunset full of yellows, golds, and reds. And Ajie said, “Red sky at night sailors delight.”

“What’s that mean?”, Mrs. Parker asked.

“No storms tonight. If the sky in the morning is red, then it means that we’ll probably have storms.”

We talked a little more about the area and then headed down the trail. We could see that the bonfire was just starting. As we got to the bonfire, we saw an old friend, Naainish. He was standing with my aunt and uncle.

As we walked up, I said, “Yá’át’ééh alní'íní, Naainish. - (Good evening, Naainish.)”

He smiled and said, Yá’át’ééh alní'íní, Kai dóó Ajie.”

“What are you doing here?”

“You are here. And the Moon is full. It is the flower Moon.”

“Is that a problem.”

“No, Kai Nez, remember you will never have a problem with the full Moon again.”

“That is good.”

My aunt was standing there with a rug, and as she offered it to me, she said, “I thought that you might like this, Kai.”

I accepted the rug and said, “Thank you, Aunt Ruth.”

I walked over to where Ajie and the Parkers were, and said, “Ajie, shall we?”

Ajie said to the Parkers, “We’ll be back shortly.”

Ajie and I walked over to the place where we usually sit. I spread the rug out on the ground. Then Ajie and I sat side by side. I started to concentrate on the fire, and then I heard chanting. It was Naainish.

I looked towards where Naainish was, and everyone was watching us. I saw my uncle talking to Mr. Zabel and some others, including the Parkers. Then I looked at the full Moon and turned my attention to the fire and the chant Naainish was singing.

I closed my eyes and listened. I felt the strong spirits of the full Moon and the fire. It felt good being here. It felt good hearing the chant. It felt good feeling the spirits.

Naainish finished his chant. Ajie and I sat there for a few minutes before we got up. As we got up, I picked up the blanket, folded it, and placed it over my arm. Then Ajie and I walked back over to where Naainish was, and I said, “Thank you for the chant, Naainish. It was wonderful.”

“You and Ajie feel good being back here.”, Naainish said. “Don’t you?”

“We do.”

“It is good.”

My Uncle Paul, Mr. Zabel, his wife, and the Parkers walked up to us. And Mr. Zabel said, “Miss Nez, we’ve been here several times before this, but have never witnessed anything like what the two of you did. It was fascinating.”

“It’s part of our belief.”, I said. “Everything has spirits. And this is sacred ground. Also, the Moon was full tonight, and the spirits were strong. So, we were feeling those spirits.”

“Thank you very much for allowing us to see this.”

“We do it in the hope that it will help others better understand us.”

“The chanting that the man did was interesting.”, Mrs. Parker said. “I felt at ease while I listened to it and watched the two of you.”

“That was Naainish.”, I said. “He’s a medicine man. I’m not sure what he was chanting. I’ve never heard it before. And you’re right, I felt at ease too.”

Ajie and I then walked around talking with guests, who were all from Raytheon. We talked about the way Ajie and I were dressed and what we'd done at the bonfire. And the area around the resort.

Mr. Zabel walked up to us and said, “Your aunt told me some interesting things about you, Miss Nez.”

“Which one of us?”, I asked.

“Both of you. But in particular you, Miss Kai Nez.

“She explained what a Nádleeh is and how you can feel things about certain people. How your people feel about you and how you feel about them. And some of the things you’ve done.

“And I understand that enjoy research. But want nothing to do with a big organization like we are. And I can respect that too.”

“Mr. Zabel.”, I said. “I’m glad you understand that. You, your wife, and the Parkers are nice people. But, the company that you work for supports this lousy war, just like Los Alamos does. The university has an agreement that nothing that we work on will in any way go to support the war. If I thought for one minute that what I was doing for Los Alamos was going towards the war, I’d drop it like a hot potato. And walk away from any more they’d want me to do. And they know that.”

Mr. Zabel looked at me for a few seconds, then said, “Your uncle told me that you’re a strong-willed woman, Miss Nez. And he’s right. We need more people like you.”

“It was nice meeting you, Mr. Zabel. Hopefully, we’ll see you next year at your next retreat.”

“Miss Nez, I hope we do.”

We shook hands, and Ajie and I walked away.

As we walked, Ajie asked, “You like Mr. Zabel. Didn’t you?”

“Yes, I wouldn’t have told Aunt Ruth to tell him about me if I hadn’t felt good about him.”, I said. “I felt something, something good in him that I’m not sure about.”

We walked in silence until we reached the door, then Ajie said, “I asked Mr. Parker why they were here so soon after the funeral. And, he told me that Mrs. Parker wanted things to get back to normal as soon as possible.”

“Maybe a little too soon.”, I said.

“It was good that you were here.”

“No, it was good that we were here.”

Later as we were cuddling on the patio looking at the stars, Ajie said, “I wish that there was a thunderstorm tonight.”

“You wish that there was a thunderstorm?”, I said. “You who are deathly afraid of thunderstorms.”

“Uh, huh.”

“Why?”

“So that you can comfort me.”

“I can still comfort you.”

“But it’s different.”

“Different?”

“Something about the storm.”

“Want to go back to the cabin in the mountain and hope for a thunderstorm up there?”

“Could we!?”

I looked at her, shook my head, then kissed her. 

Then Ajie said, “Tonight I found out what you mean about moccasins not being good on the cliff trail. My feet hurt. Do you think I could get a foot massage?”

And I think you know where that went.

Sunrise on Sunday morning was at six, so we were up early enough to be up on the cliff well before then. As we walked up onto the clifftop, we saw about a dozen people up there. We walked over to where they were, and I saw the Parkers were here as were the Zabels. The Parkers were the first to see us, and Mrs. Parker said, “Good morning. We were wondering if you were going to make it. It’s starting to get light.” 

“Yá’át’ééh abiní t'áá ájíltso.”, I said.

“What did you say, Kai?”

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Was that Navajo?”

“Yes.”

“So, I hear that the Sunrises can be spectacular.”, Mr. Zabel said.

“Yes, sir, they can be.”

Ajie then said, “Kai, listen.”

Everyone listened, and then Mrs. Parker asked, “Listen to what? I don’t hear anything.”

“That’s just it.”, I said. “Usually, at this time of the morning, we hear the coyotes talking. But, we’re not hearing anything.”

“Is that bad?”

“Not at all. When there are wolves around the coyotes are silent.”

“Are there wolves around here?”

“Yes, from time to time there’s a pack in the area.”

“They won’t bother us will they?”

“No. they’ll keep their distance from people.”

Ajie had been listening to our conversation, but looking to the west. Ajie said, “Kai, look.”

I looked to where Ajie was pointing, and there was a pack of wolves no more than a hundred yards from us. I pointed and said to everyone, “Be very quiet and look over there. There are about eight wolves moving in a line. And this is the closest that we’ve ever been to them.”

Everyone looked, and no one said anything until the wolves were out of sight. Then someone said, “That was amazing.”

“Yes.”, I said. “Seeing wolves in the wild this way is very interesting.”

Then the Sunrise took our attention away from the wolves, and the Sunrise this morning didn’t disappoint. Brilliant golds and reds.

Ajie said, “Red sky in the morning sailors warning.”

“I’ve heard that before, young lady.”, Mr. Zabel said. “We may have storms later today.”

“Yes, sir. Every time we’ve seen a red sky in the morning, we’ve had storms.”

Everyone wandered back down the cliff trail, but Ajie and I hung back. Once we were alone, we walked over to where the little tree was, and it looked to be in good shape. We stood and looked at the tree for a few minutes, then Ajie said, “Kai, do you think the wolves show up when they feel that you need them?”

“Need them?”

“Remember that you have the power of the wolf. And that allows you to bring harmony and peace to the ill. Depression is an illness.”

“But, I’m not that close to Mrs. Parker.”

“She has Indian blood. Doesn’t she?”

“Hmm. Yes, she does. Interesting idea about the wolves, love.”

I kissed her and then we headed back down the cliff trail, and to my aunt and uncle’s house.

As we were eating breakfast, my uncle said, “Kai, you impressed some people last night. And not just the Zabels and Parkers.”

“Oh.”, I said. “What did I do?”

“It was how you did things. Like at the bonfire something drew everyone to watch you in silence.”

“That wasn’t me. That was the spirits.”

“Then the spirits did it for you. And you speak with authority when you talk, and everyone listens closely to you.”

“I’ve been told that before by people at the university.”

Ajie and I then hiked to the Mica Mines. And after we were back, we soaked in one of the thermal pools. Then we helped Aunt Ruth fix lunch. After Ajie and I had cleaned up the lunch dishes, I said, “Uncle Paul, you ready to take the Corvette for a ride.”

“And I get to drive?”

“Yes.”

Uncle Paul and I went out to the garage, took the cover off of the Corvette, folded it, and put it in the trunk. We then put the top down. And I handed Uncle Paul the keys.

We got into the car, Uncle Paul in the driver's seat, and he started it. I reminded him to take it easy on the gas. He carefully backed the car out of the garage, and we headed out onto Route 285 and headed north. We drove north a few miles then turned around and headed back to the resort. When we were back at the resort, we stopped at the maintenance building and filled up the gas tank.

We parked the Vet next to the ‘68 Chevy and walked back into the house. Ajie asked, “Well, what did you think, Uncle Paul?”

“That’s a fun car.”, Uncle Paul said. “It’s really a sports car. The handling is amazing.”

Ajie and I packed up our things and headed back to Albuquerque. Ajie followed me, and I was nice, I didn’t outrun her. Of course, I had the top down, and my long hair was flying in the wind. I got some interesting looks from other people on the road.

When we were back home, I stopped at the mailbox to check for the mail. As I did, I waved for Ajie to go on to the house, which she did. As I got out of the car, I heard a man's voice say, “Kai, is that your car?”

I looked, and it was Hosteen Tl'izilani, the son of the man that had built our house and one of our neighbors. So, I said, “Yá’át’ééh, Hosteen. - (Hello, Hosteen.)”

“Yá’át’ééh, Kai.”, Hosteen replied. “Is this yours?”

“No, it’s my fathers.” And I went on to give him the abbreviated story of the car, and it’s journey from Ohio to New Mexico. And I told him that we were storing the car for my dad.

We talked for a while, then Hosteen asked, “Have you thought any more about the hogan?”

“Things have been busy.”, I replied. “But I haven’t forgotten it.”

“Do you have time to talk about it now?”

“Yes. Do you?”

“Yes.”

“Hop in, and we’ll drive up to the house.”

Before I got in the car, I checked the mailbox, and there was one letter. Then I hopped into the car, and we drove up to the house. I parked in front of the middle garage door, and said, “Stay in the car. I want to pull the ‘57 out. Then we’ll pull this one in and then pull the ‘57 in behind it.”

Hosteen sat in the car, as I opened the garage door where the ‘57 Chevy was. Then I went in and pulled the ‘57 out. Got back in the Corvette, and pulled it into the double deep garage bay. Then I pulled the ‘57 back in behind the Corvette.

As Hosteen got out of the Corvette, he said, “Two very nice cars.”

“Thanks.”, I said. “I bought the ‘57 while I was still in high school.”

“You’ve kept it really nice.”

“Thanks. It’s never seen snow.”

Just then I heard Ajie said, “Oh, there you are. Oh, yá’át’ééh, Hosteen.”

“Yá’át’ééh, Ajie.”, Hosteen said.

“I saw Hosteen out by the mailbox, and he brought up the hogan. And, we decided to talk about it.”, I said.

“It’s about time, Kai.”, Ajie said.

I closed up the garage, and we went into the house. Then I went to the office and retrieved the paperwork on the house. And we sat in the big room and discussed the hogan. And Ajie and I agreed that we wanted something like what Hosteen’s father was planning on building. But we didn’t want electric in it. But, a way to hang or place five or six kerosene lanterns around the inside. We also talked about the fire pit and that we wanted a nice brick-lined fire pit with a tiled area around it. And the rest of the floor was to be wood. The lower part of the hogan was to be of rough-hewn logs. And a smoke hole, through the earthen covered roof, was a must. And of course, the door must face east. So, we decided to put it not too far from the gate to the back courtyard and on the west side of the gate.

By the time Hosteen left, we had agreed on everything. He was going to write up a contract tomorrow and bring it over in the evening to be signed. And we’d write him a check for half the agreed-upon cost and that we’d pay the other half when we were happy with it.