Brave Beginnings (47 page)

When she clenched his arm and winced, he saw
another contraction was upon her so he grabbed his buffalo robe and
hurried out of the room to wake the others in the lodge.

“So soon?” his mother asked.

“Why? Aren’t her months complete?” Erin spoke
in a hushed voice.

“It should be another month,” Chogan
replied.

“Sometimes,” his mother said. “Not always.
Some children come earlier. This is one of them.”

“I’m getting the medicine man,” he
replied.

“Not so fast. Things might be fine.” His
mother squeezed his hand. “Try not to think of the little ones you
lost before. Julia is not your first wife.”

When his aunt came over to them and handed
his mother a robe, she turned to the other women. “Are any of you
menstruating?”

One of his aunts nodded. “Tell me when I can
return?”

“We will,” Chogan’s mother said. While his
aunt went to retrieve her robe, his mother turned back to him. “You
can’t be here. Go shut off part of the smoke hole and wait for one
of us to tell you to return.”

His aunt pulled her robe tightly around her
shoulders and took him by the arm. Ignoring the fact that Julia
called out for him, he put his robe on and hastened to shut off
part of the smoke hole. Afterwards, he rushed over to the medicine
man’s lodge.

The medicine man came to the entrance when
Chogan called out for him and asked, “What is the nature of the
emergency?”

“Julia’s in labor.”

“There are complications?”

“Well…no. I don’t think so.”

“Did the women tell you to come get me?”

Chogan shook his head.

The medicine man sighed. “Then there is no
need to worry. When the women tell you to come, come and I will
assist.”

“But it’s too soon,” Chogan said. “She
shouldn’t be giving birth for another month.”

“Julia is due to give birth at any time now.
Her pregnancy is complete. Not all babies are carried—”

“Will you stop talking and tend to her?”
Chogan shouted. “It’s too soon. Don’t tell me I don’t know how long
a woman should carry a baby. I was married before and lost all my
children. Do you think I’ll take any risks this time?”

The medicine man gave a solemn nod. “I see
your concern. Very well. I’ll gather my supplies and will be there
shortly.”

Relieved, Chogan ran back to the lodge and
paced back and forth in front of it. He didn’t know if the fact
that the only sounds he heard in the still night air were horses
neighing and coyotes howling in the distance was a good thing or
not. Footsteps crunching in the snow brought his attention to the
medicine man. Glad the man didn’t delay in coming, Chogan thanked
him.

The medicine man entered the lodge, and
Chogan heard Julia calling out his name. For the first time in his
life, Chogan debated whether or not he should go into a lodge when
a woman was giving birth. It was strictly forbidden. His place
wasn’t in there with her. Not right now.

He gritted his teeth and paced again, not
liking the scenarios that played out in his mind. What if the baby
didn’t make it? What if she didn’t make it? If the baby didn’t make
it, would she forgive him for not being there? He recalled his
first wife’s grief and how she’d shut herself off from him and
others for a couple of months after their daughter died before she
took her first breath. He never wanted to bury another child for as
long as he lived. And if Julia died, could he forgive himself for
not being with her when she wanted him by her side?

The final question decided his next course of
action. He barged into the lodge, and, as he expected, his aunt ran
over to him.

“You must leave!” She pushed him toward the
door, but he put her hands down and stepped around her. “What do
you think you’re doing?”

“Julia’s calling for me,” he replied, heading
for the room he and Julia shared.

The medicine man and his mother came out of
the room before he could enter it.

“You must leave!” his mother said in
exasperation. “Everything is fine.”

“Chogan!” Julia called out.

“She wants me with her,” Chogan insisted and
tried to step past them, but they blocked him. “Move or I will
knock you both aside to get in there, even if you are old—” he told
the medicine man—“and you are my mother,” he told her.

“Listen to me,” the medicine man said. “Julia
is fine. Things are progressing as they should. There are two
babies instead of one. That is why she is early.”

It took a moment for the man’s words to sink
in. “Two?” Chogan dumbly asked.

“Twins always come earlier than a single
child,” he replied. “So you see everything is fine.”

“But she’s still calling for me.” Even if he
was excited by this sudden turn of events, Chogan decided he was
already in the lodge so he might as well press forward. “I don’t
care if it’s appropriate for me to be here or not. If she wants me
with her, then I’ll be with her.” Then, because he knew it would
make them relent, he glowered down at them, making sure to
emphasize that he was taller and stronger.

It worked, though the medicine man shook his
head and his mother rolled her eyes. Fine. So they weren’t exactly
intimidated by him, but at least he got his point across.

Julia called out for him again, and this
time, he pulled aside the buffalo skin so he could enter their
room. Erin was kneeling beside Julia who was sitting on the buffalo
robe spread out at the foot of their bed. He winced at the sight of
his wife in pain as she gripped Erin’s hands and groaned.

“Try to concentrate on breathing,” Erin
softly told her.

Julia glanced up and held her other hand out
to Chogan.

Without hesitation, he shook off his robe and
took her hand. Kneeling on her other side, he ignored Erin’s
surprised look and told Julia, “I’m here. I won’t leave you.”

And he didn’t. The labor continued at what he
thought was an agonizingly slow pace, but as dawn arrived, his
mother held out her hands to accept first one boy and then another.
It was a beautiful experience to watch living children come into
the world—children who cried and waved their fists in the cool air
while his aunt cleaned them up. Erin followed his mother’s
instructions and placed a belt tightly around Julia’s abdomen while
his mother took care of the afterbirth.

Chogan was too busy watching the quick
efficiency his aunt employed as she greased his sons and spread
ocher under their arms, around their necks, between their legs, and
on top of their heads to prevent chafing. Then she wrapped them in
tanned buffalo calf hides. Erin took one boy and settled him in
Julia’s arms before she took the other and handed him to
Chogan.

The babies quieted and Chogan took a good
look at the boy in his arm, marveling at how tiny but perfectly
made he was. He glanced at Julia who laughed as she caressed the
other boy’s cheek. She turned her attention to Chogan and
smiled.

Smiling in return, he asked, “How do you
feel?”

“Wonderful,” she replied.

Though his mother gave him an exasperated
look, she grinned. “Now you can rest assured that everything’s
alright.”

He squeezed Julia’s shoulder. “Yes, now I
can, but I’m still glad I was here.”

Erin peered down at the boy in Julia’s arms
and laughed as he yawned. “You two never cease to surprise me. But
I will say you two make the most adorable children.”

That was one thing he definitely wouldn’t
argue with. He returned his gaze back to his sons and thought his
heart would burst with pride. As far as he was concerned, they were
the best looking children in the tribe. He had no doubt they would
grow up to be mighty hunters. With Julia for a mother, he would
expect no less.

He glanced her way again. In her smile was
the silent affirmation of her love for him and their children, and
he smiled, not needing to say the words for he knew she understood
he shared the same love as well.

***

In December, Julia and Erin took the twin
boys to Woape’s lodge where they sat with Woape, her aunt, and
Phoebe and Penelope by the fire. While Julia snuggled one of her
sons to her chest, Erin held the other.

Penelope ran over to Erin, and Woape sighed.
“Penelope, sit over here. Erin is holding your cousin.”

Erin chuckled. “I can manage. God gave me two
arms for this reason. Come on over, Penelope.”

Woape smiled and shifted so that Phoebe, who
was breastfeeding, was more comfortable. “How are my nephews
today?”

“They’re wonderful,” Julia replied. “I still
can’t believe they’re here.”

“I bet Chogan’s the happiest man in the
world,” Woape said.

“I’ll say,” Erin added. “He can’t help but
dote on them.” She glanced at Julia. “Not that he didn’t already
have someone to dote on before.”

Woape chuckled. “You and Chogan make a good
match.”

“Thank you, Woape.” Julia glanced around the
lodge. “Where is Onawa?”

Woape motioned to Onawa’s room. “She is
working on her wedding dress.” She smiled. “The wedding is next
month, and she’s a bundle of nerves.”

“I think I’ll go see her.” Julia stood,
careful not to wake her child. “I’ll be back soon.” Erin and Woape
nodded so Julia made her way to Onawa’s room. “May I come in?” she
called out.

Onawa removed the flap over her door. “Yes.”
Her eyes lit up when her gaze went to Julia’s son. “Which one is
he? Tate or Dakota?”

“Dakota.”

“I’m surprised you wanted to take Indian
names when Woape and Gary took white man names.”

“Chogan thought we should take white names,
but I thought we should take Indian names.”

“You got your way.”

With a shrug, Julia said, “We compromised. We
decided on Indian names that were easy to pronounce. Some of the
people in this tribe have long names.”

“You mean like Chankoowashtay?”

Julia blanched. “I won’t even try to repeat
that one.”

She giggled. “That’s why people call him
‘medicine man’.”

“I don’t blame them.” Julia noted the
delicate work of beads that Onawa had painstakingly sewn into her
wedding dress. “This is beautiful.”

“I’ve been working on it since this past
summer.”

“You really love Citlali, don’t you?”

Blushing, she said, “I’m afraid it’s
obvious.”

“Does he feel the same?”

“I don’t know. With Citlali, it is hard to
tell how he feels, one way or the other.”

“I hope if he doesn’t now, then he will.
You’re a lovely person.”

“Thank you, Julia. I think you’re lovely
too.”

After they continued to talk about the
upcoming wedding where Onawa explained the ceremony, Julia left her
to continue on the dress. By then, it was time to return back to
her lodge.

“I will see you tomorrow,” Julia told
Woape.

“Maybe we can take a short walk,” Woape
replied.

“I’d like that.”

Once Julia and her aunt returned home, Julia
fed her children and settled them into their leather cradles.

“They’re precious,” Erin whispered, peering
down at the sleeping children.

Julia chuckled. “That’s because they’re both
sleeping at the same time. Usually, when one is sleeping, the other
is up. But it’s all worth it. I love being a mother.”

“You used to hope for this moment ever since
you were a little girl, and now it’s here. I’m glad I got to see
this day.”

Julia hugged her. “I’m glad too.”

Patting her back, her aunt pulled away from
her. “I’ll let you take a nap. You’re going to need your strength
once they wake up.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

Once her aunt left the room, Julia settled
into her bed and drew a blanket up to her chin. She closed her
eyes, enjoying the way her body sank into the soft furs.

Someone stepped into the room, so she opened
her eyes and smiled. “How did the hunting go?” she softly
asked.

Chogan returned her smile and checked on
their children. “It didn’t go so well today. I only caught a couple
of rabbits. At least we have some of that deer left.”

“Since you’re done, why don’t you join me?
It’s nice and warm in bed.”

Grinning, he took off his robe and set it
aside so he could slip in next to her.

She rolled over and snuggled up to him. No
matter how many times he held her, she never tired of feeling his
strong arms around her or listening to the soothing rhythm of his
heartbeat.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“For warming the bed for you?”

Chuckling, he gave her a light squeeze. “No.
Thank you for completing me. I was only half a man before you came
along.”

“You complete me too.”

He kissed the top of her head.

Content, she closed her eyes again, and soon
they both fell asleep, assured that each day they had together in
the future would be even better than the one before.