Chester speaks, “You guys need to be told something very important before you go back East. Let’s all sit down and talk about what you must know.”
This sounds serious. “I knew I shouldn’t have taken those antlers.”
Chester speaks softly, “It’s okay Christina, the antlers are a gift from the Spirit Deer. He is grateful for the good deeds you have done. The Spirit Deer will shield you from evil, and in return you must keep his protection of you a secret.”
I reply anxiously, “What deeds? I didn’t do any deeds?”
“Oh yes you did, but you did not know it,” he is quick to add. “The first good deed was adopting Neewa at the pound and saving her Spirit. If Neewa had stayed at the pound much longer, she would have been euthanized, and her Spirit lost.”
“What Spirit?” I shudder.
“Heebe-tee-tse’s Spirit, an Indian warrior who died in the late 1800’s. His body was never found and his Spirit has been wandering the desert ever since. He has been unable to return home to be at rest in our sacred burial ground. But he kept searching for a way home to us. When Neewa was born in the desert, the Spirit Being of Heebe-tee-tse entered her body and he is still there.”
“Oh brother,” I gasp.
Chester smiles, “Your second deed was saving Neewa from dying of distemper. By bringing her to Doctor Cuthberson you saved her and Heebe-tee-tse’s Spirit in Neewa from certain death. If Neewa had died, Heebe-tee-tse’s Spirit Being could have been lost, forever.
“Doctor Cuthberson, a trusted Shaman, learned of Heebe-tee-tse’s Spirit when Neewa stayed overnight at his animal hospital. He spoke to Heebe-tee-tse and made preparations for him to enter our sacred burial ground.”
Chester continues, “Do you remember the tribal building and the Tribal Historian Members Project? All the members that have ever lived are listed on that wall. We are always looking for lost ancestors like Heebe-tee-tse, trying to return to us to be At Rest.
“Remember the little girl at the Tribal History meeting? She said, ’Did you know Neewa has a Spirit?’
“Everyone knew about Heebe-tee-tse coming home. We have all been waiting to welcome him.”
Jackie interrupts, “So let me get this right, Neewa is a Spirit Being of this warrior Heebe-tee-tse?”
Chester sighs, “Well not exactly, you see it is not Neewa who is a Spirit Being, but the Spirit Being is in Neewa’s body.”
“Oh I get it now, Neewa’s possessed,” Jackie clarifies.
Chester persists, “When Neewa was born near Heebe-tee-tse’s grave he took refuge in Neewa’s body, he possessed her, but not in a bad way. He will not harm her.”
I break in, “Dad, what about my dream, the one where I was looking for Neewa’s family in the desert. Remember I read the newspaper about the hiker who saw the white German Shepherd family digging up the bones of the gambler…. And right next to the gambler was the Native American grave that was over a hundred years old.”
Heather adds, “We have been protecting Neewa and all of you since we have known about Heebe-tee-tse. Do you recall when Chester put the charm on Neewa’s collar after you came back from the ghost town? The charm is a Katsina, a sacred symbol that protects the wearer from evil trespassers. This Katsina is called ‘Wuyak-Kuita’ and affords its wearer safety from these trespassers. Chester got it from Doctor Cuthberson who also placed a potion in the Wuyak-Kuita charm. The potion guarded Neewa against the evil devil spirits who want to take Heebe-tee-tse’s Spirit for themselves and evil purposes. And the ‘jingle ding’ sound coming from the charm, the incantation. It's a magical spell to shelter you and your family from evil.”
Heather continues telling about events in my life and she was not even there. “All of you had encounters with evil. Remember you met George Spahn at the general store near Manny’s house? You did not like the way he looked at you. He is a dead man. It was his ghost that invited all of you to his ranch. He would’ve killed Heebe-tee-tse and substituted an Evil Devil Spirit in Neewa. The Evil Devil Spirits at his ranch take the bodies and the souls of those who fall into their traps. They want to be At Rest with our people, but they are evil and we do not want them.”
Heather smiles, “What’s more, have you forgotten what happened on the fishing trip? The gunshot that hit the ground near your van saved you from an Evil Devil Spirit stalking Neewa and Heebe-tee-tse. A Chosen One, who sees, fired that shot. He was not shooting at you or your family. His bullet was meant to defeat the evil stalker.
Furthermore, remember my house? I used yellow and blue powders to vanquish the evil spirit in the dust devil? So you see, we have all been protecting you.”
Chester speaks, adding still more archival proof to my already overflowing to capacity encounters with demons and evil spirits, “At the Pow Wow when the Deer Dance was performed and that Chief transformed himself into the Spirit Deer, that Spirit Deer has been following you and Neewa ever since the Pow Wow. At Ruby Lake the ghost of the mule deer was the Spirit Deer that left his antlers as a gift for you and Neewa for helping Heebe-tee-tse.
“And you heard the howling coyotes at Ruby Lake? They too were evil and wanted the power of Heebe-tee-tse’s Spirit for themselves, but Spirit Deer and the herbs Heather gave you warded off their attack.”
Chester adds, “Heather is certain you are safe now. You must always keep the antlers and charm you have been given. Never give them away or lose them, as they will keep you safe from the evil ones.”
Heather talks to Dad, Jackie, and me, “I have another secret. No one will put a new house here in place of this old one. Under my house is our sacred burial ground where all our Indian Spirit Beings are resting. We cannot disturb them, the Spirit Beings must stay here forever.”
Chester interrupts, “Now I have to tell you quickly because they will be here soon.”
I ask, “Who will be here soon?”
Jackie looks up as she is finishing her necklace, “Who else is coming to the beading party?”
Heather and Chester smile and say in unison, “The Spirit Beings!”
Jackie puts her face down on the table and covers her head with her arms. Dad comes to the table and sits between us, putting his arms around us both.
Heather speaks, “Chanting will be starting in Linda’s room. The Spirit Beings are creating the sounds of the wind and the smells of fire and earth. The ceremony has begun.
“First, the exorcism of Heebe-tee-tse from Neewa’s body, then the Spirit Beings will assist Heebe-tee-tse in entering the Spirit World through our sacred ground. Neewa will be the same coy dog you know and love after it is over.”
I can smell burning roots, herbs, and sweet flowers. The smoke is swirling by the candlelight as Neewa walks behind the curtain. Flickering light is coming from behind the woven divide separating us from the Spirits. Mystical yellow and blue smoke churn overhead.
Heather exclaims, “We are close, the Spirit Beings are thanking you and Neewa.”
Dad squeezes Jackie and me tighter. Seconds pass like minutes.
Chanting and drumming radiate from behind the curtain. “Hey Hey Hey Hey Ya Ya Ya… Ya Ya Ya….”
The high-pitched screeches echo in my ears and through my head. Soft then loud rhythms repeat.
The chants of the Spirits send chills down my spine, “Hey Hey Hey Hey Ya Ya, Ya Ya, Ya Ya.”
Visible through an open crack, shadows of awkward human shapes move about on Linda’s wall. Above the woven blankets on a visible slice of ceiling strange forms move in circles.
Frightened by the appearance of Heather leaving the back room, I’m startled and almost fall backwards off my seat.
Heather nods and smiles a great big smile, “The Spirit Beings are thankful, Heebe-tee-tse is home, At Rest. No longer wandering the desert, he has left Neewa’s body and is where he belongs. All the Spirit Beings are celebrating with him.”
Jackie speaks softly, “The ghost hunting equipment is at home, but all the ghosts are here.”
I whisper to Dad, “Okay, so we don’t have scientific proof that there are ghosts, but there is no doubt about it in my mind. There are ghosts here.”
Just at that moment Neewa runs out from behind the curtain and jumps onto my lap. I hold her close to me as she thumps her tail against my legs, wagging it vigorously. The charm around her neck is jingling as she licks my face.
“Yuck, stop it Neewa.”