Run Like the Wind and Play Forever by J C Laird (polar express read aloud txt) 📕

I was happy as a child. The feeling of the sun and wind in my face as I ran, the dirt beneath my feet as I flew over the ground, to run forever if I wanted, strong, young, free, anywhere, anytime. Endless summers. No worries about anything, fascination with everything…”

Jimmy rambled on about the joys of his childhood and stories of his youth until the morning had disappeared. He flushed with embarrassment when he finally glanced down at his watch and saw the time. “I’m so sorry, Danny, for running off at the mouth like that. Got carried away, I guess.”

Daniel was grinning. “No problem, it sounds like a favorite topic of yours.”

“I’ll get these old bones of mine out of here, but I would like to visit again to learn more about the Hopi culture and traditions,” Jimmy said, attempting to make amends. It sounded lame, but his interest was sincere.

“Yes, Jimmy, I would like that. As you will too… I’m sure.”

 

Jimmy divided the rest of the week among boating, swimming, fishing, and an ever increasing amount of time spent next door at Daniel Humetewa’s. It didn’t go unnoticed by Sara. “What are you and Danny doing next door all the time?” she asked. They were sitting on the patio, enjoying the view of the lake.

“Just talking; the Hopis are an interesting people. And Danny is a treasure trove of information on the topic.”

Sara seemed to accept his answer. “It has been fun here at the lake,” she admitted. “Too bad we have to leave in two days.

“Maybe,” Jimmy replied.

His sister laughed. “Well, I have to get back to California. I don’t know how long Gary and Lisa will let you stay, or how long before Brookdale panics and reports you missing but—”

Jimmy was staring at her, silent and unsmiling, his eyes strange and moist with tears.

Sara stopped laughing. “What’s going on, Jimmy? What’s wrong? You have that deer-in-the-headlights look,” she said.

Her brother chewed on his lip nervously. “I’m going to miss you sis, unless you want to come along.”

Sara leaned forward, concerned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Jimmy told her of his plans. Somehow she remained silent although an angry flush suffused her face as the minutes passed. When he finished Sara was almost bouncing up and down in her chair. “Are you crazy? You hardly know this… this… Indian from Arizona, you just met him a week ago,” Sara sputtered. “Danny seems like a nice enough guy, but all this crazy talk about kivas, rituals, photographs and souls… well, this all could be dangerous. You sound like a nutcase with this stuff.”

Her tirade continued, and Jimmy let it run its course until she ran out of gas. “Are you done?” he asked.

“When they get back from shopping, I’m going to tell Gary and Lisa about all the shenanigans their renter is planning with you,” she finished.

“Please don’t do that, sis. I agree it’s probably all for nothing and a waste of time, but it’s harmless, and I won’t do anything dangerous. Just consider Danny a little eccentric. And it will give me a chance to learn more of their secretive traditions and culture. I’m old, but not senile. Trust me on this. Or just humor me. Besides… if it turns out to be true…”

Lisa snorted.

 

It was the day before their departure for Florida, and Jimmy was next door to ostensibly say goodbye to his new friend, Cheveyo Humetewa. “When do you want me to be back, Danny?” he asked.

“An hour before sunrise.”

“And we’re going to use the fruit cellar as a kiva?”

“Yes, it’s in the bosom of Mother Earth, and shape or size makes no difference; it’s the spiritual significance, not the room itself. I’ll show you.”

They went to the utility room, pulled up the trap door, and descended the eight steps to a small, earthen floor, 10’x10’ room. Danny pulled on a dangling chain at the bottom of the stairs and the single, overhead light bulb came to life. Shelves lined three walls, occupied by a few dusty, empty glass jars. In the middle of the floor, and circumscribing a rough circle, were five small, hand carved wooden figures. Jimmy recognized them from his visit to the Pueblo as well from as pictures he had seen. They were called Kachinas he remembered.

“Kachinas in your language, ‘tithu’ in the Hopi language…” Daniel said, reading Jimmy’s expression, “… and they are hand carved from cottonwood, and represent the spirits of things in the real world, the personifications of life in all objects that fill the universe. We believe everything has an essence or a life force, and humans must interact with these or fail to survive.”

The cellar had a dank, earthy smell, and Jimmy was a little claustrophobic in the small, dimly lit room. He breathed a sigh of relief when they emerged from the confines of the soon to be “kiva.”

As Jimmy departed, Danny had the look and tone of a fellow conspirator. “I’ll see you in the predawn morning,” Cheveyo Humetewa said with a wink.

 

Sara was sitting at the kitchen table the next morning, her bags packed and waiting by the back door. She was leafing through Jimmy’s photo album for the third time, her eyes puffy from crying. She hadn’t slept well during the night and hadn’t awakened until well after sunrise. Jimmy hadn’t been in his room when she checked; he had apparently decided to continue his silly game with Daniel. Sara had run to the cottage to see what was going on, but the door was locked and there was no response to her pounding.

It wasn’t long before Gary and Lisa joined Sara in the kitchen. “Sorry we slept in so long,” Gary said. “We shouldn’t have stayed up late watching movies. Where’s Jimmy? Still sleeping?”

Lisa, a little more observant, noticed Sara staring at the photo album with a blank look and misty, red eyes. “What’s wrong, Sara?”

She looked up from the album. “I went next door, but he’s gone.”

“Yes, Danny left for Arizona yesterday, I think.” Gary said.

“Yesterday? I don’t think so. I don’t think they left until early this morning.”

“What do you mean ‘they’?” Gary questioned.

“Do any young children live around here?” Sara asked.

The couple looked at each other in confusion. It was Lisa who finally answered. “No, none that live on this street, anyway. Why do you ask?”

“When I was going over to the cabin, I noticed small footprints in the dirt in the backyard, like a child running all over the place.” Sara returned to staring at the blank page of the album on the table. “And all his pictures have disappeared, at least the ones of him as a child, including those of him at grandma and grandpa’s cabin.” As if to prove her point, she spun the album around to face the couple and began leafing through the pages for them. “See, they’re gone. All the ones with him in them, at least.”

Gary tried to ignore Sara’s erratic comments. “You’re upset because you don’t know where Jimmy is. He’s probably taking a walk, we’ll go look for him.”

Sara exhaled with a sigh and leaned back in her chair, smiling. “No need, I know where he’s at.

“Where?”

“Running like the wind and playing forever.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Publication Date: 08-14-2018

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