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Black Eagle Dream

May 27th, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 9

Dwayne turned off the light in his office. He had been on the computer checking his mail, and he decided to fix something to eat and watch the local news. He sat in his favorite chair, eating a sandwich. Dwayne was not presently in a relationship, but there was a young lady he was interested in.
He had only been back in Antelope Springs for about two and a half years. Dwayne had attended ASU down in Tempe.

He had grown up around horses and cattle, so cowboying was in his blood. Dwayne chose to go into the field of animal husbandry. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from ASU, he returned home. He had applied for a job with the Navajo Nation after returning to Antelope Springs, but currently they were fully staffed. However, Dwayne received an offer a couple of months later after the unexpected retirement of a long time employee.

Dwayne had a goal to breed horses, and eventually create a small program that would give those Dine’ children interested in horses, an opportunity to learn horsemanship, which would include caring for the horses; and farrier work as well. Dwayne was eager to see Cyrus.
At the same time, he was saddened to learn that Cyrus was not well. He had sat in shock when Cyrus had told him that he had perhaps only a few months left to live. Cyrus dropped an even larger bombshell when he told him about his son, Sonny Ray.

It was shocking because Cyrus was single as far back as Dwayne could remember.

It was a lot to digest in such a short span of time. Cyrus had a few girlfriends in the past, but nothing that resulted in children. Well, as far as Dwayne knew; which was presently not much obviously. The fact that he had kept his son a secret all these years, was a feat in of itself.
Cyrus had told him he would explain everything when he arrived from the big island. Dwayne figured this was going to get interesting. He would also get to meet this Sonny Ray as well.

The hundred year old ponderosa pines towered all around his home. Dwayne searched the tops of the highest trees. He wondered if the black eagle was out there, watching him. In the past whenever Cyrus was coming to visit, the black eagle would always arrive a day or two after Cyrus.

Dwayne found the black eagle unsettling at times.

For example, when it looked at you, you knew it, you felt it. It was as if the black eagle had observed his entire life, knowing more of him than he would like it to.
Yet Dwayne did not suffer an inordinate fear of the black eagle.

Cyrus had explained to Dwayne about the things that had been revealed to him; primarily as the result of decades of observation. The sun faded behind the distant horizon, as a chill began to replace the fading warmth of day in the mountains of northern Arizona. Dwayne gave up his search, knowing it would probably be another two or three days before he would see the life long companion of Cyrus. He decided to watch a movie.

Dwayne placed a couple of pieces of wood into the fireplace before settling in.

The black eagle sat perched in stillness on a large ponderosa pine, looking down at Dwayne.

The fire was emanating radiantly, creating a fiery northern lights dance on the ceiling of his home.

The wind began to blow gently through the trees.

The night hid it’s secrets but the light lay them bare.

Always to be seen;

by the

Black Eagle Dream.

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Black Eagle Dream

May 26th, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 10

Sonny Ray and his family met Walter for breakfast the following morning. All heads turned as the family entered the restaurant. Walter sat in a booth drinking coffee.

Nikko didn’t particularly like eating in restaurants.

A couple of years back she had watched Dateline.

This episode featured short order cooks, and fast food workers spitting in customer’s food or urinating in coffee pots for one ridiculous reason or another. Since the show aired she had no reasonable expectation to believe that people had abandoned such abhorrent and disgusting behavior. Sonny Ray had similar concerns, but he had to eat.

“Okay ladies, what would you two like?”

Sonny Ray smiled at his wife with a knowing glance.

She returned fire with stoic resolve, and a wincing smile. Sonny Ray ordered coffee. “Whisper and Michelle are going to meet us at the funeral home,” Walter announced. Sonny Ray looked intently at his brother. “That’s fine. Nikko and Raye are going to do a little shopping, and then stop by to visit her step dad while we are at the funeral home.”

Nikko knew how Sonny Ray felt about little Raye viewing a dead person, particularly a relative.

That family gem of a story was introduced when Sonny Ray was five, and living on Parker Ranch on the big island.

In 1965, Sonny Ray’s grandmother had died from cancer.

Sonny Ray recalled the day of his grandmothers wake.
His relatives had held it in the living room of the small ranch house on Parker Ranch. Dozens of friends and family stopped by to pay their respects.

Years later, Sonny Ray was told by his aunty Aloha, that even his gangster uncle, Charlie Stevens had flew over from O’ahu to pay his respects, and attend the funeral.

On the final day of the wake before closing the casket, Sonny Ray vividly recalled his ignorantly insistent mother who at the time had demanded that he kiss his grandmother goodbye. Wanda had picked up her little boy, holding him by the belt at the small of his back with one hand, and pushing his head down with the other, forcing him into lowering his smallish face into the abyss of the casket.

She continued to hold him by the belt as he clung desperately to the sides of the casket. He recalled crying out in confusion and fear as he strained upward, trying to escape from his oddly still, and unmoving grandmother. Sonny Ray fought as long as he could, but his mother won out. Sonny Ray remembered the chalky like makeup on her face, and how it tasted and smelled on his lips.

Sonny Ray had nightmares of his grandma for years afterward. He was traumatized by that event; so much so that when he got older, he promised himself that no young child of his would ever have to face or endure such family madness. Well that moment had arrived, and little Raye would not remember her grandpa in this way. They sat in the little country restaurant eating with quiet restraint.

Sonny Ray sat comically tense, resisting the urge to use his fork to peek under his over medium eggs for a big wad of spit.

Nikko on the other hand was her cool calm, and collect self. Walter was immersed in taking care of all the details of his father’s final requests. After breakfast Sonny Ray walked his wife and daughter to their car. He hugged and kissed his family. After going to the funeral home to say their goodbyes they would meet back at Ventana Canyon later in the day.

Sonny Ray and Stewart waved as the two ladies drove away.

Nikko wanted to go to the Tucson Mall, and get her some pizza for lunch, and then find little Raye a dress for the funeral, and some shoes of course.

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Black Eagle Dream

May 25th, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 11

In 1964, Sonny Ray’s mom found a pair of panties on the floor of the backseat of his dad’s 1960 chevy impala.

The next thing he knew, him, his mom, and two brothers and his baby sister were getting off a plane in Kona, on the big island of Hawaii.

Sonny Ray recalled the wind being warm and light, as they sat in the bed of their uncle Hugh’s pickup.

It was a long lazy ride to Parker Ranch as they traveled upland to Waimea.

The distinctive pace of Hawaii was felt immediately upon his arrival. For Sonny Ray, this was the best day of his life.

It was a day like no other as far as he was concerned.

Before moving into the ranch house next door, Sonny Ray and Whisper had slept in the room of his grandparents ranch house, the same room where their mother had been born.

So because his dad couldn’t keep his dick in his pants, that is how it came to be that little Sonny Ray was introduced to his aboriginal homeland at the age of four.

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Black Eagle Dream

May 24th, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 12

Whisper and his father had been at odds for many years. Whisper had cried at the hospital when his father died, but for the most part Whisper hated his father.

Most of it stemmed from his dad’s inadequacies as a man. As Billy was a very weak and insecure man, his behavior often lended itself to varied inconsistencies. As a man who remained lost in a sea of alcohol; to Whisper it was like being in a row boat with a gorilla, and only one oar.
As such, discipline was generally dispensed when Billy was intoxicated.

His father would often tell Whisper that he was the bad penny that always turned up.

As a kid he had no idea what that meant.

However, Whisper understood what his father meant when he told him he was stupid, and was never going to amount to anything.

Over the years Whisper began to believe that, and acted accordingly. But he suffered for that belief as he devolved into an emotionally crippled boy; trapped in a man’s body.

Like all of Billy’s children, he too was the poster child for low self esteem.
It was a few years prior to Sonny Ray moving up to Las Vegas, that Whisper had begun his downward spiral.

It was on a Christmas Day, when Sonny Ray received a frantic call from Whisper’s sobbing girlfriend, Gabriella. She had begged Sonny Ray for help. It was a cold rainy overcast day in Tucson. His brother had put a pistol to his temple, and was working up the courage to end the year in dramatic fashion. Whisper had been up all night, drinking beer, whiskey, and snorting cocaine.

‘A lovely combination this fine Christmas morning,’ Sonny Ray thought as he drove to his brother’s apartment alone. Nikko had protested, but he went anyway. After a short fifteen minute drive; he turned into Whisper’s apartment complex.
Sonny Ray parked, and walked to his brothers apartment. After knocking, Gabriella opened the door and let him in. She was understandably upset. Sonny Ray instructed Gabriella to take his niece into the bedroom. Sonny Ray walked with Gabriella to the bedroom door. She was upset and didn’t want to go in the bedroom.

Sonny Ray whispered to her to take off the screen from the bedroom window, and if she heard any commotion she was to put her daughter out of the window and then climb out and run for help.

Gabriella was fearful for Sonny Ray, but after urging her several times she finally closed the bedroom door and waited. Sonny Ray turned his attention toward his younger brother, who sat on the couch in a drunken stupor.

Without a word he picked up the .357 magnum, and unloaded it. Putting the shells in his pocket he placed the pistol on the coffee table, and sat down next to Whisper. On the coffee table were half filled syringes of blood. Small puddles of fresh blood covered the table. Strewn about were cigarette butts, empty beer cans, and a half eaten carne asada burrito.

Whisper had been drawing blood from his arms. He had a nice sized welt on his forehead from smashing beer cans. There was a bottle of Jack, and remnants of cocaine on a small vanity mirror.
Dried blood streaked down the inside of his forearms.

He had large purple welts on his inner arms where he had been sticking himself. Sonny Ray had sat there for some time without speaking. His quiet demeanor had arrested Whisper’s attention.

Whisper occasionally looked up at his brother through glossy, and bloodshot eyes. “What in the hell are you doing?” Sonny Ray finally asked.

“I don’t want to deal with this shit anymore Sonny.”

Sonny Ray was respected by his younger brother, and often times he would listen. But as they had gotten older, that respect had waned, and new borders were set. Undeterred, Sonny Ray offered to take his brother to get some help. They ended up talking for several hours.

Sonny Ray cleaned up the blood, and gathered up all the trash. After returning from dumping the trash, he encouraged Gabriella and the baby to come out of the bedroom. They retreated to a large chair. Gabriella was terrified, and sat quietly as Sonny Ray interacted with his brother a couple of more hours.

Whisper began to slowly sober up. He later apologized to his family, and promised to get help. After leaving Sonny Ray headed down the rainy slick roads of Tucson. Sonny Ray knew Whisper wasn’t ready to make a change in his life.

That was years ago, and Whisper was still doing Whisper. Of course he rode solo these days. Gabriella, and their daughter Johnnie D, disappeared shortly after the attempted suicide on Christmas day.

Whisper never saw his daughter again.

The two brothers sat quietly with a sense of dread as they waited for their two siblings. Walter was a little pissed at Whisper for not being as helpful as he could have.

Sonny Ray couldn’t be bothered with that aspect of his younger brother. That was who his brother was. You could count on not counting on him. But hell, at least he was consistent.

The four siblings finally met up to face death together. Walter held the door as the foursome filed in quietly. After speaking to the funeral director they were lead to a small room to view their father. Billy lay in an inexpensive coffin, per his request. The four approached their father in painful reverence. After only a few minutes though, the commentary began.
“Man, I cannot believe we forgot dad’s dentures,” Walter said, as he stood next to his father’s casket. They all nodded, staring at their father’s down turned mouth like they were judges in an undertaker competition.

“Well, it’s not like he needs them;” Whisper offered, getting his penny’s worth in.

The other three siblings all turned and looked at their coked out brother. Michelle just stared at her dad saying nothing. Whisper on the other hand was a little more touchy-feely, as he began to place his hand on his father’s chest, and finally his face.

“Dad feels hard as rock,” Whisper observed in childlike wonder.
“Uh, that’s because he’s dead bro,” Sonny Ray said, unable to resist.
“I know that smart ass, it just feels weird Sonny Ray, okay?” Sonny Ray checked himself, not wanting to wind up the volatile Whisper. “Sorry bruh, you walked into that one,” Sonny Ray said, with the hint of a repressed smile. “Whatever asshole,” Whisper shot back.

“Okay you two, enough already,” Walter interjected. Sonny Ray smiled but said nothing. Their old man would have laughed at Sonny Ray. Billy after all was where they had gotten their sense of humor.

Michelle suddenly broke down, and sort of cried. “You okay Michelle?” Walter asked. She nodded in the affirmative and said, “I don’t like the way they did dad’s hair.”
They all finally turned their attention to their father and his hair. After a moment they all began to nod in unison.
“Yeah, your right Dad always combed to the side not straight back,” Walter offered. They all fell quiet; looking into their dead father’s face.

His unmoving face resembled a map, a map that once lead into their lives; and now that map, that face, was leading them out, to who knows where.

They were on their own now, really on their own.

They lingered for a time, and said their goodbyes.

Tomorrow, they would lay their father to rest.

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Black Eagle Dream

May 23rd, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 13

“No, I don’t usted habla espanol shitass,” Whisper growled. “Now get somewhere.” The man stood glaring back at Whisper, as he stood next to his bicycle near where Whisper had parked his camaro.
“Hablas ingles?” “No,no,no,no,” the man replied quickly. “If I had a check for a million dollars with your fucking name on it, I’m thinking your english would be pretty good right about now my friend.”

Whisper had a wicked hangover, and was in no mood for the little dude who he had seen in the neighborhood for the last couple of years. Whisper could barely talk, his throat hoarse. He knew he needed to quit all of it, partying every night, whoring, the drugs. Whisper was relentless in his attempts of daily destruction.

Alcohol was his drug of choice, but cocaine was his baby.

Whisper just wanted to get something to eat, and then get his ass home, and get out of this hot Arizona heat. The man mockingly held two bags of oranges in the direction of Whisper. “Dude, I done told you, I don’t want your sour ass oranges, entiendes?” Whisper waved his arms, encouraging the man to leave.

The man placed his bags of oranges in his side baskets, and rode away on his rickety bike. When he found himself at a safe enough distance he yelled over his shoulder,

“Your momma likes my oranges gringo,” the man yelled.

Whisper had to smile. He watched the man ride away as he opened the door of his camaro. Not too long ago, Whisper would have run that guy down, and stomped a mud hole in his ass.

“Getting mellow in your old age, did that little prick call me a gringo?”

Whisper muttered to himself. He had spent the evening partying with two of his stripper girlfriends.

He was a bouncer, and entrepreneur of all things illegal.

Whisper had dubbed himself a broker for the broken.

Whisper was a damn drug dealer.

He had branched out into gun sales as of late, cash only, no background checks. Whisper had once told Sonny Ray that he was diversifying his portfolio. Whisper had been a professional painter at one time. Residential Houses, lots of commercial buildings.

A severe back injury off the job prevented him from painting. It involved a homeless woman and a shopping cart. Dealing drugs wasn’t as physically taxing, and Whisper enjoyed the rush and risk of it all. Not to mention he enjoyed the residuals of his craft.

He had a butt load of cash, jewelry, clothes, and more ass than he knew what to do with.

Walter was his oldest brother. Whisper and Walter really didn’t get along, never had. Even as kids they argued constantly. However, despite their personal differences the one constant of growing up in Arizona was that they were consistently asked by white people if they were Mexican.

Sonny Ray and Whisper both had curly wavy hair, but Sonny Ray was about four shades darker than everyone in his family.

The neighborhood kids would often tell on their parents by revealing what they would say in private. Their neighbor Irene revealed that her dad once told her, “We like Walter, and Whisper, but that Sonny Ray is as dark as a nigger.”

Whisper pulled out onto Speedway Blvd. He headed west, bound for Barrio Hollywood. Whisper had a craving for some of Pat’s spicy chili dogs, and some curly fries with lots of ketchup, and a large sun tea.

Although he had tried hard to curtail his temper Whisper had a propensity for violence. He had used drugs and alcohol daily for years. Cocaine, and alcohol seemed to be his catalyst; which would often propel him into acts of violence, for one reason or another.
In the 70’s, bonfire parties in the desert on Friday night was the thing most teenagers did, especially during football season. Whisper was no exception. One Friday night after the Santa Rita football game, Whisper was on the east side of Houghton road partying with his friends from high school. In the 70’s the desert in Arizona was vast, and wide open.

Whisper left the desert party about 3am. He headed back in town to get something to eat. Whisper sat in traffic, a few cars back from the red light. A couple of dancers he had recently met at the strip club pulled up alongside him and sat next to him in their convertible, talking back and forth.
Of course being inebriated, Whisper hadn’t been paying attention to his spacing, and he ended up tapping the bumper of the car directly in front of him.

This big guy, who was with a woman, presumably his girlfriend, jumped out of his car. He began yelling and cursing at Whisper as he approached his vehicle. Whisper, as was mentioned earlier, was half in the bag.

However, his only thought was to get to Jack in the crack before he perished from hunger. At this time of the morning all he had on his mind was a double order of two greasy tacos and a large Coke. Whisper smirked at the guy with muscles, and quietly told him to get back in his car before he said something he was going to regret. The big guy persisted, and made the grievous error of wagging his finger in the face of the now silent Whisper.

The big man had misinterpreted his quiet demeanor.

Whisper slowly opened his car door, his eyes fixed intensely on his antagonist, as he exited his vehicle. After locking eyes with Whisper for the first time it left the big man unsettled. He decided that retreating back to his vehicle was in his best interests. Although Whisper was only six foot, and two hundred and fifteen pounds; it was his menacing eyes that kept people from getting overly familiar. Whisper now approached the obnoxious muscle head.

In so many words Whisper informed him that he had let his alligator mouth overload his hummingbird ass.

Faster than you could say: whisperwillbeatyourass.com

Whisper shot an arm to the guy’s crotch, grabbed the man’s shoulder with his free arm, and slammed the big man down hard on the hot Arizona asphalt.

Without a word Whisper turned back to his car, as the concussed man lay quietly on the pavement. He decided to be nice and dragged sleeping beauty onto the adjacent sidewalk.

All Whisper wanted to do now was to get the hell out of there before the cops showed up. He reached for his car handle when he felt a sharp pain across his lower back. He turned to face his attacker, and lo and behold, it was a woman perhaps five foot four.

Whisper had no misconceptions about what a woman was capable of.

She was defending her man. Whisper was cool with that. Nevertheless, the fact remained she should have not put hands on Whisper. She had smacked him good with that short piece of chain.

Truth was, it hurt like hell.

Whisper advanced on the woman. He side stepped her as she swung the chain overhead. He crotch shot her as well, and delivered her unceremoniously hard on her back.
She lay still, chain in hand. She was unconscious, lying on the road not too far from her semi-conscious, and moaning boyfriend. After dragging her next to Mr. Universe, Whisper got the hell out of there.

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Black Eagle Dream

May 21st, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 14

Sonny Ray crossed the lobby, and finding the elevator he headed up to his suite. He opened the door slowly, waving quietly with his eyes at his wife as she lay on the bed in her robe. Nikko had wrapped her long hair in a towel, and had made a cotton ice cream cone with it. She had been reading a book, enjoying some down time as little Raye lay napping. Sonny Ray and his family did not come to Tucson often, but when they did he always liked to splurge on a nice room for his wife.

They decided to stay in the the Catalina Mountains at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. Sonny Ray walked over to the bed, and gently kissed his daughter on the cheek. Raye stirred slightly which caused Nikko to frown. He came around the bed and sat down next to his wife.

She sat up slowly, and Sonny Ray kissed her gently on the mouth. She responded, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Ummm,” Nikko purred. “Hi stranger, what’s your name?” Nikko asked in a mock sexy voice. “Well that depends,” Sonny Ray said with his little boy smile. “Oh, and what would that depend on exactly?” Nikko asked, more than mildly interested. “Come here and I’ll show you.”
Nikko’s robe slowly slipped open, revealing her firm and supple breasts. Her sun drenched complexion was smooth and as soft as silk. Sonny Ray placed his hand at the small of Nikko’s back, and pulled her close. He kissed her gently at first, then firmer as she unbuttoned his shirt. He groaned within himself.

It had been over a week since they had been together.

Nikko saw her daughter move ever so slightly. Sonny Ray froze. Nikko nodded in the direction of the luxurious bathroom. As Sonny Ray stood up Nikko wrapped her legs around his waist. “Should I grab a pillow or blanket?” Sonny Ray whispered.

“You plan on taking a nap?” Nikko asked smiling.

“Not exactly,” Sonny Ray said, taking off his shirt.

“We can use this,” Nikko said as she unwrapped the towel on her head. “That’ll work,” Sonny Ray whispered . Nikko closed the door quietly, listening intently in the event little Raye would awaken. After only a few minutes there was a little girl knock at the bathroom door.
“Mommy?” Little Raye called out. “Ow, daminit, shit, hell.” Sonny Ray whispered. He had banged his head on the side of the bathtub.

“Mommy is coming, I have to, uh, mommy coming right now baby,” Nikko said.

“Well that makes one of us,” Sonny Ray whispered, rubbing his forehead.

“Sorry,” Nikko offered as she stifled herself from laughing. She rose quickly, tying her robe and closed the door behind her.

The following morning Sonny Ray was up early. He quietly made his way to the bathroom, to shave and shower while his family rest a little longer. Sonny Ray stood in front of the sink in his towel. He stared into the mirror for a long time. He knew this day would eventually come, but he remained stunned that it actually was here.

People die everyday.

He began to wonder if something was wrong with him. He hadn’t been overly demonstrative at the hospital when his father died. He hadn’t shed a tear at the funeral home either. Today however, was the day his old man would go to rest, and be reclaimed by the earth.

His father, a Veteran of the Vietnam War, had requested a military funeral.

Sonny Ray finished brushing his teeth. He looked up again into the foggy mirror. His dad had just called him recently, asking him when he was going to come down and visit him.

His dad knew he didn’t have much time. He knew it.

Time.

Time was not to be trifled with.

Death always has the vacancy sign on.

He glanced at the mirror once more. Suddenly Sonny Ray was two years old again.

It was his dad who had rescued him when his mom had burned all the skin off his feet.

It was his dad that saved the family when Walter almost burned the house down in Japan.

His dad had patched him up more times than Sonny Ray could remember.
He knew his father. At times his dad would explode in a rage, screaming, cursing, slapping, intimidating.
Then there were times when his dad was a hero, a savior, a protector, a patcher upper. His dad had always been there, and now he was gone.
His dad, the old man, his father, was gone; he had gone, and as it has been often said, people never get to say all the things that needed saying.

Sonny Ray was overwhelmed. He felt weak and vulnerable.

The tears were almost a surprise to Sonny Ray. Noiseless at first, then a small cry escaped his lips, and then another. For the first time in a long time he wailed in grief, for his father;

as the universal sting of death had rent his soul in two.

Nikko was awakened by his cries, a wailing she had never experienced before. Sonny Ray had tried to muffle his anguish by crying into a towel.
Nikko quietly slipped in the bathroom door, and held onto her husband.
She held onto a man, who had never cried this way in all the time that they had been together.

Today was really the day that he would say goodbye.

The knowledge of that fact stabbed Sonny Ray to the heart.

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Black Eagle Dream

May 20th, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 15

Walter had arranged a tour bus to accommodate the small funeral party from Tucson to Sierra Vista. Walter’s best friend Bobby had volunteered his bus, and agreed to drive the group. They all met up at Tucson Mall on the northwest side of the city.
As friends and family loaded up on the bus, Walter paced around like a funeral director.

A white hearse prepared to carry the lifeless body of Billy Willetto away, as all the memories of collective minds, prepared to follow. After an uneventful ride, they arrived at Fort Huachuca in about an hour. The funeral director spoke to the soldiers at the front gate of the Army post.

After the director had waved the funeral party forward, Bobby pulled up and parked behind the hearse. Walter stepped off the bus, and briefly spoke to the funeral director. Walter returned to the bus and let everyone know what was going on. “We are going to wait for a few stragglers, then we will proceed to the post cemetery.” Walter was obviously tense, but he remained composed. With the delay, the funeral party began filing out quietly. Most spoke in small groups.

It was a beautiful day.

Sonny Ray and his family stepped down, and decided to take a short walk. As they walked, Raye saw something large circling in the sky. Her parents were deep in conversation, and had not heard their daughter speak,

as she peered keenly into the blue skies of Sierra Vista.

Eventually the few late arrivals found their way. As they arrived to the cemetery, the Air Force honor guard were posted up, waiting. On command they marched sharply to the rear of the hearse. They opened the back door of the hearse, and waited for further instructions. They had on their dress blues, and white dress gloves. They lifted up the casket, and prepared to carry it to the gravesite.

It was then that two of the airman stumbled, and damn near dropped the casket on the ground.

The small group of mourners gasped as one. They all turned to one another trying to figure out what almost happened. Sonny Ray began to smile. He knew exactly what happened. Billy was only five foot two, and the casket reflected that. The men and women carrying the casket underestimated the weight of the person inside. Even though it was a tense moment, Sonny Ray had an amused smile, knowing his dad would have laughed his ass off.

Walter read his eulogy, and the people cried. The small funeral party huddled together, awash in emotion. The honor guard was positioned in among the headstones awaiting further instructions. “Ready, aim, fire!” The airmen repeatedly fired their weapons, giving the obligatory twenty one gun salute.

Sonny Ray counted every shot, making sure the old man got what he had worked for.

“Well dad there you go, you got your twenty gun salute as promised,” Sonny Ray said softly. Growing up Billy would periodically remind his children of his desire for a military funeral, complete with his twenty one gun salute.

Over the years it sometimes sounded like an old man whistling in the dark.

But today Sonny Ray understood. It was beautifully sad.

After some time the funeral party slowly began to trickle back to the tour bus. Sonny Ray lingered until he was finally the last one standing in front of his father’s casket. “Well Dad there you go. You got your twenty gun salute just like you wanted.

I’m sorry I didn’t come see you. I will always regret that,” his voice a little husky now.

“I just wanted to thank you for being my dad, and looking after me all these years.” Sonny Ray lowered his head, and cried sorrowfully, as his tears fell upon his father’s casket.

“Thanks dad, I love you, I gotta go. Rest easy old man. I’ll never forget you.”

He lightly tapped the casket and left his father where he lay.

Then it was over.

Walter, who had held himself together for the last couple of weeks could release now. He sobbed on his brother’s chest. Sonny Ray whispered something in his ear. Walter looked up, and nodded. As they walked slowly toward the shuttle bus something in the sky caught Sonny Ray’s attention.

A large black predator of some sort was circling unusually low over the cemetery. Sonny Ray had never seen a black bird like that. Perhaps it was just the sun reflecting off its wings. ‘Probably wondering what all the commotion is down here,’ Sonny Ray thought to himself.

In large sweeping turns the black eagle made its inspection complete; as it broke off after four perfect circular rotations over Billy’s casket.

The Black Eagle Dream left the area, like the days of a man’s life;

a shadow to be seen only for a little while by others.

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Black Eagle Dream

April 25th, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 39

The two men sat in a booth drinking their first cup of coffee. Dwayne had been coming to this restaurant in Shiprock. since he was very young.

It was called, the Nataani Nez Restaurant.

They had ordered breakfast, and sat quietly. They had stayed up half the night talking, and were still hyped over the sparrows. “You know growing up around Cyrus I often observed how birds of prey always seemed to find him no matter where he might be. There were eagles, falcons, hawks, sometimes an owl here and there, and many ravens too. But I can never recall him ever having sparrows land on him like they did you,” Dwayne said.
“That makes two of us,”
Sonny Ray replied, smiling.
“Okay boys who ordered the scrambled eggs, fry bread, with a steak well done?” Dwayne raised his hand. Sonny Ray had ordered an omelette, a double order of fry bread, and two steaks medium well.
After giving the men their breakfast, the two men began to feast. “So after we go see Daniel then what?” Sonny Ray asked with a mouthful of steak. “Well, Cyrus asked me to return him to the area where we camped near Shiprock mountain. He wants his ashes placed in a small pile.

He asked me not to spread them.

Before he died he asked me to give you a portion of his ashes with a special request.”

Sonny Ray looked up at Dwayne. He put his fork down. “What might that be Dwayne?”
“He originally wanted all of his ashes spread at Shiprock, but after he met you, he wanted you to take him back home to the big island. Cyrus said he wanted you to take him to the river in Waipi’o Valley. Cyrus said you would know. A comfortable silence ensued as both men began to shut down gradually.
“Cyrus left you a letter, and a few personal effects he wanted you to have. I left it in my office at the house.”
“Okay,” was all Sonny Ray could manage. The two men finished their breakfast, and after thanking the waitress for her hospitality they paid for breakfast and left the waitress a nice tip. Fifteen minutes later Dwayne was pulling in the dirt parking lot of Daniel Falls. Dwayne turned off the ignition. “Can I ask you a question?” Sonny Ray said. “Sure, what is it?” Dwayne looked at Sonny Ray in earnest.

“Why does Cyrus want to be cremated, and left on the ground?” Sonny Ray asked.

“The way he explained it to me, was that if he was buried and not cremated the black eagle would not leave Cyrus.”

Sonny Ray raised an eyebrow in the direction of Dwayne. “Before we left Arizona Cyrus shared a story with me about a man he had come across while conducting a covert reconnaissance during World War II.

Cyrus met a man named Altair Ali in the jungles of North Africa. He told me what he knew about this man, and how he came to be connected with this storied black eagle. Altair, who was from Morocco, told Cyrus about his family, and their long history with the Black Eagle Dream.

After his grandfather died, the family noticed the black eagle sat perched near where his grandfather had been buried. They became concerned because the black eagle had not moved, nor had it eaten or drank in days.

Altair began to have dreams. Dreams about his grandfather, and this imperishable black eagle.

He dreamed of a hungry fire.

After relating to the older men of his village about his dreams, they came to the consensus that they should dig up his grandfather and cremate him. They built a funeral pyre and cremated his grandfather right away.”

“Dwayne that’s quite a story.” Dwayne nodded in the affirmative.

“Cyrus said after Altair and his family cremated his grandfather the black eagle not only took food, but became the constant companion of Altair.

Cyrus had built a small scaffolding in the large pit where Altair had died. After wrapping Altair’s body in a colorful blanket he had found in the dead man’s pack, he placed his lifeless body upon the pyre.

After starting a fire with the many punji sticks that remained in this pit, Cyrus climbed out and stood watching as the flames of the funeral pyre gradually consumed the Moroccan soldier.
From that day onward Cyrus and the black eagle were inseparable. Did you want to go inside?” Dwayne asked.

“If it’s all the same to you I’ll wait,” Sonny Ray replied. “No problem I should only be a few minutes,” Dwayne closed the truck door as he headed inside to retrieve his dear friend.

Sonny Ray decided to step down, and stretch his legs for a few moments. Sonny Ray could see the smoke from the forest fires in the distance. It was all over the news. Out of the corner of his eye the silent black eagle came into view. He reached for the large falconry glove on the front seat of the suburban. He slowly walked out to a alfalfa field across the way. Sonny Ray attempted to call to the black eagle.

It was not sounding so pretty, but he was slowly improving. The black eagle continued to circle. Sonny Ray did his best not to move around unnecessarily. His left arm shook slightly as he held his arm high to give the black eagle a target to land. The black eagle circled a few more times, and without notice swiftly landed upon the outstretched glove. As a few trucks drove by, several navajo families began to slow down to see what all the commotion was about.

Sonny Ray could hear his heart pounding. If he smiled any harder he might have broken his face. The black eagle stared intently at Sonny Ray.
He did not yet have the courage to even touch the large predator. As his breathing returned to normal Sonny Ray felt a great sadness come over him.

It occurred to him that in order for this magnificent eagle to rest on his hand, Cyrus would have to be absent.

Sonny Ray stood alone.

The sound of a door opening and closing could be heard. Dwayne walked out of the door. He walked down the steps carefully with the urn. He saw Sonny Ray in the field. The closer he came to Sonny Ray the black eagle appeared to become agitated. Dwayne, who had spent some time with the black eagle, wisely stopped short.

A small crowd began to gather near to where the men stood. Sonny Ray whispered something to the black eagle. He pushed his gloved hand upward, cueing the black eagle to take flight. They stood watching the large eagle until it disappeared from their sight. Sonny Ray walked over to Dwayne. Dwayne stood holding the urn.

He had such a pitiful look on his face. “Hey, listen it’s gonna be alright bruh,” Sonny Ray said. Dwayne nodded, finally looking up at Sonny Ray.

“Thanks for coming on this trip with me, I…. I would not have wanted to do this by myself,” Dwayne said.
“I’m glad to have come along, thank you for asking me to,” Sonny Ray said, breaking eye contact with Dwayne. They loaded up and headed back to town. Dwayne wanted a few snacks, and water before heading back to Shiprock mountain. He needed to fill up on gas as well.

“Hey Sonny Ray remind me to call my friend Nadia before we leave okay?”

“Sure. So who is this Nadia, your girlfriend?” Dwayne stiffened slightly. “No, not exactly, I mean I do like her, but I haven’t asked her out or anything.” Sonny Ray smiled at his now uneasy friend. “Hey, don’t sweat that man, things happen in their own good time.” The two men continued to travel down the road together, forging their friendship one mile at a time.

Later that day the two men located the narrow dirt road that ran adjacent to Shiprock Dike.
After a slow dusty journey they located their campsite. Dwayne parked, and the two men stepped down. Dwayne handed the urn to Sonny Ray. They hiked a short distance from their camp, near the end of the Dike, closest to Shiprock peak. They came to a small dirt trail that lead through a small out cropping of rocks, and boulders.

They began a short hike up a fairly steep incline. Both men struggled a bit. They wore cowboy boots, so it was a little slippery, but they managed. Dwayne finally reached the top of the dike.
Sonny Ray handed the urn to Dwayne. They stood listening to the wind blow. It was a warm but pleasant day. The sky was blue with a few whispery white clouds passing by. They stood gazing at the monument that was aptly named; ‘the rock with wings.’

Each man stood alone sharing their own ceremony of condolence, offering up their prayers like the sweet smell of sage.

After a few moments of quiet reflection, the men proceeded with Cyrus’ last request. Dwayne took the top of the urn and placed it on a small boulder. He slowly poured a goodly amount of the ashes into a pile on the ground. They stepped back to take in the entire moment.
The view was panoramic.
After a considerable time, the two men thought it would be good to take their leave. They started down the narrow trail. After a few minutes the men realized they had left the top of the urn. Returning to the top of the small plateau, neither man could envision what would happen next.

As Dwayne walked toward Cyrus’ remains to retrieve the top of the urn, the large black eagle approached flying low from the other side of the dike. It landed directly on top of the remnants of his old friend Cyrus. It startled Dwayne and Sonny Ray. The black eagle was highly agitated. With its pinions spread wide, the black eagle screeched in a high pitch.

The remains of Cyrus covered the legs, and the lower part of the black eagle.

It stood its ground in this sacred place, preparing to take Cyrus to a place to that which the two men were not able.

The eyes of the black eagle seemed filled with fury. It continued to cry out, as the two men made no attempt to come any closer. Without warning, the black eagle flew right at them. As it flew over them the ashes of Cyrus dispersed as a fine ashy mist.

The black eagle banked hard left in the direction of Shiprock mountain. The large predator continued to climb the sky, higher and higher it went. The two great rock wings seemed to be its destination. As both men continued to watch, the Black Eagle Dream flew right through the middle of the ancient wings. For a moment it appeared that it had continued on. However, in a short time the black eagle reappeared.

It landed upon one of the rock wings.

Both men spontaneously raised a clenched fist. Dwayne and Sonny Ray stood for a long time, watching, appreciating. Now it was time to leave. With hearts both heavy yet satisfied, the two men headed back down the narrow trail. The hushed winds of the desert began to swirl. Dwayne left the dirt road, and started down the highway.

Sonny Ray looked back to where they had left Cyrus. He watched until he could watch no more, as the landscape faded into another. The song of the winds continued to swirl in an ancient melody known only to the lonely; and the forgotten ones.

Little dust devils whirled around on the earth, that was Navajo country. In time, a large desert tornado came, and took Cyrus Keali’iwahamana away, to the four corners of the earth.

He would rest now.

Copyright 2003 All Rights Reserved #blackeagledream
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Black Eagle Dream

April 24th, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 40

Not counting the last stand of Custer, which was exposed as a big pile of horse poo in the pastures of imagination of history buffs everywhere; Nadia couldn’t recall a time that she felt so much joy about the news she had just received.

Apparently, in an ill advised stop, officer Bob had misplaced a piece of his jewelry, and it had now fallen into the possession of her friend Dwayne Notah.

Nadia dialed up her Chief of War.

Prior to Dwayne calling her from Gallup, Nadia had sat alone in her quiet office, dejected. But as the saying goes, it doesn’t matter how you start; it’s how you finish.

Dwayne had given her the details with regards to the recovered bracelet, as told to him by Sonny Ray. Dwayne had taken several photographs of Sonny Ray’s eyebrow gash prior to him receiving one hundred and forty stitches in the emergency room. The injury he had sustained of his left eyebrow was fierce.

Dwayne had emailed her all the pictures of Sonny Ray that he had taken of him at the emergency room, but she wanted to take a few more close up pictures of Officer Bob’s bracelet, when they returned from New Mexico.

Nadia and Natalia decided that they would call it a night. They were going to meet up with some friends for some ‘ndn’ tacos at this little trendy hole in the wall; and after that they would stop by and see her former college roommate, Carla Matten. Carla was in her fourth year towards earning her degree as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Carla had a spacious house and loved the company of like minded women. They could have a glass of wine, partake of a little cannabis and catch up with their lawyer friends.

Many women were pragmatic in dealing with adversity, and these two ladies were no exception.

Tonight they would unwind. In the morning it was war.

As the two men traveled down interstate forty they began to discuss their plans on how they planned on dealing with officer Bob. “Sonny Ray do you recall when you first showed me officer Bob’s bracelet?” Sonny Ray glanced over at his friend.

“The reason I ask that is because I have been waiting for an opportunity like this for over two years now.”

Sonny Ray sat up a little now. “Why, what happened?” Sonny Ray asked.

“Well, a little over two years ago officer Bob pulled over my cousin Sterlin on a lonely stretch of interstate forty. Officer Bob claimed that my cousin resisted arrest. Officer Bob ended up putting a choke hold on him. As a result, my cousin suffered brain damage as well as spinal and neck related trauma. Sterlin is now on full disability. This bracelet means a lot more to me than you realize,” Dwayne said.

“Don’t worry Dwayne, we’ll get the bastard.”

Copyright 2003 All Rights Reserved #blackeagledream
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Black Eagle Dream

April 10th, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 47

It was just a few ticks past midnight. Bob had spent the afternoon drinking, and had put a real dent in this newest bottle of whiskey.

Empty beer cans, and a shot glass were his only companions.
Bob had thrown his army footlocker, and a few medium sized boxes into the trunk of his car earlier in the day. Bob now sat at the little dinette table engaged in a full on pity party.

He had placed his service revolver on the table next to his badge. Bob had put his big hog in its holster and placed it on the front seat.

Bob sat lamenting the one constant in this equation, and that was the fact that he should have listened.
Shane had warned him many times about wearing the bracelet on duty.

More importantly Shane had pleaded with him to leave the indigenous community alone.

Right now though, Bob could give a shit about all that.

He flipped his cigarette butt out the wide open door of the travel trailer. He drank another shot.

The whiskey burned as it went down, causing what little reasonableness he possessed, to flee the scene.
The local police had dialed down the search.

To a man they all knew where he was.

They had no intention of arresting him, but they played the role to pacify their community constituents, and to remain committed to the continuous nationwide facade of transparency.

Bob would only be apprehended if he stayed in town much longer. He knew he had to make a move. He had to sober up and get his mind right.

This was war.

Copyright 2003 All Rights Reserved #blackeagledream
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