Category: #blackeagledream #literaryfiction #fantasy

Black Eagle Dream

May 28th, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 8

Michelle finished cleaning her father’s apartment. She lit a cigarette and sat down on an old green milk crate. She exhaled with a sigh and sat smoking quietly in the now empty apartment. She thought about how pointless having things really is. You work hard, you acquire things, most of it you don’t need; then one day your gone. Poof. Like you never were here.

The killing thing, is your relatives fight and or squabble over your material things, trash the rest, mop the floor, lights out, end of story.

“The whole damn world needs a do over dad.” Michelle stood up slowly and looked around one last time. “Well dad that’s as clean as is it’s going to get. Love you.”
Her older brother Walter had donated her dad’s smoke laden couch, and chair. He threw away most of dad’s junky stuff. She, Walter, and Whisper had divided dad’s salvageable items. With all of dad’s stockpile of food, and household items they could have opened a small corner grocery store. Sonny Ray curiously took little. He had told his everyone he didn’t want to haul anything back to Vegas but Michelle knew better. Sonny Ray had always prided himself on not being indebted to many, particularly to his mom and dad.

Michelle could not believe how much crap her dad had stuffed in this two bedroom tuna can. Michelle hesitated to leave.
She remembered she had a cold drink in the refrigerator. After opening her drink she sat and smoked another cigarette. She knew the reasons why her dad hoarded food; all of Billy’s children knew. Her dad was born in 1928. Growing up during the Great Depression, Billy’s family was dirt poor.

When Billy was drinking, and reminiscing he would sometimes talk about his older brother Jimmy. As the story went, Jimmy had burned his finger with a blank cartridge, and it later developed into tetanus. Michelle had no idea what a blank cartridge was but she figured it had to do with a weapon of some sort. Her father’s family had been so poor that they could not even afford a tetanus shot.

As a result, her dad’s big brother got lockjaw, and bit off half of his own tongue. Jimmy had lay upon the couch for fifteen days, as his family watched in anguish; the little twelve year old boy, as he slowly and painfully died. Michelle recalled her father pulling out an old yellow discolored envelope, and an even older newspaper clipping, reported on in the Erie newspaper.

When they were kids they had to sit at the table and listen as their dad read that newspaper clipping, primarily so they knew their old man wasn’t telling them some bullshit story; but also to inculcate the importance of working hard, and providing for your family.

Michelle dropped her cigarette into her canned drink. She gathered her things and looked around one last time.
“Well there you go dad.”
Her countenance fell as she turned off the light switch.

After closing and locking the door she headed down the darkened sidewalk to the apartment manager to turn in the keys to her dad’s apartment.

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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 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 bro, you walked into that one,” Sonny Ray said, with the hint of a repressed smile. “Whatever asshole,” Whisper said.

“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 you fucking 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. Mr. muscles 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 him 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. 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. It was time to go now.

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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

May 19th, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 16

The sun was setting in Sierra Vista, Arizona. A warm breeze blew through the aged oak trees of the Fort Huachuca cemetery.

The large but fluid black eagle swept over marble town, flying just above the rows of the white headstones.

It landed on a new headstone, and began to rip apart the juvenescent squirrel that had been feeding on the ground.

The indiscretion of the young squirrel was his undoing, that and the youngster had slept through the class his father had once taught the family; about the dangers that lurked from above.

It had no such concerns now.

A sudden gust of wind blew through the trees, which alerted the eagle,
and temporarily interrupted it’s meal.

The black eagle cried out, issuing a challenge. It stared fiercely in the direction of the stout oak trees, searching the perimeter for any threats, imminent or otherwise.

Finding none, the black eagle continued to feast, as Billy Willetto rested comfortably in his new surroundings.

The sun was setting as the black eagle finished devouring the squirrel.
Blood dripped down the front of Billy’s headstone.

The powerful black eagle leapt from its marble perch, and began its ascent, spiraling upward into the blackened sky; as those who have left us, continue to rest another day.

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Black Eagle Dream

May 18th, 2022
A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 17

Sonny Ray had been lying across the spare queen sized bed in their suite listening to Hawaiian music when Nikko tapped her husband on the shoulder. Sonny Ray opened his eyes. He pulled out one earphone.
“What is it bub?” Sonny Ray sat up. Nikko sat down with a distressed look on her face. “I wanted to tell you this before, but with your dad dying, and the funeral, I, uh,” Nikko hesitated. “What’s going on babe?” Sonny Ray asked.

“A man called our house the morning after you flew down to Arizona. He left a message saying he was a relative, and that it was important that he speak to you.”

“How old did he sound to you?” Sonny Ray asked, his interest piqued now.

“I would say your dad’s age maybe, but I’m not really sure, he said his name was Cyrus, and he was your uncle. Oh, and he also mentioned that he was going to visit a family friend in Antelope Springs. He left a number for you to reach him,” Nikko said as she handed the yellow sticky note to her husband.

“Antelope Springs, as in Antelope Springs, Arizona?” Nikko nodded in the affirmative. Sonny Ray’s mind began churning.

“How do you feel about a detour before we head back to Vegas Maxwell?”

Nikko smiled. She loved that he used her maiden name as a pet name. She picked up her phone off the nightstand. “What you doing?” Sonny Ray asked. “Calling my job. I figure a few more days ought to do. That okay with you big guy?” Her husband nodded smirking.

“I just buried my father, why the hell not,” Sonny Ray replied. After Sonny Ray and his family had their continental breakfast they checked out, and then got on the road, bound for Antelope Springs.

Sonny Ray had no idea how much his life was about to change.

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Category: #blackeagledream #literaryfiction #fantasy

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