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.
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