Rabbit Hole on Mars - Day 16 (Nov 16) 827 words

Chapter 16

A day later, Don was back at the creek, sitting on the same bench. The side of his head was still bruised and his eye was a bit bloodshot. He didn't know what he was waiting for. If Jason would appear again or not. Would he fight this time or try to reason with him again?

Suddenly he sensed the presence of someone behind him. He spun around.

“Don,” Samantha, from Social Studies, said.

Don figured she must be meeting someone other than him there. She was a pretty red haired girl, covered in freckles. She was Pippi Longstocking last year for Halloween. Actually, she was Pippi Longstocking every year.

“Samantha.”

“I wanted to tell you I don't like the way you think.”

“Weird, but okay. You just wanted to tell me that?”

“I was wondering if you could help me think like that?”

“What?”

Samantha dropped her eye contact, “I don't think I can think on my own. Please...help me.”

“Um, okay. Maybe in a couple days.”

“I'll wait. What do you have to do?”

“Ah, it's my birthday tomorrow. My dad is taking me to the Hopi reservation to see my Grandpa.”

“That's cool.”

“Then my Grandpa is taking me to see my Great Grandpa.”

“You got one of those too? That's great, Don. Then what?”

“I don't know.”

Samantha approached Don, “I'll see you when you get back.”

“Yes.”

She hugged him and then kissed his bruise, “You're a good person, Don. You just have a foul mouth.”

Don smirked as he put his hand to his bruise as if she had somehow punched him too.

“Don't worry, I won't tell Mrs. Hopkins you skipped school for a mini-vacation.”

Don laughed.

“Don't let anyone beat up up again. Ever. Okay.”

“All right, Sam.”

Don woke up to his birthday.

Growing up in Arizona, Don's Dad, Ayawamat, was a Hopi Indian and his mother was an Irish Immigrant. They met in college, fell in love and had a child. His mother accepted the trip Don was to take. His father put a backpack and a few things into the car, they headed to Hopi reservation.

They met with his Grandfather Hania, whose name meant 'spirit warrior.” He joined them in their car and drove to the other side of the reservation. Arriving at a kind of nursing home, they loaded up Don's Great Grandfather Pachu'a into the vehicle. His name meant 'feathered water snake.' They road in silence to the edge of the Grand Canyon.

Pachu'a got out of the vehicle and shuffled to the picnic table.

Don was instructed by his father to go talk to Pachu'a.

Pachu'a said, “Go down into the canyon and bring back a snake.”

“What?”

“You're Hopi of the Snake Clan. For your birthday, you go and bring back a snake. Take the back pack and water.

“For what?”

“Don't come back until you find the snake.”

Don looked at his dad.

Ayawamat said, “We all had to do it.”

“Um, some snakes are poisonous and I don't have like a chart or something...”

Pachu'a pointed down the path and said, “Go!”

Don walked down into the Canyon. The only thing on his mind was how much time was being wasted when he could be putting the final touches on his labyrinth on another planet. He looked up into the sky, imagining he could see Mars.

There was the sound of a bush moving and a snake rattle. Don gently crept a few feet forward. There he saw a rattle snake weave back and forth in front of a small rabbit. Then it struck. The rabbit jumped into the air and took the snake with it. Seconds later, the rabbit was lifeless and being devoured.

Don looked in the backpack and found what looked like a pillow case with some wire to hold it open. He backed the Rattle Snake right inside as it continued to consume the rabbit.

Returning to his relatives, his Great Grandfather asked to see the snake.

Don set the bag on the picnic table.

Pachu'a grabbed the bag and then pulled the bag back revealing the snake.

“What's it consuming?”

The rabbit was making its way to the digestive phase in the snake.

“I saw it kill a rabbit and eat it.”

“Now you kill it.”

“What?”

“Cut it's head off. I'll hold the body.”

Reluctantly, Don took the pocket knife from his Great Grandfather and cut the snake's head off.

“Now thank the snake for not killing you.”

“Um, thanks for not killing me...snake.”

“Dig a hole, set the snake inside, bury it.”

Don did just that, “Now what?”

Pachu'a sized up Don, grabbed his arm and squeezed it, “All grown up now. Let's go.”