Weak in Body, Strong in Mind and Spirit
Chapter 13: Changing the Rules

The sun was barely up. The sky was still mostly gray. There was a Young One at the tent.

“Pamela? Kimberly?” he asked.

“Yes?” answered Kimberly.

“The Elders would like you to come to the Circle.”

“OK, as soon as we get dressed,” said Kimberly.

They donned their colorful skins and walked the short distance to the Circle, and approached as instructed before.

“Pamela, last night you asked why we have no Female Elders. Why?” asked Windago.

“Well, among humans.... Little People... it was once like that,” said Pamela. “Men had certain roles and jobs, and women had theirs. But then we decided women... females... were as capable as males at most things. And vice versa. A female should be able to do anything she sets her mind to, and we are now better for it, because now we have the most qualified for each role and job, regardless of gender. We are equals.”

“Equals?” asked an Elder in wonder. “Males and Females, equal?”

“Yes, equals,” glared Pamela as Kimberly glared along with her.

The Elder looked at his toes.

“In our society, we have jobs. Tasks that we do so we can earn money, that we barter with. Jobs that were once only performed by females are now sometimes done by males, like being a nurse or an elementary school teacher. Jobs once done only by males are now often done by females. David’s daughter Becky became an engineer, a traditionally male job.” she continued. “And women now become doctors... healers.”

“I understand,” said Windago. “Actually, no, I don’t understand.”

“Well, Aurora is a Healer. Why?” asked Pamela.

“She is a Female, and she is the best we have,” said Windago. “Perhaps the best anyone as ever seen.”

“But suppose a Male could learn to do it as well, or even better?” asked Pamela.

“Well, that is unheard of,” said Windago.

“So it wouldn’t be possible?” asked Pamela.

“Of course, anything is possible I suppose,” said Windago.

“It has just never been considered,” said Pamela.

“You may go,” said Windago, “unless you have more to say.”

Pamela and Kimberly backed away. When they turned, they noticed that the Males in the audience looked confused, but the Females were smiling. Kamela walked to Pamela and hugged her.

“Thank you,” said Kamela. “You indeed have a kind heart. And a brave one.”

“What do you mean?” she replied.

“No one has ever questioned an Elder like that before,” she answered. “It just isn’t done that way.”

Kimberly laughed. “That would be Pamela.”

“Me. An Elder?” said Aurora, who was also watching from the audience. “Preposterous. By the way, let me check you, Kimberly.”

She sniffed. “Nothing Kimberly. You’re fine.”

“I know, and I feel great,” she answered.

“Make a potion for yourself,” Aurora replied.

“No leaves, no berries,” said Kimberly.

Later, as Kimberly made her potion, Pamela asked “Do you want to hike back to the car? I need to go to Caroga Lake to call David. I haven’t called since we’ve been here.”

“OK,” she answered. “I should check in with Danny.”

“Madu?” projected Pamela.

“Yes, Pamela?”

“Kim and I are going to Chase Lake and then the car so we can make ’phone calls.”

“Communication device, right?”

“Yes. We’ll be back this afternoon.”

“Shall I escort you?”

“No, we’ll be alright.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, and besides, you can move so quickly, you can be there in no time if we needed you.”

“Alright. Travel safe,” I said. “And do no unkind things to others.”

“We will. And we won’t.”

“Do we want to pack a lunch, Pam?”

“How about if we eat at Vrooman’s?”

“That sounds great!” said Kimberly.

In about an hour and a half they were at Chase Lake. There was some commotion there. Little People were everywhere, including some Pamela called deputy sheriffs. One deputy approached them.

“Where are you ladies coming from?”

“Back that way,” said Pamela pointing north, not west towards the Five Brothers.

“Went for a hike today?” he asked.

“Yes, a beautiful day for it,” said Kimberly.

“But Nancy, who lives at the end of the road, says your truck has been there for days.”

Kimberly shot Pamela a glance. “We’re camping too.”

“Just you two ladies?”

“Sure, why not?”

“It may not be safe,” he continued. “We’re missing three men visiting here from out west. The neighbor was concerned that the vehicles were parked there for too long and called, so a deputy came out and ran the plates. We called your house, Kimberly, and Danny said you were camping. Then we called a car rental agency on the other and a man said that car was supposed to come back a couple of days ago. Since people seem to go missing around here, we came looking for you all.”

“Well, thank you,” said Pamela.

“Where are you headed?”

“Caroga Lake to make cell ’phone calls,” said Kimberly.

The deputy pulled his ’phone out of his pocket. “No service.”

“That’s why we’re going to Caroga Lake,” said Kimberly. “Plus lunch at Vrooman’s.”

“You take care. And if you see anything, you call the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “Here’s my card.”

“We certainly will,” said Pamela, taking it.

As they got in Kimberly’s truck and shut the doors, Kimberly said “That was scary.”

“Sure was,” said Pamela.

They soon pulled into Vrooman’s parking lot. Pamela called David.

“David, it’s me,” said Pamela.

“Hi me,” replied David. “How’s Kim?”

“Cured by a three hundred and forty year old female Sasquatch.”

There was silence on the ’phone.

“How old?”

“Three hundred and forty years old,” said Pamela.

“Are you sure? But it is great if Kim is cured!”

“She knew Sir William Johnson and told us stories about him,” she answered. “A story about a chief named King Hendrick, and Sir William’s red jacket.”

“Cripe, I know that story,” laughed David. “The next time, my brother should not dream so big.”

“That’s the one,” said Pamela.

“Incredible. When are you coming home?”

“Soon,” said Pamela. “We’re in Caroga Lake so we could call you and Danny, and for wings at Vrooman’s.”

“Nice, enjoy,” said David. “Everything is normal here.”

“Are the four dogs making you nuts?” she asked.

“Yes, like they normally do.”

“OK. Well Kim wants to use the ’phone.”

“OK. Bye. I love you.”

“Bye. I love you too.”

Pamela handed the ’phone to Kimberly who called Danny. She told him the news about being cured.

“Already?” he asked.

“Yep. By a three hundred and forty year old Sasquatch!” she laughed.

“Did you say a forty year old Sasquatch?” asked Danny.

“Add three hundred years, Danny,” said Kim.

There was silence.

“Danny?”

“I’m here. I don’t know what to say. I thought Bigfoot was crap, and then I see two face to face, and now this.”

Kimberly laughed.

“Look,” said Kim, “I’m just checking in to see how you, the dogs, and the horses are.”

“Everyone and everything is fine,” said Danny. “Just missing you.”

“We’ll be home soon,” said Kim.

“I still can’t believe you’re cured,” said Danny. “You better go to a real doctor when you get home.”

“I have an appointment on Wednesday with my oncologist, so I’ll be home,” replied Kim.

“Good,” said Danny. “I have to go feed the horses.”

“OK go, I’ll talk to you later.”

“OK, bye Kim,” said Danny.

Pamela and Kimberly entered Vrooman’s, what they described as an old Adirondack-style hotel, whatever that means. The hotel part is closed they said, but the first floor bar and restaurant are open. Pamela loved the old-time atmosphere. Antiques were everywhere, from muskets to ice harvesting tools, she said.

Angie, the waitress, came by and handed them menus.

“I don’t need a menu,” said Pamela. “I’ll have a dozen wings, medium, and a Yuengling draft.

“A dozen for me too,” said Kimberly, “only mild, and with a Coke.”

“You’ve got it,” said Angie.

Kimberly and Pamela sat in the dining room and reminisced about their old school days, the horses they’ve owned, and the great adventure they were now having. But soon it was time to head back, and to have Kimberly checked by Aurora.

Their conveyance brought them back, and they returned to the trail head and hiked in. No one was at Chase Lake. The Little People had gone. Before they knew it, they were back at the Five Brothers. As they passed sentries, they didn’t even have to wait and were waved on. They got to camp, and I greeted them.

“Did you have a good trip?” I asked.

“We did,” said Kimberly.

“How are your mates?” I asked.

“Everyone is fine,” Pamela said.

“The Elders would like to see you,” I said with a smile.

“Again?” asked Pamela. “Sheesh. OK.”

We all walked to the Circle of Elders. Windago and Nakani motioned for us to approach, and we did as we now customarily did.

“We have a surprise for you,” said Windago.

“A surprise?” asked Pamela.

Windago and Nakani smiled. They each moved to the side a little. Windago motioned to the audience. Aurora approached, walked to the back of the Circle, and sat between Windago and Nakani.

Pamela and Kimberly were at a loss for words, and both had tears in their eyes.

“Thank you,” said Pamela softly.

“No, thank you, Pamela,” said Windago. “You are wise beyond your years. You are indeed a Great Wizard. We discussed this after you left. None of the Elders could remember or say why only Males sat on the Circle. What you said made sense and made the difference. What does it matter if one is Male or Female? What our Tribes need is leadership from the eldest and the wisest, regardless of our gender.”

“I just don’t know what to say,” said a teary Pamela with a smile.

“You’ve said enough,” said Nakani. “But please, turn around.”

Pamela and Kimberly turned and looked. Everyone in the audience was smiling, but particularly Kamela, who was simply beaming.

“Kamela, do you have something to say?” asked Windago. “If so, please approach.”

Kamela approached the Circle. She cleared her voice.

“As all of you know, I will produce an Infant this winter. I do not know if it will be a Male or a Female. There are many things I do not know, because I am young, but I do know one thing,” she said.

“And what is that, Kamela?” asked Windago with a grin.

“I know my Infant’s World will be a better place, and I have the Earth Mother, Kimberly the Healer, and Pamela the Wizard to thank for it.”

Kamela then backed away from the Circle and returned to the audience.

“I am very impressed, Elders,” said Pamela. “While you certainly don’t make snap decisions, you make carefully considered ones.”

All of the Elders smiled at Pamela’s words, every one of them.

“Pamela, Kimberly, please turn around again for a moment,” said Aurora.

Pamela and Kimberly again turned.

“Bandon?” asked Aurora.

A Male stepped from the audience.

“This is my son Bandon,” said Aurora. “He’s been watching me treat the People for a long time. He told me today that he would like to be a Healer too, now that it is allowed. Male or Female, it matters not any longer.”

Pamela and Kimberly smiled and said “Nice to meet you, Bandon.”

“Yes, and you have a good teacher,” said Kimberly. “The best.”

Bandon approached Kimberly and sniffed, as Aurora does. “Nothing, Mother.”

Aurora smiled and nodded with approval.