Weak in Body, Strong in Mind and Spirit
Chapter 25: Ocklawaha

Pamela walked into the conveyance RV and sat on a sitting place. David was tapping on his light emitting device.

“I just mindspoke with Madu and Windago,” said Pamela. “Izee may not fully recover.”

David stopped tapping. He looked at Pamela with much concern.

“Aurora is caring for him,” said Pamela in a low voice, with tears in her eyes.

“Well, from what you said about Aurora’s skills, he’s in good hands,” said David.

“I know, but I still feel really bad about things,” said Pamela

“You should stop beating yourself up over this,” said David. “Didn’t you say that tribe members are sworn to protect their tribe, and that you are a member of that tribe?”

“Yes... but still...”

“But nothing. You’d have done the same thing if you could,” chided David gently.

“I need some alone time,” said Pamela.

She walked to the back of the RV and laid in the bed. She was very distraught over the bleak outlook of Izee. Tears welled up.

I simply feel horrible, she thought to herself. Just awful. Maybe Aurora can pull off a miracle. But it is amazing news that Windago’s great-grandfather is named Ocklawaha, the same as our river. She arose and walked out to David.

“I’m going to go sit down at the river,” she announced.

“Want company?” asked David.

“No, but thank you. I just want to sit alone for awhile,”

“OK,” said David as he hugged her.

I love this man, thought Pamela as she leaned over and gave him a kiss. He lets me be me.

She walked out to her conveyance, entered, and it backed out of its conveyance spot and proceeded to a black trail with stripes. It only went a short distance when Pamela chuckled to herself.

“Eureka Mountain,” said Pamela to no one. “This is an amazing bridge, arching high over a cross-Florida canal that was started but never finished. What a colossal waste of time and money.”

Just over Eureka Mountain, the conveyance turned right and stopped. Pamela was ejected. She walked down a long trail, finally arriving at a river. She sat on a log and meditated.

I love it here, thought Pamela. This is all very beautiful, and peaceful. She tossed a few sticks in the water and watched as the current carried them away. Wonderful, she thought.

She reflected on her conversation with Windago... was his great-grandfather really named Ocklawaha? Like this river? She pondered this for a time. And then she cleared her mind...

“Ocklawaha? Descendants of Ocklawaha? My name is Pamela,” she projected.

She got no response.

“Is there anyone who can hear me with their mind’s voice who is a descendant of Ocklawaha?” she channeled again. “My name is Pamela, and I am a friend of the People of the Forest.”

There was a short pause.

“What is this?”

“Can you hear me?” asked Pamela. “I am a little person, and a friend of forest people.”

Another short pause.

“Yes. I hear you, but only in my mind.”

“We call this mindspeak,” answered Pamela. “I can communicate with forest people with mindspeak.”

Another pause.

“How?”

“I do not know,” replied Pamela. “I just know that some of us can. I am Pamela. What is your name?”

“I am Ocklawaha, named in honor of my father’s father’s father,” was the answer.

“I was told of your great-grandfather by an Elder named Windago, who lives in the lands of the north,” said Pamela. “You are related.”

“Who are you and how is this happening?” said Ocklawaha.

“Like I said, my name is Pamela, and I am a friend,” she answered.

“I see,” said Ocklawaha. “But I do not know how this is occurring.”

“No one does,” said Pamela. “Do you have a short version of your name? Ocklawaha is a mouthful.”

“Okie,” laughed Ocklawaha. “Just call me Okie.”

“Okay, Okie,” giggled Pamela. “Where are you?”

“I’m fishing at the river,” said Okie. “Where are you?”

“What river? I’m sitting by a river we call Ocklawaha.”

“Really? Fascinating,” said Okie.

“I sense that you’re really close,” projected Pamela. “Where on the river are you?”

“I’m at my fishing spot,” said Okie. “I can sense you too. You are not far.”

Okie started walking. In mere minutes, he stepped into a clearing and there was Pamela. Pamela stood.

“Pamela?” channeled Okie, gazing in wonder at the Little One before him.

“Okie?” answered Pamela.

They both stood in stunned silence, and then Pamela sat down on a log. Okie then sat next to her. They studied each other with great interest.

“This is amazing,” said Okie. “I can’t believe you’re real.”

“We are,” Pamela giggled.

“But Little People are a myth!” replied Okie.

“No, Forest People are!” laughed Pamela.

“So what is this mindspeak that you speak of?” asked Okie.

“I don’t know. No one knows, Okie,” said Pamela with a smile. “But it is real.”

Okie looked at Pamela long and hard.

“How do you know of me?” asked Okie.

“From a Panther Tribe Elder named Windago,” answered Pamela. “I am a member of both the Panther and Lower Wolfjaw tribes, and Windago said that his great-grandfather was named Ocklawaha and lived in the lands to the south.”

“I see,” said Okie. “Well, you are fortunate to replace me. The Forest People are being forced from our lands here and we are moving to other places. I would be gone soon.”

“Forced to move? By who?” asked Pamela.

“Skunk Apes,” answered Okie. “They’re very territorial and violent, and compete with us for hunting territory. We are peace loving. It is easier if we simply move on than fight with them.”

“I see. Skunk Apes and Forest People are different then?”

Okie looked down on Pamela and smiled.

“Oh yes. Skunk Apes are animals,” he laughed.

“I like you,” smiled Pamela. “You are much like Windago.”

“I would much enjoy meeting long lost relatives,” said Okie. “Is it far?”

“Yes, about 1,500 miles,” said Pamela.

Okie frowned.

“If you could walk 100 miles a day, which is my guess as to how quickly and far you can walk in one sun cycle, it would take you 15 sun cycles.”

“I could do that,” said Okie. “But then I would not know where to replace my relatives.”

“Well...” said Pamela, “We’re going back there in a couple of weeks... many sun cycles... you could ride with us.”

“Ride? On what?”

“Not on, but in,” said Pamela. “You could ride in our RV.”

“You speak in riddles, Pamela,” grinned Okie.

“David... my mate... and I are going to the lands of the north shortly. You could come with us. Except we have a problem,” said Pamela.

“What problem?” asked Okie.

“David has never seen or met a Sasquatch. What we Little People call the People of the Forest,” said Pamela. “I’m not sure how he would react to meeting you.”

Okie reflected on this for a moment. He gazed at Pamela.

“I have only known you for this very short time,” he said. “Yet I feel a oneness with you. You have a kind heart.”

“So I’ve been told,” smiled Pamela, rolling her eyes.

“Perhaps I should meet David?” asked Okie.

“I’m not sure about that,” answered Pamela. “He’s an odd duck.”

“David is a Duck?” asked Okie.

“Not really a duck!” laughed Pamela. “I apologize. I’m coming to understand that the People of the Forest do not understand our idioms and phrases.”

“I guess not,” said Okie.

“Look, David is driving to Winter Haven tomorrow... a camp of little people,” said Pamela. “I’m working at the Hog Valley Bar and Grille tomorrow night tending bar. He’s sure to go there afterwards. Do you think you could show yourself to him first to see how he reacts?”

“You are speaking in riddles, Pamela,” said Okie. “I don’t understand a word you mindspoke.”

“Well, you know the road not far from here? The black trail?” she asked.

“Yes, of course. I see conveyances move on it.”

“Well, if you walk down this trail,” said Pamela pointing, “it goes to a conveyance trail. If you followed it to the end, went right, after a very short distance another goes left. That is called Hog Valley Road. Some distance down there is the Hog Valley Bar and Grille where I work. David will no doubt go there after his book signing. Perhaps you could show yourself to him?”

Ocklawaha frowned. This just wasn’t done.

“I don’t know about that Pamela,” he said. “We aren’t to interact with Little People. We were told this by Elders who believed you to exist, to be real.”

“Well, you’re interacting with me,” she replied.

Okie looked at Pamela thoughtfully. And then smiled.

“You do have a kind heart,” he said. “I would like to meet my relatives. And I trust you. You are indeed good People.”

“OK, look,” she answered. “It should be just after the sun sets that David passes by on Hog Valley Road. Just stand along side of the road. When he sees you, he should stop. He’ll get out of our car and meet you. That should do it.”

“Car?”

“Conveyance.”

“I understand,” said Okie. “How will I know it is David?”

“Well, the conveyance is our silver Kia. And he’ll be driving like an old lady.”

“Um...”

“He’ll be driving slowly,” smiled Pamela. “David is night blind and can’t see in the dark. He is also getting older and his reaction times aren’t what they used to be. So he drives very slowly, like an old lady... and elderly female.”

“Ah, David is an Elder then,” said Okie.

“Yes, but just not wise,” joked Pamela.

“I see,” smiled Okie. “Tomorrow it is, then.”

Okie arose and smiled at Pamela. She stood and hugged him, as a mother would a little.

“I’m glad to have a ’Squatch in Florida,” said Pamela. “Besides my best friend, what I miss most about New York are my ’Squatches.”

Okie just smiled. He had absolutely no idea what she was mind talking about. Sometimes it is just easier to smile.

The next morning, Pamela reported that David arose early and his conveyance took him to the encampment named Winter Haven, where David sat all day to sign his books, whatever that actually means. No one was there, but like a knot on a log, he sat there anyway. Eventually he left. He entered his conveyance and commanded it to transport him to the Hog Valley Bar and Grille in Hog Valley.

The sun was setting. Okie made his way to the place indicated by Pamela and squatted in the brush on the side of the black trail with stripes. The sun will set very soon, he thought. Okie watched as various conveyances passed. All shapes and all colors of conveyances. Not any like Pamela described.

Finally, the sun set and it was dark, and Okie could now see quite clearly. No conveyances passed for some time. But he soon heard one approaching. He looked. It was silver. It was also traveling much slower than the other conveyances. Okie stood and walked to the edge of the black trail with stripes. The conveyance approached, and then slowed as it drew near. Okie watched it closely. As it passed, the conveyance’s occupant stared at him in amazement, but the conveyance didn’t stop at all. It continued down the trail and was soon out of sight.

Okie sat down. Well, this didn’t work, he thought.

A short time passed.

“Okie?” asked Pamela.

“Yes, I’m here,” answered Okie. “What happened?”

“David saw you. He told me about it. He was too numb to stop.”

“Numb?” Okie asked.

“He saw something he didn’t understand and didn’t know how to react,” she answered. “I’ll talk to him.”

“Alright,” answered Okie. “Please tell him I would most enjoy to meet my family in the lands of the north.”

“I will,” said Pamela. “David also has a very kind heart. He will understand. Although I do not comprehend how he could drive by a Sasquatch and not stop. Some investigative researcher he is.”

“Riddles Pamela,” said Okie.

“Never mind,” said Pamela. “Sometimes David is as stupid as a bag of hammers.”

“Uh... a saying?” asked Okie.

Pamela just giggled.

“Perhaps David could meet us at the river where we met,” said Okie.

“I don’t think he would go,” said Pamela. “I have a better idea. Just show up at our RV.”

“RV? Conveyance?”

“Yes,” answered Pamela. “David will go into town to buy supplies for the trip. You can just slip into the RV. Do you have a problem with dogs?”

“Dogs?”

“They’re like coyotes only ours are bigger,” said Pamela. “They’re our pets and we love them. Do them no harm. Or to our goats or my horse.”

“I do not comprehend the creatures that you are referring to, but if you love these animals, I will respect your wishes,” said Okie.

“We’re leaving in three days. Three cycles of the sun. Come to the RV early, just before sunrise, and wait for David to leave in the car... conveyance,” she said.

After giving Okie directions to her abode, they disconnected. How am I going to pull this one off, she thought? The dogs will go ballistic. David will crap his pants.