Weak in Body, Strong in Mind and Spirit
Chapter 26: Traveling North

The day soon arrived. David and Pamela rose early. Pamela had to fetch her Jeremiah Beast and place him in its tiny wheeled abode. David left in a small black conveyance to retrieve supplies, which Pamela explained would be the healing elixirs needed for the journey.

Okie watched from the wooded area across the black striped trail. When both conveyances departed, Okie quickly ran to the RV conveyance, in accordance with Pamela’s instructions. Four creatures ran to him vocalizing loudly. Per Pamela’s instructions, Okie looked at them and in a stern voice in Pamela’s language said “SIT!”

The creatures stopped. They were quiet and looked confused. “SIT” commanded Okie again. They dropped their backsides to the ground and stared quietly.

“GOOD DOGS,” said Okie, wondering what it all meant. It seemed odd to speak the language of Little People.

The creatures then stood and started wagging their tails and licking Okie’s hands. What odd creatures, thought Okie. Delightful really, but odd. They don’t behave like any Forest Animal I know of.

Per Pamela, Okie walked to the RV’s portal and, after examining it to determine how it functioned, pulled it open. The opening was very small, and it was with great difficultly that he squeezed through it. He was barely able to enter, and he sat on a sitting device as instructed. The creatures entered and sat before him. The dark brown Female squeezed between Okie’s legs and crawled under the sitting device. The tall lanky one sat next to Okie and stared at him. The two others were licking Okie’s hands, which were on his lap. The little white one then crawled up onto Okie’s lap and licked his face.

What friendly creatures, thought Okie. They just met me, yet they accept me as a friend.

Okie looked out the viewing portal at the head of the conveyance. He saw four Little People staring off towards this RV conveyance with a look of stunned astonishment. They were motionless.

A small conveyance arrived. Pamela emerged and walked towards the RV.

“Hi Glenn! Hi Denny! Hi Gloria and Slim!” she called, waving to them. They didn’t respond. They just stood, staring towards the RV with their mouths agape.

Pamela opened the RV portal and entered.

“Hi Okie!” she projected cheerily. “I see you met the dogs!”

“I did,” channeled Okie. “Your commands worked well.”

“They’re good dogs,” she answered, “and I see that they warmed right up to you.”

“They are indeed interesting creatures,” said Okie. “I like them. I promise not to eat them.”

“Well, that’s good!” said Pamela with a smile.

There was a knock on the RV portal. It was Megan and Caesar.

“Meg, meet Okie,” said Pamela, after opening the portal.

“Hi, pleased to meet you!” said Megan excitedly. “And this is Caesar. We’ll be riding with you.”

Pamela translated for Okie.

Everyone looked as another conveyance stopped outside.

“It’s David,” said Pamela. “Just sit here and don’t say anything and don’t move.”

“Alright,” answered Okie. “Whatever you say.”

David approached the RV. He rolled up things he called awnings, and disconnected various things.

“OK, I’m ready,” he said to Pamela.

“I’ve already got Jeremiah and the goats,” said Pamela. “And I’ll take Olivia and Penelope.”

“OK,” said David. “Let’s go.”

David opened the RV portal, entered and shut it behind him.

“Hi Meg! Hi Caesar!” said David.

He walked by Okie and sat in a sitting place at the front. The conveyance made some noises and then proceeded away.

Okie looked at David with wonder. Did he not see me, he thought? He walked right past me. Am I invisible? He held his hand up. No, here is my hand.

“Pamela, something is wrong,” projected Okie.

“What?” asked Pamela.

“David walked past me as if I wasn’t here.”

“Oh!” laughed Pamela, “Yes, that’s David. I love him to pieces, but he is the most dense, least observant person on the planet. I’m not surprised.”

“I see,” answered Okie.

The RV was conveying along nicely. Okie was enjoying the conveyance ride. He rose, and crouch walked towards the front of the conveyance and sat in another sitting place next to David. RV continued on its way. The conveyance proceeded for some time. It started to click, and then stopped and then began to turn right. It suddenly abruptly halted.

“HOLY SHIT!” exclaimed David, jumping up and running towards the back of the conveyance and then out the portal.

Pamela’s conveyance was leading the RV, and she stopped.

“David! That’s not a good idea!” she exclaimed.

“There’s a friggin’ Sasquatch in there!”

“Yes, but you didn’t put it in park and the RV is rolling away!”

“SHIT!” yelled David. He ran to the RV, jumped in the portal, and commanded it to stop. David looked to his right at Okie.

“Shit,” said David.

“Shit,” parroted Okie.

“What?” said David.

“What? said Okie.

Pamela entered the RV.

“David, this is Okie. Ocklawaha is his proper name. He’s related to Windago, and hitching a ride with us.”

David just stared at Okie,

“He’s hitching a ride?”

“Yes. He is related to Windago and wants to visit.”

“Um... how do you know him?” he asked.

“I met him at the river. The Ocklawaha. Also his full name, named after his great-grandfather,” Pamela answered.

“Well shit. You could have warned me,” he said meekly.

“I can’t believe you. He was sitting right there, and you walked right by him,” Pamela laughed.

“No he wasn’t. He was hiding somewhere.”

Pamela roared with laughter.

“No, he was sitting on the sofa.”

“No he wasn’t. He wasn’t there when I got in the RV.”

More laughter.

“Whatever lover. Anyway, Okie is riding with you to New York. Enjoy the company,” she said.

“Some company,” said David glaring at Okie. “We can’t even talk.”

“Are you sure?” asked Pamela.

“I like your creatures,” thought Okie as he looked at David and smiled.

David just stared at the black striped trail and muttered incoherently as the RV conveyance tagged along behind Pamela’s.

Okie marveled at all that he saw. He’d seen conveyances before, but look at them all! How do they know where they’re going? Why are they going anywhere to begin with? Okie would have asked David, but he was still muttering to himself, with an occasional glance at Okie. Look at all of the abodes! There must be hundreds, if not thousands of Little People!

It was mid-day when the conveyances halted. Pamela entered the RV portal.

“Ham or bologna?” she asked David.

“Either,” he said.

“Bologna it is then,” said Pamela.

After a few minutes, she handed David what apparently was food because he took a bite out of it. Pamela handed Okie a similar offering. Okie looked at it, sniffed it, smiled, and shoved the whole thing in his mouth and swallowed. David stared and shook his head. Pamela hand Okie another, and another. Eight more.

“I’m out of bologna,” she said. “Here’s a ham sandwich.”

Okie ate five.

“We’re gonna need to stop to buy more food,” said David. “And don’t give him any of my beer.”

After eating, the conveyances proceeded along again, eventually stopping for the evening.

Pamela and David emerged from their respective portals.

“Wait inside, Okie,” projected Pamela. “I want to make sure no one is around”

“OK,” said Okie. “Are we going to have more food?”

“Yes,” Pamela laughed. “You have a hollow leg.”

“I don’t think I do,” said Okie. “No one ever said I did”

“It’s only a saying,” said Pamela. “It just means you eat a lot.”

“Oh,” said Okie with a frown.

“OK, you can come out Okie,” said Pamela.

Okie extricated himself from the RV conveyance with great difficulty. He crawled out on his side, squirming as he did so, but finally emerged.”

“Welcome to Lakeview Plantation in South Carolina, our first stop and one of my favorites,” said Pamela.

“Nice,” replied Okie. “Lots of Forest to hunt and sleep in.”

“You’re going to sleep in the woods?” asked David.

Both Pamela and Okie looked at David in wonder.

“Yes,” said Okie. “And meet some of my Brothers over there.”

Okie gestured towards the wood line.

“You know they’re there?” asked Pamela.

“Oh yes, certainly,” replied Okie pointing. “Three over there and one over there. They watched us arrive and are no doubt extremely interested in why I’m here with you.”

“Are you mindspeaking with them?” asked David.

“No. Just a sense of being watched. Plus I can smell them. Please excuse me,” said Okie, as he walked to the wood line.

“We leave early in the morning,” said Pamela.

“I’ll be here,” said Okie.

“Probably just as well,” said Pamela to David. “He would most likely spook Jeremiah.”

David saw that the Baddogs were chasing after Okie, and commanded them to return. Pamela went to the tiny wheeled abode and opened the portal. She entered, and soon her Beast emerged. She lead her Beast to an enclosure with no roof, opened its portal, and the Beast entered. It walked to the far side and looked in the direction Okie had walked and snorted and stomped its feet. Its ears were pinned backwards.

“What’s wrong with Jeremiah?” asked David.

“He smells the Sasquatch,” said Pamela.

They both entered the RV portal and called their Baddogs. When all were inside, the portal closed.

Okie walked into the woods and down a trail. He knew he was being watched. He walked in a distance when a small band of Forest People stepped onto the trail.

“Peace, Brothers,” said Okie, holding both arms out, palms up. “I am Ocklawaha from lands far to the south, of the Falling Water Tribe. But you may call me Okie.”

“I am Aiken, of the Coldbranch. My Brothers and I are sentries,” he answered. “Why are you with Little People?”

“I have a relative who lives in lands to the north. These Little People are friends of the Forest People. The Female is a powerful and wise Wizard and has been made a full member of their Panther Tribe. The Male is her mate, and I am unsure of his purpose.”

“Ah, the Panther Tribe of the Ratirontaks. The Keepers of the Forest,” said Aiken.

“Yes, that is what Pamela has told me. You know of them?”

“Only through legends and stories,” said Aiken.

“These stories never made the journey to my lands,” said Okie.

“You are welcome here, Okie,” said Aiken.

“Thank you. We are here only until the sun rises tomorrow. I came here to meet you and to gather food. Little people don’t eat much,” said Okie.

“No, I don’t imagine they have to. We watch as Little People Hunters come here to Hunt for Deer and Hogs. Once they kill something, they never eat it. They just take it away,” said Aiken.

“To their Tribes to share, perhaps?”

“Yes, possibly. But to your point about them not eating much, they depart the forest and do not return for twelve cycles of the moon.”

“Wow,” said Okie.

“We have a Deer over here,” said Aiken pointing. “We would be honored to share it with you.”

“That would be wonderful,” said Okie. “Thank you.”

The new friends walked off the trail and into the forest.