The Roar of the Falls: My Journey with Kaya

I watch anxiously as Kaya picks up the puppy and giggles as he licks her face. She strokes his ears. My mouth is dry, yet my palms are wet with sweat. Finally, Kaya hands the dog back to the girl. She throws words with the girl again. When they’re done, Kaya explains she told the girl she couldn’t trade the bracelet. It’s too special. My muscles go limp with relief. But now, I realize that I must get the bracelet back. But I don’t want to damage our bond.

A group of older girls are nearby forming a circle, with a circle of older boys around them. Kaya says it’s a courtship dance. Kaya explains that if a boy likes a girl, he’ll try to dance near to her. The drums beat an irresistible tempo. I long to give myself over to the rhythm and practice the steps like Kaya is doing. But I can’t stop thinking about the bracelet.

Kaya tries to pull me into the dance, but I can’t. When Kaya looks at me, there are tears running down my face. She tells me we’ll go back to the tepee.

When we get back to the tepee, Kautsa is watching Wing Feather and Sparrow sleep. Although Kaya says simply we wanted to rest, Kautsa can sense one of us is yearning to say more. But instead, she pours us willow-bark tea. When we are settled, surrounded by the aroma of the tea, she asks what’s bothering me. When I’m silent, she sends Kaya out to fetch more wood for the fire.

Kautsa puts her hand on mine, and I look down at our two hands. One smooth, the other wrinkled. I slowly explain the trade I made with Kaya, and that I’m worried she won’t want my friendship if I ask for the bracelet back. Kautsa listens quietly. Finally, she says that friends are like fibers woven together. Once they are entwined, they are hard to pick apart. If I talk to Kaya, I may be surprised with what she says.