War Baby

Oh what a night it was, late August back in 1950. Celebrations were abound for the family of little Maria. Celebrations lofted across the Pow wow grounds as the men congratulated her father for her arrival on that hot summer night. Maria was born an Odawa child in the midst of a war.

The Nation was in an uproar and young men began to resist going to war. Protest rang across the nation as the news flashed updates on the battles across the seas. Everywhere their family went, all they heard was people talking about the war. Families were morning their lost loved ones and the oppressing weight of the town's attitude prompted Maria's family to escape to a Pow wow to avoid the news of the war.

Ann, Mariah's Mother, was busy all day packing up supplies for the trip. Cooking pots and pans were loaded with the camping gear. With her two children in tow, she loaded her family into the car to head to the nearby camping grounds for the Pow wow. As the men set the tepee up, Ann felt the sharp pains begin and gathered her friends to her.

"The baby is coming. I have very little here for the baby. Please, gather supplies as I deliver." Ann said to her friends as she rushed off to the tepee.

Maria arrived as the sun set. The day's activity caused her to arrive two weeks early. Yet, the timing was right, but no one knew why. No one questioned it either until the night played on.

Drums beat in the distance as Maria and her mother rested for a night in the tepee they used for such events. Maria was the third child of her parents and she seemed so small. Little puffy face, a small tuft of black hair covering her head and she had a cute button nose. She ate at her mother's breast as the celebration sounded outside and the yelping men and ladies answered the beat of the drum.

Milk drunk, Maria slumbered in a sling suspended in the air above her mother's head. Two little children escorted by their father entered the tent to meet their new sister. Suspended on tippy toes, little noses peeked over the side of the baby hammock to look at their new sister. Jennie, the middle child looked happily upon her sister.

"I am so glad you had a girl momma! James is no fun to play with," said the bright eyed girl up to her momma.

James leaned against his dad, "Well dad, we are out numbered. There are more girls than boys in this family." he said as he approached his sister and toyed at the makeshift blankets the ladies provided for the baby sling.

Like kids do, one look and one hello, they ran from the tepee to spend time with their friends. Outside, their eyes adjusted just in time to see a truck pull up with men inside. Their smiles widened when they saw their brother Tom exit the truck.

"Where's mom? I need to tell her something." said the young man by the name of Tom.

Tom was a thin boy. Young age of 17, gaunt and not really much to him. Even though he called James' mom, mom, she was truly her aunt. James nodded to the tepee and followed Tom inside.

"Hello, Tom. Come and meet your cousin, Maria." she smiled up to her sisters son. "I am surprised to see you here this weekend. Your postcard said you weren't coming home for the Pow wow."

Tom leaned over the baby swing and picked up little Maria and settled her into his arms. Tom sat in silence for a few minutes looking at Maria in silence. He turned and placed her back into her sling and turned to look at his aunt.

He drew himself up to full stature and said, "I'm leaving for basic camp tomorrow. I received my draft papers." he kicked at the supporting post causing the canvas to shake with each stroke he made.

Ann, drew in a deep breath with the news, "No, I can't lose you too. They can't take you!" She slapped the blankets on her bed in protest. "Not today, not ever."

"Mom, you know that isn't the way it works. I have to go and you know it!" Tom said with a growl. "I thought I would say good by and an early hello to this little one."

Tom slid onto the padded sleeping area and looked up at the baby sling then back to his Auntie. He took out a package and slid it to her. The brown store paper covered the parcel and crinkled with every move her hands made over them as the searched for a edge to tear. After a moment of noise from the unwrapping, a fine enamel pen emerged along with a box of stationary.

Ann looked up to her Nephew's eyes with fear, concern, pain, grief laid in them, "These are beautiful. Apparently, I will need them to write to you."

With a flop on the blankets, Tom's thin body hit the blankets harder than he intended and met a stone hiding under the canvas, With a slight rub of his elbow, he adjusted to look through the smoke hole at the night sky.

"I wonder how different the stars will look there mom. I wonder if I will see the same stars there as I do here." he mumbled as he shifted to look up at Maria. "I had hoped I could stay and help with her."

"I know. If you look closely, she looks a lot like your mother. She's got your mother's small nose and hairy ears. I was amazed at how hairy your mother was when she was born." she smiled.

Tom rose to his feet and walked over to look at Maria again. Her little pixie face just warmed his heart. His eyes searched her little face for hints of his mother. A slight chuckle erupted as he touched the peach fuzz that lined her ears. With a little smile, he glanced over to his resting aunt and smiled.

"Write to me when ever you can." Ann said as she looked upon the young man, "Your mother, she would have been proud." she shook her fist into the air, "Damn wars! Damn military!"

Outside the tepee the celebrations continued and the call to dance burned into Tom's soul. The thuds and whelps rang through the air as Joe danced with his friends in the arena as the little children watched with wide smiles on their face as their father danced with unabandon joy. The beats stopped and Joe exited the arena and walked over to Tom.

"Dad, Maria is so beautiful. So funny she was born here at the Pow wow and not at home. Mom too was born at a Pow wow. Kinda funny isn't it?" said Tom with a smile on his face.

"Not funny at all. You know your Aunt. She wouldn't stop all day. I am not surprised the baby came today." said Joe as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Maria, is even has hair on her ears like mom and I did. So cute to see how fuzzy they are. Kinda let's me see a little bit of mom too." He paused for a moment and took a deep breath and continued, "Dad, I am sorry to say, I have been drafted." said Tom as he met his dad's eyes.

A stoic expression crossed his father's face, "I had hoped they would over look you."

Tom scratched at his scraggily hair on his chin, "I had hoped that too dad." He reached into his pocket and handed his father the letter. "I have already told mom."

"Son, there is a way for you to avoid the draft. You would have to move to Canada, but you could always return." Joe's eyes searched his son's face hoping this news would make a difference.

"Dad talked about the Jay Treaty a lot to mom before he left us to go back to Canada. I will not leave you and Ann. Not to mention my adopted siblings. I can not do that. I remember how mom struggled to make ends meet once dad left. He left for nothing, consumption ate him alive and left us to do the living. I never got to say goodbye because I couldn't go to him. I will not close that door on you and Ann." Tom looked his father in his eyes and Joe knew there was no changing his son's mind.

With a slap on the boy's shoulder, they walked together back to the tent where Ann and Maria rested. The light of the burning candle battled with the dark and lit Ann's wet face clearly as she fed Maria. Joe paused for a moment and lowered himself to the side of his wife. His eyes met hers and he rose his hand to wipe away the tears.

"Now my wife, one mustn't cry. Our warrior must go, he may not return, but his will is to go and fight.

With a shaking and catching voice, Ann sat up straight and looked Tom in the eye, "I want you to use the Jay Treaty Act. I want you to go to Canada. I want you safe. I want you to be able to come home."

Tears erupted from Ann and Joe enveloped her in his arms until Maria began to cry. With a smile, he looked at his two girls then to his nephew. Tom watched as all care wipe from his uncle's face and rested on a cathartic state as he held his wife and stared off into the distance. Ann's body shook as she fought to hold back anymore tears.

"Son, being a man doesn't mean you have to go to battle. We don't have to fight like that anymore. I would understand if you would appease your mother and go to Canada. I wouldn't look on you any different." said Joe in a near whisper.

The air stood still and silence settled in as Tom made his choice. He rose his head and looked around the tepee and paused at the sight of his drum sitting in his bundle. With a sudden mad rush, a group of ladies brought in food for the new mother and swept away the dirty linens the baby made. After a few minutes of oohing and ah-ing over the baby, they left the company in silence again.

"Mom, Dad, I must go. I can do more good if I do go. Jimmy, he too got his papers, he and I will watch over each other." he nodded to himself as in confirming the agreement he already made to his friend.

With a nod, Tom walked over to his drum and gathered it in his hands. For a moment, he admired the buck on its rawhide. Ann did the work herself and gave it to him for Christmas. With the stature of a great man he turned and walked to his father and held out his drum to him.

"If I die before I return, make sure to take care of this. Make sure that Maria dances to it. Let mom hear it daily to keep she and I connected." Tom whispered through strangled words.

The old pickup truck started to chug and soon it began to purr its alto growl. Jimmy yelled for Tom when the truck started running smoothly. With a quick shuffle and a fling of the tepee's flap, Tom could see that Jimmy was ready to go. He lifted his hand to his friend with a one minute sign and closed the flap again quickly. He turned and looked at his parents and smiled.

"Mom, dad, this isn't the first time an Indian has gone to war. I will be back. I have a lot to live for. I will write. I hope you will too." he said with a half-sideways smile. Besides, I have someone I want to get to know." he said as he rushed over to kiss baby Maria goodbye.

"I will be back little one, just mark my words." he whispered to the baby and with a quick hug and a wave from the door Tom left Maria happily sleeping and her parents crying for him.