I said, “Who the heck is here at this hour?”

My mother asked, “Tom, would you answer that please?”

As I got up, I said, “Sure mom.”

We had taken a hike on the lake trail, and this time we had a blanket with us. Then we’d washed the ‘61 Chevy but ended up getting more water on us then on the car.

The most significant thing that had happened to us is that Amy and I had graduated from college, and she did it as a Summa Cum Laude graduate. I love this girl and I’m so proud of her.

Well, our parents giving us a new car was another big thing that happened.

Something had told us that we should take the little tree that had grown from the twig that we’d buried a few months ago in mom’s flower garden with us to New Mexico.

I had all but given up on Maria and Mark coming out to New Mexico when Kelly and Larry were there so that the whole crew could experience a Southwestern barbecue together. But I still had a few months to try and figure something out.

Dr. Whitmeyer had come back into our lives again. Dr. Grunewald had sent me a copy of Dr. Whitmeyer paper titled, ‘The Nádleeh. The two spirit people of the Navajo.’ He has promised to write this as part of his apology for what he had tried to do to Dr. Grunewald and Larry at the seminar. Everyone that has read it was happy with what Dr. Whitmeyer had written.

Then Kelly, Larry, Amy, and I had talked about how to get Maria and Mark out to the resort with us for one of the Friday barbecues.

How did I feel about this?

We’d be leaving all of our friends and family, that made me sad. We’d be going to someplace that we loved, that made me happy. We’d probably make new friends our age out there. That was a good thing. I’d be with Amy, and that made me extremely happy. So yes I was happy about this, but at the same time nervous. It was a big move, but we have friends and family out there.

Tonight we were having ice cream with the crew, Maria, Mark, Kelly, and Larry. And we were talking with them about having to go out to New Mexico early because they wanted Amy to take a couple of classes.

We also learned that Kelly and Larry were planning on going out to the resort in early July. And we’d told them about the barbecue.

We’d also planned a dinner with the crew to show them the photo album of the fake wedding that Amy and I had, with me as the bride and Amy as the groom. We also decided to surprise them by Tammy dressing like the bride she was that day.

On Friday we had a wedding rehearsal, a rehearsal dinner, and then we decorated the church hall for the reception. Larry didn’t want a bachelor’s party. But the girls went to a bachelorette party set up by Kelly’s cousin Mary Beth who was also the maid of honor. The party had been a bust thanks to a stripper. And there had been some nasty words between Kelly and Mary Beth.

It was possible that Mary Beth wouldn’t show up at the wedding. Who would take her place?

Amy had told me that what she saw with Mr. O’Brian and his nervous breakdown was looking good. But we’d see happens with the wedding. I was keeping my fingers crossed.

Now we were over in Muncie, Indiana for Kelly and Larry’s wedding. And we’d met the whole family. Mr. O’Brian had apologized to me. One of Kelly’s brothers, Kevin, I couldn’t read. He was the strong silent type. Another brother, Jack, the priest, I think he tried to get me into a debate over religion, and I quickly quashed that. I hope. And her other brother, Connor had been hurt when the helicopter he was flying crashed. I think he’s lucky to be alive.

Amy had started having a reoccurring dream about an Indian girl and a sailor. They appeared to be lovers, and it was a long time ago. And Amy felt that she knew them or should know them.

We had gotten in touch with Naainish, and Amy had talked to him about the dream. After they hung up, I asked her, “Well. What were his words of wisdom?”

We’d been given the cooks tour of Muncie by Kelly. The last place we stopped was the church where Kelly and Larry were to be married. We had a nice talk with the priest. Then we found Mrs. O’Brian at the motel when we got back, and we discussed what had happened at lunch.

Then, Mr. O’Brian had said, “Oh. So, you’re an Indian.”

“Yes sir, I am.”, I’d replied. “And proud of it!”

“You all should be kept on a reservation.”