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Betsy Urban’s Followers (4)
Betsy Urban
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Waiting for Deliverance
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published
2000
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2 editions
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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.
“First she saw light, the rising sun reflecting off something at the clearing’s edge. In that moment before she heard the voices, she confusedly thought she was seeing fireflies in the daytime, then realized it was silver brooches catching the light. No one had told her to expect the family, but there they were: Rising Hawk’s uncle, his parents, and assorted cousins, including Dream Teller, who gave Livy a tight smile she took for a peace offering. Rising Hawk lagged behind, carrying a scrawny deer over his shoulders, his eyes focused on the path. The others had the good sense and tact to pass on with a simple greeting, but Buffalo Creek Woman put her hands to Livy’s chest and with a stream of words, finally cut short by Cold Keeper, forgave her everything.”
― Waiting for Deliverance
― Waiting for Deliverance
“Rising Hawk was dozing in the longhouse when the hanging on his sleeping compartment ripped aside.
“A baby? What were you thinking of?”
Rising Hawk blinked owlishly at Gideon. Ephraim was standing off to the side, looking guilty.
“I had to tell them, Rising Hawk. For Livy’s sake.”
Rising Hawk struggled into a sitting position.
“As soon as you can stand on your own, I’m beating the stuffin’ out of you,” Gideon promised.
“Whose baby?”
“Livy’s! The one you fathered on her. We know. She told the Wilkeses. You idiot!”
“Rising Hawk, it was the meanest thing I ever saw,” Eph broke in. “One minute old Mrs. Wilkes was bleating over Livy like she was her lost lamb. The next, she’s sending her to hell and back for being a fornicator. She locked her in the cellar overnight and wouldn’t even let her eat breakfast in the house, but made her sit out in the yard.”
“Servant girl with a bastard ain’t that shocking,” Gideon said grimly. “But you’re an Indian, Rising Hawk. Do you have any notion of the sorrow you’ve brought down on that child?”
Polly looked in, one hand laid instinctively over her own flat stomach. “Rising Hawk. How could you?”
“She told them I gave her a belly?” He struggled to the edge of the bed, dragging his injured leg painfully over the side. “Brother, give me your hand,” he said impatiently.”
― Waiting for Deliverance
“A baby? What were you thinking of?”
Rising Hawk blinked owlishly at Gideon. Ephraim was standing off to the side, looking guilty.
“I had to tell them, Rising Hawk. For Livy’s sake.”
Rising Hawk struggled into a sitting position.
“As soon as you can stand on your own, I’m beating the stuffin’ out of you,” Gideon promised.
“Whose baby?”
“Livy’s! The one you fathered on her. We know. She told the Wilkeses. You idiot!”
“Rising Hawk, it was the meanest thing I ever saw,” Eph broke in. “One minute old Mrs. Wilkes was bleating over Livy like she was her lost lamb. The next, she’s sending her to hell and back for being a fornicator. She locked her in the cellar overnight and wouldn’t even let her eat breakfast in the house, but made her sit out in the yard.”
“Servant girl with a bastard ain’t that shocking,” Gideon said grimly. “But you’re an Indian, Rising Hawk. Do you have any notion of the sorrow you’ve brought down on that child?”
Polly looked in, one hand laid instinctively over her own flat stomach. “Rising Hawk. How could you?”
“She told them I gave her a belly?” He struggled to the edge of the bed, dragging his injured leg painfully over the side. “Brother, give me your hand,” he said impatiently.”
― Waiting for Deliverance
“You fought like a demon. Everyone was astonished. Me most of all. The violence of your tongue I was used to, but this! When it was over, you rose from the floor and looked at me.”
She laughed again. It was like a familiar birdsong, lost for the winter, now returned.
“And at that moment, the light of your eyes went into mine, and mine into yours in return.” Timidly, he touched her cheek, and felt ready to cry with relief when she raised her hand and touched his.
“That sounds very pretty, Rising Hawk,” she said gently, “but it’s not enough to trade my life for.”
“Livy, we both know that once this happens, one is blind without the other. What do you need for proof? Another winter like this past one? Listen, I never would have come back like this, been so sure, if something hadn’t happened to make me realize I had to. That you wanted me to.”
“What do you mean? Don’t tell me about another dream, Rising Hawk, because I don’t believe in them.”
“This was not a dream. Just a moon ago, at dawn, I was drunk. Very drunk. I wasn’t thinking of you. You were the last thing on my mind. I was trying to get up from where I lay on the riverbank without falling in. I couldn’t tell the water from the sky. I was seeing two skies and two rivers and knew that if I took a wrong step I would probably drown, and I was deciding whether or not that would be a bad thing. The next thing I knew I was in the center of the river on that flat rock you used to sit on, and I looked up into the sky, and suddenly my vision cleared. I knew that you wanted me back. I knew, at that moment, we were both seeing into your heart.”
― Waiting for Deliverance
She laughed again. It was like a familiar birdsong, lost for the winter, now returned.
“And at that moment, the light of your eyes went into mine, and mine into yours in return.” Timidly, he touched her cheek, and felt ready to cry with relief when she raised her hand and touched his.
“That sounds very pretty, Rising Hawk,” she said gently, “but it’s not enough to trade my life for.”
“Livy, we both know that once this happens, one is blind without the other. What do you need for proof? Another winter like this past one? Listen, I never would have come back like this, been so sure, if something hadn’t happened to make me realize I had to. That you wanted me to.”
“What do you mean? Don’t tell me about another dream, Rising Hawk, because I don’t believe in them.”
“This was not a dream. Just a moon ago, at dawn, I was drunk. Very drunk. I wasn’t thinking of you. You were the last thing on my mind. I was trying to get up from where I lay on the riverbank without falling in. I couldn’t tell the water from the sky. I was seeing two skies and two rivers and knew that if I took a wrong step I would probably drown, and I was deciding whether or not that would be a bad thing. The next thing I knew I was in the center of the river on that flat rock you used to sit on, and I looked up into the sky, and suddenly my vision cleared. I knew that you wanted me back. I knew, at that moment, we were both seeing into your heart.”
― Waiting for Deliverance
Topics Mentioning This Author
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's the Name o...: an native american guy who traveled with a white girl? But she liked him so he brought her back and tried to visit often (but he didn't stay with her all the time because her family wanted her back | 4 | 565 | Jul 19, 2021 12:39PM |
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