Mama he's scary!

That large man frightens me mother!

I don't like it here mama, that native looking fella is awfully frightening to me.

The words rolled around in his head like like a broken record and it greatly bothered him that these new comers and their children seemed to be afraid of him. Was he really so scary that now even children were afraid of him? Usually new comers, particularly children, were very curious of him and often sought him out to ask questions and get to know him better, if anything his appearance seemed to attract children. But these children, well they were different. They didn't seem to take well to change and had been hiding out in their cabin since they arrived, when they did appear from the cabin they didn't wander far.

The first day this new family had arrived, Connor and his small family, a wife and three girls, had gone to introduce themselves and make them feel welcomed in the little community. "Mama, do you think they have any children our age?" a little red head asked her mother, "I'm not sure Mary, I think so?"

"I remember seeing young children wandering around this place, so to answer your question Mary, yes they do." Connor said confirming his wife's suspicions, the wife knocked on the door ever so gingerly and waited for a reply. But no answer, again she knocked and again still no answer. "Maybe they're not home mama." said another little girl, her brown curls falling in her face much to annoyance. His wife's patience was growing thin with the lack of response she was generating from the new neighbors. "Ó mhaithe le Pete ar! Freagair cheana féin, tá a fhios agam go bhfuil tú abhaile! … Damn sé" She muttered in her native tongue, Connor chuckled at this. Often times her temper was more frightening then his but at times, like right now, it was just comical. "What are you laughin at?!" she said, her irritation becoming quiet apparent. "Nothing my lady of Emerald Isle." he said pulling her close to him and kissing her temple, she pushed him aside with her spirits brightening up, "Oh come off ya big lug." She said through chuckles, finally the door opened up as the two were making themselves presentable.

"Dia dhuit cara, my family and I came over to welcome ya to our quiet little village. Brought ya some welcoming gifts, some biscuits and jam, I thought you'd enjoy." she said handing the woman in the doorway a basket. "Why thank you kindly, ya know since we've moved here it's been hard on us all, especially our little ones, ya see they d-"

"Mama who's -" said a little blonde girl coming from behind the woman in the doorway, she froze as she saw Connor. His massive grizzly bear like appearance and stone faced expression were enough to send the child screaming into the other room, "What's going on - uh!" gasped another young girl as she too caught a sight of Connor's large frame in the doorway, "Mama…Why's that scary man here?" she asked, her face turned to pure terror as the color drained from her face thus causing her to became pale.

"Oh dear! I-I'm so sorry about Sarah-Lee and Terra, ladies why don't you come in and uh sir, if you'd like to introduce -"

But Connor merely placed and hand up to stop her, "I have a few other things I need to tend to back home, it was nice to meet you ma'am. I will see you and the children at home Addie." Connor said leaving his wife with a peck on the cheek and left not wanting to frighten the children anymore. He glanced back watching his wife and girls enter the house, and then caught wind of what the girls had thought of him.

"Mama I don't like it here! That Native looking fellow is awfully frightening!"

"Mama he scares me!"

He never wanted to scare the kids, and in all reality he didn't even realize he must have appeared frightening to these young ones.

…

"Connor?" Addie called out looking around for Connor as the two oldest girls darted up the stairs, she knew he had gone home to tend to somethings but she knew better. "Connor we're home love, where are ya?" Addie called out again, "Mama why's the basement door open?" Hannah asked pointing to the open door to the secret room below, "Hhhmm I wonder, Hannah go upstairs with your sisters, I wanna talk to your pa alone." Addie said, "But mama, I wanna see if papa's okay too." the little one insisted but with a stern look from her mother Hannah was quick to follow up after her siblings. "Connor, there ya are! I was worried, what's… What's troubling ya dear?" she asked, growing concerned about her husband as he stood where pictures of his targets once stood, often times if he needed to think he would escape down into the basement for a few hours, and this was one of those times as he stood consumed by his feelings. "Those girls being frightened of ya bothers ya.. Don't it love?" she asked wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and resting her head on his arm, Connor took her hand and pressed it against his cheek. It gave him a little comfort after the day he'd had, "I don't understand."

"Connor, don't pay no never mind to what those pups said! Or the words of any outsider for that matter, you're a wonderful man with a loving kind heart and a gentle soul. You were there for me when I needed somebody and never once did ya give up when others would have. And your children, they love you dearly! To them you're a knight in shining armor come to save them after a bad dream or stormy night and ya shower'em in love and affection. Listen to you're women folk Connor and your friends! For what we have to say and what we think, is far more important then what any outsider says." she said, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Tá grá agam duit Connor." she said, he her pulled around to the front of him and held her in a warm in embrace, it's funny how she seemed to always know just what to say to make a situation better, probably part of what drew him to her in the first place. "Konoronhkwa Addie." and with that he planted a kiss on her and for moment the two forgot that the world ever existed, things between them would only have continued to keep getting more passionate that was until - "PAPA!" Hannah called out from atop the stairs, he laid his head back now in sexual frustration and Addie chuckled. "Go check on her, I can wait. But ya know she won't." Addie said and Connor walked up the stairs. And there she stood, with the little toy bear that Connor had made for her the day she born, clutched close to her as she watched her father climb the stairs she gave him an uneasy look. "Papa, are you okay?" she said, trying to restrain herself from flying down the stairs to hug him. He held out his arms to her as she flew down to him, he held her close to him. Her tiny little frame cradled into his arms, and this is what got him thinking once again as he realized just how big he was to a small child. Perhaps he was nothing more then just a large grizzly bear.

"Hannah, come with for a moment."

"Where are we going papa?"

"You'll see." he said and carried her out

…

Not but a few moments later the two hadn't wondered far from the homestead now turned village, and made their way to the frontier to look at some of the animals. Connor got the pair of them settled high up in the tree so they would be safe from any of the predators and watched as the animals passed by, suddenly they watched as a large black bear emerged from near by. Hannah gasped as she watched the large lumbering beast move about looking for food. How his fur shone in the light and seemed to stomping around, she giggled as his rear seemingly swayed back and forth. "Hannah." Connor spoke solemnly, she turned to face him. "Yes papa?"

"Do you think I am like that bear? Big mean and scary?" he asked, if ever wanted an honest answer or information from any of the three girls Hannah was always the one to turn to. For a few moments she looked back and forth between the large bear and her father ultimately trying to decide an answer.

"Well…" she began finally having her answer.

"Yes, I do think you are like that bear. You're big and grizzly like he is, and kind of cranky like that bear too." she added, Connor couldn't help but chuckle, cranky huh? It must be true, he had noticed he was becoming a bit more of a grouch the older he got. But that certainly didn't seem to derail him as his daughter began to explain her answer further.

"But you're not just a big grouchy ol' bear. You're my papa, and you're not scary! Whoever says that is touched in the head! Because, you care a lot about people, even when they are mean to you and did bad things to you. You love me and my sisters and ista a great deal, and papa you're supposed to be big and grizzly like that bear, so you can keep us safe. But you're also like my little bear you made me cause you give such wonderful hugs and you make us feel better. And it's like ista is always telling you, you have a soft loving heart and kind and gentle soul. And you shouldn't let others tell you different, just like ista said cause, they don't matter. Right?" Hannah said beaming up at him, out of the mouth of his little babe were the same words his wife had told not long ago. He should have known better but, hearing it again never hurt!

He held his little girl tightly to him and she wrapped her arms around his neck hugging him just a tightly, his heart became light with pure joy and happiness. He was truly blessed and he knew it, "You know something my little bear?" he said, pulling back to look at her and stroking her hair out of her eyes. "What's that big bear?"she asked, He smiled happily and said, "Ista was right." Connor chuckled and Hannah giggled along with him, "Of course she was! Ista's always right papa!" She said poking his nose, he gently moved her finger away and gave the little girl an Eskimo kiss. "Konoronhkwa Hannah."

"Konoronhkwa Raké:ni."

The end

Translations:

"Ó mhaithe le Pete ar! Freagair cheana féin, tá a fhios agam go bhfuil tú abhaile! … Damn sé"- For Pete's sake! I know they're home! Damn it! -Irish Gaelic, but I dunno if this is correct since I used Google translate. If it isn't, please kindly give me the correct version. please n thank you! :) -

Tá grá agam duit- Irish Gaelic for 'I love you'

Konoronhkwa - Mohawk for 'I love you.'

Dia dhuit cara- Irish Gaelic for 'Hello friend'