April 2010 Challenge
Sully's Lullaby
By Kruemi
Sully was frustrated. Of course he didn't show it openly but keeping his feelings inside proved to be harder with every new day – or better said, night. Katie had been teething for almost two weeks, and coaxing her into sleeping had become a challenge. In the end, Michaela singing her lullabies turned out to be the safest method to send the little one into dreamland. When their daughter had finally drifted off her parents only moved around on tiptoes in their bedroom, and sharing some 'enthusiasm' was out of the question. They'd tried once; with the result that Katie woke up and only got back to sleep after she was tucked in between them.
However, two new dazzlingly white teeth adorned Katie's mouth now, and she was her usually cheerful self again. With one exception: when bed time approached she grew restless. Soon enough they found out the reason: Katie wanted her lullaby. Normally that wouldn't have been a problem, but Michaela had lost her voice a couple of days ago. She had several theories about what had caused this debacle but none of them helped to cure her.
Sully had tried his luck with telling stories to their one-year- old, but the result was always an even wider awake Katie whilst it had the opposite effect on Michaela: she was asleep after five minutes the latest. Being at a loss as to what to do Sully realized there was but one solution: he needed Cloud Dancing's help.
After another night lying longingly next to a softly snoring Michaela, he headed into the woods right as soon as she'd left for her morning round of house calls. Some twenty minutes of riding later he heard a gentle melody played by a flute, guiding him to Cloud Dancing's location.
At the edge of a small clearing Sully hopped down from his horse and tied it to a branch before sitting down next to his brother.
"How'd ya know I was lookin' for you?" he asked, pleased that he didn't have to search further.
Taking the flute down, the Cheyenne replied, "The sprits told me you would come for my advice."
"So ya already know why I'm here?" Sully was astonished.
"No," Cloud Dancing chuckled, "actually I was only enjoying some music."
Casting his friend a grin, he resumed playing the melody for a moment, and Sully smiled thoughtfully. If only a flute would work for Katie… But it didn't. He'd tried that, too.
Taking the instrument from his lips, Cloud Dancing eventually asked, "What is troubling you, my friend?"
Running his hand through his hair, Sully sighed. "Michaela's voice is hoarse so she can't sing a lullaby. But without that, Katie's sleep is fitful and she wakes up quite often…"
As his voice trailed off, he looked at his friend, hoping he'd understand. And the Cheyenne did, yet only after taking in Sully's expression.
"I see," Cloud Dancing nodded, hiding a small smile. "What about telling her a bedtime story?" he asked.
"The longer I talk, the more excited Katie gets," Sully explained his misery. "I really wish I could sing but I can't."
"When did you sing the last time?"
Frowning, Sully retorted, "Don't remember. Why?"
"Maybe you only think you can not sing. I will teach you a Cheyenne lullaby. It is a simple melody. Here, listen." With that, he lifted his flute again, playing a few notes.
"Just try to hum this," he encouraged his friend after lowering the flute, looking at Sully expectantly.
"Alright," Sully mumbled. After all, this was for a good purpose, and so he cleared his throat before attempting to hit the right tones.
He quickly stopped though when suddenly a few deer broke through the bushes, fleeing towards the creek as if startled by a gun shot.
"When my singing has the same effect on Katie, she might never sleep again," Sully said dryly, after his heartbeat was back on its normal pace.
The medicine man didn't respond to this statement but closed his eyes, thinking. Knowing this habit, his white brother waited patiently until Cloud Dancing turned to him again, wanting to know, "What does Dr. Mike do when she sings for the little one?"
Looking somewhat confused Sully described, "She sits in the rocking chair, holding Katie and sings."
The next question followed immediately, "What do you do when you tell your stories?"
Still not understanding what his brother was getting at, Sully said slowly, "I sit next to her bed, holding her hand so she can see my face when I speak."
Satisfied, Cloud Dancing nodded for that's what he'd suspected. "The calming effect of a lullaby does not only come from the melody," he began to explain. "It also comes from the comforting embrace of the parent, and the steady rhythm of the words every song naturally has. I believe you can coax your daughter into sleep when you offer her the warmth of your arms and maybe recite a poem. A long one." The Cheyenne smiled as he added the last three words.
Sully couldn't wait for night to come. Some years ago he had witnessed a father singing a lullaby to his son, and he'd liked the words. Since he'd always loved poems it hadn't been a problem for him to memorize the lyric of the song.
When Michaela was done changing Katie's diaper for the night he lifted their daughter from the bed hugging her to his chest and made himself comfortable in the rocking chair. Answering his wife's questioning look with a reassuring smile, he at last concentrated on the child in his arms and began in a low, soothing tone to speak the calming rhymes.
Hush, little Katie
No reason to cry
Your papa will tell you a sweet lullaby
Go to sleep, Katie
No reason to fear
'cause all through the night I'll be here
I round up the moon for your pillow
A blanket of stars for your bed
I round up a dream of tomorrow
To ride toward the good times ahead
The coyote is singing this day to an end
The rocking horse trail waits around the next bend
So go to sleep Katie
Your papa is here
And all through the night I'll be here
Lovin' you, holdin' you ever so dear
And all through the night I'll be here
Michaela's curiosity at what Sully was up to turned into awe for the way her husband affectionately recited a song to their baby girl. She remembered the words, too and had never forgotten the look Sully cast in her direction when Red McCall sang to his son. She knew now what it had meant: it revealed his longing for having a family again.
Whilst the soothing timbre of his voice had sent her into sleep the last days, a wave of love for this man made her heart pound faster tonight. Katie's breathing, however, became slower and deeper so Sully could put her into her bed where she continued sleeping soundly. Satisfied, he turned around, and seeing Michaela still wide awake, looking at him with a sparkle in her eyes he knew very well, he grinned widely.
As soon as he lay down, Michaela scooted closer, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "I love you," she croaked, making Sully chuckle.
"Ya shouldn't speak," he whispered, "but I don't mind when ya show me what ya mean."
And so she did.
After a kiss that left them breathless, Sully grasped the blanket, pulling it over their heads so they could have the illusion of being alone. As Michaela hooked her leg over his, he stopped thinking and just enjoyed having the full attention of his wife.