Part 38
River Dog watched his older grandsons as they engaged in a game of football, the game more of a wrestling match than an organized sport. His granddaughters had taken up positions on either side of the designated 'field'; loudly encouraging or objecting to plays made by their cousins or brothers. The smaller children were playing their own games on the other side of camp under the watchful eyes of their parents who had gathered into a large group, talking and laughing as they prepared dinner.
His gaze followed Michael when Shadow tackled him, shaking his head when the boys scuffled over the football before the younger one wriggled free, victoriously holding the ball high above his head. Shadow quickly tossed the ball to his older brother Colton and Michael motioned for them to keep playing as he jogged to the sidelines where Maria was sitting, to retrieve his bottle of water.
A feeling of pride swept over him as he observed his family and for that single precious moment in time, everything was perfect in his world. As he got older, he had learned to appreciate these moments, to savor them, because they were few and far between. He was glad to see that Michael's girlfriend was settling in with a little more ease than she had shown the day before. Not everyone had welcomed her with open arms; there were plenty who had their reservations about her, but after watching her with his grandson, he knew that in time she would win most of them over. There were a few, of course, who would never accept her because their hearts had been closed to outsiders, and the thing that hurt the most was that Dakota, his own grandson, was one of those people. He had tried talking to the boy in an effort to reverse the lies his mother had poisoned him with, but he hadn't been able to set the boy's path right.
He was too far away from them to hear what Michael said as he took a moment to sit on the picnic table next to his girlfriend, but he saw him smile at something she said when she leaned in to nudge him with her shoulder. He marveled at the changes that had occurred in his grandson since he had found the little boy in the desert so long ago.
River Dog had walked in the desert for hours with no specific destination in mind, propelled on by the insistent feeling that there was a purpose for his seemingly aimless wandering. After his wife's passing several years earlier he had spent a lot of time in the desert, but now that his children were all grown up and his youngest had moved out on her own he spent very little time at home.
Movement in the distance caught his attention and he raised his right hand to block the sun. Heat rose from the sand, distorting his vision and creating mirages that could confuse and trick even the strongest of minds. It was the hottest part of the day and the animals that called it home had taken refuge in burrows and dens to wait for the cooler temperatures that would be brought on by evening.
He started to turn away so he could continue on his original path but before he had fully turned the flash of movement occurred again and he changed direction. The heat from the sand burned his feet even through the soles of his boots and he kept an eye out for a place to take shelter until the sun began its evening descent.
A large outcropping of rocks appeared in front of him as he walked up over a small dune and the promise of a brief respite from the heat caused his stride to lengthen. He walked around to the side that faced the west, knowing that was his best chance of finding some shade. His relief was short-lived though, because despite the promise of shade offered by the rocks, there was evidence that something else had staked a claim on the small cave. Experience told him that regardless of the heat he would be smart to leave the immediate area and avoid startling whatever creature had taken the cave for shelter.
Spotting a much smaller rock formation not far away he made his way to it, shrugging out of the pack he was carrying as he settled down in the small, but adequate, shady spot it provided. He dozed off after a while, tired from his extended walk under the hot sun, waking when it shifted in the sky and its light settled directly over him once more. He was reaching for his pack when he glanced up and saw a naked child run around the outcropping of rocks not far away.
He blinked a couple of times and rubbed his eyes before he shook his head negatively. Obviously, he had been in the sun too long, he thought. He chuckled at the absurdity and got up to walk towards where he had seen the trickery played on him by the sunlight. How long could a child survive out here? In the desert, miles from any form of civilization? It wasn't possible. His gaze lowered to the ground and he stared in disbelief at the little footprints spaced close together in the sand and he frowned as he looked around for their owner.
He followed the footprints around the outcropping of rocks and froze when he was suddenly confronted with the little boy. The little guy was naked, his skin dirty from being outdoors without benefit of a bath in the recent past. His eyes were wide with fear as he stared at the man, his little body frozen in shock. He scrambled backwards and after only a few steps, his back came up against the rocks and he realized he had nowhere to go.
One moment River Dog was reaching out to show the little boy that he wasn't a threat, his voice calmly speaking in an effort to reassure him that he meant no harm, and the next moment he was lying on his back staring at the sky. He had seen the boy's hands as they shot out from his side, and he had barely had time to register the bright light that glowed around them before he had been picked up and tossed several yards away. He sat up and shook his head, certain that the little boy had hurried back to the cave.
He stood and brushed the sand off of his clothes, his expression intrigued as he walked back to his own outcropping of rocks. While it was comforting to know that he wasn't seeing things, the little boy's presence was disturbing. He had known for years that there were others, visitors, who occasionally revealed themselves to a few humans but he had only met one of them and that had been years ago. And Nacedo had been an adult. He wondered how long the boy had been left alone in the desert and what he should do about it. His people didn't run to government agencies or the legal authorities to make their decisions for them; they were a proud people and self-reliant. Not to mention the fact that the government would not look kindly on the discovery of a little alien child.
He pulled an orange out of his pack, absently peeling it before pulling a wedge out and eating it. He glanced down at the fruit and he wondered when the boy had last eaten or had anything to drink. He reached into his pack and pulled out a bottle of water and a tin of cornbread that his daughter-in-law had made for him that morning. He looked in the pack when his hand brushed against something soft and he lifted out the blanket. His calloused flesh caught on the material as his hands ran over the blanket and his gaze grew misty as he stared at it.
It had been a gift from his wife and even though he had denied needing it, she had insisted he take it with him on his walks into the desert. He had scoffed at the thought of needing a blanket despite the cold that permeated the desert at night, but she had merely smiled and placed it in his pack.
Youth was truly wasted on the young, he thought as his gaze traced over the plaid pattern of light and dark blue squares intersected by thin gray lines. No matter how many times he had watched her weave the blankets, he had never understood how she made them so soft. He lifted his head to look at the entrance to the small cave and he thought back over the past few nights, shivering involuntarily at the realization that bare flesh provided no protection against the elements. It had rained two nights ago, he thought with a pang of sympathy for the boy.
For the past week, he had been in this very area but he hadn't once seen the boy and he wondered again how long he had been there. He also wondered how the boy had come to be in the desert, so far away from anyone else. He shook his head, focusing on what he did know for the present time. The little boy had to be hungry. He had no way of knowing how long the boy had been in the desert and he hadn't looked malnourished, but he was probably in need of food and water at the very least.
Certain he was being watched, he checked his pack and pulled out a set of clothes left there after his last camping trip with his grandsons. Picking up his chosen items, he walked over to the outcropping of rocks and selected a nice flat one on the northern side and laid them out where the boy could easily reach them. Once he was finished, he went back and gathered his remaining gear and then moved away, well out of the boy's sight, but still close enough where he could observe him.
Night had fallen by the time the boy emerged from his hiding place, and River Dog smiled as he observed his behavior from his own hiding place. The boy crept along the rocks, obviously listening for anything that might be out of place among the night sounds he had become accustomed to. His eyes scanned the area and the man knew the exact moment that the boy caught the scent of food. He reacted much like a wild animal, reaching for the food before quickly snatching his hand back and scanning the desert again, and River Dog was saddened at the realization that the little boy obviously didn't know how to act any differently.
Little fingers closed around the orange and after sniffing it curiously he bit into it, chewing quickly. Moments later his face screwed up into an expression of dislike and he spit out the bite he had taken. The rest of the orange was thrown away as far as he could throw it, and then his attention was focused on the cornbread. He was cautious this time, sniffing it and then experimentally licking it before he finally took a tentative bite, chewing it slowly. Apparently he liked the cornbread because a moment later, he stuffed a handful of it in his mouth and started to chew furiously.
River Dog watched him as he picked up the bottle of water, surprised by the sloshing sound it made when he shook it. The boy froze and for several long moments he looked around, searching for the source of the sound. When nothing moved or made a sound, his gaze dropped back to the bottle and he shook it again. His small hands pulled and tugged on the blue top that River Dog had loosened before placing it on the rock, and he gave an inarticulate cry when it wouldn't open.
River Dog was interested when the boy suddenly froze and scanned the area once more, realizing that the boy didn't know he had made the sound. His expression was determined as he went back to pulling on the top of the bottle and when it finally opened, he stared at it in amazement. After sniffing at it cautiously, he lifted it to his lips and drank greedily from the opening, unaware or uncaring of the excess water that overflowed from the sides and ran down his face and dripped off of his chin in a steady stream.
He set the empty bottle down and sat still for a few minutes and River Dog watched him as he swayed tiredly shortly thereafter, his little body trembling from the cool air that blew against skin that was now wet from the water. He was concerned when the boy swayed tiredly and his hand shot out to steady himself against the rock. His expression became curious once again when his hand landed on the blanket and he picked it up, petting it as he hugged it close to his body.
River Dog stayed safely hidden as he moved around to watch the boy. He scrambled down off of the rock, the blanket dragging behind him as he walked back to his cave and crawled back under the overhang. He lost sight of the little boy at that point and he wondered if the boy would be all right if he went back to get more supplies. He was torn between leaving the boy for a few hours and sitting there and watching over him to make sure he was safe.
After hours of debating and not hearing a single sound from the vicinity of the cave, he decided that he had to have more food and water for the boy before morning so he hurried to grab his things and make his way back to the place where he had parked his truck. He could always drive in closer once he had stocked up on food and water for a few days at least.
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River Dog had spent several days staying back out of sight, observing the little alien boy without encroaching on his space. The boy had obviously been in the desert long enough to realize that it was smart to stay in the cave during the hottest part of the day. He still hadn't figured out what the clothes were for, improvising by using them to make a pallet of sorts to sleep on.
While the boy hid from the sun during the day, River Dog crept out and placed more food and water on the flat rock, using it as an opportunity to discover what the boy would and wouldn't eat. He always tried whatever was left for him, but if he didn't like it, he didn't eat it. He had devoured every crumb of the cornbread, assuring the man that he wouldn't starve.
He had tried different variations to see if that made a difference, but so far it hadn't. Carrots had been thrown as far away as possible, and the same thing had happened a few days later with a small slice of carrot cake. Although he had noticed that the boy had licked the icing off before throwing the cake away.
Today he was going to try something new. In the morning, he placed himself where the boy couldn't miss seeing him, staying still for many hours as the sun climbed high above them. A little while before the boy normally crept out of the cave to go find his food River Dog stood and brushed his clothes off. He picked his pack up and walked around the rocks to place the food in its normal place, but instead of disappearing, he sat down in the sand about thirty feet away to wait.
It wasn't long before the child he was calling Magnum hurried around the rocks, heading for the food. He froze when he saw the man sitting close by watching him, but after a few moments hunger won out over suspicion and he crept over to the flat rock. The dark eyes never left River Dog as the boy reached blindly for his food and that night he discovered that pears were an acceptable fruit.
For nearly a week they continued with this routine, and each night River Dog moved closer and little by little the boy accepted his presence. He had learned much while observing little Magnum and he knew the boy was going to need a very special family to take him in. His first instinct was to take the boy himself but he knew it would never be allowed; he was older and a widower who made his living crafting walking sticks and other items that were sold by a woman a few towns away. He knew the fact that the boy was White would be a hurdle they would have to deal with; Social Services would probably hand him over to the first available family just so they wouldn't have to deal with him and he had to make sure it was the right one. The boy didn't speak even though on occasion he had heard him make sounds, he wasn't socialized at all and was going to need time to adjust to other humans, and in addition to that there was the hygiene factor – or lack thereof – that was going to have to be dealt with.
A plan began to form in his mind as he watched the boy climb down off of the rock, cornbread held in one grubby hand. He approached River Dog slowly, the dark eyes shining with curiosity. He stopped mere inches from the man and after several minutes of staring him in the eye, he broke off a small corner of the cornbread and held it out.
River Dog accepted the small gift with a smile and remained still while the boy moved around him, occasionally reaching out to touch the man's clothes and petting the material. He crouched down when he came to the pack lying on the ground, poking it cautiously to see what it would do. He frowned when it didn't do anything and his gaze turned inquisitive when River Dog opened it and took something out.
He watched the boy's eyes when he pulled the red ball out of the pack and offered it to him. Since he had already finished the cornbread both hands were free to reach out and grab it. He moved it around between his palms and then studied it before he brought it up to his nose and sniffed it. He gave it an experimental lick and River Dog did his best not to laugh at the look at disgust that crossed his features before he threw the ball on the ground. He stood slowly and went to pick the ball up, rubbing it against his jeans-clad leg to dislodge the sand that was sticking to it where the boy had licked it before throwing it away. Making sure that Magnum was watching him, he bounced the ball against the rocks and caught it when it rebounded in his direction. He repeated the action several times before he tossed the ball to the boy, chuckling when it landed in the sand at his feet and he crouched down to pick it up.
River Dog watched his grandson and smiled at the memories of the wild little boy he had been when he had first discovered Michael in the desert. So much had changed since then and the boy had grown up into a young man his family was proud of. Michael was happy now, confident of his place in his family and in the world, and comfortable with who he was.
Michael had a lot of questions about where he had come from and why he had been left in the desert, and River Dog knew that the boy wouldn't stop looking until he had found the answers. He looked at Maria and knew that his grandson had found someone who was going to play an important role in that search, someone who was going to be beside him in that quest. He looked forward to talking to her and getting to know her better but the opportunity hadn't presented itself yet.