Chapter 4
"Cocoum, what are you doing?" Nakoma asked looking curiously up at Cocoum who jumped down from the oak a little muffed at being found out by Nakoma. For as long as he could remember she had always been there beside him, following him.
"Why are you helping that Englishman?" Cocoum demanded of Nakoma who looked to smile fondly as she watched Pocahontas and John embrace tightly.
"That Englishman happens to be in love with Pocahontas and she is in love with him," Nakoma said plainly and Cocoum gave a wry laugh thinking her response naive.
"What do you know of love Nakoma? You are still a child," Cocoum teased her not even looking at her and Nakoma took his face in her small hands and brought his eyes to hers.
"Look at me Cocoum, I am not a child anymore," Nakoma said stepping back and for the first time Cocoum looked at her properly. Nakoma was no longer the child he had left behind. Her body had transformed into that of a young woman, and her eyes showed that she had wisdom far beyond her years.
"Go home Nakoma and leave me alone, I do not need your nagging," Cocoum said turning away ignoring the pain in his chest at her crestfallen expression.
"Well at least I have a home to go to Cocoum, but you, you have a long way to go before our village will accept you and allow you to come home," Nakoma taunted him uncaringly then she turned and strode away leaving Cocoum bristling with rage.
How dare Nakoma tell him he was not welcome in the village! To prove her wrong Cocoum started walking proudly towards the village but when he spotted those familiar longhouses his pace slowed down. Was Nakoma right? Cocoum came to a complete stop and just stared. Suddenly two children came running from the village and Cocoum was reminded of how he and Nakoma had played the same games when they were children.
"Horan, stop running so fast," the little girl obviously the younger of the pair was lagging behind and the young boy turned to tease her fondly.
"Catch up baby," he called and the girl frowned at him clenching her pudgy fists.
"I am not a baby," she called back furiously and the boy laughed and turned only to find Cocoum standing before him, dauntless as ever.
"Cocoum," the little boy said and Cocoum was surprised the boy knew him. The girl had caught up by that time and she peered at Cocoum intently. She was young, maybe six so she would have been three, too much of a child to remember Cocoum, but the boy was at least ten.
"That is not Cocoum, Cocoum is gone away, my mama said so," the girl said sniffing at Cocoum disinterestedly.
"Then he must be a ghost, are you a ghost?" Horan asked curiously and the little girl's face crumpled in fear as she took a step back from Cocoum.
"Stop telling stories or I will tell my mama," the girl said her lip quivering. She believed in ghost stories, Horan had told her so any, it was hard to believe.
"Go be a cry baby then," Horan said and hurt by his dismissal the little girl gave him a shove then danced out of his reach when he sought retaliation.
"I am not a ghost," Cocoum spoke up and the two children glanced at him.
"See Reko, he is not a ghost, wait till I tell the whole village," Horan said excitedly and Cocoum was worried. He didn't want anyone to know he was here, not until he had proven himself.
"No, you must tell no one you saw me."
"But aren't you going to come back to the village?" Horan asked confused and Cocoum looked away.
"Not yet."
"Reko, Horan, when I find you both you are in trouble," an annoyed voice called for the two children and Reko looked petrified.
"Its mama," she said and Horan looked disappointed but nodded.
"We better go," he said as Reko started running down the hill.
"Stop talking to the ghost Horan," Reko called back over her shoulder and giving Cocoum a parting glance Horan raced after his playmate.
"Cocoum, what are you doing?" Nakoma asked looking curiously up at Cocoum who jumped down from the oak a little muffed at being found out by Nakoma. For as long as he could remember she had always been there beside him, following him.
"Why are you helping that Englishman?" Cocoum demanded of Nakoma who looked to smile fondly as she watched Pocahontas and John embrace tightly.
"That Englishman happens to be in love with Pocahontas and she is in love with him," Nakoma said plainly and Cocoum gave a wry laugh thinking her response naive.
"What do you know of love Nakoma? You are still a child," Cocoum teased her not even looking at her and Nakoma took his face in her small hands and brought his eyes to hers.
"Look at me Cocoum, I am not a child anymore," Nakoma said stepping back and for the first time Cocoum looked at her properly. Nakoma was no longer the child he had left behind. Her body had transformed into that of a young woman, and her eyes showed that she had wisdom far beyond her years.
"Go home Nakoma and leave me alone, I do not need your nagging," Cocoum said turning away ignoring the pain in his chest at her crestfallen expression.
"Well at least I have a home to go to Cocoum, but you, you have a long way to go before our village will accept you and allow you to come home," Nakoma taunted him uncaringly then she turned and strode away leaving Cocoum bristling with rage.
How dare Nakoma tell him he was not welcome in the village! To prove her wrong Cocoum started walking proudly towards the village but when he spotted those familiar longhouses his pace slowed down. Was Nakoma right? Cocoum came to a complete stop and just stared. Suddenly two children came running from the village and Cocoum was reminded of how he and Nakoma had played the same games when they were children.
"Horan, stop running so fast," the little girl obviously the younger of the pair was lagging behind and the young boy turned to tease her fondly.
"Catch up baby," he called and the girl frowned at him clenching her pudgy fists.
"I am not a baby," she called back furiously and the boy laughed and turned only to find Cocoum standing before him, dauntless as ever.
"Cocoum," the little boy said and Cocoum was surprised the boy knew him. The girl had caught up by that time and she peered at Cocoum intently. She was young, maybe six so she would have been three, too much of a child to remember Cocoum, but the boy was at least ten.
"That is not Cocoum, Cocoum is gone away, my mama said so," the girl said sniffing at Cocoum disinterestedly.
"Then he must be a ghost, are you a ghost?" Horan asked curiously and the little girl's face crumpled in fear as she took a step back from Cocoum.
"Stop telling stories or I will tell my mama," the girl said her lip quivering. She believed in ghost stories, Horan had told her so any, it was hard to believe.
"Go be a cry baby then," Horan said and hurt by his dismissal the little girl gave him a shove then danced out of his reach when he sought retaliation.
"I am not a ghost," Cocoum spoke up and the two children glanced at him.
"See Reko, he is not a ghost, wait till I tell the whole village," Horan said excitedly and Cocoum was worried. He didn't want anyone to know he was here, not until he had proven himself.
"No, you must tell no one you saw me."
"But aren't you going to come back to the village?" Horan asked confused and Cocoum looked away.
"Not yet."
"Reko, Horan, when I find you both you are in trouble," an annoyed voice called for the two children and Reko looked petrified.
"Its mama," she said and Horan looked disappointed but nodded.
"We better go," he said as Reko started running down the hill.
"Stop talking to the ghost Horan," Reko called back over her shoulder and giving Cocoum a parting glance Horan raced after his playmate.