Chapter 9
Nakoma sat John down on a flat stone near the lake. It was dusk and all the villagers were back inside their huts beginning dinner. No one would disturb the two of them and Nakoma was glad, she had much to tell him.
"Why Nakoma? Please just tell me why," John pleaded and Nakoma knelt before him and touched the tears on his face gently.
"I could tell you the solution to the problem but you would only go and tell Pocahontas and the Dream Giver will not allow that," Nakoma told him what she knew was true and John didn't argue knowing she was right.
"Please Nakoma, tell me," John whispered in a tortured voice and Nakoma looked at the ground wanting to tell him.
"What are we doing right now John?" Nakoma asked him and John frowned at the question.
"We are talking," John said simply and Nakoma gave a small smile.
"Yes but what else?" she prompted him and John shrugged.
"I don't know."
"We are realizing that sometimes we cannot control everything, particularly our destiny," Nakoma reasoned with him then she added, "this is our lesson that we both must learn, Cocoum and Pocahontas have yet another lesson they are to learn."
"I hate destiny," John said roughly and Nakoma sighed. If she could make John think then it wouldn't really be telling him.
"John listen to me, what do the great men of your people do when they need to find a solution to a problem?" Nakoma asked and again John was confused but answered.
"They have a meeting with the heads of all the states and discuss solutions," John said and then he froze realizing what Nakoma was saying.
"Yes they do," Nakoma agreed with him and John took her by the shoulders and kissed her forehead.
"Nakoma that's it...we must form a council for your people, surely more minds think better than two," John stood up ready to run to the longhouse and tell Pocahontas but Nakoma grabbed hold of his hand pulling him back down.
"John they must work that out on their own," Nakoma said shaking her head and John stared at her as though she were mad.
"But what if they don't?" John asked and Nakoma looked away not wanting to think of that instance.
"Then..." Nakoma let the words roll of her tongue as she watched Cocoum stride from the longhouse in a foul mood and John bowed his head.
"I will not let it end like this!" John swore adamantly pulling away from Nakoma and going to find Pocahontas. When he left Nakoma smiled. He would not tell Pocahontas, he was a man of honor, but he would do his best to guide her and that was what the Dream Giver had planned for John in this life, to advise Pocahontas as Nakoma did Cocoum. Nakoma walked slowly in the direction of where Cocoum had gone and found herself pulled into the shadows.
"What game are you playing Nakoma?"
"Its a game called destiny."
"I don't want destiny, I only want you, I always have," Nakoma tried so hard to harden her heart against him when he said this but she couldn't resist it anymore and threw herself into his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. Cocoum was unprepared for the outpouring of emotion and stood there stiffly before wrapping his arms around her.
"Nakoma, let us leave, let us run away," Cocoum, begged her and Nakoma pulled away disappointed in him.
"That may be your solution but it is not mine, think Cocoum, how many wise men and women are in this village? What are their opinions worth to you?" Nakoma questioned him and Cocoum shrugged.
"Nothing compared to you."
"Cocoum for once think with your head, I am trying to save you, I am trying to save us," Nakoma begged him and Cocoum sighed joining her guessing game.
"Very well, their opinions are revered among our people," Cocoum said and as soon as he said the words his brain started working overtime.
"So why do you not get their opinions on this situation?" Nakoma prompted and Cocoum smiled. "A meeting of our most wisest, Nakoma, I understand," he said then pulled on her and.
"Come sit with me," he invited and Nakoma did as she was told.
"Everything will be fine Cocoum, for I have seen the outcome of this path," Nakoma assured him and Cocoum kept hold of her hand not willing to let it go. Together they sat in silence, waiting for the day.
Deep in thought, Pocahontas sat in her father's hut until she saw the sun sink low in the sky.
"My daughter, get some rest," Powhatan said as he walked back into his longhouse.
"I want to see John first," Pocahontas replied and got up from the floor mat. Powhatan watched her go shaking his head; she had always been so stubborn. Pocahontas walked outside, and glanced around for John. When she couldn't see him she went looking for Nakoma and Cocoum.
"Have you seen John?"
Pocahontas inquired of Nakoma and Cocoum who were still by the river. Cocoum seemed to clam up and Nakoma nudged him to speak and he glared at Nakoma but gave in.
"He's back at Jamestown," Cocoum replied.
"Thank you," Pocahontas retorted over politely bowing to Cocoum who turned away and Nakoma was shaking her head wondering when the two were going to grow up.
Running quickly, Pocahontas went to Jamestown and to the house where she knew John would be staying, for he had told her when they had first talked together. Pocahontas raised her hand to rap on the wooden door but she stopped when she heard voices.
"I can't lose her again Thomas," she heard John say.
"Come on John, you don't actually believe in all this dream giver stuff, do you?"
"Thomas, I saw it with my own eyes; besides, Pocahontas does and I love and respect her and her culture. That's why I knew Rolfe was not the one for her. But when I heard that just weeks before her wedding to him that she had changed her mind...."
John cut himself off, "I'm not going to tell her what to do; but, if I lose her..."
"You'll find a bottle and a whore to keep you company," another man said, cutting in on the two men's conversation.
"John, don't listen to him, don't be foolish," Thomas said sternly as John lowered his fist from striking the man for his blatant disrespect for the Indian culture and their ways.
Pocahontas turned her back on the door and ran, not wanting John and the others to know she had been listening in. She ran back towards the longhouse she shared with Nakoma trying not to let tears of self-pity fall from her eyes. As she past the cornfield she stopped when she saw movement among the stalks, two figures moving in the moonlight.
Nakoma sat John down on a flat stone near the lake. It was dusk and all the villagers were back inside their huts beginning dinner. No one would disturb the two of them and Nakoma was glad, she had much to tell him.
"Why Nakoma? Please just tell me why," John pleaded and Nakoma knelt before him and touched the tears on his face gently.
"I could tell you the solution to the problem but you would only go and tell Pocahontas and the Dream Giver will not allow that," Nakoma told him what she knew was true and John didn't argue knowing she was right.
"Please Nakoma, tell me," John whispered in a tortured voice and Nakoma looked at the ground wanting to tell him.
"What are we doing right now John?" Nakoma asked him and John frowned at the question.
"We are talking," John said simply and Nakoma gave a small smile.
"Yes but what else?" she prompted him and John shrugged.
"I don't know."
"We are realizing that sometimes we cannot control everything, particularly our destiny," Nakoma reasoned with him then she added, "this is our lesson that we both must learn, Cocoum and Pocahontas have yet another lesson they are to learn."
"I hate destiny," John said roughly and Nakoma sighed. If she could make John think then it wouldn't really be telling him.
"John listen to me, what do the great men of your people do when they need to find a solution to a problem?" Nakoma asked and again John was confused but answered.
"They have a meeting with the heads of all the states and discuss solutions," John said and then he froze realizing what Nakoma was saying.
"Yes they do," Nakoma agreed with him and John took her by the shoulders and kissed her forehead.
"Nakoma that's it...we must form a council for your people, surely more minds think better than two," John stood up ready to run to the longhouse and tell Pocahontas but Nakoma grabbed hold of his hand pulling him back down.
"John they must work that out on their own," Nakoma said shaking her head and John stared at her as though she were mad.
"But what if they don't?" John asked and Nakoma looked away not wanting to think of that instance.
"Then..." Nakoma let the words roll of her tongue as she watched Cocoum stride from the longhouse in a foul mood and John bowed his head.
"I will not let it end like this!" John swore adamantly pulling away from Nakoma and going to find Pocahontas. When he left Nakoma smiled. He would not tell Pocahontas, he was a man of honor, but he would do his best to guide her and that was what the Dream Giver had planned for John in this life, to advise Pocahontas as Nakoma did Cocoum. Nakoma walked slowly in the direction of where Cocoum had gone and found herself pulled into the shadows.
"What game are you playing Nakoma?"
"Its a game called destiny."
"I don't want destiny, I only want you, I always have," Nakoma tried so hard to harden her heart against him when he said this but she couldn't resist it anymore and threw herself into his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. Cocoum was unprepared for the outpouring of emotion and stood there stiffly before wrapping his arms around her.
"Nakoma, let us leave, let us run away," Cocoum, begged her and Nakoma pulled away disappointed in him.
"That may be your solution but it is not mine, think Cocoum, how many wise men and women are in this village? What are their opinions worth to you?" Nakoma questioned him and Cocoum shrugged.
"Nothing compared to you."
"Cocoum for once think with your head, I am trying to save you, I am trying to save us," Nakoma begged him and Cocoum sighed joining her guessing game.
"Very well, their opinions are revered among our people," Cocoum said and as soon as he said the words his brain started working overtime.
"So why do you not get their opinions on this situation?" Nakoma prompted and Cocoum smiled. "A meeting of our most wisest, Nakoma, I understand," he said then pulled on her and.
"Come sit with me," he invited and Nakoma did as she was told.
"Everything will be fine Cocoum, for I have seen the outcome of this path," Nakoma assured him and Cocoum kept hold of her hand not willing to let it go. Together they sat in silence, waiting for the day.
Deep in thought, Pocahontas sat in her father's hut until she saw the sun sink low in the sky.
"My daughter, get some rest," Powhatan said as he walked back into his longhouse.
"I want to see John first," Pocahontas replied and got up from the floor mat. Powhatan watched her go shaking his head; she had always been so stubborn. Pocahontas walked outside, and glanced around for John. When she couldn't see him she went looking for Nakoma and Cocoum.
"Have you seen John?"
Pocahontas inquired of Nakoma and Cocoum who were still by the river. Cocoum seemed to clam up and Nakoma nudged him to speak and he glared at Nakoma but gave in.
"He's back at Jamestown," Cocoum replied.
"Thank you," Pocahontas retorted over politely bowing to Cocoum who turned away and Nakoma was shaking her head wondering when the two were going to grow up.
Running quickly, Pocahontas went to Jamestown and to the house where she knew John would be staying, for he had told her when they had first talked together. Pocahontas raised her hand to rap on the wooden door but she stopped when she heard voices.
"I can't lose her again Thomas," she heard John say.
"Come on John, you don't actually believe in all this dream giver stuff, do you?"
"Thomas, I saw it with my own eyes; besides, Pocahontas does and I love and respect her and her culture. That's why I knew Rolfe was not the one for her. But when I heard that just weeks before her wedding to him that she had changed her mind...."
John cut himself off, "I'm not going to tell her what to do; but, if I lose her..."
"You'll find a bottle and a whore to keep you company," another man said, cutting in on the two men's conversation.
"John, don't listen to him, don't be foolish," Thomas said sternly as John lowered his fist from striking the man for his blatant disrespect for the Indian culture and their ways.
Pocahontas turned her back on the door and ran, not wanting John and the others to know she had been listening in. She ran back towards the longhouse she shared with Nakoma trying not to let tears of self-pity fall from her eyes. As she past the cornfield she stopped when she saw movement among the stalks, two figures moving in the moonlight.