Monologue Of Wigwam
The village was a cluster of wigwams around the shore of lake overlooked on both sides by bluffs. The sun was still hidden below the horizon when we arrived.
I could hear the waves and feel the cold spray from the water as we entered the wigwam. An oil lamp shone on a woman kneeling by the head of a baby boy who laid on a rabbit skin. The baby cried as the woman placed a piece of damp rabbit fur on his forehead.
My father spoke to me in a low voice. “It’s the fever.”
He opened his medicine bag and took out two masks. He handed one to me and motioned for me to put it on. “This will ward off evil spirits.”
He asked the man for a bowl of hot water. He left and quickly returned with the water.
My father placed his hands in the water and I did likewise. …show more content…
“But, my mother is not well. She is in great pain. Can you help her?”
I was tired and wanted to sleep, but my father looked at me. “Bring the water.”
I grabbed the bowl and followed him to another wigwam where an old woman wailed in pain. There is a young woman holding her hand. She looked up and smiled. “Shaman you’re here. Look Mom the shaman is here.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “Can you stop the pain?”
We wash like before. This time Father examined the woman. “Feel her stomach.”
I placed my hands on the women. Her stomach was as hard as stone.
Father shook his head. “Your mother has lived a long life, I’m afraid her journey with us is coming to an end.”
The man held his mother’s hand. “Can’t you do anything?”
Father opened in his medicine bag and took out a jar of brown powder. “I can take away the pain. It’s the best that I can do.”
The man nods.
Father used a flat stick to scoop out some of the power about the size of a kernel of corn and held it to her mount. “Take, eat, you’ll feel better.”
She opened her mouth, he placed the power on her tongue, and she settled back. The morning stopped.
“Do you think the pain is gone?” asked the man.
A tear ran down Father’s cheek. “I know it has.
The man smiled.
I could hear the waves and feel the cold spray from the water as we entered the wigwam. An oil lamp shone on a woman kneeling by the head of a baby boy who laid on a rabbit skin. The baby cried as the woman placed a piece of damp rabbit fur on his forehead.
My father spoke to me in a low voice. “It’s the fever.”
He opened his medicine bag and took out two masks. He handed one to me and motioned for me to put it on. “This will ward off evil spirits.”
He asked the man for a bowl of hot water. He left and quickly returned with the water.
My father placed his hands in the water and I did likewise. …show more content…
“But, my mother is not well. She is in great pain. Can you help her?”
I was tired and wanted to sleep, but my father looked at me. “Bring the water.”
I grabbed the bowl and followed him to another wigwam where an old woman wailed in pain. There is a young woman holding her hand. She looked up and smiled. “Shaman you’re here. Look Mom the shaman is here.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “Can you stop the pain?”
We wash like before. This time Father examined the woman. “Feel her stomach.”
I placed my hands on the women. Her stomach was as hard as stone.
Father shook his head. “Your mother has lived a long life, I’m afraid her journey with us is coming to an end.”
The man held his mother’s hand. “Can’t you do anything?”
Father opened in his medicine bag and took out a jar of brown powder. “I can take away the pain. It’s the best that I can do.”
The man nods.
Father used a flat stick to scoop out some of the power about the size of a kernel of corn and held it to her mount. “Take, eat, you’ll feel better.”
She opened her mouth, he placed the power on her tongue, and she settled back. The morning stopped.
“Do you think the pain is gone?” asked the man.
A tear ran down Father’s cheek. “I know it has.
The man smiled.