How I Became Apache

I heard the shouts and screams of the women and children and the hooves of horses as the savages came closer. I’d been having a simple meal with my father and younger brother, although it was small because food was so scarce. My father stood to his feet in a hurry and ran to the draws, revealing his gun. “Stay here! Do not leave!” he shouted at us as he ran out the door to defend our small farmer and cattle village. My brother would not listen and screamed for my father, running after him out the door.

“William! No!” I screeched and tried to grab for him but he was gone and out the door. He’d slammed the door in his urgency to get me away and it was now slightly jammed, I pulled on it but it wouldn’t budge. Suddenly the door was kicked open and I was slammed to the floor with the force. I gasped and looked up at the culprit – Jose – a soldier who was staying here for a while.

“Run Louise! Take you’re brother and escape to safety. Follow the other women who flee and the men shall come when all is over.” He shouted and hauled me back to my feet. He pushed me out the door and I fell into the dusty ground with the power. I heard a loud crack of the gun behind me from where Jose had taken aim on a red-face’s horse. The horse stumbled and fell to the floor, its rider trapped under it for a moment. I looked at the Indian – he did not have a red face as my people suggested but more… brown? His clothes were obviously crafted from the buffalo hide and were decorated with beads and his own body was decorated with necklaces, paints and feathers too. He’d picked himself up in an instant and was fighting on foot without fear. Compared to my people these men seemed valiant, my people were fleeing in all directions, screaming, crying, and shouting while the Indians stood their ground.

I spotted my brother across the chaos; he was fighting against a red-face who had his arm. Fury built inside of me and I ran towards them. I didn’t get there in time, I was too late. It was not an arrow that made my brother’s body fall lifeless, it was not a spear that pierced his chest… no… it was a bullet. A bullet from a soldier’s gun.

I collapsed at the feet of the horse where the Indian had hold of my brother, tears streaming down my face at the sight of him, he whose life-giving liquid was seeping from the small hole. I pulled on my brother’s arm, the red-face as shocked as I. He passed the limp body down into my arms and I cradled it, looking through my watered eyes I saw my father running into the bushes like a coward. He was tripped in his haste crashed his head on the hard ground.

My brother’s body still felt normal – warm, supple – but I felt no energy within him. The only things left in my life that kept me alive, I’d been deprived of, and now I felt empty. I stood, after kissing my brother’s cheek and for a second I thought I’d seen his eyes flicker, but no, as much as I wanted it to be real I knew my mind and eyes were playing tricks on me.
I heard horse hooves behind me and I was lifted onto a horse - a very tall horse. My body was pulled against that of one of the Indians. Of course I struggled but I was too weak from the despair that I couldn’t fight for long. I felt him relax once I had and he made his horse turn around, to the where they had come from. I looked at the other bodies that now were lifeless, men, women, boys, girls, babes… my people, the Savages. Each side had losses although my people had greater.

The man whose warm body was strangely giving me comfort pulled on the reins of the horse and it stopped obediently. He met with more of these warriors and they started to talk their native tongue – I knew they were talking about me from the amount of looks I was getting from the distorted circle although what about me I wasn’t sure. They all agreed with a nod of the head and one came up to me. He spoke my tongue; I was astounded he took the time to learn our language when we were supposed to me enemies and how he’d learnt it so well.

“Would you like to go back to your people?” he asked his voice strong and deep. I contemplated for a while.
“I have nothing to go back to…” I finally settled upon as an answer, cringing at my shaking voice, from there he could make his own decisions.
“Would you like to become an Apache?” I watched him cautiously but then nodded, even though I had not intellect on what an 'Apache' was. He smiled kindly. “We are now your brothers, and you our sister - we are of a family… if the council at the camp agree to this you shall join a couple as their child.” I nodded once, studying his face. He was old and yet still so strong and brave – I could see he would cower to no one. We set off to the horizon to where my new home would be – where I could start a new life.

“Cheveyo…” the man behind me whispered in my ear and then pointed over to the younger next to him “…Hototo.” I nodded and repeated their names. He chuckled and smiled. “You?” he pronounced it funny but at least he was trying.
“Give me a name.” We took off into the horizon, to the place where I shall learn to take my revenge. The one who spoke my language translated it for Cheveyo.
“Yamka?” He asked after a great amount of thought.
“It mean blossom…” the old man said slowly. I finally looked up at the man behind me on the horse and smiled, he was very handsome and little did I know but he would become a very good friend to me along with Hototo and the old man. Although I’d gain a lot, I still had much to loose on my new trail I’d taken in life for you always have to loose something on the way.