Reign of the Buffalo: Book 1 Read online

  One day Wilson attempted to remove a large tree from the ground and failed. He felt like he was losing his childhood to a world no one else could see. Frustrated, he sat down and told his grandmother that he was too tired to continue. Sensing Wilson’s struggle with responsibility, Grandma Noya stopped his training for that day. She took him into the house and made him help her prepare dinner. While the two made dinner for the rest of the family, they talked about television shows and which girls he liked in his school. There was no talk of strange beings and superpowers. There was only a grandmother and grandson. Eventually, Wilson addressed his failure in the forest.

  “It’s not fair. I have so many things I want to do. Why do I have to be the one to sacrifice everything for the benefit of the world?”

  Grandma Noya put on her oven mitts and removed the bread from the oven.

  “Responsibility chooses who commands it. It isn’t the other way around. Other than political office, which I think is bullshit, responsibility almost always chooses the person.”

  “I don’t understand. Can’t I just be a boy?”

  “You are a boy today, but inside of you is a man. And only you know when the time is right to release that man. What you’re learning today is like a child seeing a car for the first time. It’s big, and your hands are so small. But one day, you’ll accept those special abilities as the right fit. And when that happens, you’ll be the man you’re supposed to be.”

  Wilson was confused by what Grandma Noya was telling him.

  “Here. Let me make this simple for you. Your powers are eternally attached to your emotions. Always use them in an intellectual capacity. Never use them if you are feeling emotional. If Michael pisses you off one day? You avoid those powers. If your dad grounds you for misbehaving, keep the powers away. One wrong decision could ruin countless lives. But on the other hand, if you see an immediate threat to you and your family that warrants a response using the weapons you possess, then use it. Just remember, use your brain, not your emotions.”

  Wilson shook his head. He battled insomnia for a few nights before he finally understood what his grandmother was saying to him. When he did, he got the most peaceful sleep he’d ever had in his life.

  For Wilson’s next lesson, Grandma Noya took the boys to a nearby creek. After taking off her shoes and walking onto the slippery rocks, Grandma Noya filled a plastic bucket with mud and water. She brought it back to the boys and dumped it at Wilson’s feet.

  “Build something for me.”

  Wilson didn’t understand what Grandma Noya meant and just stared at her with a confused look on his face. Michael was more literal in his understanding and fell to his knees to attempt to build something out of the mess his grandmother had given them.

  “Get up, boy! This lesson isn’t for you,” Grandma Noya laughed. “This is for Wilson.”

  Wilson fell to his knees. Grandma Noya instantly stopped him.

  “Goodness! Am I training a bunch of babies? Use your mind.”

  Wilson stood and looked at the pile of mud and water.

  “Close your eyes. Now tap your eyelid and keep your eyes closed.”

  Wilson tapped his eyelid.

  “Now take your index finger and press down gently against your eyelid.”

  Wilson followed his Grandmother’s instructions and pressed against his eyelid.

  “Now, think of the kind of dog you want while continuing to press your eyelid.”

  Suddenly the mud started to swirl and bubble.

  “Whoa!” yelled Michael. “You’re doing it, bro!”

  Soon Wilson shaped the mud into the form of a dog. Wilson continued to picture the dog in his mind. Soon, he heard two gurgled “yaps,” and the miniature dog started running along the edge of the creek. Grandma Noya smiled.

  “You’re much stronger than your Great Grandmother.”

  Wilson opened his eyes and watched as the dog made of mud ran along the edge of the water. Suddenly it slipped and fell into the creek and melted away.

  “Aw man, why’d you do that?” asked Michael.

  “I didn’t do anything. It did it by itself,” replied Wilson.

  Grandma Noya walked to the spot where the dog had melted away and put her toes in the water.

  “You can make any creature your mind wants, but it won’t last long. You’re only supposed to use it as a diversionary tactic. You use it to get away from a dangerous situation or to hide. Nothing more.”

  “So, the creature isn’t real?” asked Michael.

  “No. It doesn’t even have bones.”

  “It’s still freaking cool, bro.”

  The next day Uncle Charlie taught the boys how to administer first aid and which plants in the forest were best for healing different ailments. On another day, Grandma Noya performed the Elawatalegi ceremony – a thanksgiving to the spirits for the abundance of crops. She took the boys and their uncle out to a stream at the edge of the forest. Once there, she painted their bodies and built a raging fire. For four consecutive days, they sat around the fire, giving thanks to the spirits for life and their continued survival in preparation for the approaching rough winter. Wilson and Michael hardly understood all the strange words spoken, yet they were respectful and tried to put what they were witnessing to memory. After the fourth day of the ceremony, the boys were so tired they went to Nana Ama’s house and went to sleep without thinking about the hell in her backyard. Grandma Noya didn’t wake them, and they almost slept for two days.

  When Wilson and Michael rose from their slumber, they went to Grandma Noya’s house expecting new lessons. Instead, what they found was their overweight uncle sitting in the living room with his jeans unzipped and a six-pack of beer cooling his testicles.

  “No lessons today, boys. Your Grandma needs to go to town to sell a couple of the porkers.”

  “Is she gone?” asked Michael.

  “No. Your grandmother is out back, getting them ready.”

  “Why aren’t you helping her?” asked Wilson.

  “What? I’m not missing the game today. You guys have taken enough of my time as it is. I need my time.”

  Michael shook his head.

  “You’re fucking lazy, dude.”

  Charlie looked at the two boys, smiled, and let out a disgusting burp.

  “Fuck you too,” replied Wilson as he stormed out of the house.

  The boys found their grandmother standing on the wooden fence surrounding the pigpen poking at the animals with a stick. She saw the boys approaching and smiled.

  “Are you boys rested now?”

  “Yes,” they both replied.

  “Good. Mr. Harris will be here with his truck in a few minutes. I’m going to need you boys to…”

  Grandma Noya froze and whipped her head around in the direction of Nana Ama’s house. Both the boys turned to look across the road.

  “What is it, Grandma?” asked Wilson. But the woman didn’t respond. Instead, she stayed frozen, looking in the direction of the house. Suddenly she dropped the stick she was holding and took off running.

  “Chaaaarlie!” she screamed. Michael looked at Wilson, terrified. The two boys took off running behind their grandmother.

  “Chaaaarlie!” their grandmother continued. Charlie stuck his head out the front door and looked at his mother.

  “Get your brother on the phone! Tell him to come now! Save the babies!”

  Wilson and Michael looked at their uncle and became even more terrified. They had never seen the man look so afraid. Once inside, Grandma Noya grabbed both Michael and Wilson by the arms and took them into her bedroom.

  “You two stay here. Don’t leave unless you have to go to the bathroom. Otherwise, don’t leave this room. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes, Grandma,” they both responded.

  As soon as Grandma Noya left the room, Michael moved closer to his brother.

  “Is it happening now?”

  “Yeah, I think so. Why else would Grandma behave so crazy?”


  “I’m worried about mom. Do you think Dad will contact her before it’s too late?”

  “I don’t know, Michael.”

  “Is Grandma going to come with us?”

  Wilson knew the answer, but he didn’t want to tell his brother. Grandma Noya’s statement about death said to him that she planned to stay where she was until the end.

  The boys stayed in Grandma Noya’s bedroom for hours, only leaving to use the bathroom across the hall. When they used the restroom, they lingered in the hallway, hoping to capture some information. They could hear their grandmother speaking to their uncle in the other room, but she spoke in her native language, and Wilson didn’t understand what was said. Finally, they gave up and fell asleep in the bedroom.

  The next day Grandma Noya came into the bedroom and woke the boys before dawn.

  “Get your clothes on. Your father is here.”

  Michael sprung out of bed.

  “Is mom here too?”

  “No.”

  “Why didn’t she come?”

  “She’s working, I suppose. Your father will tell you more when you’re on the road.”

  “You’re not coming?”

  “No. I have to go to town to sell those pigs today.”

  Wilson went to his grandmother and hugged her.

  “Is this the last time we’re going to see you?”

  A tear dropped from Grandma Noya’s eye, and she kissed Wilson on the cheek.

  “Only for a little while. You’ll see me again. You can be certain of that. Don’t fret, okay?”

  Michael ran over and joined the hug.

  “You should come with us.”

  “Don’t worry about me. Your Uncle Charlie will look after me just fine. Now, come on. We have to get some scrambled eggs in you before you get on that road.”

  Grandma Noya left the room, and the two boys cast worried looks at one another. Finally, Michael spoke.

  “Grandma Noya’s going to die, isn’t she?”

  Wilson lowered his head and walked out of the bedroom.

  “Hey there, boys,” said Dustin. “It looks like you boys have gotten nice and tanned on this trip.”

  “Where’s mom,” asked Michael, ignoring his father’s comment.

  “She’s home. Where do you think she is? She never comes to pick you boys up. What’s wrong with you?”

  “The two of you aren’t getting a divorce?”

  Dustin shot a worried look at Grandma Noya and then turned towards the bags sitting next to the front door.

  “Come on and help me load your bags into the car. We only have a little bit of time to eat breakfast if we’re going to make it out of here before the roads get cluttered.”

  Once again, Michael ignored his father.

  “I think Grandma Noya is worried. She thinks the barrier is going to break soon.”

  Wilson interrupted his brother and tried to lessen his little brother’s blunder.

  “But…we’ve been safe. I haven’t seen anything strange. Have you?”

  “No. But you know how the elders are. Grandma Noya can sense stuff.”

  Grandmother Noya ignored the conversation between the boys and walked into the kitchen. Wilson walked out onto the porch and looked at Nana Ama’s house. The old structure looked as spooky as it ever did, but there were no noticeable changes that Wilson could detect. He closed his eyes to see if he could feel something – a change that would let him know of an escalation. But he could sense nothing. Wilson’s father walked out of the house and stood behind him.

  “You ready to get back to the city?” he asked.

  “I could tell you were lying when Michael asked about mom. Where is she?” Wilson asked. Dustin took a deep breath and spoke.

  “I don’t know where she is.”

  “Did she leave for good?”

  “I don’t know. I just came home from work one day, and she was gone. Her clothes are still in the house, so I’m assuming she just needed a few days.”

  Wilson paused for a few moments and then blurted it out.

  “I’m glad she’s gone. She didn’t want to be here, and I’m not sad that she’s not.”

  Dustin took another deep breath.

  “Yeah, you have Grandma Noya’s personality in you for sure.”

  Seconds later, Michael came out of the house.

  “What are you guys talking about?” asked Michael.

  “Nothing much. You ready?” asked Dustin.

  “If I said no, we’d still have to go. So, what’s the point?”

  Dustin roughed up his son’s hair.

  “Grab that last bag.”

  After loading everything in the car, Wilson’s father went to Grandma Noya and embraced her.

  “Don’t be afraid,” she said. “I’ve prepared you for this moment. I just wish I had more time with them.”

  “Me too, Mom. Take care of yourself. Safe journey.”

  Charlie walked out onto the porch and embraced Dustin.

  “Take care, big bro. Don’t worry. I’ll look after mom.”

  Dustin smiled and smacked his brother’s belly.

  “You’re a good brother, Charlie. See you on the other side.”

  Wilson and Michael looked nervously at one another. Together they ran to Grandma Noya and hugged her.

  “We had fun this summer, right?” she asked.

  “Yeah, but we’re leaving early,” said Michael.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of summers together.”

  “Really? You promise?”

  “I promise. Get in the car and put your seatbelts on.”

  Michael ran to the car, but Wilson lingered.

  “Explain to him. He won’t understand,” whispered Grandma Noya.

  “I will,” replied Wilson.

  “You have such a strong spirit. It will be your responsibility to protect the family. Don’t worry about your uncle and me. We’ll be fine.”

  Wilson kissed his Grandmother and walked to the car. After he climbed in and fastened his seatbelt, Dustin started the car and pulled away from the house. The boys continued watching their grandmother standing in the yard until she disappeared.

  Chapter 20: A Father and His Sons

  “Being here without mom is weird,” exclaimed Michael as he poured himself a cup of orange juice. The comment caused Dustin to look up from his newspaper briefly. After realizing that the conversation was one he didn’t want to have, he returned to reading the news.

  “I mean, we’re going to school in a couple of weeks, and we still haven’t been shopping for school clothes,” continued Michael. Wilson let out a sigh of frustration. Sometimes his brother liked to start fights and now was not the time. Frustrated, Dustin laid his newspaper on the dining room table and spoke.

  “Is that what this is about, school clothes?”

  “Yeah. I mean, I don’t know. It just feels weird without mom here.”

  “So, what do you want me to do? Chase her down?”

  “Shouldn’t we? She probably has no idea of what’s coming. Shouldn’t we at least try to get word to her?”

  Wilson stood up and tossed his cereal bowl into the sink.

  “Do you always have to be such a prick?”

  “Screw you, Wilson! I’m not allowed to be worried about my mom?”

  “Why don’t you try thinking of someone other than yourself?”

  “I am. Why do you think I want to find our mother?”

  “Did it ever occur to you that maybe she doesn’t want to be found? Women don’t just leave their families to go fuck other men!”

  Wilson’s eyes widened, and his face became warm. He didn’t mean to speak so harshly in the presence of his father. But maybe honesty is what his little brother needed to get his mind right. His mother was gone, and she wasn’t coming back.

  “Look. You boys have to find a way to make peace with your mom’s decisions. It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t my fault. Some people don’t like the family life.”

  Mich
ael’s eyes became watery. With his fists clenched, he yelled at his father.

  “Why didn’t you try harder? She could’ve stayed if you didn’t argue with her so much!”

  Michael put his hands over his face and started sobbing. Wilson moved to comfort his brother, but Dustin shook his head.

  “Do not comfort him, Wilson. Michael needs to come to terms with his mother’s decision.”

  Dustin stood up from the table and took his empty glass to the sink.

  “When you finish crying, you need to wash these dishes. Starting today, we will take turns at keeping the house clean.”

  Dustin grabbed his briefcase and walked to the front door.

  “I should be home by six or so. Don’t let anyone in. Call my cell if you two need something.”

  As soon as their father closed the door, Wilson exploded.

  “Damn, Michael! Why do you have to be such a baby?”

  “Shut up!”

  “You shut up! Dad is hurting worse than us! Can’t you see that?”

  “You’re only saying that because you’re closer to Dad than Mom. He always liked you more.”

  “How does that help us now? Is that going to bring Mom back?”

  “Fuck you, Wilson.”

  Michael walked to the closet and grabbed his jacket.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to the mall.”

  “But Dad told us to stay inside.”

  “You can stay where you want, but I’m tired of being stuck indoors.”

  Wilson moved in front of the door.

  “Put your jacket back in the closet.”

  “You’re not the boss of me. I can do what I want.”

  Wilson waved his fist in Michael’s face.

  “Don’t make me knock you out.”

  “Do it. I dare you!”

  Wilson smacked Michael across the face. As he fell backward, Michael wrapped Wilson’s head in a headlock. The two boys tumbled to the floor.

  “You don’t tell me what to do!” grunted Michael. Wilson struggled to free himself, but Michael’s grip was too firm. Frustrated, he punched him in the belly with his fist repeatedly. He heard the air rush out of Michael’s mouth, but the boy maintained his firm grip on Wilson’s head.