Our meeting with the people from Los Alamos and N.A.S.A. went well even though I threw Dr. Clark from N.A.S.A. for a loop when I told him that the project he wants us to do is for the Skylab. Which it is.

Then Dr. Joe threw me a curve when he told me there are going to be two assistant deans added to the Engineering College’s staff, and he might be one of them.

Last Thursday, someone followed me home, which made me feel uncomfortable; it turned out to be Mrs. Biakeddy & Mrs. Deschinny of the Navajo Children and Family Services. They were coming for an unannounced visitation. And they were happy with everything that they saw and heard with the twins.

I had picked up the pictures that we’d dropped off at the camera shop in downtown Albuquerque. The pictures turned out really nice. And they’re going to make the two enlargements for me.

We did something different with the twins because I wanted to meditate. After a walk, we took them into the hogan and set them in their cradleboards, where they could watch what we did. Ajie and I meditated, and when we finished, the twins were asleep. Ajie took some pictures and thinks that she got some cute photos of the twins asleep in their cradleboards.

When I went to pick up the enlargements of the photos that I wanted for my dissertation, I found a new store. A record store. I came home, along with the pictures, with a few albums.

And now, my dissertation is in the Grad School mill. And Dr. Joe and I discussed the upcoming defense of my dissertation.

On Monday morning, I left the office after talking with Dr. Joe and just barely made my class as the nine o’clock bell rang. As I walked up onto the stage, I looked at my class and said, “Sorry that I was almost late. I had a meeting with my proctor on the dissertation for my doctoral.”

“Miss Nez?”, one of my students said.

“Yes?”, I replied.

“When you have your doctoral, will we have to call you Dr. Nez or Professor Nez?”

“My cousin, who just earned her doctoral, answered that question very well, and I’ll tell you the same thing. You can call me Dr. Nez, or Professor Nez, or Miss Nez. Even though I may have a doctoral degree, I’m still the same person. But you probably should call me Dr. Nez. At least around the university.

“And let’s wait for all of this to happen until we’re sure that I earn my doctoral. If I do.”

“Miss Nez, you are one hell of an instructor.”, someone else said. “You won’t have a problem.”

“It takes a lot more than just being a good instructor.”

“We’ve also heard that you’re one heck of a researcher too.”, someone else said.

“We’ll see what happens.”, I replied. Then I went on to teach my class.

I taught my ten o’clock class then headed to the office. As I walked in, Dr. Joe looked up and said, “The things from N.A.S.A. are here.”

I looked around, didn’t see anything, and asked, “Where?”

“In the Dean’s office. I thought that we’d go down together and pick it up.”

“Good. I have a check for Sara for the typing she did.”

“And I took your dissertation to the Grad School.”

“Well, there’s no turning back now.”, I said.

“Why would you turn back?”, Dr. Joe asked.

“All the pomp and ceremony that I’ll have to go through.”

“You only have to go through that once.”

“But then I’ll have to attend all of the spring graduations in the doctoral regalia.”

“Kai, it’s only one day a year.”

“Two. Practice.”

“Practice isn’t that long.”, Dr. Joe said. “And you don’t wear the regalia for that.

“I guess.”, I replied.

“Look. You’re going to be my first hooding, and I’m going to enjoy it. And since it’s winter graduation, you and Ajie may be the only doctoral candidates. Plus, someday, you may have the honor of hooding a doctoral candidate.”

“You’re right. Being with Ajie, if I am, will make it fun. Just like when we graduated from Ohio State together.”

“If? There’s no if to this.”

“We’ll see.”

“Come on, let's see what N.A.S.A. sent us.”

I took an envelope out of my purse, and Dr. Joe and I walked down to the Dean’s office. As we walked into the office, Sara was at her desk, so I handed the envelope to her and said, “Here’s something for you, Sara.”

“What’s this?”, Sara asked.

“What I owe you for typing my dissertation.”

“Oh. Thanks, Kai.”

Sara opened the envelope and looked at the check. Then she looked at me and said, “Kai, this is too much.”

“I rounded it up.”

“You more than rounded it up.”

“Sara, your work was outstanding. Use it to go out to dinner.”

“Thank you, Kai.”

Then Dr. Joe asked, “Sara, is the Dean in?”

“Yes.”, Sara said. “He said to tell you to go right on back when you got here. He’s nervous about having that case in his office.”

“It’s no big deal.”

We walked back to the Dean’s office, and Dr. Joe knocked. We heard a “Come.” from the Dean.

Dr. Joe opened the door for us, and we walked in. Dean Rutherford looked at us and said, “Good. Will you two please get this damn case out of my office.”

“What’s wrong, Dean?”, I asked.

“It makes me nervous having that case in here.”

“Why? It’s not going to blow up.”

“It has secret things in it. And I signed for it.”

“We’ll take it off your hands.”

The Dean picked up the metal briefcase and handed it to me. I took it and said, “Now, it’s out of your office.”

“It will be when you leave.”, the Dean said.

I looked at Dr. Joe and said, “Is he hinting that we should leave?”

“I think so.”, Dr. Joe said.

“No, I’m not.”, the Dean said. “But, I do have a meeting in a few minutes.”

As Dr. Joe and I headed for the door, the Dean asked, “By the way, Dr. Oshie. Is Miss Nez’s dissertation at the Grad School?”

“Yes, Sir. Just this morning.”, Dr. Joe replied.

“Good.”

Dr. Joe and I headed back to the office. When we were there, I set the case on the work table and went to open it. But it was locked. I looked at Dr. Joe and said, “It’s locked.”

“Are you sure?”, Dr. Joe asked.”

“Yes, try it and see.”

Dr. Joe tried it, and it was locked. So I said, “Let me call Dr. Fontheim and see what’s going on.”

I walked over to the desk, found the number for Los Alamos, called it, and finally got through to Dr. Fontheim. He told me that we should have gotten a letter directly from N.A.S.A., and I told him that we hadn’t. While I was on hold, Dr. Fontheim called Dr. Clark at N.A.S.A. When Dr. Fontheim came back on the line, he gave me the combination. I thanked him, hung up, and went over and opened the case.

As Dr. Joe and I started going through the contents of the case, the phone rang. Dr. Joe answered it, “Hello Dr. Oshie and Miss Nez’s office. This is Dr. Oshie.” … “Yes, Sara, a certified letter that requires a signature. Who’s signature?” … “Either of us. Okay, I’ll be right down.”

As Dr. Joe walked out of the door, I reminded him to lock the door, and he did. I kept looking through everything that was in the briefcase, a full technical write up of what was wanted. That’ll be heavy reading. And there were five sensors of some kind and seven displays.

Dr. Joe was back quickly with the letter. As he walked in, I asked, “Who’s it from?”

“The return address is just a mail drop at a post office box in Houston, Texas.”, Dr. Joe said.

“Open it.”

Dr. Joe opened the envelope, took out the letter, and said, “It’s nothing but a string of numbers.”

“What are they?”

“Seven-two-nine-zero-eight-five.”

“That’s the combination to the case.”

“The case beat the envelope.”

“Yep.”

I went on to tell Dr. Joe what I’d found as I went through the case. Then he said, “I’ve got a class to teach, so I’ll let you read the documentation first.”

“Okay.”, I replied. “I’m going to run over to the Student Union, grab a sandwich and something to drink.”

“Okay. I’ll walk out with you.”

I went, got lunch, then went back to the office, and started reading while I ate. By four-thirty, I had enough information to do some deep thinking on this project. So I locked up everything in the fireproof file cabinet, set the alarm, locked the door as I left, and headed home.

I took a long way home so that I could think and not worry about the traffic on the Interstate. As I pulled into the driveway, I stopped and retrieved the mail and paper. And as I pulled into the garage, I saw Ajie at the door to the house. As I got out of the car, she said, “Welcome home, love.”

“Thanks, lover.”, I said.

I got a beautiful kiss from Ajie, and then I asked how the twins were. And she said that they had been excellent. I walked into the house and found the twins in their chairs in the big room. There was a small fire burning in the fireplace. Also, a pillow was on the floor in front of where the twins were. And a book lying next to the pillow.

Ajie said, “I was just reading to the twins.”

“Were you reading them your textbook?”, I asked.

“No, silly. I was reading them one of the children’s books that my parents got them. I know they don’t know what I’m reading, but it’s some stimulation for them.”

“You’re a good mother.”

“Thanks.”

It was a beautiful evening, so we took the twins for a walk around the house and yard.

Later as Ajie and I were cuddled together in bed, she whispered, “You’ve been very quiet tonight.”

“Sorry.”, I said.

“That’s okay, honey. I figured that you have the project on your mind.”

“You’re right. I read a lot of the technical information, and I think there’s going to be more to it than I originally thought.”

“Is that bad?”

“No, not really. It just means that it’s going to take a little longer than I originally figured.”

Tuesday, after I taught my two classes and attended my grad level class, I stopped and picked up some lunch. Then I went to the office. The room was dark, so Dr. Joe wasn’t here. I unlocked and opened the door. Then I turned on the light, closed and locked the door, and turned off the alarm.

There was a note on the work table from Dr. Joe, and he had been able to read part of the technical documentation on the project. I unlocked the file cabinet and took the documentation out, sat at the desk, ate, and read. I made it through all of the documentation. One of the things that I noted was they had a maximum and minimum size specified for the final integrated circuit board.

I wasn’t sure about some of this yet, but it was going to be sensing and reporting several things. And some of that in multiple ways. I had some ideas as to how to put this together. But I needed to think about it some more.

Dr. Joe never showed up this afternoon. A little strange, but not unusual.

So it was off to home to see Ajie and the twins. As I usually do, as I pulled into our driveway, I stopped and grabbed the newspaper and mail. The only letter was a large envelope from our financial advisor.

Ajie didn’t come to the door, so I figured that she was busy with the twins, and I was right. She had them sitting on the couch in their seats, and she was feeding them. I walked over and finished feeding Haseya. And as we fed the twins, Ajie told me about her day. But, I told her that I didn’t want to bore her with my day.

As Ajie and I were eating dinner, I asked, “Do you think that the twins would be up for a ride to the resort?”

“I don’t think that would be a problem.”, Ajie replied. “You want to meditate at the remote hogan. Don’t you?”

“No, not really. But, I do my best thinking there.”

“When do you want to go?”

“Friday, after they’ve had their six o’clock feeding.”

“Okay.”, Ajie said. “You’d better call your Aunt Ruth and see if they’ll be there or if they’ve gone on vacation.”

“I doubt that they are on vacation. It’s ski season.”, I replied.

After we’d finished eating and cleaning up the dishes, I called Aunt Ruth. They were home and would be happy to see the four of us. So, I told her that as long as the twins were okay with it, we’d stay until Sunday.

When I told Ajie that it was a go for this weekend, I also told her that Aunt Ruth said, “That they’d love to see the twins.”

Then I opened the envelope from our financial advisor. It had a few things in it. The first was a summary of our investments, and everything looked good. Another thing that was in the envelope was a summary of the investments for the Chief Todachine Scholarship. And that was also doing well. And there was the final paperwork on the twin's trust funds, which Ajie and I had to sign and send back in the self-addressed-postage-paid envelope that he’d provided. It would go out in Wednesday mail.

I won’t bore you with what went on on Wednesday or Thursday because it was just teaching and working on the project. I’d told Dr. Joe that I wanted the weekend to think over the project before we started seriously working on it. And he didn’t have a problem with that. I’d even had time to finish a block diagram. But I still had questions.

Friday was the same until after the twins had their six o’clock feeding. Ajie and I had eaten earlier. While Ajie was feeding the twins, I put everything that we’d need into Ajie’s car. It needs to be taken for a ride, so we were taking it to the resort. We were taking enough formula and disposable diapers to last for four days. We also brought along their cradleboards. It may be too cold up there to take them for walks, but if we go to the restaurant, we wouldn’t be outside long so we could carry them in those. And then they could sit at the table with us.

Something that we hadn’t started using until just a couple of days ago were pacifiers for the twins. They had readily taken to them. So, as we placed them into their car seats, they each got a pacifier. Then as I went back into the house to check on everything, Ajie sat with the twins and sang to them.

During the drive up to the resort, the backseat passengers were quiet, which surprised me. Later as we pulled into the resort and up to my aunts and uncle's house. Ajie looked in the backseat, and the twins were asleep.

Ajie and I got out of the car, and then we unbuckled the twin's seats and carried them into the house in their seats. My aunt must have heard us because as we walked up to the door, it opened, and she was standing there with a big smile on her face.

We carried the twins into the house and to the living room and placed them side-by-side on the couch. My aunt, who was looking over my shoulder, whispered, “They are so cute.”

“At times they can be.”, I whispered.

That got me a punch in the arm from Ajie as she whispered, “Brat! They’re always cute.”

Uncle Paul, who was sitting in one of the recliners, got up, walked over, looked at the twins, and said, “They’ve grown.”

“They have, Uncle Paul.”, Ajie said.

“If they keep that up, I’ll be able to put them to work next summer.”

“Maybe in a few years.”

Uncle Paul and I ran out to the car and hauled everything inside. Diaper bag, a bag containing formula, our suitcase, a suitcase with the twin's things, the camera case with both some jewelry and a camera in it, and the baby monitor. I put everything that needed refrigeration in the refrigerator and took everything else to our room. And set up the baby monitor.

Then as I walked back into the living room, the twins were just waking up. Ajie checked their diapers, and said, “Kai, bring Tsé. They both need to be changed.”

I unstrapped Tsé from his seat as Ajie unstrapped Haseya from hers. Then we took them back to our room and did the dirty deed. We changed stinky diapers.

When we brought the twins back out, I put Tsé back in his chair and went to warm up their bottles. Aunt Ruth went with me and said, “Show me how, so I can help.”

So I showed Aunt Ruth how to warm the bottles. Then we brought the bottles back into the living room, and Ajie fed Haseya. Aunt Ruth asked if she could feed Tsé, so I relinquished my feeding duties.

After the twins were fed and burped, Ajie said, “Okay, you two. Time for bed.”

“Can’t they stay up a little longer?”, Aunt Ruth said. “We haven’t seen them for a while.”

“They’ll be with you all day tomorrow.”, Ajie said. “We’re trying to get them on a schedule. So we try to get them to bed by nine and up at seven. But they’ll be up at around midnight, three, and six.”

“Still not sleeping through the night?”

“No, not yet.”

“Come on, Kai, let’s put these two to bed.”

Ajie and I got up, picked up the twins who were still awake, Ajie turned towards my aunt and uncle, and said, “Say night night to your Auntie Ruth and Uncle Paul.”

“Yá'át'ééh hiilchi'i', yázhís. – (Good night, little ones.)”, Aunt Ruth said.

Uncle Paul also said, “Yá'át'ééh hiilchi'i'.”

Ajie and I took the twins back to our bedroom and tucked them into bed. It’ll be interesting to see if they’ll sleep in a strange bed and room. We kissed them good night and turned off the light as we closed the door. As we walked back into the living room, we heard a few little sounds through the baby monitor, then nothing. Ajie said, “Good, they went to sleep.”

“They won’t wake up when you two go to bed.”, Aunt Ruth asked. “Will they?”

“No, I even walk over and look into the crib, and they don’t even stir.”, Ajie said. “And we’ll try to be quiet when we’re up with them.”

“Don’t worry. We won’t hear you.”

“So.”, Uncle Paul said. “What brings you two up here?”

“Other than to see you.”, I said. “I needed a good place to sit and think. And the remote hogan is a good place to do that.”

“It is. Is something bothering you.”

“Not really. It’s that we have a new project, and it may be a little harder than I thought it was going to be. And I just need to think it through.”

“Want to see if the spirits will help?”, Uncle Paul asked.

“They might, but the quiet out there will be the biggest help.”, I replied.

“It is quite out there. And it’s also cold.”

“Is there firewood out there?”

“Always. When are you planning on going out there?”

“Tomorrow, right after breakfast.”

“What’s the project?”, Uncle Paul asked.

“Sorry, Uncle Paul.”, I replied. “I can’t tell you.”

“Oh.”

“I can’t even tell Ajie.”

“Super secret?”

“According to N.A.S.A. … Oops, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Now I see why.”, Uncle Paul said with a smile.

With a little smile, I just nodded yes.

Ajie and I stayed up until about ten talking to my aunt and uncle, and then we called it a night. Of course, the little ones had us up at midnight, three, and six. We did put them back to bed after their six o’clock feeding, but Ajie and I had stayed up.

My aunt was up at about six-thirty on Saturday morning. And the first thing she said was, “Where are the twins.”

“We put them back down after their six o’clock feeding.”, Ajie said. “Then, we’ll get them up at seven.”

“Why not just let them stay up?”

“We’re trying to get them into a schedule. Bed at nine and up at seven.”

“Any luck with that?”

“Not yet.”

Then Ajie said, “Honey, we should have brought the playpen.”

“Oh, kids. I forgot.”, Aunt Ruth said. “Go look in the spare bedroom.”

“You didn’t buy a playpen.”, I asked. “Did you?”

“No, we keep a couple in the hotel for guests that might request one.”

“That’s convenient.", Ajie said. “Kai, go get it.”

I went to the spare bedroom and brought out a nice wood playpen with a nice pad for the bottom, and we set it up in the living room. Then I laid and lit a fire in the fireplace while Ajie and Aunt Ruth started breakfast. As breakfast was cooking, Ajie and I went and woke up the twins and brought them out and put them in the playpen. They didn’t have a mobile to watch or listen to, so we turned on the television and found something for them to listen to. Uncle Paul finally woke up and joined us so that we could have breakfast. But first, he walked over to the playpen, bent down, and said, “Yá’át’ééh abiní, yázhís. - (Good morning, little ones.)”

Then the four of us had breakfast. While we were eating, Aunt Ruth asked, “Kai. Honey, are you going to the hogan to meditate?”

“No, Aunt Ruth.”, I replied. “If it was warmer, I’d go sit by the lake. But, the hogan will protect me from the wind, and the fire will keep me warm. And, I’ll be able to think in peace.”

“How long are you going to be gone?”, Ajie asked.

“Hopefully I’ll be back by lunch.”, I said.

“I’m planning frybread tacos for lunch.”, Aunt Ruth said.

“I’ll be back for lunch!”

I put on my blanket coat, made sure I had what I’d needed to start a fire, gave each of the twins a kiss, and Ajie walked out to the car with me. Yes, I was driving. It was too cold for even me to hike to the remote hogan. As I went to get in the car, I received a wonderful kiss from Ajie, then she said, “Be careful.”

“Now what kind of trouble could I get into.”, I replied.

“Knowing you, Miss Nez. It’ll find you.”

“I hope not.”

I gave Ajie another kiss, got in the car, fastened my seat belt, started the car, and drove. I drove past the round barn, across the new bridge, and parked next to the remote hogan.

As I walked over to the blanket-covered door, I stopped and listened. I didn’t hear anything, so I knocked just in case someone was here. No response. So, I pulled back the blanket to allow some light into the hogan, and with what was coming through the smoke hole, I could almost see.

I’d picked up some of the firewood that was stacked up outside the hogan’s door and carried it into the hogan with me. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I saw that there was already a fire laid in the fire pit. But, the tinder bundle and kindling were sitting next to the fire pit. Strange.

As I went to place the tinder bundle and kindling under the teepee of wood so that I could light the fire, I felt heat coming from the ashes in the bottom of the pit. Hmm. Someone must have been here last night. There’s only one person that I could think of that might have been here. Naainish. Did he know that I was coming here? Need I ask.

Once I had the tinder bundle and kindling under the teepee of wood, the tinder bundle caught fire from the hot coals in the bottom of the fire pit. And it wasn’t long until I had a nice fire burning, and it was warming me. Well, it was warming me as much as a fire in a fire pit in the middle of a hogan can warm you when it’s in the middle 20s outside. I was still wearing my blanket coat as I sat on a blanket at the edge of the fire pit.

I closed my eyes, cleared my mind, and started thinking about the project for N.A.S.A. Ideas started coming to me. Some were good and some I tossed aside.

I kept the fire burning by throwing a small log on it every once in a while.

Finally, I had a good plan for the project. I looked at my watch, and it was just a little after eleven. Well, I guess I'll be back at the house in time for the frybread taco lunch.

I took care of the fire and then headed back to the house. As I pulled up to the house, there was a pickup truck parked by the door. Naainish’s pickup truck.

When I was back at the house, I found everyone but the twins in the kitchen. So I said, “Yá'át'ééh t'áá ájíltso. Nizhonigó íiná aadóó hozhónahasdlíí. - (Hello everyone. It is good, and all is harmony around us.)”

I received a round of yá’át’ééhs.

Then I asked, “Where are the twins?”

“In the playpen.”, Ajie said.

I walked into the living room and found the twins in the playpen, and they had something to look at. Someone had put together a type of mobile. It was a string with things tied to it. There were big kitchen spoons, some silver jewelry, and a few other things tied to it. I looked down at the twins and said, “There are my little boy and little girl. How are you?”

They looked up at me, and I could see the smiles in their eyes.

Then Aunt Ruth walked up and said, “They have been wonderful. You have two great children.”

“I have to agree with you, Aunt Ruth.”, I replied.

“Who put together the mobile?”

“Your Uncle Paul came up with it.”

“Old softy.”

“If you want to shower and change, lunch will be ready in about half an hour.”

“That will work out perfectly.”

When I came out of the shower, I dressed and walked into the kitchen just as Ajie and Aunt Ruth started putting the tacos on the table. And like all of Aunt Ruth’s meals, it was fantastic.

As we ate, we usually talked, and this was no exception. At one point, Uncle Paul asked, “So, Kai, did going to the hogan help you?”

“Yes, it did.”, I replied. “I’ve got some good ideas.”

“I’m happy to hear that.”

“Me too.”

But, Naainish was quieter than usual. If that’s possible, but eventually, he broke his silence when he said, “Kai, would you go to Taos with me this afternoon?”

“Naainish.”, I said. “When you ask me to accompany you someplace, usually someone is very sick or dying. And it’s usually someone that I know.”

“Yes, you know this person, and I don’t know how sick they are.”

“Who?”

“Mosi Tabaaha.” She's Dibe Bylilly’s grandmother. Dibe was the first recipient of the Chief Todachine scholarship.

“Dibe’s grandmother!?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, I’ll go with you.”, I said.

Then I looked at Ajie. Ajie had a sad look on her face and said, “I want to go with you, but I’ve got the twins to look after.”

“Honey.”, my aunt said to Ajie. “I can watch them for you.”

“I appreciate that Aunt Ruth.”, Ajie said. “But they can be a real handful when they need changed and also want to be fed. I’d better stay here.”

“Honey, you know best.”

“Kai, please tell Dibe, if she’s there, that I’m thinking of her.”, Ajie said.

“I will.” Then I said, “Naainish, give me a couple of minutes, then we can go.”

“Okay, Kai.”, Naainish said.

My Uncle Paul then said, “Kai, I have dinner reservations for the four of us at seven in the restaurant.”

I stopped, looked at my uncle, and said, “Uncle Paul, four!? What about the two little critters in the playpen? We can’t leave them here.”

“Oh, shoot! I’ll change that reservation.”

As I said, “I’ll be right back, Naainish.” I ran back to our bedroom. I kicked off my moccasins and put on a pair of wrap moccasin. Then I changed the simple headband that I was wearing for the fancy braided leather one with the Eagle feathers. I replaced the earrings that I was wearing for the silver and gold ones that my grandfather made. Then I added a couple of rings and two bracelets. No necklace or choker other than the meteorite one which I always wore.

Then as I walked out of the bedroom, I grabbed my purse and blanket coat and headed to the kitchen. Everyone was still sitting around the table, and I said, “Ready, Naainish.”

“Yes.”, was all Naainish said as he got up.

I walked over and kissed Ajie, and she said, “Drive careful. And be sure to tell Dibe and her parents that I’m thinking of them.”

“I will honey.”, I replied.

I walked into the living room, looked at the twins, and they were asleep. So, I whispered, “Hágoónee', yázhís. - (See you later, little ones.)”

Then, followed by Naainish, I walked out to the car, and we got in. Then we headed north to Taos. As we drove, I asked, “Naainish, how much do you know about Mrs. Tabaaha's condition?”

“Not much, Kai.”, Naainish replied. “All I know is that she’s in the hospital, and there are some serious concerns about her.”

“I guess we’ll see when we get there.”

It’s only about a forty-five minutes drive to Taos from the resort, and as we pulled into Taos, you could tell it was ski season. There were many cars with ski racks on them in town.

I drove over to the hospital, parked, and we walked in. We stopped at the information desk and asked for Mrs. Tabaaha. We were told that she was in a private room, and only the family could see her. Naainish then said, “I’m her medicine man.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”, the information clerk said. “But, that’s not family.”

“Where could we find her family?”

“They’re probably in the family waiting room in that wing.”

“And where might that be?”

“Second floor west. Take the elevator to the second floor and turn left.”

We walked away from the information desk, found the elevator, and went to the second floor. Then we found the family waiting room and walked in. We saw Mr. and Mrs. Bylilly, Dibe, Dibe’s fiance Hal, and a few others. Dibe was the first one to see us, she jumped up, and as she ran over to us, she all but yelled, “Kai.”

When she got to us, I received a big hug and a question. “Kai, what are you doing here?”, Dibe asked.

“Naainish and I came to see your grandmother.”, I replied. “And why aren’t you in Denver?”

“I had to come and see my grandma. My mother told me that she wasn’t doing well. So Hal drove us down. Where’s Ajie?”

“At the resort, taking care of Tsé and Haseya.”

“Who are Tsé and Haseya?”, Dibe asked.

I opened my purse, took out my wallet, opened it to the pictures of the twins, and I showed it to Dibe as I said, “These are Tsé and Haseya.”

“Are these the twins?”

“Yes, when they were one day old. And Ajie is watching them, and she told me to tell you that she’s thinking of you and wished that she could be here.”

“I understand. How old are the twins now?”

“Six weeks. Now Naainish and I came to see your grandmother, and they told us that it was family only.”

Dibe looked at her parents and said, “Mom and dad, they told Kai and Naainish that only the family could see grandma.”

Dibe’s parents walked over to us, and we said hello. Then Dibe’s mother said, “Come with us.”

Naainish and I followed Mr. and Mrs. Bylilly, Dibe, and Hal down the hall to a room. Mr. Bylilly opened the door, and the rest of us followed Mrs. Bylilly into the room. We saw Mosi Tabaaha lying on a bed. She was hooked to a couple of monitors and had an IV in her arm.

Mrs. Bylilly walked over to Mrs. Tabaaha and quietly said, “Mom, there’s someone special here to see you.”

Mrs. Tabaaha opened her eyes, looked at her daughter, and said, “Who?”

“Kai Nez and Naainish.”

I saw Mrs. Tabaaha smile, then asked, “Where’s Kai.”

“I’m right here Mrs. Tabaaha.”, I replied.

Mrs. Tabaaha turned her head, looked at me, smiled, held out her hand, and said, “Kai, come and sit with me.”

I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed and took Mrs. Tabaaha’s hand in both of my hands. I could feel a strong spirit. A spirit that was not ready to pass on. I smiled at her and said, “Ajie wanted to come too, but she’s watching the twins.”

“You have twins?”

“Yes, a boy and a girl. We’re adopting them.”

“Dibe was telling me something about that. Are they Navajo?”

“Yes, they’re Navajo.

“What are their names?”

“The little boy is Tsé, and the little girl is Haseya.”

“Those are good names.”

“Yes, Tsé was my great-great-great grandfather’s name, and Haseya was my grandmother’s name.”

Then I looked at Dibe and her family, and asked, “Could you leave Naainish and me alone with your mother for a few minutes?”

The family left the room, and I reached over with my right hand and took Mrs. Tabaaha’s left hand in it. Then I said, “Mrs. Tabaaha, I am not a healer, but I do have the power of the Wolf. The power of the Wolf allows me to help those that are ill get better.

“And I feel that your spirit wants to see your great-grandchildren.”

“But I don’t have any yet?”

“Yet. But you will.”

“None of my grandchildren are married.”, Mrs. Tabaaha said. “And Dibe is the oldest of them.”

I smiled as I said, “I was married between my freshman and sophomore years of college.”

“Are you saying that Dibe and Hal will marry soon?”

“No, is it possible? Yes. But, I see them waiting until Dibe is through her premed, if not a little beyond that. And a child won’t be on the scene for a few more years after that.

“That said, Mrs. Tabaaha, I feel that you’ll see the great-grandchildren.

“Now, close your eyes.”

Mrs. Tabaaha closed her eyes, and I started a quiet chant, and Naainish joined me. As I chanted, I felt Mrs. Tabaaha relax. When I’d finished the chant, I carefully laid her hands down next to her. And Naainish and I quietly walked out of the room and back to the family waiting room. As we walked into the waiting room, I saw Dibe and her mother look at me, and I smiled.

Dibe gave me a puzzled look. Then she walked over to me, followed by Hal, her mother, and her father. As they walked up, Dibe said, “Kai, why are you smiling?”

“I’ll tell you this, Dibe. I felt a very strong spirit in your grandmother. And I felt that that spirit wants to see your grandmother’s great-grandchildren.”

“But, I’m the oldest grandchild.”

“We talked about that. And it will be a few years yet before you have children.”

“Kai, is she going to get better?”

“Dibe, Mr. and Mrs. Bylilly, she’s going to be fine. But I’d suggest that you have the doctors check her pancreas and send her to Albuquerque for treatment.”

“So, she going to be okay?”, Mrs. Bylilly asked.

“I feel that she is. She’s sleeping right now. So why don’t you go home and get some rest.”

Then I looked at Dibe and pointed my finger at her, and said, “And you young lady, go back to Denver, and study hard. But call your grandmother regularly and talk with her. She loves you very much.”

Then I looked at Hal and pointed my finger at him and said, “And you young man, you are to see to it that she does this. And take care of her.”

“Yes, ma’am.”, Hal said.

Then Dibe grabbed me, we hugged, and she whispered, “Kai, I love you like a big sister. You and Ajie are special to me. The two of you are helping me see my dreams of becoming a doctor. And now you’ve helped my grandmother.”

“Dibe.”, I said. “You are special to us too. And we’re happy that we could help you and your grandmother. And be good to Hal, he’s a keeper.”

“I know he is.”

Naainish and I said hágoónee' - (see you later) to everyone. And headed back to the resort, but as we pulled out of the parking lot, Naainish said, “Kai, could we make a little detour on the way back to the resort?”

“That depends.”, I said. “Some of the little detours out here can be a hundred miles.”

“No, it’s not that far, Kai.”

“Okay. Where are we going?”

“Someplace that is special, and I want you to know about it.”

“Give me directions.”

“After we go across the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, I will.”

After we’d crossed the bridge, Naainish gave me directions, and we ended up on some dirt roads. Finally, we turned down a narrow lane that led to a small cemetery. The cemetery was surrounded by a stone wall with an opening in it. There was no name to it.

We parked and got out of the car. And I asked, “Naainish, why are we here?”

“This is a special place to me, my parents and grandparents are here as is my wife, and it’s where I want to be buried.”, Naainish replied.

“Does Quah Ah know this?”

“Yes. I just wanted you to also know about it.”

“Let’s hope it will be a long time from now.”

“Kai, you know as well as I do that it could be tomorrow, or it could be many Moons from now. But it will happen when the Great Spirit is ready for it to happen.”

We stood there in silence for a minute. Then I just said, “Naainish, I understand.”

We got back into the car and finished the drive to the resort. When we got there and were getting out of the car, Naainish said, “Tell everyone, hágoónee' - (see you later) for me.”

“I will.”, I said. “And Naainish, it is hágoónee' and not goodbye.”

“Yes, it is, Kai.”

“Hágoónee', Naainish.”

“Hágoónee', Kai Nez.”

I watched as Naainish got into his pickup and drove away. Then I walked into the house. Ajie was the first to see me, and she asked, “How is Mrs. Tabaaha?”

Everyone looked at me as I said, “She’ll be fine. I feel that she’ll be around for a long time. Long enough to see her great-grandchildren once she has the problem with her pancreas taken care of.”

“Who diagnosed that?”

“It was one of the things that I felt about her.”

“Being a hand trembler¹ are we?”

“No, but maybe it was the Yei spirits.”

“I see. So what did you tell her family?”

“I suggested that they talk to her doctors and have her taken to Albuquerque.”

“Oh.”

“Remember, the Taos hospital is small.”

“I know. Good call.”

Then I walked over to the twins, who were sound asleep, and whispered, “Yá’át’ééh si yázhí. – (Hello my little ones.)”

Tsé stirred a little but didn’t wake up. Haseya didn’t move a muscle.

Then we heard a soft knock on the front door, and Ajie said, “I’ll get that.”

As Ajie opened the door, we heard her say, “Dibe, what are you doing here?”

“Hi, Ajie.”, I heard Dibe say. “I hope you don’t mind, but I just had to see the twins.”

“Honey, you’re always welcome, and so are you, Hal. Come on in.”

I watch as Dibe and Hal walked in with Ajie, and I said, “I’ve seen you two someplace else today? And why aren’t you on the way to Denver?”

“We’re staying at my grandmother’s house and are going back tomorrow.”

Then Dibe and Hal said hello to my aunt and uncle. And with all the commotion, the twins woke up. It was only about half an hour before their dinner time. So, it wasn’t too early.

Ajie said. “Well, Dibe, would you like to help me with the twins?”

“I’d love to.”, Dibe said.

Ajie picked up Haseya, and as she handed her to Dibe, she said, “Dibe, meet our little girl Haseya. Haseya, meet a dear friend, Dibe.”

Then Ajie picked up Tsé and said, “Dibe, this is our little boy Tsé. Tsé, meet Dibe.”

Then Ajie said to Dibe, “Come with me.”

They were gone about fifteen minutes, and when they came back out, Dibe said, “Those were some stinky diapers.”

I just smiled and said, “They usually are.”

While Ajie and Dibe were gone with the twins, I’d made their bottles for them. So as the two girls brought the twins out into the living room and sat with them, I handed each of them a bottle and a cloth diaper. And while the twins were being fed, we all talked. Most of that was about Dibe’s grandmother, and Dibe told us that her mom and dad were speaking with the doctor as they were leaving. And they heard the doctor agree to something about the university’s hospital.

After the twins were finished with their meal and burped, Ajie and Dibe put them into the playpen, then Dibe said that she and Hal had to get going to meet her parents for dinner. After they’d said, hágoónee' - (see you later) to my aunt and uncle, Ajie and I went out to their car with them. And our hágoónee' was with a bunch of hugs.

Before we went back in the house, Ajie and I took the awéétsáál or cradleboards out of the trunk of the car and took them in the house so that they could warm up a little bit.

When we were back inside with my aunt and uncle, I asked, “Uncle Paul, did you get the reservation changed?”

“Yes, Kai.”, Uncle Paul said. “I got them changed.”

Then Aunt Ruth said, “I see you brought the awéétsááls with you.”

“Yes, we figured that if we went to the restaurant that it would be a good way to get the twins there and a good thing for them to sit in while we’re there.”, Ajie said. “Plus, it appears that they enjoy being in them.”

“That’s cute.”

“It is.”

Our reservation was for seven, so just before seven, we bundled up the twins and strapped them into their cradleboards. Then I helped Ajie put Haseya on her back, and she helped me put Tsé on my back. We were also taking a diaper bag with us, and Aunt Ruth carried that.

We walked out of the house and towards the hotel. As we walked past the hotel’s desk, I saw that two of the clerks that we knew were working. One was Maria, and the other was Shilah. Shilah has been a good friend since he saved me from some guy that attacked me a few years ago. They saw us and Maria said, “Miss Kai. Miss Ajie. You have two babies with you?”

“Yes, Maria, we do.”, Ajie said.

Ajie and I turned our backs to the two clerks so that they could see the twins. And Maria asked, “Are they twins?”

“Yes, a boy and a girl.”

“They are so cute.”

“Thank you.”

I didn’t hear anything out of Shilah, but I did see a smile, which was more than I expected. He’s a tough retired Marine and had been a Military Policeman, and now was both a policeman with the Navajo Nation Police Department and a part-time clerk here at the resort.

We also had a few guests stop and look at the twins, and we only received nice comments. Then we walked into the dining room, and the greeter took us to our table. Ajie and I slipped the twins off our shoulders and set them side by side on chairs. Then we loosened the strapping on the cradleboards and loosened their clothing so they wouldn’t overheat. And as a final thing, we gave them their pacifiers.

Ajie and I were finally able to take off out blanket coats and hang them on the backs of our chairs. And sit down.

We did see several people look at us, and most of the women smiled. One woman walked over and asked about the cradleboards, so we explained them to her. And when we finished, she said, “It does appear that they’re happy in those.”

“Yes, they’re six weeks old, and it’s like they’re swaddled. So they feel secure.”, Ajie replied. “I researched the cradleboards before we decided to use them.”

“Thank you for the information.”

“You’re welcome.”

And the woman walked back to her table.

They had a buffet dinner, so we had to go and fill our own plate, but the server would bring your drinks. And, yes, Ajie and I opted for sangria. And Ajie told me to go and get my food and that she’d say with the twins, and get her food later. So I went to the food table with my aunt and uncle and left Ajie with the twins.

I had almost finished getting my food when I felt something that I didn’t like. I glanced at Ajie and the twins, and saw that Ajie was talking to a man. And it didn’t look like it was a friendly talk. I handed my plate to my aunt and headed for Ajie. As I walked up, I asked, “What’s going on here!?”

“None of your damn business!”, the man said in a nasty way.

“It’s is my business. I’m her hus … I’m her cousin, and those babies are also my cousins.”

“You Indians shouldn’t be allowed in here, and those brats will start howling at any time.”

“Those two are very good. And will make less noise then you’re making. And you’d better be careful eighty percent of the employees of the resort are native Americans, and so are the managers of the resort.”

“What’s the problem!?”, I heard my uncle say as he walked up.

“Who the hell are you?”, the man asked.

“I’m the manager of the resort.”

“You are a damn Indian. Aren’t you?”

“Yes, sir, I am an Indian. And you, sir, are a damn bigot. And, as she told you, most of the employees of the resort are Indians. And if you don’t like it, I’d suggest that you leave. I’ll refund your room fee and try to find you a room in Santa Fe.”

“How can you hire Indians. They can’t be trained to do anything.”

“Sir, you are a fool. These two ladies both have degrees from Ohio State. One in nursing and the other in electrical engineering. One has just earned her doctoral degree, and the other is just about to earn hers.

“Now, I’m not going to give you a choice. I’m going to ask you to leave the resort and stop disturbing the guests. Come with me to the hotel desk, and I’ll refund your room fee, and then I’ll have a clerk accompany you to your room while you pack your things.”

“What if I refuse.”

“One of the desk clerks is also a Navajo Nation police officer, and he’d be happy to arrest you for disturbing the peace. And with your attitude, you may not want to go to a Navajo jail.”

The man turned on his heels and walked out of the restaurant, to a round of applause. Uncle Paul was right behind him. As I watched them walk away, I looked around, and everyone was looking in our direction. And there were smiles.

Then I looked at Ajie and asked, “Honey, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“How about the twins?”

“They’re fine.”, Ajie replied. “How about you. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine too.”, I said. “And am I glad that Uncle Paul showed up when he did. I was afraid that this was going to get physical.”

“So was I. Why do some people have to be like that.”

“I don’t know if he was trying to embarrass us or what?”

“He sure embarrassed himself.”

“That he did.”

Then I just sat down. My aunt showed up with a plate of food and set it down in front of me. I looked up at her and said, “Thanks, Aunt Ruth.”

“That’s okay, honey.”, my aunt said. “And they’re bringing both of you a fresh sangria.”

I looked at Ajie and said, “Do you want me to get you some food?”

“No, you rode in on your white horse with your shiny armor on and saved the day.”, Ajie said. “I should be serving you.”

“Go get yourself some food.”

Ajie got up and left me with the twins. But she was back in just a few minutes. And Uncle Paul was back not much later, with food in hand. And as he sat, he said, “That guy was a real problem. He got into it with Shilah and almost got himself arrested.”

“Why are some people that way?”, Aunt Ruth asked.

“With some, it’s how they were brought up. With others who knows. It could have been something that happened to them.”, Ajie said.

“I just hope the twins don’t have to see anything more like this.”, I said.

“Honey.”, Ajie said. “Unfortunately, they probably will.”

With a deep sigh, I said, “I know. And now you know why I’d love to live in a cabin high up in the mountains.”

“Kai.”, Uncle Paul said. “You’d run into people there too.”

“I know. But not as many.”

As we ate, we had a few people stop by our table on the pretense of seeing the twins, but it was actually to say how sorry they were for how that guy acted. But maybe they wanted to see the babies too. Who wouldn’t want to see them?

When we finally finished eating, we bundled up the twins, put on our blanket coats, and put the twins on our backs, and the six of us headed back to the house. As we walked through the hotel lobby and past the front desk, Shilah saw us and said, “Mr. Biakeddy, that man is gone, but he demanded the names and addresses of the owners. And I gave them to him.”

“That’s good, Shilah.”, my uncle said. “Wait until he finds out that they’re Indians.”

“I know, Mr. Biakeddy. It’ll be interesting. Hágoónee' t'áá ájíltso. - (See you later all people [everyone].)”

Everyone but the twins said, “Hágoónee', Shilah.”

When we were back at the house, it was bedtime for the twins. So after a change of diapers and a bottle, the twins were in their crib. And Ajie and I went out and sat with my aunt and uncle.

One question my aunt asked was, “What time are you planning on leaving tomorrow.”

“We were thinking after lunch.”, I replied. “If that’s okay?”

“Of course it is. You can stay as long as you like.”

“Uncle Paul.”, I asked. “Who was that guy?”

“He was here for the skiing and was by himself, and he was from somewhere in California. Shilah has all of his information.”

“Good.”

At about eleven, Ajie and I turned in knowing we’d be up with the twins at midnight. As we were getting ready for bed, Ajie whispered, “You almost said that you were my husband tonight, didn’t you.”

“I did.”, I said. “There are times that I’d love to do that.”

“I know, sweetheart. It’s all right. You are my husband.”

Then my Queen didn’t allow me to sleep. She said that I was owed a foot massage for saving the day. And what a foot massage I got. I don’t know how, but we didn’t wake up the twins. And we were still awake at midnight when they woke up.