A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 03

"Penelope," I called out to her as I tried to stand, "Penny, baby wake up."

I attempted to take her hand until a female voice that I knew as Nala's stopped me, saying, "Touch her not, my son. She is not of this world."

"What do you mean, not of this world," I asked, my eyes beginning to fill with tears, "She's not dead, is she?"

"No, my child," Nala tenderly replied, "Her soul has momentarily departed from her body to find the peace she has lost."

"She's going to be alright, isn't she?" I asked, tears now raining down my face at the mere thought of losing my beautiful Penelope.

"You need to rest, great one," Nala replied, placing her palm to my cheek, "She will be here when you awake. Now, sleep, you've had a long journey."

The moment Nala touched my face, I felt all of the pain and anguish that I'd ever known leaving my body, making me suddenly weary, and when I closed my eyes, I was out.

~~~~~~

I fell into a deep sleep in which I dreamed of long ago. I wasn't really sure when what I'm about to describe took place, but I was floating above a village somewhere on the banks of a river somewhere. It was morning and there were children playing and people gathering to simply enjoy the company of one another.

The gathering and feasting went on until the early hours of the evening. I saw two people in particular, a man and a woman, that I thought I recognized. As I came closer to them, I could plainly see Penelope's and my face. The woman was pregnant and the man simply held her, smiling as they kissed before entering their tipi.

Then my vision went blurry and when my eyes came back into focus, I saw the same village, only now it was very early in the morning. Suddenly and from out of nowhere, United States Calvary soldiers came thundering into the village. Screams began erupting from everywhere in the village as innocent people, men, women and children came out of their tipis only to be cut down by gunfire.

"NO," I screamed, "STOP THIS MADNESS IN GOD'S NAME!"

All at once I found myself standing in their midst, a rifle in one hand and a knife in the other. I ducked as a soldier ran by me, trying to cut me with his sword, and I turned and shot him in the head, knocking from his horse.

"ENEOESTESE," I yelled at the top of my lungs, "ENEOESTESE." (Cheyenne word, meaning, "Stop")

All at once I again heard the sound of gunfire as I felt the flesh being ripped from my body...

~~~~~

"BRYAN, BABY WAKE UP," brought me out of my nightmare to find my beautiful Penelope sitting beside me, still dressed in buckskin.

"Hi," I cried, hugging her closely to me, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she happily purred, "And I love you so much."

~~~~~~

"Netonesevehe, (Cheyenne for, Welcome)" John shouted, as Penelope and I appeared at the mouth of the cave, she dressed in a buckskin gown, while I was shirtless, wearing only a buckskin loincloth, breeches and moccasins.

"It is good to see you," John smiled, racing toward us with two blankets, one in each hand, "Welcome home, my brother and sister."

~~~~~~

I took joy in knowing that Penelope had finally gained inner peace when I laid my head down to sleep that night. And in doing so, I realized that together, we now shared the gift of being able to see ourselves through the eyes of each other.

She saw me as a brave and mighty warrior, sworn to love and protect her, while I saw her a beautiful princess that my heart would forever be a servant to.

~~~~~~

Neither Penny nor I said very little on the ride back to Billings the next day; and had it not been for Rich singing along to the radio; the entire ride would've been silent.

~~~~~~

On the flight back home, Penny and I were snuggled together in seats next to each other while Richard took the big chair that folded out into a bed.

"My mother told me what you went through to find me," Penny smiled, "And I wanted to tell you how much I love you for it."

"That's what someone is supposed to do for the people they love," I sleepily replied, "And God knows, I love you."

~~~~~~

That was twenty years ago. Sam and Tommy were eventually married and now live in Penelope's old house. Sam's friend Sara, who came to stay with us while she and Sam were going to college, is now an attorney who fights for the rights of our Native American brothers and sisters, and is fighting to make the day of the Battle of the Washita River, and The Sand Creek Massacre, national holidays.

Penelope and I were married three months after our return from Montana, and two years later we were blessed with twins; a boy, who we named Tyler, and a girl who we named Nala.

With the money we made from the Strong Arm, we gave it to the Northern Cheyenne Nation to build a hospital where Penelope is now the Chief of Surgery.

As we lay in bed one night after a busy day, I looked at Penelope and told her, "I guess after all we've been through together, I suppose it's safe to say that you belong to me so; A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned."

"No, baby" she giggled, "In this case, A Penny Saved Is A Love Earned."

Oh, one more thing; Nala turns eighteen next month and with her mother, she will pass into the scared land just like the women of her family who went before her.

THE END