Six Lines on Sunday 2-19-12

Six Lines on Sunday 2-19-12
From page 23 of Calico by Allison Bruning The tribe told stories of her mother walking the gauntlet, nine months pregnant. Chief Big Deer had never wanted her to walk the gauntlet, but their mother had insisted that her husband's people, were her people. With compassion, the peace chief had asked War Chief Kicking Horse to order the people not to hit her stomach. He had agreed. Step by step, Anna endured the gauntlet. She had almost made it to the end when an older woman hit her hard on her stomach. Anna fell while Calico pushed out of her. Her screams lifted in the air while the other women ran to her side. François paced with regret that he had allowed Anna to walk the gauntlet and agonized over her screams. Then, just as he couldn't take her screams any longer, Calico's cries replaced the sound of her mother's torment. Anna returned to the gauntlet with Calico in her arms, finished the walk, and then collapsed with labor pains into François' arms. Rose came into the world soon after.