Dad and me went to the stone hill to talk to Lightning Man. When we got there, Dad seemed sad and spent a long time looking around and pulling on his beard. I always thought Daddy’s beard might fall off if he kept pulling on it.

Dad spent a long time looking at a note that was there and then put it back very carefully. I wondered if it was someone else’s things, because Dad always told me to be careful with someone else’s things.

After a while he left a bunch of spices and dried meats wrapped and tied up in leaves, and wrote another note and put them with the first one. I don’t know what the note said because I couldn’t read, so I asked Dad what it said.

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“It looks like young Athan is missing, and one of his friends has come by and wished him well. I don’t know where he’s been these last few weeks either, but I hope he is doing well also. I thought he might appreciate it when he came back if all of his friends left him notes letting him know how much he is loved and missed.”

I thought it was a good idea and said I wanted to write a note for Lightning Man too. Daddy laughed and helped me write my name and put my handprint on a piece of paper for him. Daddy told me that I was a very good and thoughtful child, and he was sure we’d see Lightning man very soon.

I was excited and told Daddy that when I grew up, I wanted to be a Lightning Man too. Daddy laughed again. He was always laughing at things, and that always made me smile. Daddy is a good person, and Lightning Man and Tate are too.