Still weary from his failed dream journey, Ajijaak overslept. When he woke he smelled the sweet aroma of roasting fish. His mother had made his favorite food. Catfish fillet’s stuffed and rolled with maple sugar and mint leaves roasted on the fire. He pushed he robes off and went outside. His mother smiled at him, as did his Noko. She said, “The fish is very good.”

He nodded his thanks and took the bark platter and the hot de-boned fish. The flesh was flaky and sweetened just right. He smiled lopsidedly as he stuffed his mouth. Crabs boiled in a pot on the fire. They would be made into his favorite soup. His mother was a skilled cook and particular about her dishes. His eyes wandered across the village and then he saw her. Her saw her long black braid shining white as it reflected the sun. He saw her shy eyes dart in his direction. He stopped chewing to watch and wait. Was she about to go to the Great Sea? She turned, no she was going to the river to gather reeds. Behind her Ziibi ran. She saw Ajijaak and once again stuck her tongue out him. Her expression was so comical he could not help himself he smiled at her. The smile she returned to him was a radiant as the sun. She skipped and grabbed her sister’s hand. What he would do to hold her sister’s hand. Ziibi’s words from the night before echoed in his mind. “You must seek what is required of you.” What was required of him? He felt his noko’s unseeing eyes on him. He turned to her and waited for her to speak. She did not, she merely shook her head. He wondered what the old woman saw behind her sightless eyes. How much did she sense? Did she know he did not dream, that his life was without vision?

The rest of the day, Ajijaak pursued easy tasks. He carved sticks with the sharp knife he had fashioned from the rib bone of a moose. It sliced through the bark easily. The sticks whittled and notched would form the base to prop a large rock. On one stick he would lay dried berries. When a squirrel or rabbit came to eat them they would trip the sticks and the stone would fall on them killing them. This method, did no damage to the skin, and he would give it to his mother to make him a skin hat or a pouch depending on what he caught. As he worked a new idea came to him. What if he made a big trap? A trap so big he could catch one of the bears that lived in a den up river. To catch and kill a bear would make him a man in the eyes of the village. But he could not do it alone. He would need to form a hunting party. Who? His cousin and his uncle, would that be enough? They had a long canoe that could carry a bear. It was stout and held their entire family. Was now the time to trap a bear? He would have to ask his uncle. He set aside his tools and walked to his uncle’s house. Uncle Ogaa sat with back pressed against and oak tree repairing arrows.

Uncle Ogaa looked up at him with concerned eyes. Did he suspect he had not dreamed? His uncle would not ask, he never would ask. Dreams were sacred and belonged only to the dreamer.

With the supple movements of his hands, Ajijaak pointed from his uncle to himself, felled and invisible tree with an invisible ax and made the sign for bear.

Uncle Ogaa smiled. Perhaps he thought this was what Ajijaak had dreamed. “Yes, we can do that. In a few suns. You are still recovering from your journey. Now you are too weak to pierce the heart of a bear, but when your strength is truly back, we will go. Now get back home and sharpen your spears.”

Ajijaak smiled his thanks. He set off down the path that led to his mother’s home. He hoped for another glimpse of Miinan. He could not see her, but he did hear her voice as she sang at her work. The sweetness of it caused him to stop where he was and just listen.

Ziibi came bursting out of the brush.Fiercely she said, “You are slow of foot and slow of mind. Have you forgotten what I said already?” Her lips were stained with blueberry juice. Her teeth were purple as was her tongue. She was such a comical creature. He tried to hide the laughter in his eyes because he knew it would make her mad. He did not succeed.

Her tiny brown hands went to her narrow hips. She looked up at him and cocked her head. “So you think I am funny?”

He nodded and began to laugh his silent laugh. It made a strange whistling sound deep in his throat. It rose high and loud. It was one of the few remnants of the speech he once possessed. The angry look on Ziibi’s face dissolved into a smile. She said, “Your laughter sounds like the song of the wind in the reeds. It is a happy sound.” Her bright eyes shone up at him, she seemed pleased with herself. Playfully he cuffed her dark tangled hair.

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Her noko’s voice called, “Ziibi, get back here.”

The laughter died in Ajijaak’s throat. Was he to be denied Ziibi’s company as well? Yes, of course. She would not be a little girl forever. She was so tiny it was hard to believe she was only four summers younger than Miinan.

Ziibi gave him one last smile and ran back to her noko.

*

It was evening, and though tired Ajijaak kept alert, hoping for some signal that Miinan was going to go to the Great Sea. For four days he had waited, and she had not gone. She always slipped off, it was his joy when she did, but now, for some reason she was staying very close to her nook. What had happened? He so wanted to be alone with her in their special place.

From the path, his cousin, Asaawe* approached. He squatted down beside Ajijaak and said, “Father sent me to tell you, we leave tomorrow to build the trap if you feel strong enough?”

Ajijaak nodded. He was strong and had fully recovered from his journey.

His cousin smiled at him and said, “Good. Some of the girls are picking berries.. Soon they will be going home. Maybe they will let us walk them home.”

Ajijaak made the sign for the old women.

“Yes, they have a noko with them. But it is Aamoo*.She likes a little romance and she encourages it.”

This was good news. The boys wound some sweet grass around their necks to make themselves smell pleasing to the girls. They went to a stream and smoothed down their hair with water. Each inspected the other for dirt smudges and washed off what they found. When they were both presentable, they headed for the blueberry patch.

The sound of the girls’ laughter reached them first. They crept through the cedars and went to the rim of the open area where the girls were picking. In the golden light Miinan knelt with her pail. Her fingers busily plucked blueberries from the bush. Ajijaak noticed that the sheen of her hair was the same color as the skin of the blueberry. It was a beautiful color in his eyes.

Asaawe whispered, “You have eyes only for one. You must not be so obvious cousin. Her father does not like your family and you could cause us all trouble.”

He did not look at Asaawe. He would not let his words destroy the joy he felt at this moment. Nothing would detract him from his focus. He concentrated all his energies on Miinan, silently willing her to look at him.

Other eyes found him. Ziibi, the imp. Her gaze went from him to Miinan. He expected her to shake her head but she did not. Instead she went to her sister and pointed him out. Miinan tilted her head up. She had seen him. Someone else also saw him, it was Aamoo. She liked Ajijaak and had told him he was handsome like his father. Would she let him do the forbidden and walk with Miinan a little?

Aamoo limped over to where Miinan stood. She whispered something in her ear and the Miinan slowly began to make her way toward the shadow where the boys were hiding.

Excited, Asaawe whispered, “She is coming over here.”

Indeed she was. Ajijaak felt his heart race. She was close enough to see and talk to, if only he could speak. A patch of blueberries grew near the trees. She knelt down and began to pick. The soft plop of the berries in the bucket was the only sound. Asaawe nudged Ajijaak. He crept to the very edge of the shadow and stayed low.

In a soft voice Miinan asked, “How are you Ajijaak?”

He smiled at her.

Her eyes clouded and she did not return the smile. “I have something to tell you. My noko has made me promise not to go the Great Sea alone anymore. How I miss the full face of Gihizig-ikwe. Will you tell her and Father Sun why I do not come?”

He nodded. His heart hurt within him. To be robbed of this was hard on her, but he thought it was even harder for him.

“I am growing too old to run off alone. Noko is right it is not safe. My father found tracks of men on the shore where I go.”

The tracks had been Ajijaak’s. How could he have been so stupid? Or did Mikinaak know they were his?

Miinan raised her eyes to him. “Perhaps when my life partner comes, he will take me to the Great Sea. Father never has time.”

What was she saying? Hope leapt inside of him. Was she referring to him? Was she letting him know she wanted him to go to her family?

Her shy smile did not reveal anything but kindness. He was too full of his own hopes to notice this. She stood and moved back to where the other girls were picking.