Benjamin was watching television, his favorite pastime as it allowed him to access a wide variety of human interaction in hope of gleaning enough information to understand his new world.
His father walked into the living room and asked, “Benjamin, may I talk with you for a little while?”
Benjamin nodded his head and turned off the T.V. With the remote control, another human magic he had just learned to accept.
Joseph pulled a chair opposite Benjamin and sat down. He grasped Benjamin’s hands in his and stare into his eyes. Joseph’s dark eyes were pools of ink to Benjamin. His hands were warm but dessicated like stiff old leather. He smelled like a father should smell in Benjamin’s mind, a hint of wild herbs and dried sweat. Joseph squeezed Benjamin’s hands so tight as to feel uncomfortable to him.
“Benjamin,” Joseph said, “it has been enough time now. I understand that your thoughts have been mixed up for a long time, but time has passed. You have been among your people long enough now that you know our words again. You were always slow to speak allowing others their words first. That was not wrong, it was just your way.
“But, your silent time has reached its end. It is time for you to retake your position among the people. In order to do that you must speak. The words are there let your voice open and release those thoughts.”
Joseph placed one hand hard over Benjamin’s throat. His hand, that was warm in Benjamin’s hand, became a flame of heat on his throat. Benjamin’s eyes darted left and right as fear rose within him. The burning increased as it rose upward inside Benjamin’s head generating a conflagration within his mind.
“Now, Benjamin, remember your human tongue!”
Benjamin had never experiencing fear like this before. He felt trapped, unable to do his own bidding, only look into his father’s eyes and feel the fire within him.
Then came a moment when the heat dissipated. And Benjamin felt a connection from his thoughts to his throat he didn’t remember ever feeling before.
“Father,” it came out more like a frog’s croak than a word, but it issued from Benjamin’s mouth.
His father pulled him to him and hugged him tight and shouted, “Thank God, your voice has been healed by his power!”
Ben’s voice gained strength and vibrancy as he spoke, “I am thankful, father, for your healing hand. I don’t understand how, but I understand that you wanted to help me to regain my voice. I have had many words in my head I have been unable to express. So many thoughts for so long. From the day I became human to today.”
Benjamin hugged his father with all the love and unspoken affection he had held within him.
“Benjamin, it wasn’t I who restored your voice, I was just the vehicle. God, in his infinite mercy has deemed that your voice should return. You should give all praises to him.”
“I don’t understand this God you speak of, but I do understand the love of a father toward his son and his desire to have him a whole being, and I am grateful to you for your gift.”
Benjamin’s mother walked in the front door with her hands full of groceries, grousing about something under her breath.
Benjamin stood and said, “Mother, I can talk now.”
His mother’s full load of groceries hit the floor with a loud crash of cans and bottles.
She ran to her son and hugged him so tight he lost his air.
“Thank God, Thank God,” She repeated over and over again.
As her voice trailed off, she looked down at her husband and sniffed the air.
“Joseph, why? Old Indian cures are hogwash and you know it, yet you apply your superstitious nonsense on your own son. Some of those so called cures were methods of death, and yet you risk your own son to the old ways!”
“You can’t argue with success. God, through the tribal cure has made our son whole again.”
“I say he chose to heal him of his own accord, showed him his infinite mercy, and removed the torturous method of the old way.”
Benjamin sensed that they were traveling old ground from which they had never found an exit and remained silent.
His mother gave him a kiss on his cheek and began picking up the spilled groceries. His father grasped Benjamin’s hands and gave him a big smile. Benjamin noticed his father’s once dry hands were now damp and hot.
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