Sam and Debra were cleaning up after dinner letting Aisling get some rest. Astila was sitting on the back porch looking into the forest. Listening to the couple inside tease each other over washing dishes. Not sensing anything out of place. He could hear the couple talking. " who is the man on the porch?" Debra looks at her husband as she hands him a dish to dry.
" I don"t know he was here when I arrived to yell at your sister for giving you that pouch. Then not long after the other weirdo showed up. I was glad he was here then. He ignored her and went outside to protect her. You know that she is so stubborn when she is trying to protect everyone. Sometimes I wish she had someone by her side. Someone who will understand her. " Sam turns and hugs his wife. She thinks to herself even though he can be a little dim witted at times it"s nice to have someone .
" I don"t understand why she is the way she is. She has always been drawn to crystals and plants. She isn"t really that weird you know she just picked up on the old superst.i.tions of our great grandparents on both sides of my mom. " Debra tells him as she hugs him back.
" I know it"s just that she is a Christian woman and doing all these things from the old days is strange now. " Sam turns as he hears Astila walk in. Without even caring what they may think of him he asks them point blank.
" Are the two of you staying here or going home tonight?" He asks looking at Sam always stating what"s on his mind.
" we are staying. I am worried that guy may come back. Also we don"t know you . No offense but we have no clue who you are so we won"t leave you here with her alone." Debra elbows her husband letting him know he has said enough already. Astila looks at them thinking how well suited they are. He is also relieved that they are protective of the woman upstairs.
" that is good. I am glad that there will be others here. When I went to bury the talisman that we found. I was not able to bury it instead I found a body buried where I intended. When the police came they found another one ,close by I left before I could find out if they found more or not. The sheriff asked that I not leave right away. Incase he needs more information on our visitor from earlier. " Astila leans against the sink watching Debra looking to see if she has similar reactions to Aisling. She does not seem to mind him helping her sister. She only seems shocked that he found bodies. After over hearing them he wants to rea.s.sure Debra and Sam that he doesn"t find Aisling strange.
"Also about her little superst.i.tions. They are rooted in very old traditions. Some I have noticed are very similar to my own peoples ." He hopes that Debra will tell him more about her sister.
" my great great grandmother on my moms side was a Cherokee Indian a lot of the things she does., They are from her. The other things are from our great great grandfathers side from Ireland. My Cherokee grand mother married a Spanish trapper , Their daughter married an Irishman,He brought with him a few traditions that were very similar to my Cherokee grandmother. So over time the two just seemed to meld together. My sister loved spending time with the elders when she was a child. So she picked up on the nuances of them. She has taken something from all of them and melded them together. She burns incense like our Korean aunt who is buddhist. The way she plants and dries her herbs and flowers is like our grandmother. She has learned to cook from all of the elders. Italian German , Korean ,Irish , Cherokee ,English ,Dutch she even does needlework just like them. To some it"s strange to the elders it was something they were proud of ." Debra informed them her voice soft and reflective. She spoke softly with reverence as if to show respect to them and her sister.
" just because it is something from the past does not mean it"s strange. Spiritual beliefs are for each person to choose. I understand that to Christians that Christ is the savior. I do not doubt it. We all basically have the same G.o.d just a different name for him. A reverence for nature and the spirits of our ancestors is not a bad thing. We are all energy , the type of energy we put out is what makes us who we are. Some are just more sensitive than others." Astila explains to them. Hoping to give them a better understanding of what he sees. The three of them never even noticed that Aisling had joined them. She moved so quietly almost like a spirit herself. Astila watched her. Gone was the little spitfire from earlier. She had her head bowed and was very quiet. She spoke very softly as if she was ashamed of something.
" you said that you found a body when you went to bury the talisman?" She kept her eyes averted. Not wanting to look directly at anyone. Afraid they can see her fear. She is playing with her crystal again.
" actually there was two when I left. You do not have to worry I gave the talisman to the sheriff. Before I did I made sure that the spirit of that person was released and cleansed. In the way of my people. I even cleansed myself in the flowing waters of the river to make sure that nothing could cling to me." He a.s.sured her. Watching her nod her head she tells everyone the sleeping arrangements so that they know where to be.
" Debra you guys are in your old room . Please show Astila to our parents room. I have already aired and placed clean sheets on the bed. There are fresh towels in the bathroom if you would like to shower. I will be retiring for the night. Also please do not move anything other than the towels or blankets. " turning she starts to go upstairs when Astila stops her.
"Miss Aisling I was hoping you would sit and talk to me for a few moments. I was wanting to get to know you better." He gives her a gentle look hoping to rea.s.sure her that he is not a pervert or dangerous.
" maybe tomorrow we can go for a walk and talk. I am a little drained at the moment. Good night I hope you sleep well. " she turns and climbed the stairs slowly leaving her sister to entertain their guest.