Legend of Silence and Moonlight Becomes You

Copyright © 2011 by Darlington Azubuike.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2011906841

ISBN: Softcover    978-1-4628-6485-0

ISBN: Ebook          978-1-4628-6486-7

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Contents

Preface

Chapter One:    The Beginning of the End—First Chapter of Jingau de Cherokee

Chapter Two:    We Migrate To Wales

Chapter Three:    The Corn Farm

Chapter Four:    The Oath

Chapter Five:    The Cinder Path

Chapter Six:    One More Dance

Chapter Seven:    The Dawn and the Dusk

Chapter Eight:    Never Say Nay To Moonlight

Chapter Nine:    The War

Chapter Ten:    Be My Angel

Chapter Eleven:    The Shadow of Fire

Chapter Twelve:    I Trace My Home

Chapter Thirteen:    From Home To Home

Chapter Fourteen:    Gold In The Vale

Chapter Fifteen:    The Puzzle Is Solved

To the one that rolled the eyelids of the sun, the creator, I love you like the stars love the top

To the woman I love, my sunshine, my love for you cannot be measured by the laws of time and chance

To my mother, your love is irreplaceable

To my sister Elsie and her husband, thank you for all your love and care

To all Cherokees and to all those who seek true love

Preface

The starry wait, in a state of the art

Dawning the splendour of the heroe’s trump

Unfolding the covers of the night

Like a knight of the order of the letters

Closed like a midnight sculpture of a broken heart

And trailing the rails of the lost ray

In time to step in the right place

Like a legend of the seasons

Told to a dreaming child, a fortnight ago

For the love of the lyrics

Flipping through the pages of my mind

In search for a play to be staged in the theatre of white clouds

Like the return of the midsummer’s night kiss

Living the love, and loving the life

Because am the son of the dawn

Chapter One

The Beginning of the End—

First Chapter of Jingau de Cherokee

And it was winter again, with its usual biting cold night. The clouds spreading across the hills of Wales as the moon hid behind her guardian star like a mother and an only child. Overlooking the window of our house was the once treasured garden with fleets of ice covering the snowline. It was like the return of silence in a fairy tale my mama used to say in far away Cherokee. Well, ‘the fleet will never depart from the snowline until the fourth generation of Jingau de Cherokee, so said La Vinci.

The novelty of reality became so clear like the beginning of a hopeful end when the Cherokee’s and Orlando’s ate and drank together as if nothing was for real. The cold evening breeze filtered through the lower window once more as I tried to shake it off with a shudder. Grandma! Granny gran, little Michael called. As he ran towards me, it occurred to me that he was the return of love

Glad you came along I said to myself

What? Grandma

Nothing, my child, now let’s get you to bed.

He ran to check out the moon as soon as we entered the little room.

There’s plenty winter ahead boy! Am sure your moon will take some time, now! To bed I said, stroking his fine dark hair. I am coming back to Chota, I left my shoes on the shores of time and while I pick them up, I will leave the prints on the corn fields of Wales

Grandma? What are you saying?

Oh, just a taught, a little taught. I’ll read you a story

I barely opened the book when he called out again.

Don’t want to hear those stories from that book, tell me about Cherokee he said with a lovely smile. He was so much like Jingau my husband

Alright, where did I stop yesterday?

no, start from the beginning he said with a little chuckle.

Fine I gave a deep sigh to steady my voice as I began

Chapter Two

We Migrate To Wales

It all began a long time ago in America. Kanagota, your great great, grand father ruled the Cherokee tribe which lived across the Appalachian mountains of Overhill Cherokee and in the plains across the lower valley up to the rolling hills below the Tellico, he was called the armour of the sun. It was largely believed that when he was a boy, his mother wandered with him until she reached the great pool of silence, she gave him a drink. The pool harbours all eternity and this was believed to be the source of his great power. The season finally came, a time when brave men ventured into the wild of the mountains. Kanagota went on that legendary journey. After days of quest, they met a wandering family, a sick father and his daughter at the foot of a hill. The girl’s name was Kenas, her eyes were green like when the sun sets beyond the forests, very beautiful she was. She took him to their house, when her sick father saw Kanagota, he bowed. Kanagota spent a few days with them during which the girl’s father could not last the merciless winter. Cherokee took the girl home to be his wife after he had completed his journey.

She gave birth to a son as little as you. I said, stroking his nose, his name was Jingau de Cherokee, your great grand papa.

During those times, the English invaders lived in our land and then there was a war . . . .

1759

Our warriors are treated badly by your soldiers! We suffered many loses as your men at fort Duquesne, we deserve better Moytoy of Citico complained bitterly to the captain when the chiefs arrived fort Loudoun. Outspoken and fearless like the sun his voice did reverberate, commanding a rare presence even among the British soldiers. His mother was from the Paint clan.

That be true, our soldiers at the fort are deprived of food and treated as slaves Utsidihi added. The men were tired of the maltreatment they received from the British. They men had waited for a couple of hours to tell their minds to Governor Little of South Carolina.

We’ll see to that Bradley replied. Savages! He muttered under his breathe when he turned away from them. They really expect same treatment as the royal army Governor Little laughed. The natives were down cast when they left the fort, their complaints definitely fell on deaf ears. The land that was once theirs was slipping away.

Bring me a horse and some for my men Moytoy told a young Cherokee warrior keeping guard as he was about to leave. He was red with anger from the meeting with the governor because he could see the disdain and disregard in the eyes of the British commanders. Invaders! He thought aloud. They treat us like we are scripts written in shadows and slowly erased by the tides of time. And now I must have some horses, go now and get one for your chief he said to the young Cherokee warrior.

The captain would not release any horse, but I will surely get some for you the man replied. He dragged the horses out later on, two British soldiers caught him, he put on a brave challenge with the first, the other one drew his sword and thrust him between the fifth and sixth ribs, Moytoy raised his bow in anger and shot the soldier. He didn’t wait, he left immediately, lest the dusk set on his anger he thought as he rode away towards Citico. Fight broke out almost immediately, borne out of hatred, disregard and discrimination, the British soldiers at the fort massacred the Cherokees present at the fort. They shouted in the name of King George. Their voice sounded like an old valley song the Musagee sang during their defeat. Blood flowed, two Cherokee’s escaped on foot and reported the matter to Kanagota.

The elders had sat the next day, their efforts had not been appreciated by the British even after helping to take fort Duquesne. This had continued since the alliance between the two and this was only a push that moved the Cherokees to react. Anger swelled through them, their faces red with blood. Outside the women held on to their children, afraid for the safety of their husbands and brothers who will soon be sent to war.

The other chiefs attended the meeting that night. Everyone kept silent for a while, then rising up to his feet, Kanagota spoke;

These in red coats have broken their promise, they killed our men like animals for sacrifice he roared

Get the men, we take revenge immediately, we must march westward to destroy the posts immediately. We must break our alliance, we declare war on the British! Kanagota shouted

War! The men shouted back.

How many men? Kanagota asked Moytoy

Six hundred under my command and five under Shinak he replied. They rode with fury that night, demolishing British posts westwards and approached the river destroying the posts along the way. Most of the settlers had left that night at the news of pending danger.

The mountains stood firm to the treat from the dark smoke, land of the Cherokees, land of smoky mountains were brave men of Tsalagi trail. A land were men write off the chronicles of the night’s fear like the rhythm of a midwinter’s night song sang by the birds of the mountains, revealing the pride of the anthem stars and all Cherokee.

See the might of the Appalachian Mountains? The smoke of the great God of the sky, blowing like the tides, the voice of the mountains lightening into the heart of a midnight dream. Is that what you see? Kanagota asked his son Jingau when they were returned from the raids. He was chief, uku, the first beloved man of the Cherokee, standing Turkey, some called him largely due to his commanding presence, and his mother was from the wolf clan.

No father, I remember the battle with the Musagee over those mountains

We slaughtered them, son, you were brave in battle, though you were young, so said Utsidihi of great Tellico. The Musagee should never have gone to battle with us but now we have a greater problem breeding among us

These in red coats or the French?

Both son! These in red coats raid through our country like grasshoppers and soon they might fill the land, they drive us slowly to the mountains like the silver dusk setting on a winter’s drop

Someday day, we shall conquer, father, though our flame be but a splinter Jingau replied

Yea son! Though it is like we carve out the face of reality from a sculpture of illusions, look! They cover the land like creeping shadows, but we must prevail

And why did Utsidihi and Kalana of Hiwassee ride to Coosawatie, up the river? he could see the burden weighing down on his father, the thought of a war with the British somehow made him scared

We sat like men yesterday and decided we’ll make relations with the French, they made a promise not to invade our country. I hope they keep it. These in red coats are like enchanted harpists, playing only the tunes they can dance with

I feel the French are better off with promises Jingau replied

Atakullakulla of Tanasi thinks differently. Ever since he returned from England to meet with King George, his mind had become corrupted. I should have known he looked away as he spoke. The British had failed as expected.

He was probably corrupted by the Ottawa’s, little wonder he hates the French that much. Jingau replied

He’s become like a man wanted by bears, he’s got buffalos for company, but anyway, they sold themselves out, building forts in Hiwassee without consulting with us. Behold, Utsidihi marches to the river with an hundred men to accept the treaty his father replied, turning his gaze to Kenas as she approached

Warm your stomachs Kenas, Jingau’s mother and second wife of Kanagota served hot soup to her husband and son, graceful as ever, from the wolf clan, she had given the chief a son after many daughters with the first wife Nzersi. Now eat my husband

You are like a graceful dancer, charming the face of the evening sun Kanagota said. He was a man of many words, he truly loved her and he didn’t hide it. He was quite hungry. How many boxes of deerskin son? He asked Jingau

Six father

"The trade is important, strengthens friendship. Tomorrow the settlements near Chota at the face of the