Sunflower Field

My Grandpa wasn’t like any other grandpa, he was an Indian! Well a Lakota Indian to be exact, resident of the Lakota Tribe! I don't know much about Lakota people; I just know they're awesome. Oh, and by the way, my name is Cheryl. I’m just a regular girl, in a regular school, that happens to have one staggering grandpa. I often tell my friends and teachers about Grandpa and how h gifts me, just last summer he gave me authentic Lakota moccasins and my big brother, Martin, a drum with a painting on it, I thought it was amazing.

Today was show and tell day, I will finally get to show off my moccasins. Martin and I got all ready for show and tell day just to find out school was cancelled because of plumbing issues; I was terribly upset but I am fine that we get to stay home too. I decided to take a nap because I am always so tired in the morning.

“I’m going to go to walk to the store, you want anything?” Martin said while I just laid down.

“Ugh, no, let me sleep Martin” I said annoyed.

A few moments later I heard my mother running, so I got up to see what is happening.

“GRANDPA!” I said excitingly.

I could not believe it; he is really here! I was too busy thinking that I did not even realize that Grandpa had fainted. I had started to get worried.

“go inside for a sec, okay Cheryl?” Mom said in a panicked tone.

I did not say a word and quickly speed walked to my bedroom. I stayed up all night thinking about Grandpa. Was he going to be okay? Why did come all this way? My mind was racing.

The next day Martin spent all his time with Grandpa in the guest room. I was so curious to what is going on, so like any other curious little girl I tip toed to the guest bedroom door and slowly put my ear up to the door and listened. I heard nothing until I heard Grandpa’s voice say

“My time is almost up Martin; you must take the medicine bag”

I took my ear off the door and thought to myself. What is that supposed to mean? Mom caught me off guard by tapping my shoulder and signaling for me to follow her. She sat me down on her bed.

“I have to talk to you” Mom said seriously

“Yes?” I said concerned

“Grandpa is extremely sick from the long trip and I just wanted you to know that” explained Mom

“I understand” I said

It was kind of hard to process everything happening right now. That night Grandpa was rushed to the hospital and passed away the next day. I got to say my goodbyes in the hospital so did all my other family. That night Martin explained to me why Grandpa came, it all made sense now. To pass the Tradition on to the next oldest boy of the medicine bag. Martin also told me why it’s so important. The medicine bag protects them, and Martin told me that he must put sacred sage in the medicine bag after Grandpa dies, so he did.

My Mom drove Martin and I to a sunflower field. Martin knew what he had to do. Martin got the sage and the medicine bag and got out the car, walking to the middle of the beautiful field with many sunflowers standing tall facing the sun that was already halfway down. As Mother and I watched, Martin placed the sage in the bag and said a prayer, I could tell because his head was down, and his eyes were closed and his hands in his pockets of his blue jeans. That night I felt an energy, a special energy. I knew it was Grandpa looking over me, I smiled to myself then fell asleep.