RECLAIM MY HEART(27)

His mother’s name was Ruth. Lucas let the name echo in his head.
Jasper rested his elbows on the table, clasping his hands lightly below chin level. “Your father promised, Lucas. You should uphold the promise.”
Lucas sat for moment, searching his uncle’s face. “Traditions like that caused our people a world of hurt. Generations holding onto promises made eons ago.”
Jasper’s shoulders sagged and he looked away. With his eyes focused on something across the kitchen, he said, “Your mother was of The Plain People. Her father was a bishop in one of the religion’s most conservative sects.” He shook his head. “I don’t remember the name of the church. Don’t know that he ever told us.
“Bishop Yoder used to drive his horse and buggy here to Wikweko,” his uncle continued. “He bought horse liniment from an herbalist here. And resold it to the Amish farmers.”
Lucas was silent, taking it all in.
Jasper looked him in the eye. “You must leave things be.”
He felt as if he were moving in slow motion, shaking his head, pursing his lips. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
Jasper sighed. “She’d be only a few years younger than me. She could have crossed over due to some illness or other. If she’s still alive—” He shook his head, leaving the rest of his sentence unspoken. “You really need to think about this, Lucas. Your father made a promise.”
“Don’t worry.” His stomach churned. “I will.”
Birdsong floated in on the summer breeze, a chirpy, jarring noise.
“Lucas, I want you to remember that things are not always as they seem. Lucas.” Once their eyes met, Jasper continued, “I want you to remember that a Lenape always acts honorably.”
His uncle closed his eyes, his throat convulsing with a difficult swallow. He looked down then, sliding his mug closer to him and lacing his fingers around the white ceramic.
“I would rather you leave this alone. But if you cannot…?whatever you find, whatever you learn, you must never forget that you are enjoying life because this woman gave birth to you. Do not cause her harm.”
Somewhere at the periphery of Lucas’s consciousness, he heard his uncle’s odd warning. But he couldn’t take in any more, couldn’t digest anything else; he was too overwhelmed with the idea that the woman who had abandoned him might still be alive.
?     ?     ?

Lucas pulled open the screen door and felt as if he’d entered a battle ground.
“Then I’ll call the Slh="m myself!” Zach flung the words at his mother in a bellow.
“You will do no such thing. I mean it, Zachary Whitlock. You are not to—”
“And what are you goin’ to do, Mom? Send me to my room? Take away my CD player? I think I can take it.”
Clamping a firm hand on Zach’s shoulder, Lucas said, “Lower your tone. You shouldn’t talk to your mother that way.”
Gratitude softened Tyne’s blue eyes.
“But you don’t know what she did.” The teen was so upset his voice cracked. “I have grandparents living in Oak Mills. I never knew about them. She never told me.” The pronoun was spit out viciously. “For all I know, they don’t know about me, either.” He narrowed his black gaze at his mother. “You’re the most selfish person on the damned planet.”
“Zach,” Lucas warned, “I said stop.”
But the boy didn’t seem to hear, continuing to glare at Tyne. “I’m going to see my grandparents. And I’m not going back home with you. I’m staying here.”
Tyne cocked her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t know—”
“I know enough.”
Lucas couldn’t believe Zach’s behavior.
“I know everybody here looks like me. I fit in here. That’s all I have to know. I’m stayin’ and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“You might want to stay,” Lucas told him, “but would they want to have you?”
His son cast him a shocked, side-long glance.
“The Indians of Wikweko want residents to bring value to the community, Zach. How much value will you bring?” Lucas wasn’t expecting an answer. “You disrespect your mother. You disrespect authority. You disrespect the property of others. You’re a trouble maker. What did the judge call you? Ah, yes. I remember now. A delinquent.”
Tyne stepped toward them. “There’s no need to be hurtful, Lucas.”
His bark of humorless laughter was sharp. “He doesn’t seem too worried about hurting your feelings.” He looked at Zach. “A Lenape doesn’t insult his heritage by acting like a little shit. By demanding to have his way. By shouting whatever inane thoughts might float through his pea-brained head. And above all a Lenape respects his elders. I’d say you’ve failed on all counts, Zach.”
The notion hit him that he may have gone too far. However, hearing Zach lash out at Tyne with such insolence had been too much.
The teen was nearly as tall as he was, and for a moment, he thought Zach might slug him with the fist he’d balled up knot-tight. But all Zach did was shrug his shoulder with enough force to free himself of Lucas’s hand.
“What do you know about me?” He sneered, his lips barely moving. “You don’t know me. You don’t know nothin’ about me.”
Lucas should have let it go, but he couldn’t. “The way you’re acting now, I don’t want to.”
The firm, hard line of the teen’s mouth told Lucas he’d hit a raw nerve.