Leslie Silko - Gardens in the Dunes

Sister Salt had as many questions to ask as Delena had, but she was too sleepy. She wanted to know where Delena came from and what made that scar down the middle of her face. She wanted to know if Delena had children or any family or a husband somewhere. As she fell asleep she wondered where Indigo was, what she was doing at that moment, and Sister dreamed she was back at the old gardens; the apricot seedlings by Grandma Fleet’s grave had grown taller than she was and their branches were heavy with ripe fruit. The little black grandfather was no larger than he was now, but toddling, then crawling in the sand under the tree. From the direction of the sandstone cave and the spring, she heard voices, Grandma Fleet laughing and Mama and Indigo joining in. Oh how happy she was in that dream! They were so happy to see her they hugged her close, and they were delighted with the baby, who hid his face in her skirts and giggled each time Grandma Fleet tried to pick him up.

When she woke, the dog costumes and the needle and thread were put away; in their place, Delena had spread a square of red silk. In the center of the silk she was carefully arranging cards — not poker cards but cards with parts of pictures that made no sense. She checked on the baby, who slept peacefully, then watched Delena turn over the cards one by one. Now it was Sister Salt’s turn to ask questions about where Delena came from.

She glanced toward the south before she replied she came from a war in the south. Yes, Sister Salt knew about war. War was the morning the soldiers and Indian police descended on them and the other dancers to arrest the Messiah and his family. Delena looked up from the cards. In Mexico the soldiers killed everyone — even women and children; that’s why the people had to defend themselves.

Sister nodded. War explained the scar down her face; war answered the question of whether she had any family. What confused Sister Salt was why the Messiah didn’t stop the killers. The Messiah told the people here not to take up weapons but to dance until the great storm winds of heaven scoured the earth of killers. She did not like to admit she was beginning to have some doubts about the Messiah’s promises. Delena said they were lucky to have the storm winds do the work for them; in the south they had to do the fighting themselves.

Delena kept turning the cards. In the south everyone would be dead unless they defended themselves — Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe appeared not long ago and told them to go buy good rifles across the border in the United States.

Sister Salt’s eyes widened. This was the first news she had of the Messiah’s Mother. How long ago? This past January. Of course, Sister thought, during the cold weather. But where were the Messiah and the others? Sister Salt was disappointed she still didn’t know where Mama was, and now this stranger told her they were seen in the mountains of Mexico. She wanted to like Delena, but some of the things she said were a little difficult to believe.

They sat awhile in silence, though off in the distance the sounds of laughter and gunshots drifted downriver. Sister asked what she was doing with the cards.

Delena shook her head as if she could not talk right then; she kept her eyes on the cards, shifting them around in their places until some of them formed complete pictures. Sister Salt watched quietly for a while, but finally she asked how did the cards know anything — they were just pieces of paper.

These are Gypsy cards, Delena explained; the pieces of cardboard were specially blessed before they were painted, and the figures and colors and marks on them attracted certain powers or beings. These cards belonged to the kind woman who raised her. Sister Salt looked hard at the deck after she said this, but could see no sign of any spirit presence.

“They’ll answer questions and give warnings if you know how to read them.”

Gypsy cards! Gypsies! Sister Salt remembered when they lived in Needles how the news of Gypsy wagons approaching excited the town. Storekeepers locked their doors in the middle of the day because the Gypsies came in groups, always friendly and smiling, and tried to sell charms and trinkets to the storekeepers while their companions picked up merchandise, admired it, and asked questions all at once to confuse the store clerks while they walked out with items and food hidden in their shirts and under their skirts. Grandma Fleet said they didn’t hurt anyone — they only went after storekeepers who had plenty anyway — but some of the Mojaves feared Gypsy witchcraft.

“You don’t look like a Gypsy,” Sister Salt said, and Delena smiled. “I’m Yaqui,” she said, “but the Gypsies found me and took me in after my family was killed; that’s how I learned about cards.” She ran a finger down the thin scar on her face. “The soldiers left me for dead with the others.” Sister Salt nodded slowly and leaned over to shoo a fly away from the sleeping baby’s head. Now they were even; her questions had raised as many sad memories for Delena as Delena’s had raised for her; so to change the subject, she asked about the cards. What did they say?

“I asked the cards about you,” she said, and looked up at Sister Salt.

“See, this four-leaf clover is upside. It tells me things were green and growing, then suddenly uprooted — grief and disappointment.” Me and Candy, Sister thought to herself.

Under the cards was a bright patchwork of satin scraps and remnants; the colors of the patches made the cards more difficult to see. Sister managed to recognize half of an image of a Horse here; and half of a Bear, half of a Rooster over there.

Delena pointed to the first row of cards; up here means this happened in the past. Sister nodded; it was true that once the old gardens were green and growing before the starving people came. When they returned with Grandma Fleet once more green shoots appeared but Grandma Fleet died and again grief and disappointment.

In the same row of the past sat the cards that formed a blue moon’s upright image amid a golden shower of stars; she picked up the Moon card as her favorite even before Delena told her its message was a peaceful life of happiness. Yes, she and her sister and mother had so much happiness as long as they all were together — no matter if they were at the old gardens or along the river in Needles. The people one loved mattered most, but now Sister Salt saw how places forced loved ones apart.

Bright datura Moon, silver shower of falling stars, of course this card was good luck, but it was in the row called the Past.

In the next row Sister Salt saw the Owl’s feet first, upside down, and knew this picture spelled trouble too. Delena pronounced its meaning as failed plans, things that never worked out, though one waited hopefully. Right next to the Owl was the hindquarters of the Pig on its snout, a bad omen — Sister guessed this before Delena said it meant greed will be punished. Next to the Pig and immediately below the Owl was the Fish, belly-up — just like the poor fish stranded in holes when the river was diverted. Here was the worst message yet! Sister Salt felt certain. Would something bad happen on the river to leave more fish belly-up? More heavy rain and the embankments would weaken and break, and the entire campsite would be washed away in a flood. She heard a snuffling sound from the bundle and turned to see little dark fists punching into the air. She leaned down and put her face close to his to smell his sweet baby’s breath and to let him feel hers as a blessing. “Yes, you were right,” she whispered to him in Sand Lizard language, “this place isn’t safe much longer.” The upside-down Pig and even the Owl might be signs of the flood that would drown all in its wake.

Delena listened to her, then shook her head. The healthy Fish swam upside down, and even used this ability to escape trouble. This card, said Sister, would come out on top, after greed was punished. The fourth picture was a Scale on its side, which Sister did not recognize; Delena explained the Scale’s connection with justice; on its side, the image of the Scale meant you must keep your balance to survive. These pictures formed by the cards touched one another, which meant all these things were to happen about the same time, not far in the future.