From the top of the blue spruce tree, I watched the travellers continue their journey, onto new things. They got smaller and more far away as they walked; It was a bittersweet moment. My whole life I had never understood why people enjoyed change. I had lived with my tribe always, and I never asked questions. The Acaraho was my home, with it’s tall trees and clean streams of water, and my name, Abequa, means “stays at home.” So that is what I always did. But this time I felt different. I felt like I wanted to join them and see what the world had to offer.
I often helped weary travellers make their way through the treacherous canyon in which we lived. Because I had grown up there, I was accustomed to it. However, they were not, and it was often a long journey full of wailing and complaining from the people of all shapes, sizes, and sexes. One time, we ran into a rattlesnake on the trail. Five of the women in the company fainted and the men were all shouting while I hit it over the head with my staff and drove it away, simple as that. Other times I guess my English is not very good, and they think I am saying something funny and they laugh and point at me, but I don’t understand why. They say English words I do not know the meaning of, like “anxious,” and “hyperactive.” I am guessing it has something to do with the meaning of my last name, which is Litonya, and means “darting hummingbird.”
But I always helped the travellers through the Acaraho. Our tribe is very friendly, and we believe that we are all brothers and sisters, despite our backgrounds and the different colors of our skin. This is much unlike other tribes, and so many of the travellers are afraid of us at first. But soon, we are all friends as they move their way through our home, which we don’t mind much. They are always gone within a few days and only pass by a few times a year.
I climbed down the tree and went to see my Noshi, or father, in his tent. I entered and sat on the floor by his feet.
“Noshi,” I bowed my head, “Are you well? Do I need to go see the Micanopy to get you your medicine?”
He smiled at me with kind eyes. “Our Head Chief has already sent me the medicine, thank you daughter.”
I smiled back and nodded, but then bit my lip, and he must have seen the distress on my face, because he then asked me, “Abequa, you are troubled? Tell me what is on your mind.”
“Oh Noshi,” I began, “I do not understand something. The white men are always travelling, always seeing new things. But we always stay here, in the Acaraho. Why don’t we travel? What are they looking for and why are we not also looking for it?”
His smile fell. “Abequa, my one who stays at home, the white men do not have a home, and that is what they search for. We found our home long ago, and so we stay here in the great mountains which we call Acaraho, because this is our home. The white men are trying to force the land to do the things they want, while we know that the land is in charge of us, because it was here before us. We know to work with the land, and not against it. And that is how we gain our wisdom. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Noshi, I understand.” But there was something I still did not understand. What was so wrong about travelling and seeing new things? I simply wanted to see the land, not force it. I would not live and settle in one place, I would live everywhere; A different place every night perhaps! It would be so thrilling.
But I was still the darting hummingbird who stays at home in the mountains.

I watched the sunrise the next morning, and it was just as beautiful as ever, with orange, pink, and purple painted across the skies.
I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, feeling as if the light breeze would carry me away and I could fly to the new adventure that had just been planted in my heart.
My daydream was broken by the sound of someone saying my name.
“Abequa!”
I turned to see Kohana, a stern, swift warrior from my tribe. I had known him my entire life, and because we were so close in age we had grown up together. He stopped in front of me and said, “There are more travellers.”
“So soon?” I asked, incredulously, “Only yesterday I-”
“There are only two of them,” he interrupted. He did that a lot.
“A boy and a girl. We do not know why they are alone, but Micanopy wants you to go see them and ask why they are not with a company.”
I bowed my head.
“I will do it.”
Kohana nodded, and just as quickly as he had come, he was gone.

“William dear,” said a thin, blonde, young woman, “Growing up I always thought you were mad, but now I am quite sure of it!” She laughed and her eyes lit up, brightening the whole forest.
“Littlest sister Jane,” William began in a teasing tone, “By now, you should be used to my antics.”
Jane suddenly stopped laughing.
“William, in all seriousness, why did we have to leave now? Why couldn’t we have just waited to go with a company? Isn’t it dangerous out here all alone?” She paused to look around, then whispered, “What if there are natives out here?”
William crossed his arms and turned to face her.
“Have a little faith in me Janie, I did my research! There are natives in this area, but fortunately they are the friendliest type you could ever come across. So we have absolutely nothing to worry about.” He turned around and began walking again.
I watched this entire encounter while hidden in the trees to their right. When the one they called Jane started following after her brother, I stepped out behind them, purposefully stepping on a large twig to make it snap and get their attention. The two of them froze and whirled around to face me. Jane gasped and stepped back toward her brother. I c***ed my head to the side in mock curiosity, with arched eyebrows and a playful smile tugging at my lips.
William stepped forward and bowed his head toward me. I returned the gesture.
“We come in peace,” he said slowly and clearly, “We are-”
“I know English,” I sighed, “And I know you are named William and Jane. Why have you come without a company?”
William looked surprised as he replied, “I admire your straightforwardness. We, uh, we actually don’t have a company. We wanted to see the world, and explore things for ourselves; find out what the earth has to offer us.” Jane came up to join him and took his hand, nodding in agreement.
I was speechless for a moment, shocked at their intentions that were so different from the many white men who had come before them. Finally, I shook my head and asked, “Did you not have a home before? Is that what you are searching for?”
William laughed and shook his head lightly, while Jane spoke up for the first time.
“We have lived in the same place our whole lives, and we wanted to experience something new.”
“So…” I began, still processing what they were saying, “You do not want to force the land to do the things you want?”
“No,” William said, reassuringly, “No, we are very respectful of the earth.”
“Then… you need help getting through the Acaraho?”
“Through the… what?” Jane asked suddenly.
“The mountain,” William replied.
“You know my language?” I asked, surprised.
“Bits and pieces,” he shrugged with a small smile. He turned to Jane and said quietly, “I told you I did my research.”
These were no ordinary white travellers. I felt everything they were saying was coming from deep inside my heart, secrets I had never told anybody. Despite all this, I forced my shoulders to relax.
“Let us begin our journey,” I sighed, “Because you are without a company, It will only take two days.”
“Excellent,” William said, pulling his sister along to come stand by me, “Lead the way… erm, what was your name?”
“Abequa Litonya,” I replied, “It means ‘one who stays at home’ and ‘darting hummingbird’.”
Jane giggled, “That seems a bit controversial! Hummingbirds hardly ever stay in one place. And how interesting to think that your name could affect your personality. What does my name mean?”
“The name Jane means ‘gift from God’,” I told her. She smiled sheepishly.
Suddenly, we heard a large croak from the side of the trail and Jane jumped with a squeal.
“What was that?” she exclaimed.
“Machaku,” I replied calmly, “It is just a horny toad. Do not fear.”
William burst out laughing and said to his sister, “You were that scared of a toad?! Jane, we may have to turn around now. I do not know if you can really handle yourself out here.”
“Hmph!” Jane crossed her arms defensively.
I stayed silent, thinking hard about what Jane said about hummingbirds. I had never even considered leaving my home until recently. I felt like people simply expected me to always stay in the Acaraho. Leaving was an exciting and frightening new concept.
“What does the name ‘William’ mean?” William asked, cutting off my train of thought.
“Machaku,” I replied seriously.
William stopped in his tracks.
“Horny toad?!” he said loudly, “You must be pulling my leg! There’s no way-”
He stopped when he saw the expressions on mine and Jane’s faces. Suddenly all three of us burst out laughing “hysterically” (I learned that word from the last travellers that came through the Acaraho).
“Ha ha, very funny,” he said curtly “Now what does it really mean?”
I smiled at him.
“Protection.”

Within a few minutes, we reached the camp of my tribe. I wanted my father to meet these people so that maybe he would see that all white men are not the same. Maybe then I would not feel so different among my own people.
“Noshi,” I said, entering his tent and bowing my head respectfully, “You have probably already heard the news about the two white travellers who are without a tribe.”
“Yes,” he replied, “I was made aware of their arrival.” He looked at me with a curious expression.
“Father, these two are unlike any other white travellers I have ever met,” I began, breathlessly, “They do not wish to force the land, they want to live much like us. But they want to travel and see the world instead of staying in one place. I almost feel-” I stopped suddenly, gathering my thoughts.
“They are my friends, even though I have only known them a short time. Now they’ve… they’ve invited me to join them. To go see the world. And… I want to go with them.”
My father stared at me for a moment, then stood up slowly, putting his hands on my shoulders.
“Abequa Litonya,” he whispered, “You are my one who stays at home. But you are also a darting hummingbird, and hummingbirds never stay in one place.”
I blinked back the sudden tears and smiled softly, remembering Jane’s words that had been very similar.
He continued, “They make every place a home. The most important thing is to have home be a place in your heart, always.”
“But father,” I said desperately, “You are very weak. The tribe fears you will not live much longer. I cannot leave you now.”
He smiled gently.
“Go,” he said, “You need adventure. I’ve already lived mine. Yours is just beginning.”
Tears of gratitude streamed down my face.
“Father,” I cried, pulling him into a hug, “Thank you! I promise I will always have you in my heart. I love you Noshi.”
I pulled away and he kissed me on the forehead. I was so grateful that he completely understood me.

After a heartfelt goodbye with my dear father, I left the tent to find William and Jane and tell them the wonderful news. I was so glad that they wouldn’t mind if I tagged along, even if only for a little while, maybe even just until we got out of the Acaraho. From there I could take care of myself.
Suddenly, Kohana appeared in front of me, seemingly out of nowhere.
“Kohana,” I took a step back, surprised, “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be-”
“Abequa Litonya,” he responded breathlessly, “We have known each other a long time now.” He took my hands in his and I looked up at him, thoroughly confused. This was so unlike him.
“Yes, we have,” I responded, trying to take a step back from him but he only pulled me closer, this time putting his hands around my waist. I struggled to push myself away from him but he just grasped me tighter.
“We have known each other our whole lives,” he whispered, “We’ve grown up together.”
“What are you getting at?”
He looked deep into my eyes for what seemed like a very long time, staying silent. Our faces were very close.
“Kohana, I have to go now,” I said firmly, pushing myself away from him even harder, but to no avail. All the warriors in our tribe were extremely strong. I became even more frightened.
“No,” he said, suddenly very desperate. I had no idea what had gotten into him, but I knew I needed to get out of this situation as quickly as humanly possible. My mind was reeling. I could lie to him, give him some excuse as to why I needed to leave. Anything to get me away from him.
I resolved to simply tell him the truth. I took a deep breath and said, “Kohana, my father has given me permission to leave the Acaraho.”
“No!” he said again, louder this time.
“Kohana, why are you doing this?”
“Because I love you Abequa.”
My jaw dropped in shock. When I recovered, I responded angrily, “Well you’ve done a very good job of hiding it all these years! Why have you waited until now to tell me this? I had finally decided that I wanted to do something different with my life and now-”
“This is something different!” he exclaimed, “If you marry me then everything will be different! You’ll have the life you always wanted.”
Finally, I jerked myself out of his grip. “This is not what I want.”
We stared at each other as the tension in the air grew even thicker. Then he turned and swiftly began running away from me.
“Nikan!” I called after him. He froze and turned to face me.
“Do not call me that,” he said fiercely.
And then he was gone.

Darkness was beginning to fall when I came upon William and Jane sitting by their fire.
“Hey stranger, where’ve you been this whole time?” William asked teasingly. He stopped smiling when he saw my face in the light.
“What’s wrong?” Jane asked me, “Your father did not give you permission to come with us?”
“Nothing is wrong,” I said sharper than I intended, “I do have permission to leave. We will continue in the morning. Sleep well.” I turned and walked away to go to my own tent, leaving them in confused silence.

I was woken in the middle of the night by the sound of much shouting. Opening the door to my tent I laid my eyes on Kohana, who looked very angry. My eyes darted around, recognizing the faces of many of his warrior friends. None of them looked very happy either.
“Kohana what-”
He interrupted me, yet again, saying, “You dare call me your friend after you refuse my offer of marriage?”
A look of disbelief fell upon my face.
“Kohana, I-”
“Do not speak!”
I fell silent. After a moment I was about to tell him to quit interrupting me all the time, but before I could say anything he roughly grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of the tent.
“What are you doing?!” I shouted, “If Micanopy or my father knew about this, they would-”
“Your father is dead!” Kohana cried.
I froze. This wasn’t real. This wasn’t happening. It was just a dream. I pounded my fist against my head.
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” I screamed at myself.
“It’s true,” Kohana replied, circling around me now like a vulture around it’s next meal, “His sickness finally got the best of him. Or something like that.” He grinned, making my stomach lurch.
“It is a shame,” he continued, “but now there’s nothing keeping you from me.”
I shook my head and said with a shaking voice, “You are mistaken. Now there is nothing keeping me here.” I jumped up and started sprinting away from them. When I felt I had gotten far enough ahead of them, I climbed up a nearby tree, hugging the trunk and sobbing as silently as I could. My poor Noshi couldn’t die. I thought he was invincible.

William sat up straight, listening intently. Reaching over, he grabbed Jane’s shoulder.
“Wake up!,” he hissed, “Wake u-”
Off in the distance, he could hear someone screaming, “Wake up, wake up, wake up!” It sounded like Abequa.
Jane sat up slowly.
“William what in the world are you-”
“Sshhh!” He put his hand over her mouth.
The two listened to the distressed conversation happening not far from them.
“We better go,” William breathed, “Now!”

I had just started to nod off in the tree when I heard two people below me, whispering. I leaned over and looked down at who it could be.
“Jane, I don’t know what’s going on, but we have to leave. Something is not right at all.”
“William, I’m so afraid.”
“We’ll be alright, I promise,” he replied, pulling her into a hug, “We just need to find Abequa, she’ll know what to do.”
“I’m up here!” I hissed down at them.
“Abequa?” Jane asked, looking up.
I took a deep breath and began climbing down the tree.
“Thank goodness we ran into you,” William said with relief, “What happened?”
“Kohana tried to get me to marry him, but I told him no and it made him very angry. Now my father is dead and Kohana came to my tent and was going to take me or hurt me or-” I shook my head, staring at the forest floor.
“There’s nothing left for me here. My father is gone. Kohana will ruin my reputation. I’m sure they are all still out here looking for me, and I do not know what they want, and I do not know what to do or where to go-”
I began sobbing again, putting my hands over my face. Jane came up and gently touched my shoulder.
“We should go,” she reassured me, “You could start a new life, and we’ll always be there to help you along the way if that is what you want.” I slowly nodded, my eyes still glued to the ground. With William and Jane on either side of me, we made our way on to new things.

It was now daybreak. The constant sunrise that had always held potential, beauty, and hope, held meaning now that was more imminent than ever. I took several deep breaths as I stood there and watched my past slip away, and my future come fully into view.
I took a step forward, silently saying goodbye to the Acaraho. Despite it’s beauty and sturdiness, it also held my guilt and preconceived notions that I always had to do what others expected me to.
I took another step forward, silently saying goodbye to my father, my dear Noshi, who had always been there for me, just like the trees. I touched a hand to my heart, vowing to always remember him.
  I was still Abequa Litonya, the darting hummingbird who stays at home, but now I was making every place a home, by carrying home with me in my heart. I was a product of my past, but I would not be a prisoner of it.