The Driver and Wakasi

Chapter Three

The Driver and Wakasi

Sweat stung his eyes as Bubba heaved a massive log back into its place. It creaked as the centaurs steadied it back into the wall of a home. He squatted lower than any centaur, helping in a few areas with the repair. The translation went smoothly, if slow. Seraph spoke directly to the centaurs through his glasses, awing and spooking many. He repeated words and phrases that she placed on his HUD.

The first moments had been tense, but after a few minutes of talking he had managed to inform them his name was Bubba. Once translated, it caused momentous laughter amongst the villagers. Patting his shoulder the village elder wiped away a tear and gave him a nod before moving to check the wounded. Seraph later explained ‘Bubba’ wasn't a name they’d ever heard, though they weren't meaning to be rude. Bubba took it in stride.

The woman with ice magic, who he quickly learned was named “Wakasi”, had either been assigned or decided to follow him closely. Not that Bubba minded. Those too old or injured to help had circled around him and his ATV. They began a dialog that lasted about an hour before Bubba pointed to the repairs underway. They got his intent and Wakasi’s protesting aside, they allowed him to help. With Seraph translating he threw himself into the work, hoping to gain their trust. Loneliness had been a cruel mistress the last two years.

Pink and orange dusk fell as his team finished repairs. A few of the men and women had taken a liking to him, despite many having reservations. Seraph’s voice especially gave pause to many, and the children had been separated from him since the battle's end.

Wakasi’s eyes left him as the village elder, which he had learned was named “Skookum Tyee”, came to their repair team. The girl from the battle limped beside him. Seraph had informed him the name meant strong chief, fitting, giving the respect the old man commanded.

“Klahowya.” The Chief said hello again.

“Kluh how ya.” Bubba pronounced the foreign word for hello with help from his glasses screens instructions.

Skookum Tyee nodded and addressed the group, causing them to disperse, then turned to Wakasi. Only fragments made it through the HUD, “Peaceful? Help. Repair. No Danger? Red Braids.” It was clear the man meant to ease Wakasi’s lingering paranoia surrounding his presence. As they spoke to the girl his translations sadly failed him.

Seraph had been fast, speaking to the elders, Wakasi, the repair team, and even those with a passing interest in their affairs. She had informed him that this world did in fact have humans, and many other species. He also learned they were in the same place geographically as before, the Oregon redwoods. They had yet to confirm with the weather balloon, but it made sense to him. After all, this was meant to be another America, or Turtle Island as the Natives also said in this world. Perhaps it would be a better one? Or one just as morally mixed as his own. The sights however, were sure to inspire.

Seraph and the natives spoke of great beasts, dinosaurs and monsters. These beasts of burden leading to the rise of the wheel and larger nations than their own timeline, though other options were also likely. The Nahuatl speaking peoples seemed to control what was south of Oregon, but to what degree they knew not. Another large nation seemed to control the Sinnissippi, which he knew to be the Mississippi. Beyond that they hadn't pieced together much, magic seemed to be a taboo topic so far, and distinguishing dinosaurs from names and monsters seemed challenging.

Wakasi sighed, stepping back as the girl limped to him. He straightened, pushing past the pain and exhaustion to keep the girl from being worried. “Klahowya”

The girl chuckled and reached out to give him a small totem, eerily similar to the one he had been given before. He could tell the carvings were vastly different, but he felt something familiar. He ran his thumb along creatures he both did and didn't recognize, like a triceratops. It was warm, whether from her hands or magic he didn't know.

“Koshi.” He smiled and gave thanks.

The girl's eyes watered as she smiled before limping quickly away to a waiting group of children and a few adults. Bubba reached out but dropped his hand. “Why?” He asked Skookum Tyee and Wakasi.

“The girl was happy with your kindness Bubba. She had meant to thank you, but you thanked her. Her emotions were laid bare.”, Skookum Tyee explained, his glasses working over-time to display the text, with some question marks thrown in.

“I see, that’s what ‘Bubba’s are for right?” He chuckled.

He looked to Wakasi, who was covering the first smile he had seen her wear, something that slowly vanished as she looked around the damaged village. The ground was still littered with ash and wood chips, a testament to the battle.

“What… when?” Asked Bubba, having thought he said ‘what now?’

“Now?”, the chief clarified with a new word, “Rest.” Was all Skookum Tyee had to say, giving a look to Wakasi and a head gesture to himself.

Wakasi glared at him, then sighed, her face now at rest after the long day. Perhaps even some trust had been earned. She glanced around before making a box shape and saying, “Home?”

“Your home?” Bubba blushed.

Wakasi snorted, “Your home?”

Bubba cleared his throat, “Ah, yes. I go home. Come back at sun up?”

Wakasi raised an eyebrow and asked, “Show me your home?”

Bubba blinked, looking skyward, reminiscing. His home, the RV, he realized that’s what Mountain Girl had become.

“Seems safe to me Bubba. Her face and voice aren't registering deceit to me.” Seraph said in his ear, changing to English.

“You sure? She’s been side-eyeing me all day.” Bubba muttered.

“I’d bet your life on it!” Seraph quipped.

“Oh I bet you would, Seraph.” He grumbled with a small grin.

Bubba gave a weary nod and walked in pain to his ATV. The dust had settled, leaving the smell of tanning hides and broken wood. Darkness crept in long shadows as the sun set. Wakasi stopped as they reached it, as if unsure how to proceed.

“Kloshe way, Wakasi.” He assured her the road was safe.

She gave a half smile and Bubba didn't need the words Seraph placed onto his glasses to see she was weary of the journey.

“Nika Lodge…” He mentioned his house, but didn't know the word for close. He put his hands out and shrunk them before pointing to the redwoods, “Close.”

“Ah, Tenas way.” She told him the words for, ‘close way’, her expression unreadable.

Bubba mounted the ATV with practiced ease and looked at Wakasi before covering his ears. She stopped, before understanding and shouting to those around to close their ears. Bubba wasn't sure how loud the ATV would be to them. He turned the key and the engine roared to life, causing some who hadn't seen it before to gasp. Somewhere in the distance, brontosaurs began to sing a low, haunting melody that brought tears to his eyes.

“I see tears still come easy to you big guy. New note, Bronto music vibes with synesthesia.” Seraph said as a matter of fact.

He shook away the tears and turned to Wakasi, giving a thumbs up, which she mirrored before removing her hands from her ears with the others. Apparently the sound wasn't too loud after all. He pressed lightly on the gas, steering the ATV to the road leading back to the RV. Leaving the village, a great vista of stars pierced the pink and orange lines in the sky. The sun bled out over the grassy hills on the first day of a new roadtrip, a new life even. For once, he didn't know where the road was heading.

. . .

Bubba and Wakasi arrived at the edges of the towering redwoods. Ferns and flowers scented the crisp air. The sun dipped into the horizon, light fading across the green hills. Bubba watched the sunlight slowly pour down the redwoods like syrup on bark.

Wakasi however had her eyes squarely on the RV. She ran her fingers down the surface of the mountain mural. Bubba didn't need a translator to see she was moved by the painting. He parked the ATV around the back and reloaded it onto its mount. He looked up to find her suddenly just feet away, not having made a sound.

“Home?” She looked back to the RV, wide eyed.

“Yes.” Bubba didn't know how to describe the RV in great detail yet in their language. It was centuries drifted from the languages of his world.

Wakasi tapped the tires and muttered something. She turned back to him, her face lit up like he hadn't seen before.

“Steel Wheel home?” The translation came to his HUD.

“Aye, Steel Wheel home. RV, Mountain Girl.” Bubba answered with pride that surprised him.

Wakasi once again took to admiring the mural as the last rays of the sun winked out around them. The starry sky made a heavenly twilight in its place. Bubba briefly wondered what he would think if he met aliens and found a UFO with a planet mural. Wakasi suddenly teared up and held back a sob.

“Wakasi!” Bubba momentarily forgot his usual respect for boundaries. This wasn't some fantasy creature, no, this was a young woman crying. She muttered something as he hesitantly reached out to pat her side. She didn't stop him, but wiped away the tears and cleared her throat.

“She said something like, "’Just dust’ and ‘Great beauty’. I guess I've got two cry babies on my hands now. What a fate.” Seraph lamented teasingly.

An idea hit him. He stepped into the RV with Wakasi’s eyes following him. “Safe,” he called out to her as he rolled up a window, leaving just a screen between them.

Wakasi touched the screen and felt Bubba's face on the other side. They both recoiled in embarrassment at this accident. Not their first cultural mishap, or their last. Bubba took a breath and turned on some exterior lights.

The sudden beams spooked her, but he repeated the word ‘safe’, along with Seraph. Wakasi snorted and began to investigate the yellow glow.

Bubba facepalmed as a sudden realization hit, “Ah, Wakasi, you go the way home?” His grasp on the language was still mediocre, Seraph simply didn't have enough data.

“Watch you.” She crossed her arms.

“Watch me? Me sleep.” Bubba mimicked resting his head.

“Yes.” She stated as though it were obvious.

Bubba sighed and looked to the doorway and back to her. He knew not to mention a ladies size, but she clearly wouldn't fit inside.

“No worry.” She began to arrange large fern leaves into a bed of sorts.

“I'm getting Tarzan vibes.” Seraph joked.

Bubba furrowed his brow in thought. Then he snapped his fingers, as an idea came quickly. Stepping outside again he set up a folding bed that stood above the ground, just like a folding camping chair. He unrolled a sleeping bag onto it.

Wakasi stole glances at him, which Seraph didn't miss. Finishing her bed she laid down and began breathing softly. The milky way shone in-between the sparse canopy above. A cool night, under a bright sky and RV light, there was little need for a fire. Seraph was kind enough to turn on a bug zapper. Wakasi pretended it didn't bother her, but she twitched each time a bug found it.

“Wakasi, tah yo wah,” Bubba told her goodnight in Nahuatl.

Seraph had explained that as they colonized California, or Ayotlan as it's called here, it had become a sort of trade or common language. It was especially so for words or phrases not in other languages, of which there were many more than their own world.

Wakasi chuckled, perhaps at his pronunciation, perhaps at the whole situation in general. “Tayohua,” She offered.

Bubba didn't recognize this sky, the constellations had shifted. He sighed, and sleep found him quickly as the crickets and frogs of the forest guided him with a sweet lullaby. Wakasi shifted occasionally, her eyes darting about, ever ready for threats.

“Wakasi.” Seraph spoke through the RV speakers.

The Centaur jumped at this, looking the RV up and down.

“It's still me Seraphina, Wakasi. As a machine spirit, your words, I can inhabit the RV in several ways. I have eyes and ears all around, there is no danger.”

“The steel wheeled home can see and hear? You’re watching me?” Wakasi asked, her face wide in disbelief.

“You’re watching us. Wakasi, Bubba is like a brother to me. Or something more. Creator. Friend. Repair man. Meat puppet. Hope this translates well, but I'm sure you understand. Your weariness is admirable, but-”

“But you, mechanical spirit, will protect Red Tails with the steel wheel home.” Wakasi finished her sentence, “Foreigners in a border land. Where will you go?”

“For once I have no idea. We have no map here. We traveled our own world before a redwood spirited us away.” Seraph said as a matter of fact.

“Traveled the world? You're really not from here are you? This forest, the Great Wawona, has many mysteries. Here… I gained my ice magic.”

“Your words say you gained, but your voice says you lost something.” Seraph noticed, her voice shifting tone to be more serious.

Wakasi's breath hitched, her armor cracking once again. She cleared her throat, “A story for another time. Why did you travel?”

“He was looking for something he lost, something inside,” Seraph wondered if she should hold back or try to build trust, “His wife had died.”

Wakasi's face fell at the words. Her eyes went distant, as if she were contemplating life itself.

“I know of a place to begin your travels. Walahalem, the place where people live among the waters. I will take you. I have… family there.” Wakasi offered.