Puma

by Izabellah
(Jacksonville, Arkansas, USA)

You know how little kids are sensitive to everything? How they see things that adults don't always see, hear things they don't always hear, experience things they don't always experience? Well I'm 22 yrs. old and at the age of 4, I was one of those children. My mom and I were living at my grandmother's apartment.

My mother had had supernatural experiences in that house, too. Once she and her sister had an encounter with a demon, of all things. It finally left when they recited the Lord's prayer.

My mother drew a picture of what she had seen but Maw Maw denied the whole thing, saying it was her imagination. She then showed the picture to my great, great grandmother and she said it wasn't her imagination. She believes and the only reason why Mildred (my grandmother) didn't want to believe it is because she knows it's true. No more lollygagging. Let's get back to my story.

Like I said, I was 4 yrs. old. I have a twin sister named Giah and she had made friends with the little girls across the street. They didn't really want to play with me cause I wasn't into dolls as much as they were. I liked them, but not as much. So I stayed in the house a lot. One day I was in the playroom playing with my toys and I saw a little boy. He had long black hair, big brown eyes and his skin was tan like a Native American's. He was wearing what looked like pants made from some kind of animal hide, shoes, no shirt and he had a necklace of a bear tooth around his neck with a feather tied into his beautiful hair. He had a tattoo of a mountain lion paw on his left arm. I had seen him around before but I didn't care. It was curious though.

He said "How! What's your name?" I asked him, "What do you mean how what's my name?" He smiled and said "No, 'How' means hello! So what's your name?" I said, "Oh, hi! My name is Izabellah but you can call me Izzy." I asked him, "Hey what's your name and where are you from?" He said, "I am Puma, and I'm from around here. I live out back."

We hit it off immediately. We talked and laughed and played and shared stories. He told me about how his dad was a warrior. He hunted a lot so his family could eat. Like the time where his dad brought home a bear and the meat they ate, but his mom used the hide to make shoes and pants for the winter. The bear-tooth necklace he had was also from the bear his dad had killed. It was huge. He let me try it on. I could actually physically touch it, too.

Puma and I would talk day in and day out. He would wonder where I had been during the day and I told him school. He was interested, so I asked him if he wanted to go. He said yes. He didn't have a desk to sit at so he sat on the floor and would whisper things to me. I laughed because it was funny, but my teacher complained to my mom that I was disrupting the class with my talking. I said it wasn't me, it was Puma, but she didn't believe me. So when I got home from school that day my mom was getting ready to spank me. I cried because it hurt and I hadn't done anything wrong. She was about to do it again but wasn't able to bring her hand down. Something was physically holding her back. It was PUMA!

My grandmother and mom were starting to get worried about me. They knew it was something I was involved with for sure, but they didn't understand. They would ask me who I was talking to and I would tell them Puma. They took it with a grain of salt and thought it was just an imaginary friend. Then one day I was sitting in the hallway of my great aunt Sylvia's house and I asked her could she make Puma and me a snack? She had heard them talk about my imaginary friend and made him one, too. She didn't pay any attention until she saw a bite being taken out of the sandwich while I was still eating mine.

She told my mother and my mom took me to a child psychologist. They thought I had a mental problem, that my mind was playing tricks on me. The doctor asked me a lot of questions. One of them was what my friend looked like, how old he was and where he came from. I gave him all the answers. I told him Puma and I went everywhere together. I got in trouble at school because he wouldn't quit talking. I told him we had to be quiet. He didn't mean to get me into trouble. He was sorry, so he gave me his bear-tooth necklace (which was around my neck) to make up for it.

"Is Puma here with you now?" I said, "Yes, he rode over here with me. He didn't want me to be scared, so he came along. He's never been in a car before. They didn't have those back when he was here. I told him he had to wear a seatbelt so we could be safe. He didn't like it, but he wore it. (I really actually remember saying that word for word) He said "Where is he?" and I pointed to the book shelf behind him. Then I said "Sitting on the floor behind you looking at one of your books."

He turned around and slowly rose out of his seat with a scared but amazed look on his face. Puma looked up from the book to look dead at him and didn't break the stare. The doctor then asked me to leave the room so he could speak with my mom.

I said, "Okay. Come on Puma." Puma got up, put the book back and we left. The whole ride home it was silent. My mom and grandmother went in her room to talk. I was listening at the door when I heard my mom tell her that the doctor had said the person I was talking to was no imaginary friend. The doctor had seen the little boy looking at one of his books and watched him leave with me when I left the room. It wasn't a harmful spirit. It was a child-a little Indian boy about her age (Puma was 5. I was 4. He was a year older than me.) My mom said that the doctor had mentioned that Puma was from around out back and that he didn't like water because he had slipped and fell in the water and couldn't get out. The last thing he remembered was a lot of people standing over him and seeing his mother weep but he didn't know why. The doctor said it wasn't an evil presence, just a scared little boy who found a friend in your daughter. Your daughter is not mentally ill, she's telling the truth. She really sees and speaks to this child.

Puma didn't come around my mom and grandmother because he said they didn't like him and made him feel bad so he would only come around me. Well oddly enough, another couple of months went by and all of a sudden Puma said he had to go. He would stay for my birthday and after that he had to go. He found his mom and needed to be with her. We had our outdoor birthday party and Puma asked to speak with me over by the tree so I went over and he gave a big eagle feather. (Now the only eagles I know about in Arkansas were in the zoo, but who's to say? They fly around here and anything's possible.) He said, "I'm going away for a awhile but I will see you again. Not sure when, but I will no matter where you are. I will find you. I won't forget you."

He gave me a big hug and right then, I saw a beautiful Indian lady standing there. She waved to me. Puma waved goodbye and I never saw him again. They disappeared. My mom noticed I hadn't been talking to him lately and I said he's gone. He found his mommy and they're gone. I hope you're happy. You made him leave. He knew you didn't like him and he left. I didn't speak with her for a while cause Puma was the only friend I had and now he was gone, but I eventually spoke to her again. Weeks turned to months. Months turned to years and I still had my gifts from Puma. He was still fresh on my mind I always wondered about him and how he was. My twin sister and I got a whole lot closer. I had a lot of other friends as well, but Puma was still on my mind. I even had a boyfriend!

Well I had just turned 17 yrs. old and my dad threw a get together for Giah's birthday. All our family from both sides were there at my grandpa's house. I left and walked to the backyard to get away for a minute, when I heard foot steps behind me. I looked, but no one was there. I then heard the unthinkable--a voice. . . a manly voice that said, "I told you I would find you."

I turned around and right there was this super handsome young Indian man with long beautiful black hair and tan brown skin and a tattoo of a paw on his left arm. He was tall, muscular, and very beautiful. I looked and said "Puma is that you?" He smiled and said, "Yes, I know I'm different. I've grown up and so have you. You're beautiful."

I smiled and we hugged. We talked for a while. He was surprised that I still had his bear's tooth and felt very honored that I didn't forget him. We talked a little more and he said he had to return. He just wanted so see me and wish me a happy birthday. He presented me with another gift. It was one of those stones with different layers of color in it. It was so pretty. We said our goodbyes and then he walked into the woods and disappeared. I haven't seen him since, but even now I still feel Puma's presence and I'm glad he's still around. Maybe I'll see him again later. Until then, I can only hope.

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