"The Man to Send Rain Clouds" unfolds against the backdrop of an Indian reservation in the sun-baked, expansive American Southwest, where mesas stretch into the horizon and arroyos carve deep into the earth. The tale begins with Leon and his brother-in-law, Ken, as they stumble upon Teofilo, an elderly man, lifeless beneath a cottonwood tree's serene shade. With reverence, they adorn his face with ritualistic paint and envelop his body in a vibrant red blanket, preparing to escort him home for a traditional Pueblo farewell. (For the Pueblo people, such rituals ensure the deceased are recognized in the afterlife. They scatter corn and sprinkle water, provisions for the spirit's journey, affirming death not as an end, but as a vital cycle where the spirit returns to its origins, bringing rain clouds to nourish the living.)

Meeting Father Paul

As Leon and Ken journey back, they encounter Father Paul, a youthful Catholic priest who laments the solitary passing of Teofilo. The funeral progresses in accordance with time-honored Native customs until Leon's wife suggests involving the priest to bless the grave with holy water. Initially, Father Paul hesitates to integrate the holy water into the Indigenous ceremony. Yet, after some reflection, despite grappling with his place in the ritual's tapestry, he decides to perform the blessing.

The priest approached the grave slowly... He looked at the red blanket, not sure that Teofilo was so small, wondering if it wasn't some perverse Indian trick—something they did in March to ensure a good harvest—wondering if maybe old Teofilo was actually at the sheep camp corralling the sheep for the night. But there he was, facing into a cold dry wind and squinting at the last sunlight, ready to bury a red wool blanket while the faces of his parishioners were in shadow with the last warmth of the sun on their backs.

His fingers were stiff, and it took him a long time to twist the lid off the holy water. Drops of water fell on the red blanket and soaked into dark icy spots. (Excerpt from "The Man to Send Rain Clouds.")

The Story's Conclusion

Thus concludes the narrative, as Leon finds solace in the holy water's sprinkling; confident now that Teofilo can send them abundant thunderclouds, ensuring prosperity for the community.