The Ranch

Chapter 12

While he was standing there daydreaming, he was on the rez, he started looking around, then he saw an old blue house with a broken window, he heard yelling, stuff breaking inside. Then it took him to his school and he saw that same kid in his class. Then it took him back to the blue house that kid had a long single braided hair, his face was all bloody and he took off running, then both parents came staggering out, then Victor's eyes were full of hatred. Then he heard Edward call his name. He snapped out of the daydream and came over.

"What were you doing, daydreaming?" asked Edward.

"I think so," said Victor.

Henry introduced them to the other guys that were there.

"You guys look familiar to me?" asked Napayshni.

"You know, come to think of it, you look familiar also?" asked Edward.

"Yeah he does," said Jason.

"We actually went to school together on the rez, we lived a block down from each other, remember he lived in the blue house with broken window, I told you about him when we still lived on the rez, Edward, you went over to his house and confronted his parents, then his dad and you started fighting," said Victor.

"Yeah I was 10 years old at that time, I do remember the fight," said Napayshni.

" Me too, I still feel it in my bones, especially when the weather changes," said Edward.

"Oh so you all know each other?" asked Chaska.

"Yes, we do," said Victor.

So they put on the gloves and started working on the fence.

"So Napayshni how'd you get here?" asked Victor.

"Well my teacher helped me get off the rez and placed me in foster care, then Chaska herd about me through the system, he was looking for a child to adopt, and he came across me and the social worker made the plan, and soon enough I was adopted by Chaska, I love it here it is so amazing," said Napayshni.

"It is beautiful out here, at first I was not thrilled but it is starting to grow on me," said Victor.

"I'm glad you got away from that place," said Napayshni.

"Me too, that was my brother's idea," said Victor.

"This place makes me get in touch with my native side sometimes," said Napayshni.

Victor just rolled his eyes.

"Personally I don't really care about our native side, nothing but hatred, killing, and drinking, and all the drunk injuns," said Victor getting a drink of water.

"It's not dumb, it helps us remember who we are, and it helps us get closer to the old ones, back with nature and the animals, to teach non-natives, because everybody wants to be a native, or wish they had native in them, to me its an awesome thing to be native, because we get to teach people our history," said Napayshni.

"I'm sorry, you are right I guess we do have a cool job of being native," smiled Victor.

"Of course we do Victor, I want you to do something before you leave, your brothers told me a lot while you were daydreaming, please remember who you are as a native kid, they said you get mad, don't get mad, embrace it. Not a lot of people can say that they are native but they have no clue what it's like or knows the history, and you just throw it away," said Napayshni.

"Victor time to go," said Edward.

"Remember what I said please," said Napayshni.

"I will, thank you, friend," said Victor.

So he got in the pickup and the dog jumped in the back, they were headed home. When they arrived home it was dark, so Henry went ahead and drove them to there house to drop them off and then he went home and went to bed.

Next morning everybody woke up as usual and had their coffee outside so did Victor. Victor is older now, he is a young adult now, Edward and Yellow Bird got married, Edward moved in with Yellow Bird on the ranch. Jason still lived with his mother as did Victor. All these years Victor thought about what Napayshni had told him, he took it by heart, it stayed with him forever. He no longer hated being Native, but he was proud to be a native. He no longer got mad at himself for being native or getting in touch with his native side, he now embraced being native, he was no longer ashamed or letting people know he is native.

" Napayshni was right, you don't have to be ashamed of what you are, or where you come from. I guess Victor thought what's the point was of being native when you have people taking the word out of context and making it sound like being Native is a bad thing. Most people think of the word Native as being hostile, drunk Indians, suicidal, drugged and so on. But they may not understand, not all Indians are that way. Some Indians started a church there, run a coffee shop and give food, some have even left the rez for a better life for them and their families."

"You don't have to be native to be a drunk, or to be hostile or even suicidal, that happens to all of us. You don't have to stay in poverty, get up and do something about it, don't just talk about how bad it is, do something about it."