Piqpagi

~instrument of peace~

As we marched into the town together I found myself observing him until I’m sure that it became awkward but I wasn’t sure what to speak to him about, I was never to good at talking to people but I found myself particularly unsure of just how to speak to an aborignal since other than the mild conversations I had had with this one a year ago and last night I had never spoken to one before.

But also it seemed that the more I looked at him the more little things I noticed about him all from the way he walked to the way he held his head or placed his hands.

He walked the way I had always imagined the royalty of old France to have walked but without the pretentiousness just with elegance and grace with his head held high, his shoulders relaxed but pushed back, each step full of intention full of dignity even as some onlookers scoffed at him in fact one passerby even went as far as to make his apparent displeasure known by ‘accidently’ tipping over a wheelbarrow of manure onto the eskimo’s shoes and pants.

My world practically froze around me, I couldn’t even speak for I had never before seen such egregiously belittling behaviour but to my further surprise Nanuq did not do what most others would have rightly done! Stand up for himself, yell profanities, or even raise a fist instead he turned the other cheek and started to walk the other way. But what the passerby did next was downright derogatory almost beyond belief!

The pudgy middle aged and balding man extended out his hand and yanked Nanuq back by one of the bundles of hair at the sides of his face then threw the small gentle man into the dung like he was some kind of animal sending the contents of Nanuq’s bag spilling onto the ground now all ruined and the brute let out a cruel and hekling laugh at the scene then crossed his arms and leaned over Nanuq like he was punishing a dog and said.

“Not so fast ice monkey! You bumped into my cart of fertilizer eskimo! Now aren't you gonna pick it up and aplogize snow nigger!”

I broke out of my shock and run up between then ready to give that son of a bitch a shiner but I was pulled back by a pair of strong arms which caused me to spin around smack whomever it was since I thought that the damn pig brought help but when I felt my hand roughly yank out a bun of hair I stood still with the immediate realization that it was Nanuq who was holding me back.

His petite yet apparently strong body then pulled me back to the sled that was now crowded by barking dogs no doubt worried over their master who now stood between the rude man and myself with his head held up high and proud even though his cheek now had a bleeding cut from my ring when I smacked his poor sweet face yet he did not look angry.

“It’s alright Barnabas! Please don’t get yourself in trouble on my account… I’ll be alright!”

I was about to argue with him but the fat pig put his hands on his hips as he let out another cackle then said.

“So this is your eskimo! well ya better teach your little pet to mind it’s place in the world before someone else has to cuz an eskimo who gets into trouble is a dead eskimo! From one civilized man to another you'd do yourself good to learn to give your eskimo more than just a backhand to make it do as it’s told! It takes a few beatings at least to break them in just like a good pair of boots now make it apologize or get your ass and your little arctic monkey out of my face and off to some place you can teach it some manners!”

Then without another moment's hesitation I sprong back to my feet and grabbed onto the small mans arm then pulled him back and as quickly as possible then walked back to the sled beyond outraged and determined to get a word in as soon as I could make sure that Nanuq would be safe but the moment I turned around to deck mr. shit man he was walking off down the street onto his merry way as if he did not just assault and abuse an innocent man in broad daylight for no reason.

I had half a mind to go after the bastard but Nanuq put his hand on my shoulder and with that same sweet smile of his that I have came to know so well, that even while covered with literal shit and blood with his hair all a dirty mess still glowed with untainted kindness just as when I saw him walking out my door that fateful night.

“Please Barnabas... I’m grateful that you would defend my honor but works of vengeance do not bring peace, it only momentarily satisfies one's pride then only brings more violence and violence is a cycle that goes on until someone decides to put aside their pride and stop it!”

“But you can’t just let that guy walk all over you like that!”

Then he walked over to a barrel full of icey rain water then dumped it over himself and scrubbed out all the filth with snow from the ground and he said

“I can and I will for it is all that I can do” he said as he took out another bag then started on his way again I was stunned but quickly I caught up to him and he got off the sled’s skis and slowed the dogs to a slow pace.

“Why not go to the police?” I said and then he stopped for a short moment then with a tiny smirk and an under breathe chuckle he continued on as he turned to me and said.

“Barnabas… look at my face, what colour is my skin? What shape are my eyes? Do I have tattoos on my face?... am I not like you!”

I had no idea how to respond but apparently he wasn't done, he walked a little onto the store corner and nodded for me to look at a advert pasted in a store window so I followed him and he pointed to the one for the ice seller.

It read “Eskimo Jimmy-Snowshoe’s magical spirit ice! 2 pounds for only 2 dimes! Keeps raw meat so fresh that until you cook it only an eskimo would eat it!” in bold silly letters under cartoon of a chocolate tinted face with only slanted lines for eyes, ugly rotten weasel teeth and drool falling down his chin next to a picture of a tall and handsome blonde white man with bulging bronze muscles and a twinkling smile holding an ice block with beautiful girls smiles around him.

“People like me Barnabas… we are never the heroes! We are never even the victims! Most of your people do not wish to remember that we are people too! That we are not what they see in entertainment! That we are not dirty and evil or stupid instead to most we are nothing more than a myth, a joke, a tool to do the dirty work,To show the whites were the food is, to take the punches, To carry all the heavy bags, to satisfy the whites curiosity in a way that amuses, to satisfy the whites sex fantisies never to be real people!... just another eskimo Jimmy-snowshoe…”

He made his way back to the sled and I followed at his side when he slowly continued.

“The police do not listen to Jimmy-snowshoe”

After a few moments of processing it all as I ran my hand over my scalp I turned over to Nanuq once more and decided that since things were already way past awkward now was as good a time as any to ask him some things. 

“Umm … so Nanuq is stuff like what happened today … how did you got hurt?” 

With another charming grin he shook his head and said very nonchalantly.

“No! I was arrested for protecting my people’s backbone”