Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 2013)
street roots Dec. 21, 2013 Until we are reunited BY MIKE WHEELER didn’t land that punch, instead she was the one on the receiving end of the punches. hen I first got introduced to my Seeing her get beat down got everybody cousins Joe and Isaac, I thought rowdy, to the point where they all wanted to they were twins. Even though go out back and let off some anger. I was Isaac was the older brother by barely a the few youngest of the whole group. Joe came months, Joe and Isaac went to high school out of nowhere and tackled me. He said, together and even graduated at the same. “Come on cousin let’s see what you got.” They have another brother by the name of We rolled around the yard for about five Travis who is currently serving in the minutes, trying to get a submission on each military overseas. Joe told me once if you other, until somebody broke us up thinking truly want something in life, you have to the Tribals (Tribal Police) were coming, work your ass off for it. After he told me which happened to be a false alarm. Joe that, he pulled out a stack of money and wasn’t going to let me off that easily. He said, “This is what hard work as a firefighter told me ”1 ain’t done with you yet, let’s go will get you.” again.” Tired as I was, I knew he wasn’t As soon as he did that I thought to going to take no for an answer, so I used myself, Damn! Where do I sign up? Joe what little energy I had left to try and sweep inspired me to want to be a “fire outer” as him. I got him to the ground, but the he would call it. To this day, I want to put problem was keeping him there, he did my life on the line and fight wildfires. Isaac, these little kicks to the back of my thighs on the other hand was an artist. His with his heels. Those kicks started to take a drawings were some of the best I have ever toll on me. I started to lose my position, as seen. He had some major artistic talent, soon as there was a little bit of space which he eventually used to do tattoos. between Joe and I, he went for a triangle People would come from out of town just to choke. I think my pride wouldn’t let me get some ink done by him. This may sound tapout, but after awhile I had to give in; crazy, but he is so skilled that he gave there was no way of getting out of it. himself a tattoo, and it doesn’t even look Joe helped me up after we were done and bad. His tattoos actually looked like they said, “You’ve got heart, couz,” Isaac was were done by another tattooist, but the right there waiting for his chance to put me truth is he did them all by his lonely. to the test. He told me he was going to give I remember drinking with Joe, Isaac, and me some time to rest and regain my a few friends back on the rez. We were strength. As soon as I did, he rushed me watching Gina Carrano go against Cris with a takedown and swept me from my Cyborg in some Mixed Martial Arts. Gina feet. I got the wind knocked out of me from was undefeated at the time. Everybody was the impact of the ground. Isaac felt bad going for Gina, hoping she would land that after that happened, so he didn’t want to one good punch to knock her out. But Gina continue. Their mom overheard all the C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N IS T W Mike Wheeler and Tosha Jones are students at the Native American Family and Youth Center’s Early College Academy. The Academy’s Language Arts class is partnering with Street Roots. After reading Sherman Alexie’s “Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian,” the students wrote personal narratives that reflected on loss and change in their lives. commotion of me getting slammed to the ground, so she ran outside as fast she could to investigate what happened, and was upset with the whole situation. She started to get in Isaac’s face, saying, ”how can you do that to him, that’s supposed to be like a little brother to you.” She considered me a little brother to Joe and Isaac, mainly because I was living with them at the time. One summer afternoon my grandparents and I went to the casino for something to eat. After we were done, we went to a nearby gas station to fill up and hit the road. When my grandma got this unexpected phone call, I could tell from the look on her face, something terrible happened. She had tears in her eyes, which made me start to worry. I don’t think anyone was prepared for the horrific news that was to come. She got off the phone and told my grandpa and I that Joe and Isaac had just passed away in a car wreck. I didn’t want to believe what I was hearing. I kept telling myself “no it can’t be. Why did they have to be taken away from us.” I couldn’t help but cry, I felt like I could have drowned myself in my own tears. I kept thinking about their mom and how she was feeling. Nobody was able to get a hold of her for a while, so I wasn’t even sure if she knew yet. The funeral was the hardest part to deal with. To be honest, I think that’s when it hit me. Seeing them get placed into the ground, knowing it would be the last time I will see them, at least until I see them in the afterlife. Joe and Isaac will forever be remembered and never forgotten. Your family loves you two, and you’re always in our prayers. Lost without a surface to trace BY TOSHA JONES father has been in and out of my life; one minute he’s there, the next he doesn’t care. omeone once told me that the bond of April 30, 2011; I remember it like it was love is so strong between a father and yesterday. It was a Saturday morning at his children that the bond can never 8:30.1 hear yelling back in forth, my mom break. Well, I think that person lied. There saying, “Randy if you'leave this time you are are two reasons why people leave: One, they never welcomed back in this house.” fall out of love with you, and two, they’re I peek out my doorway. I’ve never seen just looking for a way out. my dad’s face so red; it’s heated like one of Why did he leave? Where did he go? Does he those chile peppers people put into their not love me? Am I worth his time?” Some salads. My dad looks back at his suitcase, nights I stay up thinking and wondering, does stuffing his clothes in there like stuffing he love me or not? What’d I do wrong? What dressing into a Thanksgiving turkey. My dad can I do to make him come back? says, “Alicia, the only reason I’m leaving is Do you ever find yourself laying awake for the sake of these kids, they are tired of thinking everything is your fault? you arguing with me.” When I was just a baby, my father “It takes two people to argue, Randy,” my abandoned me and my sisters and brothers, mom says. and you could say I never got over it. My C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N IS T S My dad pauses and says, “You know what Alicia, I’m tired of you treating me like one of the kids.” I get up and walk out into the living room. “Mom, dad what’s going on? Dad were you going?” My dad looks up at me as if he is going to tell me his brother died, his mouth opens wide like a fly flew in and flew out and he didn’t even notice. By the time he can speak I say, “ Dad, don’t you want to be here? Don’t you love us anymore?” My dad picks up his last suitcase, loads it in the car, closes the car door, and drives. I run out crying so hard I can’t see what’s happing. He drives away faster. That’s the last time I saw him. Now I know things don’t last forever. These are the final two out of four narratives on this project from NAYA. To read the other two students’ works, go to news. streetroots.org ✓ THE MAGIC IS N THE HOLEI 3 0 3 5 S .E . D iv is io n . P o r t la n d , O R 9 7 2 0 2 5 0 3 .2 3 4 .7 4 9 9 Many thanks to all o f our volunteers who contribute their time and energy toward Street Roots! Inquire about volunteering at www.streetroots.org/volunteer.
