Street roots
14
Oct. 11, 2013
The Brahma Bull
BY LEO RHODES
and I spent one summer with them.
C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N I S T
When I moved in, the first thing I noticed
was adopted at a young age, yet I still
in my father’s house was a big beautiful
remember my adopted parents telling
glass Brahma bull statue. I soon got two ,
me they were my new parents. Then
jobs and started meeting my biological
asking if it was OK, I
family. Meeting them and my father
answered, “yes.” They
answered a lot of my questions, even ones I
were pleased; next
hadn’t thought of before. During dinner and
they told me I could
after, the three of us (grandfather, father,
change my name if I
and me) would talk about my life.
Leo Rhodes
wanted to. They gave
Sometimes my father would talk about
me some examples of
family history. One night he started talking
other names I might
about how he and my grandfather were
be interested in. When they finished I told
cowboys.
He talked about taking care of the cattle
them I didn’t want to change my name.
and camping under the stars. I sat there
They kept at it. This time I didn’t wait until
they stopped. I interrupted them and
listening to his stories, and then started
looking around. I focused on the oil lantern
sternly said, “No my name is Leo and that’s
with its faint hissing sound and soft glow.
what it’s going to be.” My parents looked at
My father didn’t make very much money, so
me shocked, and then started laughing a
he used the lanterns for light. I smiled to
little. Then my mom said, “OK, what about
myself as I thought how fitting it was; it kind
your middle name, Francis.” I quickly
of set the mood for the stories my father
replied, “I wanted to change it.” Both
was talking about. Soon my father started
parents looked at me deeply. My mom
telling me about herding cattle. All of a
asked, “Why?” I said, “Francis is a girl’s
name and I don’t want a girl’s name.” With a sudden his eyes lit up, “When the cattle get
spooked by a rattlesnake there’s no
concerned look on her face my mom calmly
stopping the stampede and you have to ride
explained that Francis was my grandfather’s
it out.” He acted like he was on a horse,
name, and he was a cowboy and rodeo
reins in hand, standing in stirrups, leaning
clown: a real tough guy.
forward, and whipping his horse, left, then
My mom tried a few more times to
right, back and forth. “YEE HAW!” he
change my mind, but I stuck to my guns and
exclaimed loudly. I started laughing at him.
she finally gave in. “OK what do you want to
Then I noticed my grandfather looking at
change your name to?” she asked me.
the Brahma statue, like he was in a deep
Without skipping a beat I replied,
hypnotic state. I started to focus on the
“Matthew.” Both parents started to think
statue. My father’s voice started to fade. I
about it. My mom started mumbling, “Leo
felt a light touch on my arm. I turned to face
Matthew Rhodes.” She said it a few times
my father and he stood there smiling
then looked at my dad. “What do you
proudly. I smiled back at him. I smiled was
think?” she asked him. He thought about it
because my father, grandfather and I all
a little and said, “Sounds OK. Leo Matthew
have the same smile with dimples.
Rhodes. Yeah, sure.”
Calmly my father told r^e, he and his two
My mom turned to face me with a
sisters gave my grandfather that statue on
puzzled look, she asked, “Why Matthew?” I
his birthday. Then he said, “You know he
smiled at her then said, “That’s my best
was a rodeo clown?” I had forgotten what
friend’s name. Matthew.” Of course, we had
my mom had told me years before. My
to tell Matthew’s parents. His mom
father told me my grandfather was famous.
screamed with delight then came to me and
People came from all around to watch him.
gave me a big hug and kissed me on the
I looked at my grandfather, he never
cheek. When she told Matthew, he looked
moved, he just kept looking at the statue.
very uncomfortable; he didn’t know what to
My father went on to say, “What the crowd
do or say. It was kind of awkward. I mean,
wanted to see was your grandfather’s trick,
we were just kids; we were in preschool or
which was, as the bull was charging toward
kindergarten.
your grandfather, your grandfather would
Growing up was very hard. Knowing I
was adopted, it was like I was stuck between run toward the bull. The bull’s head would
be down and just before the bull picked his
two worlds. So I told myself one day I would
head up your grandfather would jump on
seek out my biological family and spend
the back of the bull’s neck. Then he would
time with them. I knew that would answer
run down the bull’s back and do a flip off
some of my questions. Eventually, I found
the back of the bull. Just before he landed
my father and grandfather, living together,
I
^
Leo Rhodes is a street
activist and homeless
advocate. He is also a
vendor with Street Roots
a nd a regular conributer to
the newspaper.
on his feet, he would grab the bull’s tail. So
when he landed on his feet the bull would
be pulling him and he would be waving to
the crowd. Your grandfather almost made
the big circuit. He was real close when a
white cowboy made the trick famous and
claimed he started it.”
My father also told me that someone
wrote a book about him. My grandfather s
nickname was “The Arizona Kid,” which was
also the name of the book. To this day, I still
haven’t jound it. My father continued, “Then
some time later your grandfather was on his
favorite horse when a drunk ran into both of
them with his car. Killed the horse and
paralyzed your grandfather.” I didn’t know
what to say. All of us just stared at the
statue.
A few months later my father’s house was
broken into. The first thing that I noticed
was the Brahma bull statue was missing.
Things were thrown all around. They really
trashed the place. I went to my drawer
where I had stashed some money. I was
shocked it was all there. About that time my
father came in, he asked, “What happened?”
“Somebody broke in” I told him. He started
taking inventory then asked about my stuff.
I told him my stuff wasn’t touched. He
looked at me real quick, stood there
thinking about it then said, “OK.” My father
called the cops and filled out the paperwork.
A few weeks later my father and I were at a
dump and saw the Brahma statue all broken
up.
For years I’ve been talking about the
hardships of homelessness, the struggle to
survive in the weather, and getting one’s life
together. Sometimes, they find work and
others have to deal with emotional
problems.
With those big struggles some seek
shelter, and others find comfort in a tent,
away from everybody and everything. Then
all of a sudden their stuff is taken or
trashed. Pissed, the homeless person has to
start all over again. The homeless know
they can’t call the cops, because it’s the
cops or the Department of Transportation
that either stored or threw their stuff in the
dumpster. This happens all over, enabling
homelessness. With not enough affordable
housing or shelter, where is the justice for
the homeless person?
Over the years a few of my friends’
houses have been broken into, and some of
them got their stuff back. Watching the
news, I see other peoples places being
broken into. They call the cops. Some get
their stuff back, others are still waiting, but
all are grateful believing they’ll get justice.
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