Read Online Looks Over(Gives Light Series) by Rose Christo - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rose Christo
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plains flute while Dad sat on his rocking chair, gazing inexpressively into the fire. I heard Granny in the next room saying: "Hmm, looks like I've got an e-mail letter..."
"That was very good, Cubby," Dad said when I had finished playing.
I smiled wistfully. Dad went on looking at me and finally sighed beneath his breath, turning his head away so I wouldn't have to see a real expression on his face.
"It hurts to remember her. I wish you could understand that."
I'd been selfish, I thought. Of course I didn't want Dad to suffer.
An uncomfortable silence stretched between us.
"So," Dad said. "Are you going to the autumn pauwau? It's on the Black Mountain Reservation, I believe. I think you'll really enjoy it."
What did that mean? Wasn't he coming, too?
"I can't come," Dad said. "I'm sorry. The moment I step out of Nettlebush, the law stops protecting me. I know that sounds cowardly. But I..."
No, it didn't. I shook my head and touched his arm. The last thing I wanted was to lose Dad. Still, I thought, I wished he could join in on the fun.
Dad smiled, but he still looked like a flightless hawk to me. "Don't worry about me," he said. "I'll keep Balto company while you're gone."
In school, too, everyone was talking about the pauwau.
"The Hopi eagle dance!" Zeke shouted, dancing up and down the aisle between the tenth and eleventh grade tables. "Seriously, you've never seen anything so cool! It's like they're flying--" He stuck his arms out like airplane wings.
"And the corn dance," Stuart Stout said. "I suppose it's appropriate that they hold their pauwau in autumn."
"Don't forget the butterfly dance," Annie said dreamily.
William Sleeping Fox prodded the tattoo on my upper left arm.
"That's an atlas moth, dumbass," Rafael said darkly.
"Find your seats, please," Mr. Red Clay said. He rapped the chalkboard with his knuckles until everyone settled down, silent. At once, he broke into his fluid combination of English and sign language. "Who can tell me why we're called Indians?"
Almost everyone raised their hands.
"Impressive," said Mr. Red Clay. "We'll see. Miss At Dawn?"
"Because Columbus thought he'd landed in India, the crackhead," Daisy At Dawn said, snickering.
"Language, Miss At Dawn. He certainly did. But India was called Hindustan back then. If Columbus thought he was in Hindustan, why didn't he call us Hindus?"
Nobody raised a hand this time.
Mr. Red Clay's mouth curled in a half smile. "No one? Alright, let's try a different question. What was the name of the tribe Columbus first encountered?"
"The Arawak!" Jack Nabako shouted from the front row.
"Thank you, Mr. Nabako. Next time, I beseech you to raise your hand. The Arawak. Were the Arawak a peaceful tribe, or a warring tribe?"
Rafael raised his hand. I stared at him, my elbow on the table, smiling slightly. He'd never raised his hand in class before.
"Yes?"
"Peaceful," Rafael said. "Like, freakishly peaceful."
"Freakishly peaceful," Mr. Red Clay mused. "That's one way to put it. So they would have been welcoming toward Columbus?"
"I guess so," Rafael mumbled.
"So it makes sense that Columbus would call us 'a people of God.' Or," said Mr. Red Clay, "in Italian--his language of preference--'una gente in dio.' Indio. Indian."
Daisy At Dawn whistled.
"Pencils out," Mr. Red Clay said. "Time for a quiz."
The first graders filed into the playground after school. Jack Nabako shoved Joseph and Joseph wailed loudly; but then Lila shoved Jack and all was right with the world. Rafael and I watched Siobhan Stout pushing her brother on the rope swings. Rafael turned to me.
"Uncle Gabe says you and your grandma can come with us for the ride to Black Mountain."
I brought my hands together and pulled them slowly
"That was very good, Cubby," Dad said when I had finished playing.
I smiled wistfully. Dad went on looking at me and finally sighed beneath his breath, turning his head away so I wouldn't have to see a real expression on his face.
"It hurts to remember her. I wish you could understand that."
I'd been selfish, I thought. Of course I didn't want Dad to suffer.
An uncomfortable silence stretched between us.
"So," Dad said. "Are you going to the autumn pauwau? It's on the Black Mountain Reservation, I believe. I think you'll really enjoy it."
What did that mean? Wasn't he coming, too?
"I can't come," Dad said. "I'm sorry. The moment I step out of Nettlebush, the law stops protecting me. I know that sounds cowardly. But I..."
No, it didn't. I shook my head and touched his arm. The last thing I wanted was to lose Dad. Still, I thought, I wished he could join in on the fun.
Dad smiled, but he still looked like a flightless hawk to me. "Don't worry about me," he said. "I'll keep Balto company while you're gone."
In school, too, everyone was talking about the pauwau.
"The Hopi eagle dance!" Zeke shouted, dancing up and down the aisle between the tenth and eleventh grade tables. "Seriously, you've never seen anything so cool! It's like they're flying--" He stuck his arms out like airplane wings.
"And the corn dance," Stuart Stout said. "I suppose it's appropriate that they hold their pauwau in autumn."
"Don't forget the butterfly dance," Annie said dreamily.
William Sleeping Fox prodded the tattoo on my upper left arm.
"That's an atlas moth, dumbass," Rafael said darkly.
"Find your seats, please," Mr. Red Clay said. He rapped the chalkboard with his knuckles until everyone settled down, silent. At once, he broke into his fluid combination of English and sign language. "Who can tell me why we're called Indians?"
Almost everyone raised their hands.
"Impressive," said Mr. Red Clay. "We'll see. Miss At Dawn?"
"Because Columbus thought he'd landed in India, the crackhead," Daisy At Dawn said, snickering.
"Language, Miss At Dawn. He certainly did. But India was called Hindustan back then. If Columbus thought he was in Hindustan, why didn't he call us Hindus?"
Nobody raised a hand this time.
Mr. Red Clay's mouth curled in a half smile. "No one? Alright, let's try a different question. What was the name of the tribe Columbus first encountered?"
"The Arawak!" Jack Nabako shouted from the front row.
"Thank you, Mr. Nabako. Next time, I beseech you to raise your hand. The Arawak. Were the Arawak a peaceful tribe, or a warring tribe?"
Rafael raised his hand. I stared at him, my elbow on the table, smiling slightly. He'd never raised his hand in class before.
"Yes?"
"Peaceful," Rafael said. "Like, freakishly peaceful."
"Freakishly peaceful," Mr. Red Clay mused. "That's one way to put it. So they would have been welcoming toward Columbus?"
"I guess so," Rafael mumbled.
"So it makes sense that Columbus would call us 'a people of God.' Or," said Mr. Red Clay, "in Italian--his language of preference--'una gente in dio.' Indio. Indian."
Daisy At Dawn whistled.
"Pencils out," Mr. Red Clay said. "Time for a quiz."
The first graders filed into the playground after school. Jack Nabako shoved Joseph and Joseph wailed loudly; but then Lila shoved Jack and all was right with the world. Rafael and I watched Siobhan Stout pushing her brother on the rope swings. Rafael turned to me.
"Uncle Gabe says you and your grandma can come with us for the ride to Black Mountain."
I brought my hands together and pulled them slowly
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