Read Online Up Ghost River by Edmund Metatawabin - Free Book Online Page A

could get bread whenever I wanted.
    â€œSure,” I said. “I’ll come.”
    â€œWe went to the dorm to ask Brother Jutras if it was okay,” Joe said. All the brothers and priests slept together in a dorm near the main school building. They tended to stay there on weekends. “Father Lavois said he was asleep.” It was after-dinner playtime, and in the fading light, I looked at Joe and Erick to see if they had extra bread. Their hands were empty.
    â€œOh,” I replied. “Are you going back?”
    â€œFather Lavois said not to disturb them,” Erick said.
    â€œMaybe we can ask on Monday,” Joe said.
    â€œMaybe,” Erick replied, and he looked down, then motioned to Joe to leave.
    â€”
    While I was waiting, we had a surprise visitor. It was Monday morning. We were sitting in a class with Sister Thérèse who was speaking her wemistikoshiw language. I stared at her and tried to follow what was happening. After a while we heard a knock on the door.
    â€œKummin!” Sister Thérèse said.
    Mr. Pasko walked in.
    â€œDississmistapasko,” Sister Thérèse said. “Heehasastoreintoun.” We looked at her blankly.
    â€œHello, boys,” Mike said to us in Cree. “My name is Mike Pasko. I run the Hudson’s Bay store.”
    â€œ
Tanisi
,” we replied.
    Sister Thérèse began talking again. This time Mike translated.
    â€œSister Thérèse has to leave for a couple of minutes. But I am going to read you a story.” Mike held up a book. “I need children who are good listeners. Does everyone want to show me how good you are at listening?”
    We nodded. Mike opened the book and started reading in Cree. It was called
The Ugly Duckling
. When the bird said goodbye to the barnyard, Sister Thérèse left the room. Once the door clicked, he read a few more lines and then closed the book.
He’s breaking the rules
, I thought, and it made me nervous.
    â€œWhat’s your name?” he said, pointing at Amocheesh.
    â€œNumber Three.”
    â€œNo, I mean your real name.”
    Amocheesh hesitated and looked around the room.
    â€œDon’t be scared. My name is Mike. What’s your real name?”
    â€œAmocheesh,” he said, quietly.
    â€œWhat a great name!”
    Amocheesh grinned.
    â€œWhat’s yours?” Mr. Pasko said, pointing to me.
    â€œEdmund.”
    â€œYou?” he said pointing to a girl named Dayness.
    â€œDayness Kooses.”
    â€œWonderful.” Several boys and girls excitedly raised their hands, as if eager for Mike to comment on their own names.
    â€œTell me, Amocheesh. Where does your family like to go trapping?”
    Amocheesh started to tell Mike, and then asked him if he could have a pen and paper to draw a map. Mike walked to the stationery cupboard. “Why don’t we all plot our homes on Amocheesh’s map?” In the excitement, we didn’t hear Sister Thérèse enter the room.
    â€œMike!” It was back to English and my heart sank. Sister Thérèse seemed to be angry, but then Mike said something that made her smile. They talked for a few more minutes, then he turned around and waved to us and we waved back, and he left.
    That evening we went out again to dig potatoes. Three of us were crouching around a potato plant and guessing what Mike had said to Sister Thérèse to make her smile.
    â€œI think he said, ‘Take off your veil. I’ll make you a woman,’ ” Tony said. Everyone laughed.
    â€œHow would he do that?” Amocheesh asked.
    â€œYou don’t know anything,” Tony said. I didn’t know either, but didn’t want to be mocked.
    â€œYes, I do,” Amocheesh said.
    â€œOkay. So how?”
    â€œShh,” said Sister Wesley, stalking toward us. Once she was close enough, she cuffed Tony around the head and told him to shut up.
    When she was out of earshot, Tony said to