Free Reservation Blues - Alexie Sherman by Alexie Sherman

to think her songs drifted across the
entire reservation. I imagined they knocked deer over and shook the
antlers of moose and elk. Can you believe that? The music crept into
the dreams of hibernating bears and turned them into nightmares.
Those bears wouldn't ever leave their dens and starved to death as
spring grew warmer. Those songs floated up to the clouds, fell back
to the earth as rain, and changed the shape of plants and trees. I
once bit into a huckleberry, and it tasted like my brother's tears. I
used to believe all of that."
    Thomas smiled at her. He had just met the only Indian
who told stories like his. He took a sip of his coffee and never even
noticed it was cold. How do you fall in love with a woman who grew up
without electricity and running water, who grew up in such poverty
that other poor Indians called her family poor?
    " Jeez," Chess said, "there I go again,
running at the mouth. You must be tired. Why don't you sleep on the
couch?"
    Thomas stretched in his chair, rubbed his eyes.
    " I am tired," he said. "Do you think
it's okay?"
    "Yeah," she said. "Why don't you go
lay down and I'll bring you a blanket."
    "Okay. But can I use the bathroom?"
    "Sure," Chess said and went to look for
bedding.
    Thomas used the bathroom and marveled at the order.
The fancy soaps waited perfectly and patiently in their dishes, but
Thomas used a little sliver of Ivory soap to wash his hands and face.
    "Are you okay in there?" Chess asked
through the door.
    " Oh, yeah," Thomas said, unaware of the
time he'd spent in the bathroom. "Do you have a toothbrush I can
borrow?"
    "Yeah, use mine. It's the red one."
Thomas picked up Chess's toothbrush, unsure if she
meant it. She brushed her teeth with this toothbrush, he thought. She
had this in her mouth. He hurriedly squeezed Crest onto the bristles
and brushed slowly.
    "Jeez," Chess said after he came out, "I
thought you fell in.
    "I had a life preserver," Thomas said,
embarrassed.
    "You can sleep here," Chess said and
motioned toward the couch. He lay down and pulled the quilt over
himself. She sat beside him and touched his face.
    " You know, " she said, "my mom made
this quilt."
    Thomas studied the patterns.
    "You think Junior and Victor are okay outside?"
he asked.
    "They're fine," she said. "It's warm."
    "How did your mom die?" he asked.
    "Of cancer," she lied.
    " Mine, too."
    " You go to sleep now. I'll see you in the
morning? She leaned over quickly and kissed him on the cheek. A
powerful kiss, more magical than any kiss on the mouth. She kissed
him like he was a warrior; she kissed him like she was a warrior.
    "Good night," he said.
    " Good night," she said and walked to her
bedroom.
    Chess tried to sleep, but the memories crowded and
haunted her. The sisters grew strong in those Montana summer days but
felt weak when they crawled into their shared bed. Before Backgammon
died, they had often listened carefully to their parents' lovemaking.
The hurried breathing and those wet, mysterious noises shook the
sisters' bodies. It was good.
    After the baby died, those good sounds stopped. The
sisters heard their father push at their mom, wanting it, but Linda
rolled over and pretended to sleep. She slapped his hands. Luke
fought and fought, but eventually he gave up if sober. If drunk,
however, he forced himself on his wife. Sometimes, he came home from
drinking and woke everybody with his needs. He fell on their mother
while Chess and Checkers listened and waited for it to end. Sometimes
their mother fought their father off, punched and kicked until he
left her alone. Other times he passed out before he did anything.
    The winters and summers arrived and left, as did the
family's seasons. Luke and Linda Warm Water raged like storms,
lightning in the summer, blizzards in the winter. But sometimes they
sat in the house, placid as a lake during spring or an autumn
evening. The sisters never knew what to expect, but Checkers grew
taller and more frightened with each day. Chess just