REZ DOGS PART VI

This is a story about two twin brothers who grew up on a reservation in Northern Saskatchewan Canada. The story deals with love, hate, acceptance, tolerance, redemption, salvation, and growth.

Land Of Dreams

Kiran

The United States of America, the land of promise... The pursuit of happiness is not achieved by many. Poverty floods most of the cities and towns. Those who do make it, make it well- there isn't that much of a middle class, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. I've observed this during my time here, but isn't that how it is everywhere? I mean that is an obtuse observation seeing as most of the world is impoverished- the American Social commentators say it to enrage the people but I come from a place just as poor, in Canada.

My whole family did not have much, my neighbours didn't either, the places we lived were not much better. As we got older Isaiah and I saw an injustice being done. Being an indian was like being a 'lesser' person. Racism was very prevalent and continues to be, even in Los Angeles today, even more so since I was an actor of visible minority. In the land of dreams i was someone who, on luck, won a lottery of sorts.

As a child going out into the real world I remember a specific foster mother, Beatrice, who got into a fight with white man, he said something, to this day I have no idea what but when he said it too her she stopped where she was and slapped him across the face. I remember the police coming and taking her away and she, yelling at the officers about what he had said. Our foster father came and picked us up from the police station, and later that day we were removed from that home and taken away.

The whole situation was blown out of proportion and I think that she could have handled herself a little better especially in public but sometimes people lash out. besides, who am I to think that kind of thing is wrong? I was the worst kind of person. I lied to everyone around me, everyone who took care of me, who loved me, who tried to help me. I used people in the worst ways, to get what I wanted, to lie, cheat and steal. I fucked girls and never had a real relationship and I was horrible to most everyone, on the inside I knew it was just an act but I was so enraged by life that I needed to push everyone away from me- Isaiah was the only person I had loved to be around.

Living in a reservation is like living in another country, everywhere you look violence happens, alcoholism is prevalent, homes are in various states of upheaval, it's like stepping into another world. When I walk around my street today I see beautiful white women in track suits taking their dogs for runs, watching people out of magazine ad's have BBQ's and interacting with each other as friendly happy, well-adjusted individuals.

Even though I am in my twenties I feel as though I have lived so many lived. I have no wrinkles on my face but time has worn me ragged. No grey in my hair yet I have seen so much, been through so much, have had and lost so much. Yet here I stand, as a completely new person yet I have nothing. No family to claim, no friends that I've shared a life with, no one who I can call a true friend. I had to go and see this woman, even if she was lying. in my heart I knew she wasn't but there is always a chance you are wrong about something.

So that week I booked a ticket to Canada too see her. I wanted to know more about her, more about Isaiah. I felt like I could handle anything she had to say and I felt as though I deserved to see my brother again, if not at the very least he deserved to see me, if even to hate me for what happened.

Isaiah

With change comes growth and I felt like I was becoming reborn. I felt better and could see changes in my face, body, and I was happy to see old me comeback. I went out into the world and instead of people avoiding the sight of me people actually smiled at me. I was growing into a new person.

The darkness was subsiding and I had even gained new friends at work. I was a construction worker, every few days I would go back to my old place to see my children and take them out into the city. I cared for them as much as I could and bought them whatever they wanted. it broke my heart to see my ex being the same old person. I had no reason to tell her what to do but I did put my foot down when it came to our children and exposing them to her life style.

Then one day she told me, "I got in contact with your brother..." she trailed off. It was like the ultimate betrayal. I felt hatred in my heart towards her, she didn't care about him or about me, all I knew she wanted was some money from him.

"Why?" was all I managed to say to her

"Well I thought you needed to see him" lie "I thought it would be good for our kids to their uncle" b***h I thought, evil, heartless woman. She had no idea what she was stirring up.

"I want our children" I said to her at last

"What?" she stuttered out "No! No, they're mine! Wh-why?" And then we had it out, for the next fifteen minutes we screamed at each other about her ulterior motives, I can not understand how someone could be the way that she is. in the end she sat, a defeated woman, I told her I would tell the authorities of her habits and addictions and they would find her an unfit mother, I, on the other hand, turned my life around. After all of it I felt like s**t but I had no choice, I didn't want my children to be around that anymore and she was not going to listen to reason.

In the following weeks the children's transition from their mothers house to mine was basically without incident. She tried sending people to intimidate me but I did not falter. Someday she would grow up and recognize that I was doing this for our kids. If not, then that was her her fault not mine.

I had got a call from my aunt telling me that she had gotten a visitor, Kiran.

He wanted to see me.

Author's Note

This is the climax of the story and as before, I welcome hearing your opinions, all structured criticism welcomed too.

i think this 'chapter' will have more detail in it but still contain the same amount of progression. I just would like to expand a little bit more and at the same time express myself a little more through the characters.

More things about the 'Rez Dogs' story. I think that the story will be about 55,000-67,000 words in length in its expanded, completed version. I plan on getting the chapters read by an editor and in it's third revision I want to send it out to publishing companies.

Characters that are not in this story but [I think] will be in the novel length version is Kiran and Isaiah's mother and father, the aunt and uncle [the twin's mom's sister] the two band members, their families, Isaiah's girlfriend and two daughters, his current best friend and an old [reoccurring] friend, Kiran's publicist, his ex-girlfriend, current friends, and the twin's grandfather.