Touching Spirit Bear

1 TouchingSpiritBearBenMikaelsenDEDICATION T hisbookisdedicatedtoBuffy, ,too, ,standupeight. , , , , , ,bitingatCole sfingerswithrazor-sharpteeth,..Chapter12 THESPIRITBEAR approachedColewithaslowlazystride,..Chap ter13 ASHORT,SQUAT manpokedhisheadinsideCole , Colesaid, , , , , , , sNoteReader , ,thegravelly-voiced, ,pronouncingTlingitproudlywithaclickingo fhistongueasifsaying Klingkit. ttrustanyonewhowasn , ,thentoKetchikan,Alaska, ,aquiet,potbelliedTlingitelderwhohadhelp edarrangeCole , , ,thegruffeldertookonelookandpointedafing erathim. Goputyourclothesoninsideout, heordered. Getreal,oldman, Coleanswered. You llwearthemreversedforthefirsttwoweeksofy ourbanishmenttoshowhumilityandshame, Edwinsaid, ,eyeingthedepartingelder. Justdoit, , , ,heavywoolshirt,andrainjacketchafedhissk in,butitdidn , , , , , , , sproblemanyway?Theelderactedfearless, , , help , beingreferred ,beenthroughasmanycounselors,apsychologi st,severaldetentioncenters, , ,severalofthosewhogatheredtoseehimoff,in cludinghisparents,hadwarnedhim, Don , , , ,hehadneverevenheardofCircleJustice hehadn , ,butafteraweekpassed, , ,ofcourse, ,PeterDriscal, , ,hecaughtuptoPeterinthehallwayatschool.

2 You readeadman, hewarnedtheskinnyred-hairedboy, ,afterschool, , , , , , ,atoiletwithoutacover,ashelfforclothes,a cementtable, , , ,watchTV, , , , reportswarnedhemightsufferpermanentdamag e. Serveshimright, ColemumbledwhenhewasfirsttoldofPeter , , , ,hehadn , ,thehigh-pricedcriminaldefenselawyerhire dbyhisdad, ,he ! , thisroomclean?Whyhadn theemptiedthegarbage?Whyhadn themowedthelawn?Whywasheevenalive? Ineverwanttoseeyouruglyfacesagain, Coleshoutedatthelawyerandhisparentsafter findingouthewouldn , showmuchtheythoughtaboutthemselvesandabo uthim, ,Colerelaxedonhisbedandpretendedtoreadan ewspaper, ,especiallyhisdad, ,heturnedbeetredandtwitchedbecausehecoul dn , , ,thestockyyouthprobationofficer, ,sowhydidhevisitsooften?Whatwashisangle? Everybodyhadanangle ,heresentedthevisits hedidn ,Garveyaskedcasually, Iknowyou reincontrol,Champ,butwouldyoueverconside rapplyingforCircleJustice? What sCircleJustice? It sahealingformofjusticepracticedbynativec ulturesforthousandsofyears.

3 I mnoIndian! Youdon ,forgive, What sinitforme? Garveyshookhishead. Ifyoukillmycat,normallythepolicefineyoua ndthat ,Istillfeelbadaboutmycat,andyou , WhywouldIwanttotakecareofadumbcat? Becauseyou ,youhelpmakethingsrightagain. WhatifIdon tcareaboutyouandyourdumbcat? Coleshrugged. Feedingadumbcatbeatspayingafine. GarveysmiledandclappedColeontheback. Youjustdon tgetit,doyou,Champ? showithadbeenaslongashecouldremember. CircleJusticetriestoheal,notpunish, Garveyexplained. TheyactuallydothisstuffhereinMinneapolis ? Garveynodded. It ,too. Whygotosomuchtrouble? , , , ,includingpeoplefromthecommunity Colebitathislip. Sowouldthisgetmeoutofgoingtojail? Itisn taboutavoidingjail, Garveysaid. Yougotojailangry, ,that , , ,ifthereisone,isreducedunderCircleJustic e. That HowdoIgetintothisCircleJusticestuff? sshoulder. I llgetyouanapplication, hesaid, butyou retheonewhostartstheprocessinyourheart. HetappedCole schest. Ifyoudon twantchange,thiswillneverwork. ColeforcedhimselfnottopullawayfromGarvey shand.

4 Ireallydowantchange, hesaid, Okay,let sseeifyou llhelpyouwiththeapplication. AfterGarveyleftthedetentioncenterthatday ,Colejabbedhisfistintotheair. Yes! , ,clothes,bedroll,ax,cookinggear,heavyrai ngear,rubberboots, ,Edwin,theTlingitelderfromDrake, , , ,buthehadn tlikedtheideaofpleadingguilty. That slikehangingmyself, hehadcomplainedtoGarvey. Youcanwithdrawyourguiltypleaandgothrough standardjusticeanytimeyouwant, Garveysaid. Butonceyougototrial,it stoolateforCircleJustice. WhenColehesitated,Garveyadded, Ithoughtyoulikedbeingincontrol,Champ. Coledidn ttrustanyone,butwhatchoicedidhehave? Okay, heansweredreluctantly. Butifyou relying,you llbesorry. Garveyfeignedsurprise. Letmegetthisstraight, mscaredofyou,youcantrustme? Hesmiledthinly. Yousurehavealottolearnabouttrust. QuitcallingmeChamp, Colemumbled. That snotmyname. So, heasked, howsoondoIstartthisCircleJusticestuff? Youcanapply,butthatdoesn tmeanyou lltalktoPeterDriscalandhisfamily,yourpar ents,andotherstodecideifyou Garveyhesitated.

5 Rewastingeverybody stimeifyoudon ttrulywantchange. Colenoddedobediently, , , , , , Whydon tyoutakemyhandcuffsoffandletmehelp? , , Nobody ,you Hepointedintotheforest. ,becausewetkills. I mnotafraidofdying, Ifdeathstaresyoustraightintheface,believ eme,son,you llgetscared. Hepointedtoatallplantwithsnakelikebranch es. ThisislandiscoveredwithDevil tgrabitorhundredsoftinythistleswillinfec tyourhandsandmakethemswelluplikesausages . Edwinmotionedtowardtheheadofthebay,aquar termileaway. Thatstreamoverthereiswhereyougetfreshwat er. Whydidn tyouputmycampclosertothestream? Otheranimalscomehereforwater,too, Edwinsaid. Howwouldyoufeelifabearmadeitsdenbesideth estream? Coleshrugged. I dkillit. Thepotbelliedeldernoddedwithaknowingsmil e. tforgetthat. ,butEdwingrippedhimlikeaclamp. Youaren llhavearoughtime. Whatistheretolearn? Patience,gentleness,strength,honesty, Animalscanteachusmoreaboutourselvesthana nyteacher. Hestaredawaytowardthesouth. OffthecoastofBritishColumbia, spurewhiteandhaspride,dignity, IfIsawaSpiritBear,I dkillit, Whateveryoudototheanimals, You recrazy,oldman, Colesaid,twistingfreeofEdwin Don ,berries, tknowhowitwasforyouinthebigcity, ,GarveywillheadhomeandI tplanoneatinganyshrubsorberries.

6 Whydidyoubringmeoutsofar? heaskedmockingly. WereyouafraidI descape? Edwinlookedoutacrossthebayanddrewinadeep breath. Yearsago, Thisplacesucks! Angerkeepsyoulost, hesaid,ashestartedbacktowardtheshelter. Youcanfindyourselfhere,butonlyifyousearc h. Rubbingattherawskinonhiswrists, What sthis? Coleasked,unfoldingaheavywoolblanket,wov enwithcolorfulblue-and-redimagesofatotem pole. Tlingitscallitat. ow. At. ow? Colerepeated. Like atowel withouttheL, Garveysaid. At. townat. owfromme,youmustpromisetocareforitandsom edaypassitontosomeoneelseyoutrust. Yousayingyoutrustme? Garveynodded. Ifyoupromisetocareforit,I GarveylookedColeintheeyes. Doyoupromisemeyou llcareforthisat. ow? Coletuckedtheblanketunderhisarm. Yeah,sure,whateveryouwant. Sadly,GarveyplacedahandonCole sshoulder. Don twastethischance,Cole. tneedanyone Aren tyouguyseverleaving? , , , , , ,theycouldn , ,hehadbeenkeptindetention, , , Whyshouldwebelieveyou resincere? , Causeifyoudon t,I llknockyourfatheadsoff. Instead,hemeeklysaid, Youshouldn t, keepinghisfaceasseriousashecould.

7 I He dpauseforeffect,thenadd, swhatIdeserve. Whycan ttheymakeuptheirminds? hecomplainedtoGarveyduringoneofhisvisits . Whataretheywaitingfor? Thingstaketime, Garveyanswered. TheCircleneedstoknowifyou Garveygrinned. Ican timaginewheretheygotthatidea, ItoldthemIwantedtochange, Colesaid,hisvoiceedgy. Whatmoredotheywant? HowcanIproveanythingsittinginthisstinkin gplace? Thinkaboutit, renothingmorethanababy-facedcon?Whatthen ? Garveythrewuphishands. Yeah,likewhat? Ifyou reacceptedforCircleJustice,who sgoingtobeyoursponsor?Thecommitteerequir essomepersontogothroughtheprocesswithyou . Ithoughtyouwouldhelpme, Colesaid, Idon reonehundredandtenpercentcommittedtothis change,you rewastingmytimeandeverybodyelse s you rebetteroffinjail. GarveygaveColeaplayfulshove. Makeupyourmind, sgettingtiredofwaiting. ColewantedtopunchGarvey steethintothenextcounty, ,Cole , ,afterhehadrefusedtodotheschoolworktheyb roughttohim, , , , Leavingalready? I mtiredofbeingaroundsomeonewhoblamesthewo rldforallhisproblems.

8 Soyouthinkit smyfault? Ithinktheworldisn ,thesooneryoucangetonwithyourlife. Sodoesthismeanyou renotgoingtobemysponsor? Itmeansyouneedtomakeupyourmindifyouwantc hange. IalreadytoldyouIdid, sbruisedandswollenknuckles. Arethewallsgettingthebestofyourfights? Ifell, Colesaid,wishinghecouldwipethecornysmile offGarvey sfaceandshowhimwhatfistswerereallyfor. Ihurtthemfalling. tgoingtoletGarveysuckerhimintogettingmad andblowingthischancetoavoidjail. Areyougoingtobemysponsorornot? hedemanded. I mnotgoingtobeg. I llhelpyou,butdon thavetimeforlosers. Colemusteredaseriousface. Iwon t. Okay, ,hecalledback, HeyChamp,tryfallingonyourfistssometime. Standingallaloneontheshore, ,hetoreoffhisclothes,turnedeachpiecerigh tsideout, ,seaweed, , tdonesquat, , , , ,hefoundmatches,then,swayingonhisfeet, shandashedrewback,pausedforasplitsecond, , , , , ,amothersealplayedwithherspottedpupsasag oldensunpeekedthroughthegrayovercastandg lintedoffthewaves. Thisplacesucks! ,red-hotflames, , ,hesetthebagonthesmallconcretetableinCol e scellandsathimselfdownontheedgeofthebed.

9 So, hesaid, tellmeexactlywhatitisyoudon tlikeaboutyourlife. Anymoroncanfigurethatout, Colegrumped, sstiflingheat,theroomseemedairlessandthr eatening. Okay,explainittothismoron, Garveysaid. I mprettydense, NotwantingtositanywherenearGarvey,Colesl ouchedtotheflooragainstthewall. Youdon tgetit,doyou?Myparentsaredivorcedanddon vebeendumpedon. Alotofpeoplecansaythat, Garveysaid. Bemorespecific. Bemorespecific, Colemimicked. Didtheyevercometoseeyou? Yeah, dhavethoughtIlostonpurposethewayDadacted . WhenGarveydidn tanswer,Colesaid, So,haveyouheardenough? I mstilllistening. Coledidn tknowwhyhewasspillinghisgutstoGarvey,but hefoughtbacktearsashecontinued. slikewakingupeverymorningknowingyou renotgoodenough?Thereareonlytwothingswro ngwithme llneverbehappyuntilI mdead. Afteranawkwardsilence, There sstillonethingmore,isn tthere? Colehesitated. It snoneofyourbusiness! Iknowhowyou refeeling, Youdon tknowhowI mfeeling! heshouted. Youdon tknowwhatit slikebeinghitoverandoveruntilyou resonumbyoudon tfeelanything!

10 Garveynoddedslowly. Idoknowwhatthat Coleturnedtofacethewall. slikeabaddreamIcan twakeupfrom. Whatareyoudoing? ,flour,eggs,bakingsoda,abottleofwater,su gar,butter, Okay, saidGarvey,finishing. Tasteeverythingonthetable. Noway, Colegrumped. I mnoteatingthatcrap. Yousurpriseme, Garveysaid. You reactuallyafraidofalittlebadtaste. I mnotafraidofanything, Coleboasted, ,tastingfirsttheflour,sugar, ,hepickedoneup,tiltedhisheadback, So, Garveyasked. Howdideverythingtaste? Gross. Coletookalongswigofwaterfromthebottle. Whatdidyouexpect? Garveyreachedbackintothebag. Iwantyoutotasteonemorething. Heunwrappedasmallbakedcakewithcreamyfros tingandbrokeoffalargepiece. Here, hesaid. Eatthisifyoudare. Colewolfeddownthemoistpieceofcake,eyeing Garveythewholetime. Sowhatdoesallthisprove? Garveyshrugged. Didyoulikethecake? Itwasokay. Ibakeditthismorning,usingthesameingredie ntsyoutastedonthetable. Yeah,so? Colesaid. WhatingredientsshouldIhaveleftout? None, Colesaid. That sadumbquestion. Butyousaidtheingredientstastedgross.