White Diamonds by Lyn K

Author:Lyn, K. [Lyn, K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Beau to Beau Publishing
Published: 2016-03-03T08:00:00+00:00

Kevin smiled his devilish smug smile and threw two of the bags easily over his shoulder, tucked one under an arm, and couldn’t help but say, “You can handle one, can’t you?”

“Yes. But tell me why I’m leaving.”

“Soon, Malika, but we have no time for that now.”

They sped away in the jeep and Malika held onto the seat to keep from falling out. It was a long drive and at the far end of the reservation was what looked like a regular house but one that had been remodeled from an old cabin or something like that. Malika didn’t know what it was. It did look better than where she had been staying, at any rate.

Kevin ushered her quickly into the house and to his spare bedroom. “You will stay here.” He set her bags on the floor, and Malika sat down on the bed. There was a handmade quilt on the bed that had been made from pieces of clothing, it appeared, from various family members. Their names had been stitched on the squares with their dates of birth and in some cases their dates of death. She smoothed her hands over the intricate stitching. It was beautiful. The room was just as beautiful with soft rugs and a closet and a dresser in which to put her things. She stacked her clothes neatly in the drawers. Now this was more like it.

“Malika?”

“Yes.”

“Come on out now.”

Why did he have to be so bossy? She passed by a second bedroom that was obviously Kevin’s. It looked like a man’s bedroom, but it was much tidier than she would have expected. The entire house was clean and neat. The living room was the size of Malika’s old cabin but it was by no means big. “Have a seat.”

Malika obeyed as if she were a dog.

“You asked what happened back there. Many of our youths leave to find work in the cities and when they return having found no jobs, they bring with them the means of survival that was learned while away.”

“What was that?”

He smiled at Malika’s wide eyed childlike expression and Malika wanted to slap him. “Have you heard of gangs, my little paleface?”

“Of course. I’m not a child.”

“That’s a matter of opinion. Anyway, what our young people learn is gang culture. It is the only means of survival that was afforded to them out there. With very few skills and a sketchy education, they did what they had to do to survive. Do you understand?”

“I think so, but…”

“But what?”

“Aren’t there jobs, I mean, like anything, something?” Malika tried to soften her words. Getting Kevin angry might get her kicked out of the only place she had left to stay.

“No, Malika, there is not…not for us. The border towns love to take our money, most of which comes from federal aid, but they want us to leave as soon as possible.”

“But why doesn’t the money come back to the reservation? Why are the stores built just off the reservation?”

“The stores are built for our money, not for us.

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