Rupert's Land by Meredith Quartermain

Author:Meredith Quartermain
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: NeWest Press
Published: 2013-07-01T00:00:00+00:00

Stupid Indian, Father Haffman, drags Eagle to the front of the classroom. Father Haffman doesn’t wear a cassock like Father White and Father Oxford. Father Haffman wears sharp folded trousers and shiny shoes. Trousers make his legs look like knives. Muscles calls him Ice-eyes. Useless knownothing. Why are you so stupid?

Eagle looks nowhere and everywhere. Like he’s standing all day by himself, never sitting down, proving he can stand for a whole day, or even five days, like Grampa said you have to so dreams will come. Hunter softly tears two pages out of the back of his notebook, folds one, pockets it, slipping the other into the middle of his notebook.

Eagle says nothing.

I said, Why are you so stupid?

Eagle looks past the father — like he can see right through the walls of the school all the way to where the sun comes from.

Answer me. Father Haffman’s pointer thumps Eagle’s back.

Nimosôm, Hunter writes. Some families come to this school to see their children. I need Nikâwiy to come. I have to talk to her. The Sister says I cannot have my letter. Please can you tell Nikâwiy to come?

He folds the page and pockets it.

Look at me and answer me. Father Haffman pushes Eagle so he almost falls down.

What is the capital of Canada, Hunter copies from the board, Who is the Prime Minister of Canada?

I’ll tell you why you’re so stupid. The father holds his face an inch in front of Eagle’s.

You were born stupid — stupid and useless.

A father in the hall clangs a bell. Line up, the father Ice-eyes commands, Two rows, in the hall. Yesterday they walked back and forth in lines in front of the school while a man pointed a camera. Everyone stepping at the same time, right left, right left, two long lines of boys, two long lines of girls. Then Hunter, Shorty and Bone pulled feathers off chickens. Hunter spread too many feathers around. Stupid Indian, Father Ice-eyes said, Can’t do anything right can you?

Eagle, beside Hunter in the line up, still looks like he’s standing for five days. I need your help Cousin, Hunter keeps his eyes on the boy in front of him.

Eagle says nothing. They clunk shuffle to the dining room with its green tables and green benches, even its walls gray and green. If only they could have some of that chicken they took the feathers off but it’s mushy greygreen soup and a slice of bread. Gimme some of your lard, Shorty nudges him. What lard? Shorty reaches under the table to where Hunter had saved some from breakfast. Shorty waves a finger full. Not all of it!

Suddenly no one’s talking. Father Oxford marches Ernie to the front of the room under the cross with its bleeding hands and sad body of Jesus. Pots of grey-green soup sit on the tables with ladles beside them.

What do you say George?

Ernie coughs.

Speak up George!

I took something, Ernie mumbles.

Louder. Tell everyone in the room.

I took some meat.

Was it your meat?

No.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.