Chapter 6

Well summer has come and gone, and now Jesse, and his friends are all teenagers, 17,18 years old now. School started back up again, and once again Jesse missed 15 days of school because he had another accident.

This time he had to go to the hospital, because he tore his knee up, his father hit him in the knee with a bat. He didn't tell the doctor what happened, he just said his friend accidently hit him in the knee while trying to hit a baseball, the doctor didn't quite believe that story, he's heard it a thousand times from abusive kids, but he knows what happened, so when they leave he always calls the police. Besides the doctor and Jesse go way back, he was the same doctor that delivered him from his mother. Jesse knew if he told the truth, his parents will beat him again, and then they will be taken away and he would be in foster care, he didn't want that, because he herd kids got shipped all over the world and he didn't want that at all. So, he was in the hospital for a couple of days and then he went home. When his knee was healing he went to school. He walked to school, to help his knee heal faster and get stronger. He arrived and everybody was glad to see him even his friends.

"Oh Jesse, it's good to see you, we've been praying that you would be alright, and that we would see you again soon," said Alvina.

"Yeah, when Walker told us to go home, I almost wanted to kick that door down, I knew Walker could, but I was so mad at your dad I could have kicked him as well," said Richard.

"I know, but thanks guys for coming to my house," said Jesse.

"You herd us," said William.

"Yes, I did, I was in bed, I wanted to answer it, but I couldn't get out of bed because I was in so much pain, that the slightest movement it hurt, so I just stayed still and silent," said Jesse.

"Well I'm glad you're here, we all are," said Lisa.

"Thanks guys, group hug," smiled Jesse.

"Group hug," smiled Alvina.

So, they all hugged each other and went inside to their classes. They got their books and started studying for a test, when the principal came inside the class.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to see Jesse please?" asked the principal.

"Alright, Jesse," said the teacher.

Jesse had a worried look in eyes, so he put his pencil down and got up and walked out with the principal. He sat down in the principal's office.

"What did I do?" asked Jesse.

"Jesse, your doctor called me and told me what happened, I've also seen a pattern here over the years sonny, when you were in elementary you missed 10 days of school, then in middle school you missed 15 days, and now you've missed 15 days again, I've seen this before from children in broken home, abusive parents, I can help, I knew your parents since I was a kid, we went to school together, and I know the bottle robbed them, and I know what you have been going through all these years, let me help you before it's too late," said the principal.

"No, I'm not a child from a broken home, everything is alright, I just had another accident, I'm accident prone," said Jesse.

"Son, yes you are, you can't hide it anymore, I know what's been going on, I want to help," said the Principal.

"You can't help, I'm sorry, my doctor shouldn't have told you, now my folks will think I told somebody, because on the reservation everybody knows everybody and everything, may I be excused," said Jesse.

"Alright, son, the next time I don't see you again, I'm calling the police and Walker if the doctor doesn't, because no child has to go through this, I know you're afraid, I know you love your parents very much, you want them to get better, but they're not going to get better unless they do time in jail, and I know you don't want to be in the system, I know this is your home, but this will be for your safety," said Principal.

"I have to go," Jesse running out of the principal's office, and out of the school building, and walked out.

He walked to the site of where the Battle of Wounded knee took place and sat down in the long grass. He was gathering his thoughts. "What should I do Wanka-Tanka? I love my parents, and I know they hurt me, but they are my parents, and this is my home, I don't want to leave the reservation? I don't know what to do." Then he stared out on the open plains again, he got up and walked home, as always, nobody was home and we walked in and went to the fridge and it was empty, so he went to the cupboards and found some cereal, so he grabbed the cereal down, and put in a bowel and added water to it and took it back to his room and ate it.

He got into bed and sat up thinking about his parents. "what if my parents never drank or abused me, maybe my life would have been better." Then he looked over at the clock and it was 10:00pm at night and his parents were probably still out partying getting drunk somewhere. So, he turned out the light and laid down on his bed and looked at the ceiling and finally he went to sleep.