Chapter 9

So they both walked into the classroom and sat down.

"You want to leave?" asked Jimmy looking at White Hawk in pain.

"No, I am fine," White Hawk out of breath and in pain.

Then James and Victor walked in and went to the back of the classroom

and sat down.

"All right students were going to have a keynote speaker here with us today, so pay attention?" asked the teacher.

So the speaker came in and said,

"Hello, my name is Tommy Lee Jones," said the Keynote speaker.

All the kids started laughing.

"Yeah you thought that was funny, so did I, it's good to laugh, now some of our people are what the elders call a lost generation," said the keynote speaker.

"So you're saying we're the lost generation, well you tell us what we should do then, how can we walk the red road when you have people who try to make us hate one another, or people making money off of us," said White Hawk.

"Well stay away from them and the drugs and gangs, and the drinking, of course, tell the stories, keep them alive, speak the language to others, so the language can live on, and people like that are ignorant, and they all care about hurting others, they are the ones that are afraid of change and afraid of what is going to happen in the future," said the Keynote speaker.

"Why do Native's and White Americans hate each other? It was in the past and you can't go back and change it, they shouldn't hate us today, and we shouldn't hate them. It was our ancestors and their ancestors that hated each other, they try to help us today and we just throw it back in their faces and blame everything on the whites for how we live?" asked the Native girl.

"That's a very good question, you are right about all of it, we shouldn't hate them and they shouldn't hate us. The White Americans have brought us food, clothes, and other stuff, but we just throwback in there faces or throw it out and let it pile up on the ground and get ruined, and say we don't need your help, we also blame them on how we're living, and we want people to feel sorry for us, but when they do, we say we don't need your help.

It makes us as bad as they are, it makes us ignorant and can also lead your generation and mind off the red road, we start drinking and beating our children and wives, suicide, because there is nothing here, nothing to do, but we don't blame ourselves for trying to make it a better place, instead we blame others for our problems and not even try to make it right. Even the whites are living like we are, in poverty, but they do not blame us for it, but we blame them for our poverty.

Yes, we all have our problems but blaming one another is not going to help," said the keynote speaker.

The bell rang and the keynote speaker said,

"Never forget who you are, or where you came from, don't be ashamed of who you are, keep your head up and keep going, things will get better," said the keynote speaker.

Then all the kids got up and left the classroom.

"Wow, that was a good keynote speaker, he spoke the truth," said Jimmy with a smile.

"Why are you smiling like that for?" White Hawk asked.

"I have an idea," said Jimmy with a grin.

White Hawk looked over towards Victor and James and saw the figure

standing next to them.

"You're going to use the keynote speaker's advice, aren't you?" asked White Hawk looking away.

"Yes I am," Jimmy said with a big smile.

Jimmy walked over towards Victor and James.

"Hey," said Jimmy.

"Oh boy here we go," said White Hawk walking with Jimmy.

"What do you want half-breed?" asked James.

"To talk, if you want to be friends, you should be friends with White Hawk, we shouldn't hate one another, this is now, it's time to make a difference on our Reservation, help our people," said Jimmy.

"It will never happen, this place can't change because the people won't change, so get lost, half-breed before I beat you up," said James getting angry.

"Jimmy lets go," White Hawk shoving him into the locker, the figure told him to do it. So he did it.

"What are you doing, are you crazy, they're never going to quit it's in their blood," White Hawk pushing Jimmy into his classroom, and White Hawk walked down the hall and went into his classroom. James was in Jimmy's class and Victor was in White Hawks class.

"Hey White Hawk, this came from Jimmy, he told me to give it to you," said Victor handing him a note.

White Hawk grabbed it and looked beside him and there was the figure standing over him like he wanted to read it to.

White Hawk looked at him in confusion and then he opened the letter and the figure made White Hawks eyes fill with anger before he could read the note, he just crumbled it up and threw it, he looked up and the figure was standing in the doorway, White Hawk got up from his desk and walked out of the classroom, Victor followed from behind.

White Hawk swung the door open and Victor was standing inside the door. White Hawk walked up to Jimmy and got in his face.

"Let me tell you something, here are my thoughts on the white eyes, they are liars, they are selfish, and they call us dirty savages, they don't respect the land they walk on. Jimmy, you just made an enemy, Victor and James I suggest you keep your distance, I just might throw you through that window. You hang out with your kind, and I'll hang out with mine," White Hawk turning around and walking out of the school. The figure was waiting on him outside on the steps.

"What was that," said Jimmy in confusion. What did you guys do, we've been friends since we were babies," said Jimmy.

"All right students settle down," said Jimmy's teacher.

Jimmy put his head down on his desk and moaned. White Hawk was walking home, as he was walking he went past Jimmy's house and went to his house and slammed the door.

"Whoa, "toka he hwo" (what's wrong)?" asked Running Water.

"Those "wa sicha" (white men)," said White Hawk sitting down on the couch.

"Takula nunwe" (what is it), was it those guys?" asked Running Water.

"Victor and James and now Jimmy," said White Hawk.

"Sounds to me a fight gone wrong," said Running Water.

"I guess," said White Hawk.

"Hey dad," said Big Ben walking in the house.

"Son," said Running Water.

"Is Nuka home from school yet?" asked Big Ben.

"Yes, he's doing his homework," said Running Water.

"Sit down I've got some news," said Big Ben.

"Oh," said Running Water.

"Yeah, Nuka get down here?" asked Big Ben.

"What is it?" asked Nuka running down the stairs.

"Okay, brother is coming down to visit," said Big Ben with excitement.

"Great, now I can show him my moves that I made up," Nuka said about to jump off the couch and do a kick.

"I don't think so young man, sit down," said Running Water.

"Brother is coming that's great," said White Hawk in a calm voice. He settled down a little bit.

Then there was a knock at the door.

"Jimmy," said Running Water.

"Hi, I had no idea what he was talking about," said Jimmy.

"I know son, you guys let those men get to you both," said Running Water.

"I know," said Jimmy.

"White Hawk, it's Jimmy," said Running Water.

White Hawk got up from the couch and was about to walk upstairs.

"No sir, you come here now," said Running Water.

"What do you want half-breed?" asked White Hawk.

"I want my friend back, I don't know what you're talking about or whatever those guys told you, it is not true, you should know that, I am your friend, I would never do anything to hurt you," said Jimmy.

"Lies, it's all lies, it's in their blood, they don't know any better," said White Hawk in anger.

"What does your heart tell you," said Jimmy crying.

"Are you crying," said White Hawk.

"White Hawk quit," said Big Ben.

"It's all right," said Jimmy.

"Leave, you're not welcomed here, I didn't invite you," said White Hawk pushing Jimmy off the steps.

"Stop it, White Hawk, don't do that to him," Angel went to go pick him up.

"I am fine Angel," said Jimmy dusting himself off.

"Don't help him," said White Hawk in anger.

"This stops now, what is wrong with you, why are you acting like this?" asked Big Ben.

"It's in my blood," said White Hawk.

"Is it in your blood to break up a good friendship," said Big Ben.

"Yes, I've taken all I wanted from the white eyes, no more, my warriors, and I won't take it anymore," said White Hawk running upstairs and slamming the door.

"Well this is goodbye," said Jimmy.

"Jimmy," said Angel.

Jimmy kept walking toward his house.