didn’t hear this. I can’t get involved in your shenanigans. Got too much on my plate. Forget Elu . I should call you du-la-di-nu-li-ni-gv-gv .”
“Nah. Doesn’t sounds as cool. Plus, it’s a mouthful.”
Tommy doesn’t smile. “Well, Ama used to be ‘strong-willed’ too, when she was younger. But she always knew where to draw the line. You and Wyn are both lucky you haven’t been busted for any of your crazy antics. If you aren’t careful, you’re both going to get into real trouble one of these days. And to be honest, I can’t afford any trouble around here. Got enough of my own.”
I stop what I’m doing. “What do you mean?”
He waves me off. “Things are tight. Got Ama’s medical bills I’m still paying off.”
“Man, seems like everyone’s having problems in this town.”
Tommy goes back to what he was doing. “Never mind all that. You don’t need to worry about me. You got enough on your mind.”
“You can say that again.” I stack some papers on the counter and count the cash in the old cash register.
He walks around the counter and hugs me tight. “You know I support you in what you are doing to find your dad. However, I don’t want you doing things that’ll get you into trouble. Promise me one thing.”
“What?”
He cups my shoulders with his large hands. “If you find out anything new, you’ll talk to Les or the Captain first. Promise me you won’t do anything dangerous, especially on your own.”
“I promise.” I cross my fingers behind my back and jump into a new subject. “You’ll never believe what else happened.”
Tommy grins as he stacks fishing tins in a perfect column. “You gonna make me guess?”
My eyes widen for emphasis. “I ran into Simon. Face to face. From here to there.” I point to the back room.
Tommy stops working and gives me his undivided attention. “Go on.” After I tell him the play-by-play of my encounter, he whistles. “How did he look?”
“Big and bad.”
He chuckles. “Good for him. What do you think it means?”
I think about the animal totems I studied on the reservation. “Well, bears are sure of their power, so sometimes they forget to show caution. If a bear symbol shows up, it means you have to pay more attention to how you think and act.”
“Interesting.” Tommy straightens some shirts on a rack. “Either that or he was just hungry.”
I can feel my face redden. “Very funny. Hey, speaking of bears. Did you talk to Chief Reed about closing the Cherokee Bear Pit yet?”
Tommy sighs and removes his hat. “Elu, there’s nothing I can do.”
I turn away from him and straighten a t-shirt display. “I don’t see how we can let this happen. Those bear pits are a disgrace to the reservation. It’s animal abuse. Offensive. Disgusting.”
“I don’t disagree. But Chief Reed says it brings in a lot of income. Nothing I say will change his mind.”
I face him and keep from yelling. “Tommy, as you know , those bears live their lives in a cement pit, sitting in their own crap. Grizzlies. Sun bears. Last time I went there to see Chief Reed, the poor things walked in endless circles, begging tourists to feed them Lucky Charms or old cat food. One bear was so depressed, he had sores from lying in the same spot for so long.”
“I know all this.”
“Then why can’t you do more to stop it? You live there. Chief Reed is your nephew . He should set them free.”
Tommy places his hat back on his head and frowns, shaking his head. “Those bears wouldn’t stand a chance in the wild anyway.” My mouth hangs open, and he puts up his hands in defense. “I’m not saying it’s right. I’m just saying, it’s bigger than me. There’s nothing I can do. Reed isn’t going to impact the whole reservation for an old man like me.”
I flop down in a chair. “I know. It’s just so hard to watch something so awful and be so helpless to change it.”
Tommy pats my shoulder. “I know, I’m sorry. It’ll work
“Nah. Doesn’t sounds as cool. Plus, it’s a mouthful.”
Tommy doesn’t smile. “Well, Ama used to be ‘strong-willed’ too, when she was younger. But she always knew where to draw the line. You and Wyn are both lucky you haven’t been busted for any of your crazy antics. If you aren’t careful, you’re both going to get into real trouble one of these days. And to be honest, I can’t afford any trouble around here. Got enough of my own.”
I stop what I’m doing. “What do you mean?”
He waves me off. “Things are tight. Got Ama’s medical bills I’m still paying off.”
“Man, seems like everyone’s having problems in this town.”
Tommy goes back to what he was doing. “Never mind all that. You don’t need to worry about me. You got enough on your mind.”
“You can say that again.” I stack some papers on the counter and count the cash in the old cash register.
He walks around the counter and hugs me tight. “You know I support you in what you are doing to find your dad. However, I don’t want you doing things that’ll get you into trouble. Promise me one thing.”
“What?”
He cups my shoulders with his large hands. “If you find out anything new, you’ll talk to Les or the Captain first. Promise me you won’t do anything dangerous, especially on your own.”
“I promise.” I cross my fingers behind my back and jump into a new subject. “You’ll never believe what else happened.”
Tommy grins as he stacks fishing tins in a perfect column. “You gonna make me guess?”
My eyes widen for emphasis. “I ran into Simon. Face to face. From here to there.” I point to the back room.
Tommy stops working and gives me his undivided attention. “Go on.” After I tell him the play-by-play of my encounter, he whistles. “How did he look?”
“Big and bad.”
He chuckles. “Good for him. What do you think it means?”
I think about the animal totems I studied on the reservation. “Well, bears are sure of their power, so sometimes they forget to show caution. If a bear symbol shows up, it means you have to pay more attention to how you think and act.”
“Interesting.” Tommy straightens some shirts on a rack. “Either that or he was just hungry.”
I can feel my face redden. “Very funny. Hey, speaking of bears. Did you talk to Chief Reed about closing the Cherokee Bear Pit yet?”
Tommy sighs and removes his hat. “Elu, there’s nothing I can do.”
I turn away from him and straighten a t-shirt display. “I don’t see how we can let this happen. Those bear pits are a disgrace to the reservation. It’s animal abuse. Offensive. Disgusting.”
“I don’t disagree. But Chief Reed says it brings in a lot of income. Nothing I say will change his mind.”
I face him and keep from yelling. “Tommy, as you know , those bears live their lives in a cement pit, sitting in their own crap. Grizzlies. Sun bears. Last time I went there to see Chief Reed, the poor things walked in endless circles, begging tourists to feed them Lucky Charms or old cat food. One bear was so depressed, he had sores from lying in the same spot for so long.”
“I know all this.”
“Then why can’t you do more to stop it? You live there. Chief Reed is your nephew . He should set them free.”
Tommy places his hat back on his head and frowns, shaking his head. “Those bears wouldn’t stand a chance in the wild anyway.” My mouth hangs open, and he puts up his hands in defense. “I’m not saying it’s right. I’m just saying, it’s bigger than me. There’s nothing I can do. Reed isn’t going to impact the whole reservation for an old man like me.”
I flop down in a chair. “I know. It’s just so hard to watch something so awful and be so helpless to change it.”
Tommy pats my shoulder. “I know, I’m sorry. It’ll work
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