Bear Down, Bear North: Alaska Stories

Us Kids

Us kids smile and wave good riddance when Fox and Uncle Sly roll out one way and we roll another, bruised butts in the seats. We’re piled into Big Mary, our station wagon that barely fits us all in and is a miracle for starting up. We’re packed in with a huge pot full of frozenmoosemeatandwhateverwehavetoeatinthebackalongwith a jumbleball of afghans Polar Bear is always knitting.Fox and Uncle SlygohuntingatthehomesteadandPolarBeardrivesustoseeAunt Sheila and Jack and Gracie, our cousins, at their house that Uncle Sly built all googly-eyed drunk. The house has gone through a few names—Slack Shack, Plywood Palace, and the one we all remember and still use is the Tiltin’ Hilton. Aunt Sheila has made gumdrop cookies and she sets a plate of them on the porch. We’re pressed to see or taste any gumdrops but Kitty holds up hers.“I see a green one.” PolarBeartakesthepotandafghansintothehouseandweknow tostayputoutside.AuntSheiladrawsthecurtainsbutweknowwhat they’re doing. Smoking and drinking homemade cranberry lick. We huddle near the side and listen through the cheap-cracked wood. “The men are good and gone,” says Polar Bear. Ben signs to Rias so he can hear too.Jack shushes Gracie. “Maybe they’ll do us a favor and shoot themselves,” says Aunt Sheila. “Maybe,” says Polar Bear.“I’ll drink to that.” There’s the clink of bottles. us kids > 34 > us kids J.J.crosseshiseyesandraisesanimaginarybottletohislips.Colleen ,who has Baby T on her hip,laughs into her hand. “They talk stars and moonlight in the beginning,” says Aunt Sheila. “Andwhatwegetisshitandmoonshine,”saysPolarBear.Another clink.A smash of glass on the floor. Kitty gives out a yelp. “Goddamnit,” says Polar Bear. We huddle closer against the house. “Ihearyououtthere,”PolarBearsays.“Youleaveusalone.Scramola .We’ll call you for dinner.” So we scram-ola. In front of the Tiltin’ Hilton are two hills, one on each side because Uncle Sly had meant to put the house on one and the shitter on the other.“Nothing better than el-er-vation,” he said. But he never got to it,built the house so it was some leaning wobbler between two piles of dirt.He didn’t let Fox help him with the house. He did let Fox build the outhouse behind it,near the woods,and it’s the only thing that stands up straight. But the hills are perfect for a game of Red Rover,and a rain has started up which puts the mosquitoes to bed for a bit. “ ... we call J.J. over,” and he comes mud-slipping down the hill tothearm-linkedchain,butRiasandColleenwithBabyTonherhip keep hold.Gracie and Jack and Kitty come to the bottom and join J.J. and they make a wall.The others head up the hill. “ ... we call Rias over,” and because he might not see to lip-read with all the rain, J.J. draws an R in the air. Here slides Rias on his belly,and then he gets up and charges the line,breaking through the JackandGracie link.So he steals Kitty and now it’s RiasandKittyandBenandColleenandBabyT at the bottom of the hill. “...we call Gracie over.” us kids > 35 Soonwe’reallmudcreatureswhichisgoodbecausetherainstops andthemosquitoeswakeupandswarmaroundusandthesunstreaks through the shiner-eyed clouds. “Dinner,” yells Polar Bear,and she sees us kids all rolled and covered in mud.“Stay off the porch,” she says.But she takes Baby T. We settle on the gravel by the steps with our bowls of moose chili and for once there’s something moose about it. “Colleen, you make sure . . . everyone gets hosed . . . off . . . after everyone eats,” says Polar Bear,swimming through her words. Ahigh-pitched-screaming-wailmakesusallstopwithourspoons. Aunt Sheila comes wobble-running around the Tiltin’ Hilton. She steadies herself on the steps and sits down. “What is going on?” says Polar Bear. “There’s a bird, or something, in the shitter,” Aunt Sheila says, boozyandsoft.“Andit’strappedandit’sdyingandIpissedonit.”She starts crying her face off.“We have to get it out.We just have to.” “Forgodssake,”saysPolarBear.“It’sabird.What’sitmatterif the world’s shy one?” She waves away the mosquitoes near her face. “But it’s alive,” says Aunt Sheila.She’s a crying mess. “ok, ok,” says Polar Bear. “Let’s go take a look at this bird you pissed on.” “I didn’t know it was down there,” says Aunt Sheila. We jump up and follow Polar Bear, the whole mud-covered line of us.AuntSheilatrailsbehind,walkingzigzag,andBenfallsbackto help her. Polar Bear turns around.“Sheila,that...