Author's Note Draft 2

If the story does not say draft 2 it's not the final draft

Did anybody notice the plot holes I left in the first few chapters because I did? I'm writing about this now because interludes mean the end of an arc. The Arc I just finally was the introductory Arc.

Just a heads-up Ista's name is not her real name.

Now on to something more serious, the things I've written about the Native Americans may or may not have happened. Do not comment on telling me this did not happen because some of this stuff happened as some stuff I made up.

Edited on 10/24/21

Life Worth $981.25

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(-_-) (Wednesday the 27th of December 1922. St. Martin Parish, United States of America. )

The piercing cry of a baby was like an alert signal to wake him up. 'I have done it again.' He remorsefully realized. Falling into one of those distant realities where everything sounded too loud or too silent. As if he would make any noise to counter the sound, he would shatter the little sanity he had left.

But no, the baby cry that piercing baby cry that sound as if it could reach the heavens brought back to the reality of his wife giving birth to his first and if his ancestors are with his only child.

The wet nurse looking tired and little world-weary came out of the birthing room and looked around as if expecting many people excited about this new life.

But he knew, like every other War veteran, that nobody was truly excited for anything that has to do with them. As if they are tainted.

While she was looking around I have gotten up from the old worn-down chair all fathers sit in while waiting for their wives to give birth to the babe do. Walking towards her, I wonder if all the other veterans feel this unquenchable rage at the babe that chain them to the reality that all their efforts for a better life spat on upon.

She jumps back in surprise and snatches her arm away from me when I touch her for the announcement.

"Right in here, Mr. Keokuk." She said like she just did not look at me like I was going to murder her.

To use these actions, I walk past her into the room where Chu'Si swarthy lay on top, holding a newborn baby.

The sheer amount of disgust I felt for the woman who only wants to marry me for my citizenship was so staggering that I had to take a deep breath to swallow all those feelings down.

After having my moment, I walked over to where Chu'Si was waiting patiently for me to come over and see the baby.

The moment I landed eyes on the babe, I knew... I knew that I was going to taint this child as they said.

"Tupaarnaq... Tupaarnaq Catori Chitumace" The hope I feel for her by giving her that name, was the only thing I felt I could do to stop the taint.

"Wild-thyme Spirit, why to give this child a name like that?" She said.

"Because she will need wild courage and the will of a spirit in hers name to be free of the chains, this reality will hold on her"

(Wednesday, the 31st of January 1923. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

Sitting in his kitchen, Keokuk could only stare at the newspaper.

Six Black Two White Rosewood Fla Massacre

Yesterday, Rosewood town was a target and burnt to the ground by the members of the infamous Ku Klux Klan for...

'America really needs to give these people under control before their target other races,' He thought, putting down the paper and now picking up his wake daughter from her bassinet.

(Wednesday the 13th of February 1924. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

Watching his happy, crawling one-year-old, he wonders if she knew her mother has just died.

Going by her sunny smile and her grabby hands reaching out for him, he would take that as a no.

Sighing, he got up and walked towards her, picking her up.

"What am I going to do with you? I can't watch you all the time, and you definitely can't be with me when I have my episodes." He said, while making a funny face to make her laugh.

"Well, that's's what all your Auntie is for"

(Thursday the 5th of March 1925. Ford Model Factory, St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

"Keokuk, have you heard that the production of cars has been slowing down lately?" Ahiga one of the less mentally unstable World War veterans inquired.

"No, why" I responded when the inquiring look of my own.

"Because if it keeps going down like this we will be out of work, and you won't have money to feed that cute little girl of yours," He said

That gave me pause, being out of work at a time like this. Where to find another job is getting harder by the day was not an appealing idea.

"Thank for telling me this," He said now things about ways to cut back on spending money and where to hide his money.

(Monday, the 22nd of November 1926. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

"Tell me, agai daddy," I said with my loudest voice.

"Shouldn't you be trying to fall asleep?" Daddy asked with a cork-eyebrow."

"But I want Daddy to read me Wendy-the-poo" She whined

"No, it's bedtime Missy," Daddy said

"But" I tried to continue with you.

"No, that's final" The frown Daddy developed on his face kept me quiet.

(Saturday, the 9th of April 1927. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

When I got home, Daddy was home. That was a surprise because he usually at the factory.

"Tupaarnaq, why are you not with one of your aunties?" He asks with calm

The tone of his voice told me one of his bad days.

But that that's OK, he told me when he was in this mood I could be around him.

"Well, Auntie Aiyana told me to go play outside to play, and I did and seeing the other kid ball I asked to play and cousin Ahanu told me if I want to play I would have to give the ball and I did but cousin Aponi told me she's mommy told her not to play with me and cousin Anakin Daddy told him not and cousin Enola mommy her and cousin Calian Daddy and and Daddy why can't they play with me?" My voice was getting louder and louder, and the tears just would not stop.

Daddy stood there for a while, not answering me. I want him to say something. I want him to answer me. To say, I didn't do anything wrong. But he didn't say anything.

And when he finally said something, it was not what I wanted to hear.

"From now on, you wouldn't have to worry about playing with the other children. You'll be spending all your time with me." He said.

And after that, he left me in the room alone just to cry.

(Friday, the 11th of May 1928. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

Today I am supposed to go with Auntie Kasa, but I dislike having a class with Auntie Kasa. Because she'll be always going on about how her husband is better than Daddy and other uncles who live near us. And that me, cousin Lomasi, Maji, Sakari, Hopi, Jacy, Hoping, and Kai are tainted.

But Daddy says that I have to go to class to learn our heritage as he did.

But I don't see the reason to learn how to play the song, dance, make the craft, and learn to celebrate; if we're not even allowed to do it where we can show these things off.

But daddy says that we need to keep it alive. Since if we lose this, we will lose part of the self and that we would never get it back.

(Thursday, the 31st of October 1929. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

Daddy told me I would not be going to class for the next two weeks because some stork market has crashed. What does a stork market have to do with me getting better at basket weaving? And him having been evening, a harder time getting a job.

(Friday the 13th of June 1930. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

"Come Tupaarnaq, give up and fight, "Dad said, getting into a fighting pose.

"But I don't want to," I said, getting into the position to sit on my butt.

"What was that young lady?" Dad said, getting out of the fighting pose.

"Dad, Aunt Kasa says that a girl should not fight. And when I asked why, she said that it was as a male duty to learn, and they got eagle feathers to show when they are done. And I will not give any eagle feathers, even if I'm good at it." I said a little afraid to tell him.

"So if I have it straight you do not want to learn how to fight because Kasa, who you told me repeatedly that you disliked, told you it is something a girl could not learn." Now he's getting that look in his eyes when he detached himself from the situation.

"And Catori and Enola say they would not play with me, Lomasi, Maji, and Sakari because we are learning the boys think and that their mom said that bad," I said interrupting him to get the entire story out, for him to at least understand why do not want to.

He stares at me for felt like hours but probably just a few minutes.

I knew by then he had detached himself from our conversation.

He didn't say a thing when he walked off. The next few times I tried to go to Aunt Kasa for lessons, he stopped me and took me to the backyard to teach me how to fight. Anytime he didn't do that, he had one of the Granny's come to teach me the things Aunt Kasa was supposed to teach me.

(Wednesday the 15th of July 1931. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

For as long as I can remember, there were always whispers about how tainted I and the other war veteran children were. But now I wonder if there's some truth to it. Because at this moment, I understand now why Dad always walked away. It was not because he truly did not care about the problem I had. It was because he knew if he gave in to the urges to do what he feels right in those moments, he was going to do something that he was going to regret later.

I don't know how dad did it. How could he detach himself from the situation, to make himself lose interest in the thing, to feel nothing but apathy towards things?

Cause right now, watching cousin Sakari be told, she ain't worth being married because she has twenty-five percent African American blood running through her veins. That she was no good because her father fought in World War One. That even if he married her, wouldn't he have to move away from every other stable minded member of the tribe. Because everyone knows that every veteran kid is mentally unstable, and any children they have will probably be mentally unstable as well.

How didn't I notice until now the white supremacy ideas, the prejudice, and the ableism that have been taking root into the minds of the tribal members?

Dad was right in his paranoia. Now I wonder if he's right about not marrying in.

(Wednesday the 17th of August 1932. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

The tribe has been desperate as of late, as more and more banks fail.

Just the other day, Dad showed me that the money we were surviving on is running low.

Today, Dad said I will move all my things into his room for us to make a secret garden in my room.

(Tuesday, 19th of September 1933. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

I'm so excited that dad for the first time is taking me outside the reservation.

He said we're going to go see the park he helped build for the New Deal.

The New Deal

Dad says it is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to America.

I do have to agree with him that alll the new jobs are great.

As soon as dad got the job, he invited all the other war veterans over for a dinner party and told them about the garden.

We don't have to worry about starvation now.

(Wednesday, the 3rd of January 1934. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

Indian Citizenship Act

Auntie Urika says it was a good thing it was to pass.

Dad says she was just one woman who wanted to marry the war veteran for citizens' benefits.

I just know that everybody who scorned us for being a citizen who now wants to be a citizen is hypocrites.

(Saturday, the 23rd of February 1935. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

Dad took me out again. It was fun, I got to see a TV for the first time. It had on a mouse sailing a ship.

(Saturday, the 16th of May 1936. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

Agricultural Adjustment Act

It all starts with that stupid act.

Ever since that act has been in action, the farm has been rising prices higher and higher.

The tribe has been having a harder time giving food of late.

They noticed that the war veteran was not suffering from starvation.

They went from house to house looking for if we have food.

When they searched in our place, they found the garden. They try to take all the plants. Dad tried to fight them, but there were too many.

Then they told us that because we kept it a secret, we would be punished. War veterans will give less food from then on, and for me and Dad for being the ones who grew the gardens and not telling everyone we are banned from eating.

Uncle Ahiga has been bringing us food.

Thirteenth day later, dad died. I didn't understand at first why because we were eating the food Uncle Ahiga gave us, but then I realized he was just giving all the food to me.

(Monday, the 11th of January 1937. St. Martin Parish, United States of America.)

It has been a year since dad died.

I appeared to have the thing I needed to leave.

Enough money, enough food for a sleeping bag, a tent,

I have everything I will need to run away.

I want to see the world. I don't want to be stuck in a place that reminds me of all the hardship I have grown up in.

Leaving won't be that easy. I don't have Dad to escort me out and who works to bring me back. So I got to be sure I'm not too far from the reservation that they would think I eventually died out there.

I think I'll go to New Orleans. I heard they had a fun festival called Mardi Gras.

(Sunday, the 11th of December 1938. New Orleans, United States of America.)

The last year and ten months have been the best time in my hold life.

It starts as hard. Walking all those miles away from the reservation and making sure not to give caught or die was the hardest part of this whole experience, but I don't regret it one bit.

The feeling of bliss to make it to New Orleans before Mardi Gras was overshadowed by the meeting with Louis.

Louis Jackson

Looking back at that meeting makes me wonder why he looked at me twice. Me in my 1934 worn down dress and him in his deep black 1938 dapper suit.

But he did. He came over to me to talk about anything and everything. After that, he asked if I want to meet up again, and I said yes. We just keep meeting after that.

But two months of missed periods have me worrying about what this means for me and Louis.

(Sunday, the 18th of December 1938. New Orleans, United States of America.)

Knocking on this door felt like a death sentence, but opening it felt worse.

"Hey, I thought we would meet on Wednesday for our date," Louis said, leading me inside.

"I'm pregnant" I shouted as soon as we sat down.

"What," He said like I just told him I'm a man.

"I'm pregnant, Louis," I said again to let him know I'm serious.

"Ok…how did your parents react," He said with the most serious facial expression I have ever seen on his face.

'Why does he need to know how my parents react?' Instead of saying that, I said "My mom and dad have died"

"Who had you been living with"

'Why is that the next thing that crosses his mind' I thought, but I said "With no one"

"No one" Now he looks alarmed.

"Yes, I'm… I'm a runaway, Louis" I can't even look at his reactions.

"Why" By the tell of his voice I know he just wouldn't understand.

"Because living on a reservation is not very safe," I put it simply, he can understand.

"Reservation" Now he looks like the truth did not understand what I'm talking about.

"Yea, a reservation, did you think I was black?" I said that last part as a joke, but by the look on his face, he did.

"Yes, I did" Now he looks like he didn't mean to say that.

"Ista child you can pass as mix child" I was so focused on Louis I didn't even know when Ms.Lynda walked into the room.

"What about my hair and eyes?" Using that trick she taught me.

"Well, these days girls try to look white with those hairstyles of there and those eyes can pass as dark brown now enough of that, what about marriage?" She said, putting an end to that line of questioning.

"Marriage" Louis said, bringing my attention back to him.

"Yes, marriage, Louis, you just don't think you can get a girl pregnant and not take responsibility." Ms. Lynda said crossing hers arm, getting into that pose that means if you don't do what she just says, you're going to have a lot of trouble heading their way.

"No, no mama" he must have recognized the too.

"We can't marry," I say, bringing the attention back to me.

"Why," Louis said now looking like somebody just told him that his mama was not his real mama.

"Because of these anti-miscegenation laws banning marriage between Native Americans and African Americans in Louisiana," I said like it was something he should have known, but by the look on their faces they did not know this.

"Well, you can pass as black," Ms.Lynda says, like that could solve the problem. (later on, I realize it did)

"My name is not Ista… its Tupaarnaq," I said

"What, why lie" He got that look on his face again that tells me he doesn't understand.

"I lie about my name to you because I want to be a new person when I'm with you, so I need a new name" Now I just sound defeated.

"Ok, what about telling family members" he must have sensed that because he didn't ask me more questions

"My tribe is racially divided they will not accept the baby" After saying that he answered no more questions about my tribe. The only question he asked after that what were they going to do.

(Thursday, the 10th of August 1939. Flint-Goodridge Hospital, New Orleans, United States of America.)

Looking at the subject that has caused me nothing but pain for the last eight hours was astonishing to me.

Luthor Tyee Jackson

That was the name we gave him.

Luthor for the first leather L in the first name tradition in the Louis family.

Tyee for his heritage and what I hope he will come into the future as a leader.

And Jackson, because he was not born out of wedlock.

Author's Note :

Hey reader, make a review of this story

OK, things like what's down below are right here

History Divergent are

Indian Citizenship Act happened on June 2, 1924, not January 3, 1934, and many Native Americans still did not receive full citizenship rights until about 1948.

Fact:

$981.25 in 1940 is worth $19,226.19 today