"I know why you stole the part, Anthony, and I am proud of you for owning up to your crime. However, you will still have to be punished for this. I will pay the person you stole from, and you will work it off."
Robert Bear watched as his nephew stoically accepted the reprimand and the penalty. There was no whining or complaining. He thought about his younger brother, Daniel, Anthony's father, who'd run away when he was still a teenager and at the age of twenty-one returned to his family with a pregnant bride. Robert wasn't lying when he told Anthony that he'd inherited his father's skills. Daniel had been an excellent mechanic and could've earned a decent living. Unfortunately, after only a short time with his family, Daniel moved away with his wife and new baby boy when it became apparent that he had a problem with alcohol. The Bear family lived by a strict rule of never bringing liquor into their homes. They'd seen it destroy too many lives. Tired of the constant hounding by his parents, Daniel broke contact with his family by moving away and not leaving a forwarding address. They hadn't heard anything about him until two years earlier when they were tracked down by social services. Daniel Bear had died of unknown causes leaving his ten-year-old son, Anthony, an orphan. The whereabouts of the child's mother were unknown.
"You are accepting your punishment with honor. You are developing the qualities that our people look for in a Tribal Chief."
Did Anthony hear his uncle correctly? "But…but…I thought you would be teaching RJ to be a good chief."
RJ was Robert's only child. He was seventeen years old and would barely graduate high school in the spring.
"Robert Junior is weak. Not physically, but mentally. He assumes that he will follow in my footsteps, not because he has earned it, but because he is entitled to it. I cannot allow this. When my time is up, a new chief will be elected. RJ will have to prove himself." He gave his nephew a serious look, his expression one of pride. "You show more responsibility, compassion and ambition at twelve than he does at seventeen. And considering how you had been living, your strong character is an admirable accomplishment."
Robert's voice was even as he continued, "You have made a mistake and now accepted your sentence. Robert would be scheming to avoid his punishment, as he has always done. He mistakenly thinks that I am going to set the table and invite him to the dinner." Robert looked into his nephew’s eyes and knew that the boy understood the analogy.
"I do not blame him. It is my fault he is the way he is, and I am afraid it is too late for him to learn a new way." He paused and let out a long sigh. Regaining his composure, he stood up straight and continued, "But you, Anthony, will be the one who not only sets the table, but you will provide the meal and make sure everyone receives their fair share of the food. Sadly, my RJ would keep the food all to himself."
Before Anthony could respond, his uncle added in a soft voice, "And you have used great restraint in watching your words. Especially around your aunt Carolyn. Like I told you the first time you used inappropriate language in our home, the use of profanity in place of what you are meaning to say is a sign of a weak mind. And whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. You have respected my home by choosing your words carefully. You have come a long way, Anthony. Your aunt and I are very proud of you."
Anthony found himself standing a little taller and puffing out his chest. Tribal Chief. If he became the Tribal Chief, he could do more to help people like Rosemary and Nisha. He knew that his uncle tried hard to assist those in need, but Anthony would try even harder. He now had a goal. He now had a purpose. Perhaps one day he could even open a garage and have his own business. If he earned enough money, he could give it to the people on the reservation who needed it the most. His uncle was right. Anthony knew his way around a car engine. He loved to mend things. Bring something broken back to life. He shuddered when he remembered trying to wake his father up. That was one situation he couldn't repair or revive. And he felt no guilt in his twelve-year-old heart when he realized that that was one thing he was glad he couldn't fix.
"I'll get the seventeen dollars I have saved, Uncle Robert. I want to give it to you so you can keep track of what I need to pay back to the garage where I stole the part. I'll be right back!" he called as he headed for the door that led into the kitchen. He was inside and had almost closed the door when he had a thought. He'd wanted to use some of that seventeen dollars to help Nisha get a new coat. It would be cold soon, and he knew she'd outgrown the used hand-me-down someone had given her last year. He started to walk back out when he heard his cousin's voice raised in anger.
"How can you stand there and tell that half-breed orphan that he has what it takes to be Tribal Chief? I'm your son. Not him!” RJ raged at his father through gritted teeth.
Anthony peeked through the slit of the door. RJ must've been outside the garage listening to their conversation. The smell of whatever had been used to mop the kitchen floor was making Anthony's stomach churn. What did RJ mean by half-breed?
"That boy has tried harder in the two years he's been with us than you ever have, son. I'm sorry if this hurts your feelings, but I see his potential. He's already moved up the two grades he'd lost when he first came here. And being in a stable home, a normal family is bringing out the best in him. Even if he doesn't aspire to be Chief, he will aspire to something." RJ kicked the tire of the car he'd been working on. "I didn't even know what was wrong with Rosemary's car, but Anthony figured it out. He's twelve years old, and he knew what part this car needed before I did."
"He's not even full-blooded Cherokee. Wasn't his mother some Seminole whore your brother found in Florida?" RJ sneered.
"RJ!" Robert snapped. "We do not judge each other like the white man does. We accept brothers and sisters from other tribes. We intermarry happily and without prejudice. Your cousin is not a half-breed, and you will not disrespect Anthony's mother with your crass language."