Atim and I are out on the front porch thinking things over It’s my birthday and I’m excited that Stan is on his way for a visit Stan is my mom’s cousin They grew up together like brother and sister Stan and my dad are buddies too They like to do all kinds of things especially fish and hunt But for me there is a nervous feeling mixed in with all this springtime excitement excitement Last fall I went hunting for the first time with a real shotgun I wasn’t sure if Stan and Dad noticed that I missed a snow goose on purpose The snow goose was in my sights I’m a really good shot but something inside me made me move the barrel and miss Hunting is such a big part of my family’s life I am feeling scared about going hunting again It is 4
all sitting on me like a big fat goose on an egg Here on the porch Atim doesn’t seem to have any worries but she seems to know that I do She has pressed her muddy self beside me and won’t leave me alone I guess Atim is becoming a real best friend Stan arrives with a big package under his arm Package What package Stan says I’m just here for a piece of cake Dad cooked my favorite meal It’s his famous Irish stew Everyone starts singing Happy Birthday To me of course On the last line when folks sing the words to you Stan breaks into a great wolf howl and we all join in When it goes quiet we hear Atim outside the door howling along and everyone laughs Mom sets 6
down a vanilla-and-caramel cake with ten candles ablaze I close my eyes and wish that Atim will decide to keep us Then I huff and puff and blow out all the candles with one mighty breath Mahkitonew jokes my brother He has just called me a bigmouth in Cree I guess that means there won’t be any left for you I say to him with a smirk Ha-ha he says but he does look worried that I might just mean it I get cards and presents Even from my brother He gives me a heavy package wrapped in crumpled newspaper with a sedge-grass ribbon It’s a piece of raw soapstone the biggest chunk I’ve ever had 7
