Up River

The next morning Sunlight came through a small stain glass window. Miinglu woke to colors reflected against the white walls of the room. The Catholic priest knocked on the door. “Get up. If you expect to catch that doctor.” “Quianna,(*) Father.” (thank you) It wasn’t long before Miinglu had joined Father John in the small kitchen. A cup of hot tea waited on the table. The priest opened the conversation, “So how did 'yeah 'sleep?” “Had dream about village, Up River,” Looking Miinglu straight in the eye, Father John replied. “ The present becomes a memory and, then... but a dream... ahh... if only we could relive that dream again.” Miinglu listened to the Father in an attempt to understand what he had meant. The Priest continued. “Miinglu you will experience much in your lifetime. You will have memories and lessons to teach your grandsons. This century is a time of great change, hell it’s 1934.” Miinglu replied, “Elder from village said, 'Not get lost in sugar bowl' of white people someday we fly in air like shot from gun. Mother, she Christian, said he just crazy-man, not listen. People of Kussach(*) say he Sha’man. Are you Sha’man?”(*) “No. Just an armchair philosopher.” As if to catch himself from giving a sermon at the breakfast table Father John abruptly changed the subject of the conversation. “Have you traveled Far?” Miinglu sat patiently on the old wooden bench in the hallway in front of a doctors office. A very fat woman sat next to Miinglu on the wooden bench. She held a crying toddler who squirmed on her round lap. Miinglu’s name was called by a woman wearing a white hat that looked as if she ha turned a white Pharmigan(*) upside down on the top of her head. Miinglu followed the strange looking woman into a large white room. He wondered to himself why white people wore so much white clothing and painted everything the color white. The nurse handed the adolescent a folded hospital gown. “Take off your cloths... Put this on.” She abruptly walked out of the room. Miinglu didn’t have a chance to tell her that he was here to talk with the doctor about Eya Uma. He wondered why he had to take his cloths off. Within a few minutes Miinglu had wrapped the hospital gown around his naked waist. The door opened it was Dr. Fisher. He looked to be about fifty with a thick scruffy beard. The doctor carried an empty syringe. Miinglu felt as if he had eaten bad fish accompanied by a sense of fear when he looked at what the tall white man was holding. Dr. Fisher asked. “You afraid if this little needle.” “Ey Ey” The doctor slightly laughed as he replied. “We fear what we don’t understand.” The doctor paused briefly as he expertly filled the syringe from a small glass vile. “ Where 're yeah from?”. Miinglu quickly answered, “Up River.” “As a precaution we give vaccinations to villagers. The risk of diphtheria (*) is high. This could save your life.” He paused again as he adjusted the liquid in the syringe. “I’ll need to put this in your arm and push this medicine in. Is that Okay with you?” Miinglu soflty answered, “That good?” A few seconds later the doctor had given Miinglu the vaccination. Then asked. “So, how long have you been in Nome?” “Few days, al'right.” “Plan on going back to the road house to your aunt?” “You know about Eya Uma?” “John already told me.” “She sick,” “Is she spitting blood? Or hot to the touch? “No.” “I can give you some of medicine that might work.” The doctor paused a brief moment before taking a glass vile from a wooden ice chest. He then filled the syringe from the small glass vile and inserted the needle. “If it’s Tuberculosis (*)... this medicine won’t help much. She’ll need a priest, not a doctor. If it’s bacterial she’ll get better in a few days.” The doctor then slightly sighed. “Quianna. Give wolf hide, make good ruff al'right.” “Sure, that'll be the tenth hide this month. At this rate, I’ll be open’en a’ fur(*) store in no time.” The doctor slightly laughed at his own joke. Miinglu didn’t understand his words. “Own fur store?” “No.” “Sell for dollars, al’right.” Dr. Fisher laughed as he replied. “I know son, I know. You'll need to keep this vile cool; don’t let it freeze. Put it under your parki when it’s too cold out. When you get back to the road house give this to Amy O’mally, she's Charles sister. She'll use the needle the same as I did today; but your aunts shot will be in the cheek of her’ ass.” Miinglu looked at the doctor as if he couldn't believe what he had just been told. “What?! That kill sickness.” “The nurse outside also has some pills too. Remember she needs to swallow one in the morning and one at night, every day, ‘tell they’re gone.” “Uma not want shot in her Echkaok’?”(*) The doctor slightly laughed as he placed his hand on the door knob. “If she wants to get well, she will.” The doctor abruptly left the room. The cities' dog barn was loud with the barking and howling of the Alaskan huskies. Miinglu walked along the narrow pathway between the loud sled dogs that were tethered on chains anchored to the floor. Some dogs were barking loudly or growling at other dogs from the end of their short lead. Straw and sawdust covered the wooden floor. Miinglu watched his movements as he maneuvered through the large building. A few other Dog Mushers walked through the pathways between the huskies as they carried shovels, buckets of food and water, or bundles of straw. In the distance Miinglu spotted Charles standing at the far end of the dog barn. He loudly called out his name a number of times. Charles walked in the young man’s direction. He carried a bucket of cooked seal intestines mixed with a corn meal mush. “Miinglu, .... It’s good to see you. I thought Nome had swallowed yeah all up, don't yeah know.” He began to laugh.