“This was my mother’s,” he said as he placed it between them. “She was born a couple years before your grandmother, back in 1910. Her name was Bertha Hopping Crow, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she knew some of your family. You say your grandmother was born in 1912. Did she live on the reservation for long?”
“Until she was eighteen. Then she married a man she barely knew. He was a white man and not a very good person, but she thought he was her ticket off the reservation.”
“So she lived here until 1930.” Hank flipped a page to where photos similar to the one of Polly were attached with dates ranging from 1910 to the 1930s. “Chances are, your grandmother knew some of these people.”
“Or maybe she’s in some of these photos.” Sunny peered closely at one of the group photos of schoolchildren, straining her eyes and brain to see if she could spot her grandmother as a child.
“I have an old aunt,” Hank told her after they gave up on the photo album. “Lulu is in her nineties and unable to walk much, but her mind is still fairly sharp. Would you like me to introduce you to her?”
“Yes, if you don’t mind. I’d love to meet her.”
“How does tomorrow sound?”
“Wonderful.”
He smiled as he set the album on the trunk. “Heritage is a tricky thing, Sunny. A bit like a coyote.”
She studied him. “Why do you say that?”
“Well, we want to know where we came from, but when we find out, we can be disappointed. Kind of like how a coyote can seem friendly almost like a dog, and then—just like that—he can turn on you.”
Sunny slowly shook her head. “I don’t mean to disagree, but I honestly doubt that anything I find out would be any more disen-chanting than what I’ve lived with my entire life.”
After some prodding, she told him a bit of her story—about being raised by a slightly paranoid old woman, being taught to be fearful, cautious, wary.
“Nobody’s upbringing is perfect, Sunny.”
“I’m not trying to say my grandmother did everything wrong. I know she loved me wholeheartedly, and I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d been in her shoes. But I know I learned things from her that my parents would not have approved of. My parents were fearless. They embraced all cultures equally and celebrated differences. I’m sure they expected me to grow up doing the same.” She gave a sad little laugh. “Ironically, I grew up in a fairly whitewashed, overly protected, homogenized, and somewhat fear-driven environment that did little to prepare me for real life.”
“Yet here you are—a lovely, intelligent young woman. Your grandmother didn’t do too badly.”
“Thank you. But I think being here, in Pendleton and on the reservation, has already started changing me. Just riding horses with your granddaughter—well, it’s like I’m someone else…someone I think I was supposed to be, but never knew how.”
He nodded sagely. “It’s clear your heritage is a good one, Sunny. And I think I know your secret.”
“My secret?”
He smiled.
“What do you mean?”
“Your grandmother’s name was Sunrise?”
“Yes. Mary Sunrise.”
“And your name—Sunny—is that short for Sunrise too?”
“Yes.”
“Sundown. Sunrise. A baby born nine months after Jackson Sundown becomes a legendary cowboy at the Pendleton Round-Up.”
“But I don’t really believe it,” she said quickly. “Most of all, I just want to know the truth.” She reached for her bag now, removing the old wooden box, opening it, handing it over to him. “My grandmother kept this hidden from me. My father mentioned something about this connection before my parents died. But my grandmother vehemently denied it.”
Hank was looking at the memorabilia now, nodding as if none of this surprised him in the least. And then he handed it back to her. “I’ve heard a story like this.”
“Really?” Sunny’s heart was starting to pound a little harder. “Then you think it’s true?”
“True?” He smiled. “The only truth may be deep inside you.”
Sunny thought about DNA now. Certainly that held the truth. Not that she could ever link it that far back.
“But remember, heritage is like a coyote.”
She nodded. “Tricky.”
Just then there was a knock on the door and Echo came in. “Okay,” she said, “we have dessert at the house.” She grinned at her grandfather. “And it’s sugar-free.”
He made a disappointed face.
“Come on, Grandpa.” She reached for his hand. “It’s really good. Blackberry cobbler with sugar-free ice cream. You’ll like it.”
“Hmm?” He smacked his lips. “Okay, honey, just don’t keep going on about the sugar-free stuff and I’m on board.”
Sunny was disappointed to end her conversation with Hank. He seemed to understand her situation better than anyone so far. But as they went into the house, she reminded herself that he was going to introduce her to his aunt tomorrow. Maybe that would turn over some stones.
“So did you have any luck with the old photo album?” Cody asked as they sat in the living room with their dessert.
“I saw some school photos that my grandmother might’ve been in,” Sunny admitted. “They were the right years. But it was hard to pick out exactly which one might’ve been her. I’ve never seen a picture of her as a girl.”
“It doesn’t help that those old photos are pretty blurry,” Cody added.
“So did you grow up with any family around you?” Echo asked her.
Sunny forced a smile. “Well, I had both my parents until I was ten. Those were happy times. After that, it was just my grandmother and me.”
“And that was all?” Echo looked stunned. “No other grandparents, no aunts or uncles or cousins or anything?”
Sunny shook her head. “My grandfather was from the East Coast. My grandparents only had one child—my mom. My dad’s family had problems, and he was raised in foster homes. He put himself through college, and we were his only family.”
“Wow. That must’ve been hard.”
“So you must have family here,” Cody insisted. “Even if it’s second or third cousins, it stands to reason that if your grandmother was born on the reservation, then she would have relatives here.”
“I’m taking Sunny to meet Aunt Lulu tomorrow,” Hank told them.
“Did you tell Sunny that Aunt Lulu is mean?”
“Mean?” Sunny glanced at Hank.
He shrugged. “Oh, sure, she’s got a sharp tongue, but it matches her sharp mind. You don’t make it to her age by being pushed around.”
“Just make sure you take Aunt Lulu with a grain of salt,” Cody warned. “And don’t tell her I said so, but she can be a bit of a drama queen.”
“She likes attention,” Echo said, “and respect. If you don’t show her respect, she might pinch you.”
“She wouldn’t pinch Sunny.” Hank shook his finger at Echo. “Just naughty great-great nieces who sneak her lemon drops.”
Echo grinned at Sunny. “Yeah, keep your hands off her lemon drops.”
As much as she hated to go, Sunny knew it was getting late and Echo probably had homework. So she thanked them all for their generous hospitality, agreed to pick Hank up tomorrow at ten, and said good-bye. It wasn’t until she was in her car and driving down the dark country road that she realized she wasn’t too sure of where she was, and when she looked for Cody’s business card with his directions, she couldn’t find it anywhere in her purse or car.
She knew she should be able to figure this out. Just do the opposite of what she’d done to find the Barretts’ house and she would find her way back to the Lowensteins’. But after twenty minutes, she was feeling not only lost, but desperate. Every road looked the same as the last, and the names all sounded unfamiliar. Not only that, but she felt like she was on the verge of a serious panic attack.
Finally, she pulled over to the shoulder of the
road, and forcing herself to relax and to just breathe, she told herself to get in control. She could do this. Then she bowed her head and prayed for help. As she was praying, she saw a set of headlights behind her. A car pulled up and stopped. Suddenly she imagined the scene that Aubrey had suggested earlier today—a car full of drunken guys, out of control and wanting to be crazy. Or else this might be a good Samaritan stopping to offer help and give directions.
She peered in her rearview mirror to see that the car, which looked like an old junker, did appear to have a number of passengers. Just then a jolt of fear rushed through her. What was she doing here, out in the middle of nowhere, like a sitting duck? But as she stepped on the clutch, attempting to put her car into gear, she did something wrong and suddenly the engine went dead. She fumbled, but it was too late. Several of the people from the other car were approaching hers. Her head buzzing and her hands shaking, she tried to start the engine again.
Someone was knocking on her window now. Bracing herself, Sunny looked up, expecting to see a crazed face or even a club or a gun aimed at her head. Instead, she saw a smiling young Indian woman, along with a couple of others. Although her heart was still pounding, Sunny managed to put the window down a few inches and mutter a shaky “hello.”
“Are you okay?” the young woman asked.
“Did you break down?” another girl asked.
“Actually, I’m lost,” Sunny admitted. Then, feeling that these girls were trustworthy, she got out of her car and started to explain. “I lost my directions and got all turned around. And I have no idea where I am now.”
“We’re on our way home from dance class,” the first girl explained. “But how about if we lead you back toward the casino junction? You can get on the freeway and head west from there. Do you think you can find your way then?”
“Yes, of course,” Sunny said eagerly. “Thank you so much.”
“I like your car,” one of the girls told her.
“Thanks.”
“So what are you doing here anyway?” the first girl asked curiously. “Visiting family?”
“Trying to find family,” Sunny admitted. “My people are from here, but I’ve never really known any of them.”
“What are their names?”
Sunny gave an uneasy smile. “That’s the problem. I’m not really sure.”
The girls thought this was funny and teased her a little, but it was good-natured. Then they realized they needed to get going. “Just follow me,” the first girl told her. “When we get to the casino junction, you’ll know where to go.”
And so Sunny followed them, making several turns and traveling a few miles until, sure enough, there were the bright lights of the casino and all the other buildings. Sunny tooted her horn in thanks and the other car did a U-turn, heading back in the opposite direction. They really were just good Samaritans.
Even so, Sunny thought she might try to find a phone charging cord. Not because she was afraid of people on the reservation, but simply because it was the grown-up and responsible thing to do. Still, she looked forward to telling Aubrey this story. Maybe it would help to counterbalance some of the other stories she’d heard.
Chapter Thirteen
On Friday morning the sky was cloudless, and the day promised to be warm and summer-like. Aubrey and Sunny took their coffee outside, sitting on the porch of the bunkhouse. “How was your evening with friends last night?” Sunny asked.
“Really fun. We started out at the Rainbow.”
“The Rainbow?”
“It’s the oldest bar in Pendleton—a real cowboy hot spot. You should’ve joined us. It was really a kick.”
“Thanks, but it was fun meeting Cody’s dad. And Hank’s going to introduce me to his elderly aunt this morning. It’s possible she might know something about my family.”
Aubrey let out a lazy yawn. “I just plan to veg with my friend Casey today. She’s staying at her parents,’ and they have a lovely pool that we used to practically live at during the summers in high school.”
“Sounds fun.” Sunny nodded like she could relate to this, but she couldn’t. She’d never had friends like that. Chances were, outside of Aubrey, she never would. Sunny told Aubrey about getting lost last night, making it all sound as if it had been a delightful adventure.
“Weren’t you scared?” Aubrey asked.
Sunny smiled. “Well, yes, but it all turned out okay.” She glanced at her watch. “However, I will try to get a phone charger cord before I go driving around again. Your mom told me where I might find one, and they open at nine, so I should probably get going.”
“Well, have a good day. And if you get tired of sniffing around the reservation and need to come cool off at Casey’s pool, give me a call. She promised to make a pitcher of margaritas.” Aubrey wrinkled up her nose. “She could probably make you a virgin one.”
“Thanks.” Sunny stood. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
By ten o’clock, with her new phone charger plugged into her car, Sunny pulled into the Barretts’ driveway again. The ranch looked different in the light of day. The house and traditional-looking barn out back were both painted a brick red and trimmed in white, giving the place an old-fashioned feel. White post and rail fences looked crisp and neat against the green lawn that wrapped around the house. All in all, it was a sweet little ranch—and a stark contrast to a couple of the properties that Sunny had taken time to check out on her way here.
She pulled her car past the house and near where the singlewide trailer was parked behind a grove of poplar trees. As she got out, she heard the barking of a dog. “Hey, Lady,” she said as the border collie streaked through the field toward her. “Where’s Hank?” She bent down to pet the dog’s head.
“I’m right here,” he called out as he came around the corner from behind his trailer. “Just checking on the critters’ water troughs. Looks like it’s going to be a hot one today.”
Sunny glanced up. “I heard the weatherman saying it might hit ninety.”
“Then let’s get moving.” Hank grinned. “That your little car?”
“It’s a hybrid.”
“Hybrid? What’s that? Some kind of a tomato?”
She laughed. “Something like that.”
He removed his cowboy hat as he got into the passenger seat and looked around. “This one of those cars that runs on cooking oil?”
“Not exactly.”
“You got plenty of fuel then?”
“I filled it with gas this morning.”
“Can she take some rough roads?” he asked.
“How rough?”
“Oh, about a mile or so of gravel, then a dirt road with some ruts.”
“I don’t see why not.”
It took about twenty minutes and some rough roads to make it to Aunt Lulu’s place, which turned out to be a small cabin in the mountains. But once Sunny had parked the car and waited for the dust to settle, she thought the location alone was worth the trip. “This is so beautiful up here,” she told Hank. “Are we still on the reservation?”
“On the east side.”
But when several scruffy dogs charged out, barking wildly and baring their teeth, Sunny nearly leaped back inside the car.
“Get outta there,” a man yelled from the shadows of the house. “Get on back!”
Sunny jumped, then looked at Hank and, seeing he was smiling and waving, decided not to run. “Hey there, Raymond,” Hank called out. “How are you doing?”
A man about Hank’s age emerged from the porch, yelling once more for the dogs to back off and actually pitching an old pot at them. It clattered loudly, making the dogs scatter in all directions.
“Hello, Hank!” The man came over and clasped hands now, smiling so broadly that his bronze face wrinkled up like an old road map. “Long time no see, cousin.”
Hank put his hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Raymond, I want you to meet a friend of mine.” And then he introduced Sunny. “Raymond is my cousin.”
&
nbsp; “What are you doing way out here?” Raymond asked Hank.
“Hoping to see Aunt Lulu. I want her to meet Sunny.”
Raymond looked curiously at Sunny, then nodded. “Mom’s inside. Come on in and say hello.”
As Sunny walked up to the house, she got the feeling—again— that she was in a foreign country. And while it was somewhat unsettling, it was also exciting. Inside the house, the light was dim. The air was musty and smelled of wood smoke and cooked food. As Sunny’s eyes adjusted to the light, she saw that a tiny woman reclined on an old plaid sofa with a knitted afghan over her legs. Her thin white hair was pulled tightly back into a bun and a pair of dark framed glasses, combined with a hooked nose, gave her an owlish look.
“Aunt Lulu,” Hank said respectfully, “I have brought a friend for you to meet.” Then he introduced Sunny, saying that she had descended from a family on the reservation. “The trouble is, Sunny doesn’t know any of her family names. But she does have some photos and things. We thought maybe you might know who her folks were.”
“Come…sit.” Aunt Lulu nodded to a straight-backed chair beside the sofa. “Tell me your story.”
Sunny sat down and opened her purse, removing her wooden box. She held it nervously in her lap as she quickly recited what little family history she knew, finally handing Aunt Lulu the photo of her grandmother and the tiny newspaper clipping. Aunt Lulu’s vision wasn’t strong enough to read the faded words, so Sunny read both the caption on the back of the photo and the details of her grandmother’s birth.
Aunt Lulu nodded. “Yes. I remember Polly Wikiapi.”
“You do?” Sunny almost fell out of her chair. “You really do remember her?”
“Yes. She was my mother’s age. But I do remember her.” Aunt Lulu frowned at Sunny in a way that almost felt like disapproval.
“My grandmother was Polly Wikiapi’s daughter. Her name was Mary Sunrise, and I think she was probably a little older than you. She died several years ago at the age of ninety-three.”
“I knew Mary Sunrise too.”
“You did?” Sunny couldn’t believe her luck.
Aunt Lulu nodded again, but her expression remained solemn.
Love Finds You in Pendleton, Oregon Page 11