"Emily Gaskin - The Green Corn Dance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gaskin Emily)

taking their money, not inches from their lungs.


Steve worked the blackjack tables. Sometimes there are more whites working
the tables than us, but I suppose the elderly whites find them more trustworthy.
They never seemed to mind me, though, and always asked, as if I knew, which
were the lucky bingo cards.


One night, a man became angry when he lost too many games of bingo. He
rose from his seat and started shouting so that everyone turned their heads. He
said I gave him the wrong card. He had asked for a particular card, but I had
switched it with the losing card. I went to him and talked softly, offering to give
him a different card if he wanted. He threw the card at my chest and raised
another one as if to beat me with it.


Steve appeared from nowhere. He grabbed the angry man by the shoulders.
Steve is a big man and held him fast. He told him to calm himself, but the man's
face darkened, and I thought he would fight. But the tribal police showed up, and
the man backed down. The police escorted him away, and the bingo players,
anxious to start another game, did not stop to watch.


Steve tells this story proudly to all his friends -- how he rescued me, how for
once a white man did right by my people. I let him have his pride in this, but I
wish he had not done it. Now he thinks he must always be saving me, each
rescue proof that he is not one of the guilty. I do not tell him there are things he
cannot fix, but instead say that I am very lucky to have such a brave husband.
This always makes him smile.


"Are you awake?"


I do not answer right away. Does he know I have not been sleeping? But then I
know by his voice that he needs me, and I answer. "Yes."


"I've been thinking," Steve says. "Do you think the baby will have blonde hair like
mine, or dark hair, like yours?"


"Dark, I think."


"And the eyes? Do you think they will be blue like mine, or black, like yours?"


"I believe they must be black."