Entry Four: Alexie

This is what it means to say Pheonix, Arizona
Sherman Alexie (1994)

 

“ “Your dad was my vision. Take care of each other is what my dreams were saying. Take care of each other.” Victor was quiet for a long time. He searched his mind for memories of his father, found the good ones, found a few bad ones, and added it all up, and smiled.”

Being a person who’s lost a parent, this story struck a chord with me in just the first paragraph. A similar reaction came from realizing this is anther Sherman Alexie piece I had the fortune of reading; for some reason, one of which I’ve yet to really identify, I connect with his writing deeply. More so than with other works by other authors. I enjoy his stories, his outlooks on life and his style that’s blunt enough to be straightforward but not so much that it’s not enjoyable to read.

The characters in this short story latched onto me in a way I haven’t really experienced before; a part of my identified with Victor, and another with Thomas. These two are very much different from one another, but there’s also a commonality in which they share. They are both Native American, but they both also have experienced life from a unique perspective, and by doing so share a bond that no drunken beating can erase.

Throughout the text, Vincent is grappling with his father’s death surprisingly well; it’s a sad time for him, but he doesn’t let his emotional turmoil show. In fact, he’s much more worried about spending time with Thomas for the first time in years, which is something in find very interesting. In general, the relationship that these two young men had and the drastic shift from okay to not okay is fascinating to me. There was no grace period, no attempt at becoming friends again. They simply went separate ways without a hint of regret.

That fact is very ironic when it comes to light that Thomas was asked by Vincent’s father to look out for him, which is why I chose the quote above. Thomas is already an outcast in the Reservation, because he’s strange and most people don’t quite know how to handle him. But even with his terrible stories, he’s a part of the community and has been able to keep his eyes out for Vincent.

Which all culminates to the moment where he’s able to help Vincent bring his father home from Phoenix.

It’s a heart-wrenching moment when Vincent and Thomas are driving back, when for a moment their friendship is back to where it began. Just the two of them, riding around and trying to get home on time. In the end, they depend on each other just as much as they did when they were children, and maybe it’s a step forward for them to regaining their friendship that had been lost those years ago.