“The girls won’t be able to come to the hospital,” Mama said to Miss Elsie.
“Beaver’s wife told him, ‘Do not go with Coyote. Our home is perfect for us.’”
“They can come over to my house,” Miss Elsie replied. “The kids can play.”
“But Beaver followed Coyote to see this more perfect place — ”
Sirens blared down our street and stopped in front of our house. I continued, trying to talk faster. “Beaver followed Coyote past the mountains and valleys. Past the hills and rocks. So far did Beaver walk that he couldn’t remember where his home was. At that moment, Coyote turned to eat Beaver. But Beaver dug a river up from the ground and swam quickly away — ”
“Regina, you’ll need to move, sweetheart,” Mama urged.
I continued the story. “Beaver got away from Coyote — ”
Two men dressed in white jackets had entered and headed toward Chich and me on the couch.
“He didn’t know where he was. Beaver searched everywhere for his simple pond — ”
“Hi there. Mind if I check your grandmother?” asked one man, trying to place himself between me and Chich.
“I need to finish this story,” I said, holding on to Chich’s hand. She nodded for me to continue. “And to this day, beavers move from pond to pond, trying to find that perfect home Beaver left behind.”
“Thank you,” Chich said.
“Okay, Regina, you finished it. Let this man take care of Chich,” Daddy said as he gently moved me away.
Mrs. Hernández explained what she’d observed to the second man. He nodded. “You a doctor?”
“Yes.”
The first man took Chich’s temperature again and held her wrist. Then he touched her stomach. She cried out.
“You’re hurting her!” I said.
Daddy held me back. “She’s in good hands, Regina.”
“Don’t hurt her!” I yelled.
The two men lifted Chich onto a gurney, and we all followed as they carried her to the ambulance outside. Most of our block on 58th Place watched the men in white jackets place her inside. Mrs. Hernández gave Mama a hug and gathered Philip and Anthony to walk home. Miss Elsie held Addie’s and Peewee’s hands as they stood on the lawn. Peewee whimpered.
“It’s going to be all right,” Miss Elsie said to Peewee.
I glanced at Keith from the porch, my cheeks damp, my breath heavy.
“My mama said you’re coming to our house,” Keith said as he jumped up next to me.
I just nodded and wiped my eyes to see Daddy help Mama into the car. The ambulance drove off with its siren blaring. Daddy followed.
Keith shuffled his feet. Then he draped his arm around me. I tried to hold back more tears. “Come on, Regina. Let’s go.”
Later on, Miss Elsie got the call from Daddy at the hospital. Chich had died. Not from her appendix. The doctor told Daddy that the surgery had gone well.
But right after that, her heart gave out.
No one at the hospital knew about Chich’s little white pills that she took for it.
And I couldn’t help wondering if Daddy cutting my hair had taken Chich away from us.
26 Umpqua Always
When Daddy and Mama got back from the hospital, our friends in the neighborhood gathered at our house. Miss Elsie comforted Mama. Then she hugged me and Peewee tight, cried with us, and told us how Chich went to heaven.
Keith didn’t know what to say. He stood in silence, rocking slowly back and forth on his heels. Addie went over to hug Peewee, wailing with her.
Mr. Hernández and Mr. Bates stood by the television, talking in lowered voices with Daddy. Neighbors started bringing us food. Mrs. Hernández brought over ropa vieja. Even Mrs. Gartner, who pretty much kept to herself, came over with streuselkuchen. Everyone seemed to feel as awful as we did.
Not quite two days later, I heard a loud sound rattling outside. I ran to the window and saw Cousin Harlin’s pickup truck in front of our house.
Clad in a plaid shirt, faded blue jeans, and logging boots, he jumped out quick to help Aunt Rosie get out of the cab. They gathered food out of the pickup bed and headed for the front porch. I ran out to help.
“From your family,” Cousin Harlin said to Daddy, handing over the bags as they came up the front porch. “Figured you needed some real food.”
Daddy took the rest of the bags and handed one to Peewee as we went back in. The three of us set them on the kitchen table and peeked inside. Jars of huckleberry jam sat among the dried salmon and deer meat. Cousin Harlin hugged Daddy for a long time. Mama hugged Aunt Rosie. Then Peewee and I got hugs from both of them.
Aunt Rosie didn’t waste any time. “You need to bury her in Grand Ronde,” she said directly to Daddy.
“We can’t afford the expense of having her sent up there,” he said matter-of-factly. “She has to be buried here.”
“Then her spirit will wander.”
Cousin Harlin cut in. “I could just wrap her up and throw her in the back of the pickup. No one would have to know,” he offered. “Seriously, cuz, we can take her home.”
Daddy had a slight smirk. Cousin Harlin always knew how to lighten up a hard situation.
“You need to bury her in Grand Ronde,” Aunt Rosie said again. “Her spirit will wander if you don’t.”
Daddy had already gone to St. John’s Catholic Church, where we’d attended Christmas Mass, to arrange Chich’s funeral Mass. I had heard him talking to Mama about figuring out a burial site in Inglewood.
“The funeral Mass has already been arranged for tomorrow,” Daddy said. “And it costs too much money to take her home.”
Aunt Rosie studied Daddy. “I don’t know what has come over you. But we’re your family. We’re here to help. Once you’re from Grand Ronde, you’re always from there. No matter where you live, how far away you go. Now, we’ll have the funeral Mass tomorrow, but then she needs to
