Tilly and the Crazy Eights

by Monique Gray Smith

“Want me to try and find somewhere to pull over?” asked Tilly.

  “Nah, I can hold it,” Lucy said as she crossed her legs and gave her bum a little wiggle.

  “Sarah?” Tilly asked.

  “I think I can make it.”

  With the improved driving conditions Tilly was able to increase her pressure on the gas pedal. Within ten minutes, they approached a road sign indicating the first exit to Flagstaff was only a few miles ahead.

  Tilly eased the bus into a parking spot and noticed this was much bigger than a regular gas station. It was a full-blown truck stop, with a large convenience gift store. For a group of elders, this was dangerous. Browsing, they called it. She knew their day of driving from Sedona to Albuquerque was ambitious, but it was the only way to get there and ensure Sarah would have a full day to rest before the Pow Wow began.

  “Ten minutes, everyone. We still have a long drive ahead of us,” said Tilly.

  “Sure thing, Miss Tilly,” Poncho said as the elders began to unload from the bus.

  “It’s not you I’m worried about, Poncho,” she replied. He laughed, knowing exactly who Tilly was referring to.

  Tilly took the opportunity to make a short video message and sent it to her twins. She considered calling Mick at work or texting him, but, in the end, decided against it and chose to check her e-mail instead.

  When much longer than ten minutes had passed and not a single one of the elders had emerged, Tilly went inside. She found the elders, snacks in hand, at the till waiting to pay. She noted who was there and asked, “Where’s Lucy?”

  They all looked at each other and then glanced around the store. The shelves stood taller than Lucy, so there was no way they could see her.

  “Why don’t I go look for her while you all pay,” Tilly stated. Without waiting for their response, she turned and said over her shoulder, “I’ll be back in a moment.”

  Tilly began walking up and down each aisle, her pace quickening as she came close to covering the entire store. The washroom was the only place left where Lucy could be.

  Tilly looked for the washroom sign and began walking in that direction. Almost there, she heard Lucy’s unmistakable laugh. She followed the laugh around a corner and through an open door to what was much like a living room. It had a large screen television, leather couches, and a number of men. Long distance truck drivers. In one quick scan, Tilly tallied them. Five. Nestled in the middle of one of the couches and between two truckers was Lucy.

  Lucy had her hands on her knees, her shoulders slightly raised and head tilted back, laughing.

  Tilly stood in the doorway and waited until Lucy stopped. “There you are, Lucy. I’ve been looking for you.”

  “Tilly, come.” Lucy motioned with her hand for Tilly to enter. “Come in and meet my new friends.”

  Tilly took a few steps into the room as Lucy introduced each of them by name and where they were headed. Tilly nodded and smiled at each of them and she couldn’t help herself, she found it quite extraordinary that, in a few short minutes, Lucy had not only found this room, but had also gotten to know each of the men, their names, and where they were going.

  “I’m sorry Lucy, but we need to get going.”

  One of the men butted in, “Already? She just got here.”

  Another one added, “Yeah. Don’t you know a journey isn’t only about reaching your destination, but what happens along the way? We’re just getting to know little Lucy here.” He smiled at Lucy and then looked back to Tilly, patting the empty space beside him. “Why don’t you take a load off?”

  There it was, another one of those peculiar sayings the elders were just talking about on the bus. “I’d really love to, sir, but—”

  Before Tilly could finish, Lucy had scooted herself to the edge of the couch and was reaching to the two men beside her to help her out. When she was solid on her feet, Lucy addressed the room. “Sorry fellas, but Tilly’s right, we gotta go. You all drive safe now, you hear?”

  They nodded.

  Lucy wove one arm through Tilly’s and waved good-bye with her other. As they began to walk out, Lucy whispered, “That was fun, but can we keep it to ourselves?” She motioned her head toward the front door where the elders were standing, waiting, snacks in hand. “They still haven’t let me live down getting lost in Las Vegas, last thing they need is more ammunition. Especially Rose. She’s always after me for bein’ too friendly, if you catch my drift.” Lucy winked at Tilly and the smile that already beamed across her face grew.

  Tilly slowly nodded her head and smiled at this tiny elder walking beside her. “Sure thing, Lucy.” She reached over with her free hand and gave Lucy’s arm a squeeze. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  41

  Standin’ on the Corner

  EXCEPT FOR PULLING out to pass semi-trailers, Tilly’s hand barely moved on the wheel. The flat, straight, open road enveloped the bus mile by mile. The clouds dotted the sky causing shadows to dance across the land. Tilly thought to herself how the landscape unfolding before them reminded her of a mixture of the sagebrush desert of Kamloops and the flat lands of Saskatchewan.

  From the middle of the bus, Poncho piped up and asked, “Hey, Miss Tilly, you know how flat it is out there?”

  Tilly was now used to playing along with him. She looked in the rearview mirror to catch his eye with a smile and responded, “No, Poncho. How flat is it out there?”

  “It’s so flat that you can see your dog run away for three days.” His eyes squeezed shut as his mouth fell open and he heaved with laughter. Tilly giggled and turned her gaze a bit to the right, to where Rose sat beside her husband. Her eyes rolled and she tilted her head back.

  After the laughter subsided, Tilly and the Crazy Eights rode in silence for the next forty minutes. They passed a sign that indicated the next city was Winslow. Chuck, who was now sitting up front with Tilly asked, “Hey Tilly, you think we can stop there?”

  “Where?”

  “Winslow.”

  “Aw, Chuck. We just got back on the road.” Tilly was beginning to feel like this was going to be a very long day of driving.

  Lucy, who was in the seat behind Tilly, had overhead the conversation and butted in. “Why Mr. Chucky, you need to use the li’l boys’ room?” She giggled.

  He looked back at Lucy and shook his head. “No. No. That’s not it at all.” He was quiet for a moment.

  Tilly looked sideways at him.

  Chuck met her eyes and started sharing. “When I was first sobering up, I used to listen to The Eagles song, ‘Take It Easy.’ ” He raised his right shoulder a bit and said, “Guess you could sorta say it was my theme song. I needed to hear the messages in that song about lightening up, not trying to understand everything and taking it easy.” He looked over at Tilly, who had turned her gaze back to the road unfolding before them and then back at Lucy who was watching him. He asked them, “Do you know the song?”

  Tilly nodded and Lucy responded, “’Course I do. Might be old, but I ain’t ancient.”

  Chuck couldn’t help himself, this woman always made him smile. “Then you know the line about standin’ on the corner in Winslow, Arizona?”

  Before either woman had a chance to respond, Chuck continued, “Here, let me play it for you.” He plugged his iPhone into the bus stereo system and scrolled his thumb down his screen until he found what he was looking for.

  Lucy turned to everyone. “Hey, Crazy Eights. Listen up. Chucky’s gonna play us a song.”

  No one recognized the song until the drums kicked in, then the bus filled with a hum of recognition. Just after the lines, “Well, I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona,” Chuck hit the pause button and turned to address the elders. “The next town is Winslow and I’d like to drive through.”

  Mabel called out from the back, “I was there with my Millie. There’s actually a park called ‘S
tandin’ on the Corner Park’.”

  Chuck cranked his body a bit farther so he could see Mabel. “Really?”

  Mabel nodded, but added, “It’s not a park like we think of a park. No trees or grass, or anything green for that matter. After all, this is Arizona, but the flatbed Ford is there.”

  Chuck turned his head slightly toward the driver’s seat. “So what do you think, Tilly?”

  Tilly inhaled deeply and let it out in a big puff of her cheeks.

  Seeing her reaction, Chuck sat back in his seat. “It’s okay. We don’t need to stop.”

  She looked over at Chuck. This man had not asked for a single thing on this trip, and besides, this trip wasn’t about her, it was about the elders.

  Tilly smiled at him. “Sorry, Chuck. Sometimes I get caught up in the clock and forget to,” she removed her hands from the wheel long enough to use her fingers like quotations in the air, “take it easy.”

  Chuck found this quite humorous and let out a loud belly laugh. “I still haven’t mastered that one either, Tilly.”

  Just as Chuck said this, he added, “There it is, Exit 252. We need that one, Tilly.” He pushed the play button and The Eagles song filled the bus again.

  Winslow beckoned them and they responded. Tilly slowed to twenty-five miles an hour as they drove through the heart of Winslow. One-story, white-and-gray houses adorned the sides of the roads. Not a single soul was walking on the sidewalks and the front yards were vacant of any life.

  “What day is it today?” asked Lucy.

  “Tuesday, why?” asked Tilly.

  “Cuz there’s not hardly anyone on the streets, thought maybe it was Sunday.”

  Chuck leaned forward in his seat and pointed. “There. That must be it up there. In the center of the four way is the Highway 66 sign. The store on the left says Standin’ on the Corner.”

  As they came to the stop sign, Lucy saw the red truck parked on the corner. Pointing and with a slightly raised voice she said, “Look! Look! Over there. It’s the flatbed Ford.”

  “Wow. Who would’ve ever thunk there really was a flatbed Ford?” said Poncho, not to anyone in particular.

  “Who’s that guy?” Chuck asked referring to the statue of a man holding a guitar standing on the tip of his boot.

  “That must be him, the guy from the song, the one who’s standin’ on the corner,” Lucy said.

  “Well I’ll be…” Chuck’s voice trailed off.

  Tilly pushed gingerly on the gas pedal, turned left, and parked in front of the store. It took no time for the elders to get off the bus and cross the street to the truck. Before any time had passed the elders were taking photos of each other in front of the truck and beside the statue.

  Tilly overhead Poncho say, “Annie, will you take a photo of me and Rose?”

  “Anne, you mean Anne,” her tone bordered on being harsh. “Only my family calls me Annie.”

  Poncho’s head snapped back and his brows furrowed. After a moment, he softly said, “But, we are family. After all that time stuffed on the bus, we’re family. Family isn’t only about blood. It’s about who you love and who loves you. I’ve come to love you like a sister, so I’d like to call you Annie,” he paused, “if that’s okay with you?”

  Anne could feel the shame slide up her neck and across her face, leaving a trail of red. Why’d she react to Poncho like that? She wished she was used to such displays of love and kindness, but she wasn’t. Not publicly anyways. She looked at him standing there beside his wife with his lopsided grin. She had never met a man with a bigger heart than Poncho Billy. Uncharacteristically, Anne’s eyes fill with tears. “I’d like it if you called me Annie.” She glanced around at all of them. It was true, they had become like family. “I’d like it if you all called me Annie.”

  “Alrighty then, it’s settled. We shall all call you Annie. Now let’s get back to the business of taking a photo of me ’n my Rose.”

  After a couple of photos, Poncho waved Lucy into their photo and then humbly stepped out so his wife and her best friend could have their photo taken. Mabel stood next to the male statue and said through a smile, “Now I wouldn’t mind myself one of these!”

  Laughter erupted.

  Next up were Bea and Chuck. They wrapped their arms around each other and she leaned into him, whispering in his ear, “So glad you asked to stop.”

  “Me too, my love.” He leaned down and kissed her temple. The camera clicked, and that moment was caught forever.

  Tilly sat in the bus watching them. She found their excitement amusing, not in a judgmental way, but rather in a deeply endearing way. It pleased her to watch them find such joy in this unplanned stop. She stepped out of the bus and crossed the street, saying, “Here. Let me get a photo of all of you.”

  The elders formed a line between the truck and the statue. There was no need for her to say smile. Their faces were already reflecting their happiness.

  42

  The Invitation

  THE HUM OF the bus halted as Tilly turned off the ignition. It had been a long day of driving and they’d finally arrived in Albuquerque just before dinner. As Chuck stood, he banged his head on the roof of the bus. “Ouch.” He rubbed his head and began to speak. “Can I have everyone’s attention for a minute?”

  The elders seemed oblivious to him as they packed up their belongings, eager to get off the bus.

  “Hellooooo?” said Chuck, a bit louder this time. Only Lucy noticed.

  She put her thumb and middle finger in her mouth and blew hard. The shrill sound silenced everyone.

  Chuck turned to Lucy. “Thanks.” Lucy gave a nod of her head and Chuck turned back to the elders. “Now, I know you’re all used to Mabel being the one in charge, and I’m not saying I’m in charge or anything like that. But it’s like a flock of geese. Sometimes, one has to fall back and let the others carry them along. And so that’s what I’m doing, and what we’ve all been doing today. Letting one of our own fall to the back and rest.”

  By the way he was rambling and using metaphors out of context, Bea knew Chuck was nervous. She reached over and took his hand and pulled him close. “Just tell them about tonight.”

  “Right.” Chuck faced the elders again. “So, I talked to Mabel about this back at the gas station and she thought it was a good idea. I’d like to offer Bea’s and my room for a talking circle tonight.”

  The elders looked at each other, quizzical.

  “Talkin’ circle?” asked Rose. “For what?”

  “Yeah, what we need a talkin’ circle for?” Lucy probed.

  Chuck looked to Bea for moral support and then to Mabel. Both women gave him a slight nod of their head.

  “I feel like it would just be good to have an opportunity to talk. You know, a lot has happened on this trip.”

  “Yeah, like you and Bea fallin’ in love again Mr. Chucky,” Lucy teased.

  “Well,” his face darkened, “yes, Lucy, that is one of the things, but there have been others and the next few days at the Pow Wow could be emotional. In a good way, but still emotional.” He glanced at Bea, seeking moral support.

  This time, a slight nod of her head and a wink.

  “One of the things I learned from Bea a long time ago is to trust my Indianition. So that’s what I’m doing.”

  Lucy’s head snapped back and she scrunched up her face. “Indianition?”

  Bea explained, “It’s a play on words, Lucy. You know cuz we’re Indians and we have intuition, so I call it Indianition.”

  “Ohhhh, now I get it.” Lucy let out a couple giggles. “That’s a good one, Bea.”

  Tilly who’d been quietly observing all this unfold, smiled to herself. She remembered with fondness the first time Bea had told her about Indianition. About not listening to all the voices around us, but trusting the voice within and letting it guide us and our decisio
ns.

  Rose declared, “I ain’t goin’ to no touchy feely healin’ circle!”

  Lucy turned in her seat and snarled, “Rose.”

  “What? I didn’t come on this trip to be part of no Indian healin’ circle thingamajig.”

  Chuck and Mabel looked at each other for a moment and then Mabel spoke, “That’s fine, Rose. You don’t have to come tonight. Actually, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to on this trip. But you do need to be respectful. For some of us,” she lifted her fingers up near her head and imitated quotation marks as she said, “the Indian healin’ circle thingamajig is important and so, just as we respect you not wanting to come, I ask you to respect those of us who find the circle helpful.”

  Rose folded her arms in front of her chest, blinked her eyes slowly and deliberately as she continued to look at Mabel. The temperature in the bus was on the rise. Partly because the air conditioning was no longer running and partly because of the conversation.

  Chuck spoke first. “Why don’t we go and check in. Let’s say we’ll meet in the lobby at seven tonight. Give everyone time to get a bite to eat first.” Chuck looked at Rose, who was now looking out the window. “Everyone’s welcome. No pressure though. Everyone’s got to do what’s right for them.”

  43

  Legacies

  AS THEY SETTLED into their respective rooms, each of the elders contemplated Chuck’s invitation. While Rose’s delivery might not have been the most graceful, she had had the courage to speak what others weren’t quite ready to share.

  For Anne, the thought of sitting in a talking circle caused her to feel anxious. It wasn’t the sharing her feelings part, but rather that she might not know what to do.

  Or when to do it.

  Or how to do it.

  When she left the reserve almost five decades earlier, healing circles, talking circles, and ceremonies weren’t happening. At least not in her family. Instead, internalized racism, alcoholism, abuse, and violence were happening. A lot. And because of that and all she had experienced at Residential school, Annie had never engaged with the Aboriginal community in Toronto and, honestly, had never connected with her culture. As a result, she’d never been in a traditional healing or talking circle.