The Stands

[Spot Conlon]

Watch the horse on the Stands....

[Levi Akecheta]

Levi Akecheta sat calmly on the bench. He wasn't concerned about his horse losing, for he had not bet on a horse. Two reasons; one-he didn't have enough money, and two-he could ride horses faster then the jockeys. After all, the Sioux were the best horsemen in America. Levi ran a thin, brown, and strong hand through his short and wild black hair. He had been very sad to cut it off, though he supposed he had been in mourning for nine years now... Grandfather hadn't told him when he could stop... Or had he? Levi couldn't really remember. He could barely remember his grandfather's wrinkly, leathery face anymore. He could remember his sister's perfectly... She hadn't left his side since Mother died, well... she obviously wasn't here now.

His heart ached when he thought of his family. He tilted his head to the side and studied the man and woman in front of him. They had their small daughter with them... Levi sighed, he was thinking of families too much-it wasn't good. He needed to find his father, he wondered if his father had other kids or if he was even married...

Levi kicked some dirt with his moccasins. The woman shot him a dirty look. He had gotten dust on her white dress, he shrugged at her. He smiled, his bright teeth contrastingly with his darker skin, at the little girl. She reached out a pudgy hand toward the beads on his buckskin coat. Levi was tempted to bend down so she could touch it, but the father made him think better of it. Though, when the parents turned their backs, the girl scrambled over her bench and stood in front of Levi. He smiled again and let her play and tug gently at the beading, though when she began to pull harder, he stopped her. The coat had been done by his mother, Kimimela.

He let her play with the string of beads his best friend had given him. 'For trading,' he had said proudly. Levi had not had the heart to tell him he would need money. The little girl seemed very interested in the string, but then she gave it back and settled in between her parents again. Levi wondered why she had had the sudden change of heart... He looked up into the face of a person... Who he could not tell. "Hello?" Levi asked in English-secretly glad they had made him go to the American Reservation School since he was five. He thought it might have been because they could tell he was half-blooded.