The sad little boy next door has become a treasured friend to Eli and Evan and a face at our window peering in and wondering if his friends can come out and play. One night I heard "ha-yahs" and all kinds of karate chops coming from the yard next door. Surprised to hear such happy sounds, I asked Eli, who was outside if it was "Sad Boy." Eli rightly told me, "He's not sad." Then a day soon after that, the little boy was swinging when I was out at the washline with the boys. He still wouldn't talk to me, but I pushed Eli on the swing beside him. Pretty soon the little boy said, "Bubbles!" He ran over to his porch and showed the boys his bubbles. Then he blew big bubbles for the boys and talked a bit. And since then, the three of them have become fast friends. We found out that his name is Marcus. One night as we completed one of our rituals- saying the best and worst part of the our days- Eli's best part was playing with Marcus and Evan's worst part was "leaving Marcus."
After being around him more, I think he knows more Ojibway than English. I haven't been able to understand much of what he says and when he talks to me, his sentences are pretty short and basic. (Like just now he showed me his car and said, "Fast.") Eli, however, claims he understands all of what Marcus says. Today he told me that mostly he hears "Canada." When I asked Eli if Marcus knows Eli's name, he said, "He just calls me Friend." He also says that Marcus understands everything he says. I'm not so sure… But at any rate, they communicate very well. Right now as I type I am looking at the two of them sitting on the rock wall outside our window comparing their cars. I can hear them having an important conversation, though I can't understand anything. (Now Eli just came in and said, "My friend asked if I want to play Capus." I asked him what that was and Eli told me it was a card game Marcus made up. I said okay, if they played on the picnic table right outside the window. Then Marcus came back over and Eli popped his head back in, "I guess he wanted to play 'bubbles.'" So much for understanding everything.)
I am concerned for Eli and Evan when Marcus leaves. (Not to mention my concern for this little boy that is really growing on us.) Today as we walked to church I told Eli that Marcus probably wouldn't be living next door much longer. Eli has referred to the various adults that are at the house with Marcus as his mom and dad, apparently not noticing that they change daily. I told him that Marcus is from Pikangikum, a different town, and that his parents are still there. He is just staying here for awhile. The boys will miss a friend when Marcus moves on.
The photo is of the boys playing in our yard. I took it out of our front window where the computer sits.
No comments:
Post a Comment