The Newly Homeless Family

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................
(a few years ago....)

............. pulled up to the gate of the Indian Reservation. All they could see, in any direction was trees and marsh. And wildlife. Swamp critters mostly. They heard gators bellow, saw deer.

And snakes.

“Why did there have to be snakes?” the mother asked.

“It’s a swamp mostly” the father said "snakes come with the territory. Most of them won’t hurt you. Most of them...I think.”

There was a sign on the Gate.

Welcome
you are now entering Tribal Land.
please check in at the Tribal Offices first.
Anyone who does NOT
We can’t be responsible for.

“That sounds ominous” the mother said. "Maybe we should go back.”

“We can’t.” The father said "We’ve past the point of no return. We don’t have enough gas. If we turn around now we’ll run out half way there and have to leave the van, all our stuff and walk.”

“Thats the same thing as driving it into the river” his mother signed "We’ll certainly never see any of it again.”

“Yup.” the father agreed "it will Shirley, be vandalized at best, likely stolen or towed.”

“Yes dear,” Shirley said "I’m afraid that you are right.”

They drove down the long, long rutted cow trail. Calling it a road would be giving it much too much credit. Anything with lower ground clearance than the van would have drug bottom in the ruts or potholes. They’d soon be leaving pieces behind.

Soon they were driving down a levy or a small peninsula..There was scary water on both sides. They continued forward. There was no room to turnaround. If they met someone one of them would have to back up.

Eventually, it seemed like an eternity but was actually only about an hour, they drove their van into a much wider piece of land. It looked like an island connected by a levy to the shore. A long levy to be sure.

There was a building, of sorts. It looked to be a hundred or more years old. It was of the WWII Quonset hut style except that of all things, it was on stilts.

“I suppose it floods” the father said

Shirley and Charlie didn’t say a word.

“I’ll park and go inside.” the father told them "Ya’ll coming or waiting out here?”

“I’m not staying out here by my self, and neither is he.” Shirley said defiantly. "Snakes , alligators and bears ...”

“Oh my.” Charlie grinned.

Shirley looked at him in surprise then smiled.

The father messed up Charlie’s hair with one hand and laughed.

“C’mon...let’s go...” and they did. The three of them exited the van , walked across the rutted pothole filled parking lot and went inside.

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