Firewater

Early in the fictional story, Little Woods, the protagonist Mud Paw struggles with alcoholism. The following excerpt gives an account of his offense that drives the village council to exile him to a vision quest where they hope he will find sobriety.
 

 

Excerpt: Little Woods (Hunger Moon 1833: Pain Management)
 

Ten Whelp entered Mud Paw’s lodge. “Ech! You smell like a dead dog. Where’s Watseka?”

 

“I don’t know,” Mud Paw said. “Go away."

 

“You’ve healed enough. Why do you lay there like a crippled old man?”

 

“Quiet, woman, you make my head hurt.” Mud Paw reached toward her. “Get me some whiskey.”

 

“The white man’s firewater is the scourge of our people. No true man would cry for it so. Get up and help your wife, you lazy fool.”

 

In one fluid movement Mud Paw was on his feet. His eyes bulged out, red veins crossing white orbs above swollen, dark pockets of flesh. His lip quivered with rage.

 

Ten Whelp was moving backward when Mud Paw’s hand covered her face. He pushed her head, as though chucking a melon, in the direction of the open door. Ten Whelp’s short flight ended six feet outside the lodge’s entrance. Her skull touched ground first, and then her toes and knees stabbed the frozen turf next to her ears. Her body slowly unrolled, and when her legs returned to their designed relation to her head, she lay motionless.

 

“Noooo.” Watseka hurried from the village center to Ten Whelp’s side.

 

Shickshack jumped between Mud Paw and Ten Whelp with his arms extended toward his father. “Get away from her!”

 

Mud Paw took a large step forward and kicked his son hard.

 

Shickshack’s gaze remained on Mud Paw as he stumbled backward.

 

“You’ve learned the meaning of betrayal today, boy. Remember it well.” His fury drained, Mud Paw returned, exhausted, to the rank darkness of his lodge.