Five Little Indians

Flashing forward again to after Howie’s arrest for theft, Clara spends six months counseling him and helping him to establish himself. By the end of that time, she means so much to Howie that he immediately asks her out to dinner at the Only. There, he tells her the story of how he ended up in the mission school.

In the story, Howie is five years old, living with his mother Sagastis on a reservation in Saskatchewan. When Sagastis’s sister Mae, who followed her white husband Charlie to the logging communities of British Columbia, sends money for train tickets, they head west for a visit. Howie is excited, and he finds the train trip fascinating. Auntie May’s house and its modern conveniences are even more fascinating; on the reservation, he grew up without electricity or running water. It’s an enchanted summer for Howie. He celebrates his sixth birthday at Mae’s house with streamers, store-bought cake, and a hotdog roast. Mae gives him a set of toy cars. But the local priest, passing by as they celebrate in the yard, finds out about Howie’s birthday.

A few days later, on the eve of their return home, the priest returns with a police officer and kidnaps Howie over Sagastis’s protests that she will send him to school in Saskatchewan. Howie isn’t too scared or worried when he first arrives at the mission school. He trusts his mother to rescue him. But he’s not happy either; he begins wetting the bed and must endure teasing from the other children and abuse from Sister Mary because of it. As the year turns from fall to winter to spring and back to fall, and as one year turns to three, his hope slowly disappears. Still, he finds a friend in Kenny.

The day after the beating, Howie wakes up in the hospital with no memory of leaving the school. He just remembers Brother coming for him and hitting him so hard he lost consciousness. He enjoys his time in the hospital because the nurses are kind and because Auntie Mae (but not Sagastis) is allowed to visit him. Mae tells Howie that his family has a plan to take him away from the school by boat. All he has to do is meet them at the dock under the cover of darkness.

After another week of recuperating in the hospital, Howie returns to the school. When he tells Kenny about his escape plan, Kenny promises to help. That night, Kenny jimmies the fire escape door for Howie who rushes down to the dock and onto Charlie’s boat. They race across the bay where Howie and Sagastis jump into a waiting car and head for the US-Canada border. As they go, Auntie Mae presses one of Howie’s tiny toy cars—a red one—into his hand. As he finishes his story, he asks Clara if she thinks that they will ever be able to free themselves from the long shadow of the mission school. In answer, she tells him about her visit to Mariah.