#29 So They Learned

relationship to the deceased…names…birthdates…last time China saw her alive…what did Sophia have to eat …was she on medication…what kind of medication was she on…did she have anything to drink…did China drink…was there a will…which funeral home did China want them to take her…’ China answered every question truthfully, and she cried throughout. Her ordeal was almost over, they felt so much pity for her, all there was was the funeral, and she had to tell her brothers and sisters.

She decided to tell the oldest brother; he and his wife could call the rest. Sophia didn’t have anything, but there was a will, and a bank account. The eldest, a girl China had never talked to, had the will. As it turns out, China never got anything, so it was a good thing that China didn’t have a viewing. It would have cost her more. She didn’t get her embalmed either. Nothing. She just got Sophia cremated, and that cost enough. Nobody came down for the funeral, or notified her that she received anything from the will. Not even the cost of cremation. The older brother said the eldest girl got it, bank account, and all. The funeral home called her to come get the ashes, but she didn’t know what to do with them. Nobody did, so she just tucked the dusty plastic bag in the garbage, shoved it down, way down, then took the garbage out.

China went back to the community, and she went back to church, which was a community too. China was a belong-er. She decided to visit her brother in California, while the other brothers, who lived on the opposite ocean, over 40 hours drive away decided to take a road trip, see America, and meet her there. They had all the time in the world, they didn’t work, the brother in California did, and China had to take two weeks off. Hilda looked after the cat. The two brothers from Florida, Jeremy and Thad, had a van, food, and gas money. They would mooch off their older brother, Al when they got to California. China took a train. She would eat and drink for free at Al and Liz’s in California. Al and Liz stocked up; they knew everybody was poor. For all, it was the trip of lifetime.

China loved the train. She got the food-included package, so had to tell them she was a vegetarian. She especially liked sleeping on the train. It wasn’t just the sound, it was that there were people all around. She ate, slept, and sat with people, and enjoyed it, but it would be too expensive to keep up forever. People were friendly, like the Japanese guy who taught her how to make sushi. It wasn’t just for her; it was for everyone. The train-people paid for everything. She received a program and participated in everything, so she was busy all the time. Even when she was just sitting, looking out the window, she would discuss the scenery going by and how it used to be all Native land. Nobody could argue with that, and nobody could argue that she was Native. She told them about the broken treaties, and the drive-by shooting of all the buffalo, because she read about it. They thought she was part of the train-package, so they learned. They said they weren’t taught this stuff in school. They followed her around. When it came to the sushi lesson, the car was full, so they had two classes, and she didn’t want to be greedy, but she went to both. He didn’t normally have two classes, but there was room for her, and nobody seemed to notice. He taught her about the sweetened rice, the seaweed, and the fresh fish. She might have been a vegetarian, but she did eat dairy and seafood. She didn’t eat that way because of ethical reasons; it was just cheaper. She lined it with the eel and cut carrots, then rolled it up in the bamboo roller-thing, and cut it up along the perforated lines, with a sharp knife he gave her. She arranged the six of them on serving boat made out of china, and rolled up six more, this time using cut cucumber and raw tuna. She arranged them decoratively, then used the green plastic