REZ DOGS PART III

This is a story about two twin brothers who grew up on a reservation in Northern Saskatchewan Canada. The story deals with love, hate, acceptance, tolerance, redemption, salvation, and growth.

Redemption

Isaiah

Time had passed, I could feel it with every fibre of my body, when it would be sped up with drugs or dragged out with the withdrawals it always passed. My heart was broken with every day that passed and no word of Kiran's survival. No one spoke of him, no one missed him, he was bothersome but to me he was apart of me, my other half. I remembered the moment I saw him again, new name, new skin, but same old Kiran, Kiran Wintor, sitting in a box next two six other men, other actors- other nominees.

"And the Academy Award for 'Actor in a Leading Role' goes too, Kiran Wintor..." Applause filled the room, and my ears. Tears filled my eyes as I found a brother alive. "Good for you baby brother" I said to myself, my girlfriend took passing glances at the man on the screen and me who was right beside her on the sofa.

"Oh my god, he looks exactly like you!" She had no idea about Kiran- I rarely talked about my life with anyone now. It wasn't in my new nature to be forthcoming to anyone, even to the mother to my two children.

"That's because he is my twin brother" I said as my mind searched through the fog of my memories looking back to that night Kiran left.

I remember the tangerine sunrise coming over the tree tops as dew made the grass shine and the crisp air cut into my lungs. I sat in the back of a Crown Victoria as the police walked around the car. The occasionally looked in at me and shook their head or shot hateful glances at me. It pierced me but I would not let them know. The days that followed were a bit less memorable, cells, judges, lawyers, screaming, anger, organized chaos scuttled around me as I spoke to no one but my inner self. Feuding over the decision to get Kiran out of trouble.

'Soon enough you dumb son of a b***h, he's going to f**k up again and where is that going to leave you? Right beside him! You should have kept your mouth shut! B*****D!'

'He is my blood! Our blood! How could you be so selfish to think that! You really regret it? Shame on you to think that way...'

I felt stupid when I realized I was actually playing pawn to the conversation, like a child watching two adults fight, when it was all me. I was having cold feet, actually turning him in! But alas, I didn't.

My life dispersed and I was a changed man in prison, I feared fear genuinely for the first time, too see monsters of flesh that were like me but evil, filled with rage, pushed into the wrong path and through circumstance adapted into augmented creatures who raped, murdered, stole and reaped suffering unto their fellow man. All of this was gone now, all forgiven, all worth it to know that Kiran did not squander my final sacrifice to him.

And then he spoke "... I didn't think I would... I mean, I won! erm, I would... I would like to thank... my brother..."

Kiran

A job is a job is a job, or so I thought. Me and my brother were not born to be mathematicians or engineers but we were both intelligent in our own way but I was less. He read books, absorbed knowledge through practical means. Whereas I absorbed mine off of him like osmosis, all his intelligence was fed to me. But I too had a gift, I would adapt, observe and evolve. After the incident it was like seeing the world in a new light, I wanted to become smarted and gain wisdom like my brother.

I learnt French and Spanish in addition to my flawless native Cree, I learnt of the works of Shakespeare and Van Gogh, of Versailles and Pop Art, of the creation of man and the art of music. In addition to my learning I turned to cinema, and that was useful on stage. I could properly emote, and I related to wearing a mask over my normal self.

When the opportunity to showcase my ability to be a leading man came I rose to the challenge and knocked all uncertainty out of my manager. I was a favourite for the main role in a smaller film project, filming approached and departed quickly without incident. As I said, a jobs a job. But after the first trailer came out people started to talk of my performance.

"You know your a shoe in for an Academy Award Nom right!?" people would say at functions. I had no idea what they were talking about. When I read the lines I was given the way they were supposed to be given I never thought about my actions impact. Then I saw what I they meant. I screened the finished product with a few choice others. We were all floored with the finished product and I sat in my chair while others cheered as the credits rolled.

Dear god. I did it. I was speechless and numb to it, after all those adolescent years of trying to make something of myself through reputation and faulty ways, without noticing it I left my imprint of mankind in the form of motion picture. And not noticing either I came to the realization that I was a changed man. All those years of shying away from who I was there was no real attention brought to the fact that I was a new man.

I has eclipsed my past into a new dawn... But I had no intention of winning the Award, up against veterans, past winners, men with much larger presence in their own films and in real life, men with more money, ego and notoriety then I, how could I win? But then... The presenter looked at me, a woman I had idolized for since I was a boy, too my left, and right, all eyes were on me and the roar in the room was unparalleled to anything I ever heard before.

"GET UP THERE!" Someone said into my ear as I was ushered by famous, wealthy celebrities... Peers. The blood rushed into my head and as the room started to swirl I realized this dream I never had was happening. So I spoke;

And then he spoke "... I didn't think I would... I mean, I won! erm, I would... I would like to thank... my brother... without him I would not be here, he is the only part of me that really should be accepting this award... I-I can't believe this! Thank you all for believing in me, thanks to the director, to my.. my manager..? my friends, to everyone, thank you all!"

In once instant it had all changed...

Author's Note

This is the third of twelve to twenty short chapters. Please tell me if there are any inconsistencies in the story I write it from my mind in the wee hours of the night. Advice is greatly appreciated and constructive criticism is always welcomed.