…Around supper time, Joe and I were there. We were saying, “Jeez, I wonder what her arm looks like.”

Big mistake.

We lifted up the plastic. You know the movie Pirates of the Caribbean? You know when you see the sailors, and when the full moon shows them, their clothes are all raggedy, and all there is, is a skeleton?

That was what her arm looked like, but only it was all black.

I asked, “Why didn’t you amputate her arm?”

They said, “Because her sugar went crazy.”

So if they would’ve amputated her arm, they’d have to go up to her shoulder. And if they did, and she still had gangrene, where else would they be able to go? They had no choice.

She was screaming how badly her arm was hurting her. She still had some feeling in that arm.

That’s the only reason why they saved it.

I said, “You know she was gonna pass away, didn’t you? That’s why you let her come home.”

They said, “We didn’t know. Nobody knows.”

I said, “You knew. You’re just telling us that so we don’t sue you. But we’re not gonna sue you. You did the best you could. We’re just curious to know if you had any idea of how long she had.”

They said, “You never know. Only Creator knows.”

Which is true.

*

… Ákta o’karahsnéha nikahá:wi, í: tánon’ Só:se tho iákene’skwe’. Iatiá:ton, “Á:ke, wakerihwaié:was oh niwatkahthohtsherò:ten’ ne ienentshà:ke.”

Iorihwá:nen tsi na’tiatiaterien’tawénrie’.

Wa’akenihará:tate’ ne ionehwahkarí:io. Skaraienté:ri ken thí:ken teióia’ks Pirates of the Caribbean? Saterièn:tare wáhi nó:nen enhshé:ken’ ne ratihonweia’kehró:non, tánon’ ne tioterahkwáhere tehotihswa’the’tén:ni, otkaróhkwa’ khók ne raonatahkwénnia’, tánon’ nek ié:ken ohskóhara’?

Eh tho niwatkahthohtsherò:ten’ ne ienentshà:ke, nek tsi akwé:kon kahòn:tsi tsi ní:ioht.

Wa’keri’wanón:ton’, “Oh nontié:ren iah tha’teietshinentshià:kon?”

Wahonnì:ron’, “Ase’kén wa’tewatenòn:ianihte’ tsi onthará:tate’ tsi teiakonekwenhsatsikhè:tare.”

Né: ká:ti’ tahshakotinentshià:konke’, ó:nen’k tsi iehnenhsà:ke niió:re enkénhake’. Tánon’ tóka’ tho nahotiié:renke’, tánon’ shé:kon wéhrhahkwe’ aiótken’, ka’ káti’ nón: nákte nón: tahotiià:kon? Iah teiotòn:’on ahotirákwen.

Teiakohenréhtha’ tsi niió:re tsi iononhwákte’ ne ienentshà:ke. Shé:kon niionttó:ka’skwe’ ne tho nonkwá: ienentshà:ke.

Né: khók takarihón:ni’ tsi wahatinónhstate’.

Wa’kì:ron’, “sewaterièn:tarahkwe’ tsi eniontóhetste’ wáhi? Né: aorì:wa wahsheríhon’ taontá:ien’.”

Wahonnì:ron’, “Iah ne teionkwaterièn:tarahkwe’. Iah ónhka nè:’e teiakoterièn:tare.”

Wa’kì:ron’, “Sewaterièn:tarahkwe’. Kwah nek ne takwahró:ri ne tóhsa akwahiatónhseron’. Nek tsi iah thakwahiatónhseron’. Tesewateweièn:ton’ tsi niió:re wesewakwé:ni’. Ionkwaterihwanoronhstén:ni tóka’ ken thé:nen sewaterièn:tarahkwe’ tó: nikarì:wes shé: iakó:ien aiakónhnheke’.”

Wahonì:ron’, “Iah nonwén:ton tesaterièn:tare. Shonkwaia’tíson khók roterièn:tare.”

Tánon’ tó:kenske nen’ nè:’e.

Story told by: Amelia McGregor, Written by: Simona Rosenfield - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Translation by: Sahawisó:ko Arquette, The Eastern Door