Odd to see him lying there with a flourescent green T-shirt. Not entirely bedbound, but Harold retires early for the last few months now.
One day I will find that old issue of Ring magazine which featured him on the front. "Made the cover," he told me, "big picture of me there."
Harold was a boxer in his day, quite accomplished. He was a shooting star, up and comer all lined up to fight the champion, hence the Ring magazine cover story.
Driving down the highway here on the rez one day a few months before the fight, a semi sideswiped his shiny new car. Harold was furious, though alive. As his car came to a stop, he tried to open the door and examine the damage. It was then he noticed his arm was gone -- the one he had resting along the open window as he drove.
The fight was cancelled and never took place. But Harold remained a fighter. He hired on working construction. "Tricky working a shovel with one hand, let me tell you. But you figure out how," Harold chuckled.
Foreman came up to him one day and told him to climb into the payloader. From then on, he ran the big machines. "Back then, I could have shaved your whiskers off with the bucket of that payloader -- and I ain't kidding."
He wasn't kidding. In fact, he started winning big equipment rodeos and before he knew it, "All these white people with suits were coming from all over to watch this one-armed indian run heavy equipment," he grinned. "How is he doing that?" they kept asking.
His eyes still sparkle with an ornery, spry gleam. But last night, while I was standing by his bedside, his tone turned solemn.
"Lot of my friends been kicking the bucket lately, you know. I've been thinking that it's gonna be my turn one of these days."
He grew quiet and we just looked at one another for a while.
"You know, Pastor. I believe things you talk about in church. When the Creator brings my days to a quiet end, well, I think I'll be ready."
Then his eyes returned to their spry twinkle, "But you know, I'd sure like to see Canada before I go."
"I hear it's beautiful, Harold. I'd like to see it too."
