Pigs in Heaven

Relatives and friends of Turtle Stillwater maintain a perfect silence.

Annawake puts down her glasses and pushes her hair behind her ears. “I’m going to go out on a limb here. Andy and I just cooked up an idea about fifteen minutes ago, right before this meeting. There’s a precedent in these adoption cases for assigning joint custody. Sometimes it works, sometimes it’s a mess. But we’re going to go ahead and give Cash Stillwater legal guardianship of Turtle Stillwater, with the recommendation that Taylor Greer has shared custody.

We’re willing to work with both families on an agreeable custody arrangement. Last year, in the case of a Navajo child adopted by a family in Utah, the tribe allowed the child to spend the school year with her adoptive family and summers with her grandparents on the reservation.” Annawake looks from Cash to Taylor; their faces look peculiarly identical.

She bends down to confer quietly with Andy.

Andy Rainbelt doesn’t stand, but nods, and Annawake speaks again. “Andy plans to continue on as Turtle’s personal Indian social worker, and do follow-up evals to see how this custody deal is affecting her. He wants to stress that Turtle won’t be separated from her adoptive family until she’s ready to do that. But we’re going to require the guardians to come up with a plan fairly soon that places Turtle here on the Nation at least three months out of the year.”

Alice Greer blows her nose. Letty pulls out a laces handkerchief and blows hers also, with substantially more showmanship.

“Obviously,” Annawake says, “with joint custody, everything depends on how well the two custodial parties are willing to cooperate. And whether or not the cooperation extends indefinitely into the future. I would hate to see this case ever go to court.” She looks down at the papers in front of her. “I think that’s about all I have.”

After a moment of shell-shocked quiet. Boma Mellowbug lifts her voice into a long, rising whoop, the signal for ending the sermon and starting the dance.

“Thanks, Boma.” Annawake smiles and sits down.

No one moves. Taylor takes her first breath of the too-think air of the rest of her life—a life of sharing Turtle with strangers.

“This is your chance, people,” Andy says. “You’re allowed to speak up if you have suggestions or questions or just want to promote the general welfare. That’s why we open these things up to the whole family.”

Cash slowly finds his feel, facing front. “I have a suggestion. I suggest that if me and Alice Greer was to get married, then the little girl could still be seeing her grandma when she comes for the summers.”

Alice’s face drops open on all its hinges. So does Letty Hornbuckle’s.

“Now wait a minute, Cash,” Letty says, standing up, gripping the seat in front of her like a church pew. “You hain’t knowed her but three weeks.”

Cash turns on his sister like a bull would, seeing that red dress. “Letty, now you look here. You’re the one started this whole business with her and me in the first place. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

“No, now goodness me, I helped,” Sugar says, pulling herself up as high as her humped back will allow for. “Letty, you’re not being fair to Alice. She’s my cousin. If they love each other, we ought to go on and let these kids get married.”

She turns and speaks to Alice. “I helped set it up, too. I made up some of that stuff I said about Cash itching to get to know you.”

Annawake is smirking. “I hate to bring this up, Letty, but I gave you the idea of getting them together. Remember that day I brought back you pie plate? I just hit on it when I was talking to Alice downtown in the coffee shop one day, and spilled the sugar.”

“Honey, don’t you worry about that sugar,” Earlene says.

“That wasn’t nothing. Floyd Tailbob throwed a whole fresh cup of coffee on Killie Deal one time in there, on a Easter Sunday. Don’t even ask me how he done it.”

Alice is standing with her mouth open, waiting. When Earlene has finished with Floyd Tailbob and Killie Deal, she asks, “Did anybody ask me if wanted to marry Cash?”

All bosoms and shirt fronts turn to face Alice.

“Do I get a say-so here? Because I already made up my mind a long time ago, I don’t want another husband that’s glued to his everloving TV set. I have my own principles to think about.” Alice sits down.

Annawake looks at Taylor. Andy Rainbelt is smiling broadly, exposing a wonderful gap between his front teeth.

Taylor can hear him saying, All families are weird. She couldn’t agree more. She’s ready to grab Turtle and run for it, except she knows where that road ends.