An Inuk (Inuit) woman living in Barrow, Alaska, updates us on her life.
Hello! This is Sikik Grace Eegeesiak, and I just wanted to let you know what is up with me and my world.
I am still busy taking care of Mother and Father, but they are doing fairly well. At least Mother is finally recovered from her bout of pneumonia I wrote about the last time I wrote, and Father is well, too. No complaints from him. My brother, Kipanik, has recovered fully from his pinched finger, and my other brother, Lootevek called Tevi for short, has finally gotten the pins and bars removed from his leg, and he is now getting around much easier. It took a very long time for him to get over his busted leg, but now he is a little slower; but he is no longer using the crutches. He WAS on crutches for a long time, but now he no longer needs them, thank goodness!
My other brothers and sisters are well, but Oolik ended up in the hospital last month when she had a nervous breakdown. Seems that her husband, Ethan, has been abusing her, and she got tired of it, so she up and left him, but then he found her where she was staying, and just beat the holy hell out of her. She was in the hospital for about a week with a busted jaw and cheek, and now her emotions are messed up; and she had a nervous breakdown; and she just got out of the mental ward from THAT. Life has been very bad for Oolik, and I was always so scared for her, that Ethan would kill her; but since she got sick and she has left him, I don't worry so much about her anymore. She has put an arrest warrent on him, and if he bothers her ever again, his butt is going to jail, and he can stay there and ROT, as far as I am concerned!
I heard from Jenna; she is in the hospital herself (she recently had a pinched nerve in her back and she needed surgery, but then she got a staph infection, and that only complicated things), but she is due to get out soon. She sounds so depressed and upset; it seems life has dealt her a cruel blow! I feel so sorry for her; if I could go stay with her and help her out, I WOULD, but I have my own problems, and I have my own parents to care for, since they live with me! Maybe I could get one of my sisters, my cousin Tanana, or one of my brothers to stay with Mother and Father while I go to Anchorage and spend time with Jenna Whitson; Lord only knows she could USE a break! (Sounds like a wonderful idea; maybe I ought to take up on that and just DO it; I could use a break myself!)
The summer here in Alaska has been milder than usual, and it has been starting to affect the trees here; the trees aren't used to this kind of heat, and it has also been dry. There have been fires around Fairbanks and Anchorage; and if we don't get any relief from the heat or the dryness, I may go mad! I am READY for the cold and the snow! Alaska is supposed to be cold and snowy, NOT hot and dry! I can't handle the heat or the dry weather; it is too much for my Inuk blood to handle! The dogs have been fighting each other for food, and I am afraid that one of them is going to end up dead from another dog eating his mate! It has really been bad here in Alaska! I only hope it cools off soon before the heat fries my brain, and then I will become an Eskimo Pie! LOL
Everyone here in Barrow has been grumbling about the odd weather here, and frankly, between that and the terror threats, I am SICK of hearing about the news, and I would just assume to NOT know about what is going on!
I wrote a letter to Jenna's friend in Tennessee, Louisiana Sandusky; maybe she will write back to me. I would love to get some mail besides BILLS or junk! GRRR!! Just as bad are the junk emails or SPAM I have been getting on my computer; it seems that all I ever do anymore on my computer is empty out the crappy mail that's been infiterating my email account! Double GRRRR!!! >:( I AM a lonely Inuk woman, you know; I don't get that much mail as it is, and I would love to hear from Jenna or ANYBODY about now before I go stark raving MAD!! GRRRR!! (I am beginning to sound like an angry Nanuq here....LOL)
Well, that is about all that is new in my world. I hope things improve by the next time I write; I HATE reporting (or hearing) bad news! I will write again as time allows; until then, take care!
Yankee Doodle Daddy is a historical Appalachian Family Saga. The story follows a mother's reckoning as she struggles to survive and keep her four daughters alive.
Hello! This is Sikik Grace Eegeesiak, and I just wanted to let you know what is up with me and my world.
