Where's the Moose? - Alaska, part 2

Jimmy Rivers lived out by the Bering Sea among the dunes in an area the locals referred to as the Old Village.  The Old Village was where Eskimos lived at one time that no one ever knew, nor no one ever knew anyone who ever knew anyone who lived there; except Jimmy River that is.

His dwelling would not have been easily located unless one had the skill and training to detect semi-subterranean housing.  Nothing distinguished one part of the tundra dunes from any of the other mounds in the area.  But given my training, I knew what to look for - the subtle changes in the contours of the earth, the faint discoloration of the tundra, and the slight relocation of the various moss and sod would have been completely unnoticed to the untrained eye – Jimmy Rivers sitting on his 4-wheller in the front yard didn’t hurt my skills of observation either.

I dismounted my 4-wheeler and walked towards Jimmy.  I was not sure how I should address him and then he said, as if reading my mine, “Jimmy is fine.”  I stuttered something or other as we shook hands and was then invited inside for tea.

Entering his house was no small feat because he had an Arctic entrance way, meaning you got down on all fours, crawled into a hole down a few feet, then parallel for another few feet then up again to the entrance of his dwelling.  I was a little taken aback from what I found.  I was expecting to see totems, hanging skins, masks, and other Eskimo artifacts.

The first thing I noticed however was a poster of Michael Jordan hanging on one of the sod walls.  There was also a television, microwave, toster, and something cooking in the crock-pot.

“I was an electrician in the Army and know how to tap in.”  He said, beating me to my question.

He poured me some strong tea, offered me a rolled cigarette which I reluctantly accepted having sworn off tobacco forever that morning and said,  “Jimmy I was…” 

“You will not believe me,” he interrupted. 

I protested that I would, but how did he know what I was going to ask I asked myself?  I was beginning to think that this guy was a real mind reader or perhaps Nanook had tipped him off.

“I don’t know what you were going to ask, but Gussicks never believe shamans.  And I am not a mind reader and how is my good friend Nanook, I have not seen in him in weeks.  Now about the Moose.”  Well that did it, I realized I was in the presence of a true mind reader or a true shaman, one with native abilities far beyond those of mortal men, and who, disguised as Jimmy Rivers was going to give me the truth, justice, and the Raven Bay explanation as to my enquiry.  Clark Kent eat your heart out.

“I hear you are a good Gussick, you do not judge, you do not condemn and even some of your people are of color.  All that makes you my brother.  So as a brother I will tell you.  Being my brother you will believe me – being a Gussick you will not – let your heart decide which way you will hear.”

“Years ago……”  

To be continued….