A Child’s Mind
Gloria Cross with her parents William Cross and Mary Bourdeau Cross posing together while living in Brooklyn, New York. (Courtesy: Alicia Ibarra)
Story told by Gloria Cross
I believe I was given a ring for my communion. It was a nice ring, I liked it. One day, when I was wearing it, I showed it to my mom. I told her, “Mom, the ring is hurting me.”
When she looked at my fingers, she went, “Oh, my God, Gloria. Gloria! We gotta get that cut!”
To my mind, a child's mind, her saying “cut” meant cut my finger.
I yelled at her, “No Ma’, no. No, no, no, Ma’, no! Nobody's touching my hand, Ma!” I kept the ring on for longer. My finger turned blue, and turned bluer, and turned even bluer, until one day, she had it.
She told me, “Gloria, listen. If you go, he's gonna cut only the ring off; not your finger, only the ring. If you go, go with Steve; he’s gonna bring you, and then you got money to go see a movie.”
I said, “Oh, ma... Okay.” I don't remember what movie it was. We used to see a lot of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movies. Jerry was like Jim Carrey; very funny and comical. I remember that we saw the House of Wax and Moulin Rouge in 3D. We liked going to the movies.
So, I went to finally get the ring cut, and I was scared. When the man started cutting, I thought he would cut my finger. When the ring finally came off, I was just excited to see a movie.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Eksà:'a Tsi Niiako'nikonhrò:ten
Gloria Cross (front) poses with her father William Cross (middle) and her uncle Wallace Cross (back) on Manhattan Beach, 1952. (Courtesy: Sonny Joe Cross)
IAKOKÁ:RATON Gloria Cross
Kwah í:kehre' anisnónhsawi ontién:ta'ne' tsi wa'tià:tara'ne'. Wanisnonhsawi'tsheriióhne', wa'kenòn:we'ne'. Sewenhnísera ki' thí:ken, shiwakatstonhátie', ake'nisténha wa'khena'tón:hahse'. Wa'khehró:ri', "Istá:, wakkarewáhtha' kí:ken anisnónhsawi."
Tsi wa'ontkáhtho' kesnonhsà:ke, wa'ì:ron', "Ótkon, Gloria. Gloria! Ó:nen'k tsi tentení:ia'ke' thí:ken!"
Tsi ní:ioht tsi wake'nikonhraién:ta'skwe', keksà:'a niwake'nikonhro'ténhne', tsi wa'ì:ron' "tentení:ia'ke'" kwah wà:kehre' tsi kesnonhsà:ke nen' nè:'e.
Wa'kheiatewennaién:tonhwe' wa'kì:ron', "Iah Istá:, iah. Iah, iah, iah, Ma, iah! Iah ónhka thaiontsté:riste' kesnonhsà:ke, Istá:!" Sénha karì:wes wà:katste' thí:ken anisnónhsawi. Oròn:ia' na'á:wen' ne kesnonhsà:ke, sénha oròn:ia' nonsaiá:wen', tánon' sénha oròn:ia' nionsaiá:wen', tsi niió:re sewenhnísera, wa'akowén:na'te'.
Wa'onkhró:ri', "Gloria, hé:. Tóka' eh iénhse', nek tenhá:ia'ke' thí:ken anisnónhsawi; iah sesnonhsà:ke, nek ne anisnónhsawi. Tóka' eh iénhse', Steve ísene; enhia'terónhna', sok senihwístaien' naón:ton' teioia'áksne iaiésene'."
Wa'kì:ron', "Ó:, Istá:... ókhe." Iah teskè:iahre oh kwah na'kakaro'ténhne'. É:so wa'atiaterò:roke' ne Dean Martin tánon' Jery Lewis raoná:wen teióia'ks. Kwah tsi ní:ioht ne Jim Carrey tsi nihorihò:ten ne Jerry; é:so tsi roia'tasté:ris tánon' teho'nikonhrawén:rie't. Kè:iahre' wa'atiaterò:roke' House of Wax tánon' Moulin Rouge 3Dhnéha. Wa'onkenon'wéskwen' teioia'áksne iaiákene'.
Sok, kháre' ó:nen eh ionsá:ke' ne tahá:ia'ke nanisnónhsawi, tánon' ketshà:niskwe'. Shontahatáhsawen' tsi tehá:ia'ks, wà:kehre' tsi enhakesnónhsia'ke'. Tsi ó:nen tonsahá:ia'ke' nanisnónhsawi, é:so tsi wakatonhnhà:rahkwe' nakaterohrókha' teióia'ks.
Edited by: George Rahrhainté:ri Fountotos, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde