My name is Snow and I was born the day my mother died.
Agilisi, (grandmother in Cherokee) who is my grandmother, told me that my mama had lost so much blood when I was born and that she had not been able to survive it. But Agilisi said that my mother had had the chance and time to still carry me and even named me before she died.
She had named me snow. Which was odd because I was brown when I was born and even Agilisi had been confused when my mama had said I should be named Snow.
Agilisi had asked her why and my mama had said that because I was white.
Agilisi had argued and said that maybe she was just seeing things and my mama had shook her head and said no, I was going to be white.
At then Agilisi had thought that maybe it was just because she was dying and then when I had been a year old, Agilisi had seen that I had actually grown to become white.
Although not Snow White but in our town I was white. Because I didn't have the complexion of my remaining classmates or the children in our small village. I was different.
Agilisi didn't like talking about my father or who he was. She never wanted to. It was a topic she avoided but from the children at school, I knew a bit of it.
They laughed at me and called me names for being a half breed. I was white and brown. Unlike them I was not a full native Indian.
They told me that my father was a white man and I was unlucky to not look like them. The little I heard them say, I kept to myself. I didn't tell Agilisi
But whenever I asked Agilisi about my mama she was always ready to speak.
Agilisi would tell me how beautiful she was and how one she was with nature. Agilisi said my mama was beautiful in and out and she radiated. And when I did get to see a picture of my mama, I could understand what Agilisi meant.
The thing was Agilsi and my mama and I were Cherokee. But my Duda(Grandfather in Cherokee) had died too, but that was just when when I was eight.
I didn't remember him much and when he had passed, I did not mean to sound wicked, but I was glad. It was because he had been so mean to Agilisi and I. He was always angry and would never smile. I had never once seen him sober.
Agilisi didn't condone him and when I was five she sent him out of the house. He never returned and then a few years later we heard that he had died in a brawl over a woman.
Agilisi said he was not always like that. He had been a good man, once, but then the evil had consumed him.
We lived in a small town in Oklahoma with our community of native Indians as it was.
I had come to accept who I was and I love my Agilisi dearly. But deep down I wanted to still meet my mama. I couldn't suppress the guilt that I was the reason why she was gone.
But Agilisi always told me that she was gone for a reason and she was in better place. Life had hit a perfect balance. One life came in and another other left.
I loved Agilisi and I wanted to stay with her in our little town forever. She was the only family I ever had and had ever known.