I first saw him walking south on the side of highway fifty, just inside the res boundary. I was riding in the back seat of Benji’s car. Robey Iron Legs was riding shotgun. What I noticed first about the guy walking along the side of the road was his cowboy hat. It was white and seemed a size too big for him. It kind of bounced up and down on his head as he walked. The guy had a guitar hung over his left shoulder. The arm of the guitar pointed straight up. He also carried what looked like a large camera bag over his right shoulder. He had a small back pack strapped to his back. As we drove past him, I turned and looked back. The guy had a big grin on his face, like he had just finishing counting coop on his favorite enemy! It was then that I notice his boots. Black, shinny cowboy boots. They were so shinny that the sun reflected off them. I wondered just how long this guy had been walking, that his boots were still so shinny. I turned and yelled at the two guys in the front. I had to yell to be heard over the sound of the radio.

“Did you see that guy?” I looked back, again. “He looks like an Indian Garth Brooks.”
“Garth Brooks, on the rez.” Benji shouted. He turned to see who I was looking at.
“Turn around and drive the car you idiot!” Robey slapped Benji on the shoulder.

Benji did a u-turn and pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor. My body flew toward the open window. If I hadn’t grabbed the car with my hands, I would have flown out of the car and the story would have ended right there. Sometimes I think that Benji has a few oars out of the water.

We’re headed back up highway fifty and we see this car setting along the opposite side of the road and the Indian Garth Brooks is talking to the driver. The car is a convertible, so right away I know that the driver is Even May Two Bulls. Even is the only person on the rez that drives a convertible. We drive past them and keep on going. I am looking back and waiting for Benji to do another u-turn so we can go back and check out the Indian Garth Brooks.

“Benji, where the hell are you going?” I ask.
Benji looks at me in the rear view mirror.
“What do ya mean?”
I can see a puzzled look on his face in the mirror.

Robey slaps him on the arm again.
“Turn the car around so we can check this guy out, you stupid Indian,” Robey shouts.

Everyone on the reservation knows that Robey has a thing for Even. Everybody except Even, that is.

Benji turns the steering wheel hard and I thought we were going to flip. The car came up on two wheels and you could have heard the tires screaming in the next county. The car came down hard and we were headed in the other direction.

“Damn,” Robey yelled.

I banged my head on the roof so hard that it brought tears to my eyes.

“Benji, you idiot.” Was all I could think to say.

Benji looked in the mirror at me. I could see a grin on his face. Even if Robey and I weren’t, he was very happy with himself.

While we were headed back up the highway, we saw Even and her convertible headed the other way. The Indian Garth Brooks was sitting in the seat next to her and his things were piled in the back seat. Robey eyed Even’s car as it went past.

“What the hell,” Robey said.

“Looks like Even got herself a new feller,” I said.

I didn’t see Robey’s hand coming. He backhanded me hard enough to knock my head against the car door.

“Damn Robey!” I yelled. “I was just kidding.”

“Benji, turned this damn piece of junk around,” Robey said.

“What are you calling a piece of junk?” Benji asked.

“Give me that steering wheel,” Robey said as he tried to push Benji through the door.

I was still rubbing my head, when the car went serving all over the road.

“Damn, guys, we’re headed for the ditch!” I yelled.

Robey let go of the wheel and looked back at me.

Benji threw the car into another spin and we were headed in the other direction again. We were going almost eighty back down the highway, but there was no sight of Even’s convertible anywhere. We drove around the rez for the rest of the afternoon and never saw them.

“What’s your name?” Even asked.

The Indian Garth Brooks, threw his things into the back seat of Even’s car and jumped over the door, into the front seat.

“Tony, but everybody calls me flash,” the Indian Garth Brooks said.

“Flash?” Even seemed surprised.

“Yeah. Why?” Flash gave her a strange look.

“Nothing,” Even said. “That was my father’s nickname is all.”

“Yeah,” he said.

“Yeah,” Even said. “He was a professional photographer.”

“Really!” Tony said.

“Yeah he worked for National Geographic and mags like that,” she said. She floor the gas pedal and the car lurched down the highway. Tony had to react fast to keep from losing his hat.

“Where you headed?” She asked.

“Everywhere,” he said. “Right here, maybe.”

Even shot him a quick glance and smiled.

“Where you from?” She asked.

“Everywhere.” he spread his arms open. “Right here, maybe.” He looked at her. “I’m traveling round, taking pictures on all the rezs in the country.”

“No kidding,” she said.

“No kidding,” he replied. “By the way, what’s your name?”

“Evening May Two Bulls,” she said. “Everybody calls me Even.”

“Evening May,” he looked at her. “Cool name.”

“I guess,” she said. “I was born on a May evening.”

“Guess your mom picked the name.”

Even looked at him again and smiled.

“Guess so,” she said.

They road in silence for a while.

“Got a place to stay while you’re here?” Even asked.

“Got a tent,” he said.

“Well, guess you can pitch it at my place,” she said.

They drove for another few miles when Even pulled onto a dirt road. She drove another couple of miles and pulled into a drive way that stopped in front of a small wood frame house that was surrounded by an old broken down picket fence.

“This is home,” she said.

He jumped out of the car and gave the place the once over. He took off his hat and slapped it on his leg. Even got out of the car and walked around to his side. A small black dog came around the corner of the house and walked up to her. She bent over and clapped her hands for the dog to come closer.

“Jasper, this here is Flash, be nice to him,” she said. She looked at Flash. “He’s a dangerous dog, can’t you tell.” She was smiling.

“Yeah, sure can.” Flash said.

Even walked to the house and Flash grabbed his things from the back seat. He watched Even for a moment before following her. She was a tall girl, almost six feet, and a little on the heavy side. Still, all in all she was real pretty, Flash thought.

She stopped at her front door and looked back at him.

“Well, you coming.”

“Yes I’m on my way,” he said.

For the next three weeks, Even drove Flash all over the rez. He took pictures of everything. Even was in a lot of those pictures. Some people began to talk about how cute the two of them looked together. All the time the two of them were together, Robey could have spit nails.

One afternoon, Even asked Flash if he wanted to ride with her to see her mother. He said no, that he had things to do and went to his tent and crawled inside. Even didn’t pursue the matter and went without him. It seemed that every time Even brought up seeing her mother, Flash had something else to do.

About two weeks later, Benji, Robey and me went into town to buy some liquor. The rez was a dry rez, so we always had to go to town to get our booze. We were driving back when Benji started running his mouth.

“Hey Tommy,” he said to me. “You here that guy moved in with Even. He ain’t living in his tent no more.”

Robey shot Benji a look that could kill.

“Benji, that’s just a rumor. It ain’t true,” I said.

“Sure it’s true,” Benji said. “I heard some girls talking the other night that Even might be pregnant!”

“Damn Benji,” I said. “You would believe anything wouldn’t you.”

“Pull over,” Robey said.

“Why?” Benji looked at Robey.

Robey reached under his shirt and pulled out a forty-five.

“Pull the fucking car over,” He said, pointing the gun at Benji.

“Holy shit!” I yelled and sat up straight in the back seat.

Benji eyed the gun in Robey’s hand and jerked the car off the road. He slammed on the brake and we all lunged forward.

Robey waved the gun around.

“Both of ya, get the hell out.” He said.

“Robey, calm down,” I said.

He turned to me and put the gun in my face.

“Get out!”

I opened the door and jumped out of the car. I slammed the door shut and walked away from the side of the road. Benji opened the driver’s door and climbed out. He shut the door and rested his arms on the window.

“Just what are you doing?” He asked Robey.

Robey fired the gun off beside Benji’s head.

“Jesus, god!” Benji yelled as he slapped his hands over his ears and fell to the ground.

Robey slid into the driver seat and sped off down the highway.

I ran to Benji who was kicking dirt in the direction of his car. He was still holding his hands over his ears.

“Benji, you dumb fuck,: I said.

“He stole my car!” Benji said. He looked up at me.

Flash had spread some pictures he had taken out over the kitchen table. Even came up behind him and looked over his shoulder.

“Hey,” she said. “These are good. There as good as my dad’s, or at least as good as the ones I’ve seen.”

“Really,” Flash said.

“They sure are,” she said. She picked up a picture and studied it closer.

“Where is your dad?’ Flash asked.

“He’s dead,” Even said. “Died the day I was born.”

Flash looked up at her.

“He was trying to get back to the rez. He was on some kind of assignment when he heard that mom had been rushed to the hospital. He was on a helicopter and it crashed just inside the rez boundary. It killed him and the pilot.”

“I’m sorry,” Flash said.

“It’s okay,” she said. “It’s kinda hard to miss someone you never knew. Moms got lots of his pictures. If you would ever come with me to her place I could show them to you.” She pushed Flash’s shoulder.

“Maybe some day,” He said. “Even, can I ask you something.”

“Sure,” Even said. “You know you can ask me anything.”

“You got a boyfriend?” Flash asked as he stacked up his pictures and placed them in his camera bag.

“Who me?” Even laughed. “Not hardly. I mean look at me.” She looked down at herself. “Not many guys want to spent time with a girl as big as a cow.” She laughed.

Flash got up and turned toward Even. His expression was serious.

“Don’t do that,” he said.

“Do what?” Even asked.

“Put yourself down like that,” Flash said. “You are a very beautiful woman and any man would be proud to be seen with you.”

Even began to blush.

“Yeah, well not around here,” she said.

“Evening May Two Bulls!” Shouted Robey. He was standing outside Even’s house, with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a coal forty-five in the other. He was leaning up against the fence post where the gate use to be. He was waving the gun around in the air.

“Send that sorry excuse of an Indian boy out here.” Robey yelled. “Send him out here so I can put a bullet between his eyes.”

Even popped her head out the front door of her house.

“Robey, what the hell are you talking about?” Even asked.

“Even, don’t try and hide him.” Robey yelled. He staggered away from the fence post and toward the house. He lifted his hand and pointed the gun toward the front door.

Even ducked back inside.

“Robey Iron Legs,” she shouted. “You’re drunk.”

“Evening May, you’re my woman,” Robey shouted. He lifted the whiskey bottle to his mouth and tilted his head back, draining the last of the whiskey from the bottle. “Everybody on this rez knows you’re my woman. Now you send that sneaking, back door dog out here so I can shoot him dead.”

Even popped her head out the door again.

“Robey, what did you say?” she asked.

Robey stood there with his gun still pointed toward the house and the empty whiskey bottle dangling from his other hand. A tear ran down his cheek.

“Even, don’t you know that I love you,” he said.

Even stepped onto her porch.

“Where’s he at Even?” Robey asked.

“He ain’t here,” Even replied.

“Even, wide you hiding him?” Robey shouted. “Do you love him?”

“For god’s sake no!” Even shouted back.

Robey tried to take a step toward the house but he only managed to step backwards.

“Robey, honest, he ain’t here.”

Even started to say something else but she stopped.

Flash had been in his tent around the back of the house when Robey started yelling. He crawled out of his tent and picked up a baseball bat that was lying in Even’s back yard. He ran around the side of the house and behind Even’s car. He crouched down and moved from Even’s car to Benji’s. He moved along Benji’s car and came up behind Robey.

While Even stood on her porch, Flash came up behind Robey and cracked him over the back of the head with the baseball bat. Robey dropped the whisky bottle and gun to the ground and grabbed the top of his head with both hands. He fell to his knees and tried to turn around. He fell face down on the ground in stead.

“Robey!” Even screamed as she ran to him.

Flash was standing over Robey, looking down at him when Even fell to Robey’s side. She looked up at Flash.

“Help me turn him over?” She asked.

“I didn’t want to hurt him,” Flash said.

“I know,” Even said. “Just help he roll him over.”

The two of them rolled Robey onto his back. Even picked up Robey’s head and slid under it. She held his head in her lap.

“Robey,’ she said as she ran her hand along the top of his head.

Robey opened his eyes. He stared up at Even.

“Even, I love you,” he said. “I’ve loved you since the eight grade, when you kicked my ass.”

“Robey Iron Legs, you never said a word to me in all these years.”

“I’m to shy,” he said.

Flash looked down at him.

“You weren’t to shy just now,” he said. “Man you were ready to kill me for her.”

Robey looked at Flash and then back at Even.

“I thought I was going to lose my chance to tell you,” he said.

Even looked at Flash.

“Can you help me get him inside?” She asked.

“Sure,” Flash said.

Together they picked up the man and carried him inside. They laid him on the couch. Flash got a cold wet cloth and brought it to Even. Even held Robey’s head on her lap. She took the cloth and began to wipe the blood off of Robey’s head.

Flash gathered up his things and went outside to his tent. Sometime during the night Flash packed up his belonging and left. None of us ever saw him again after that.

A few weeks after that, Benji, Robey, Even and me were at the tribal cemetery. Even wanted to take Robey to see her father’s grave. They were getting married in a week and she wanted to tell her father about it.

We were standing in front of the grave. I was looking at the marker, while Even was talking. I couldn’t take my eyes off the marker. It read,

Anthony “Flash” Two Bulls

Father and Loving Husband

Rest in Peace

A cowboy hat was etched into the upper left corner of the marker. A guitar was etched into the upper right corner. In the center, above the name, a camera was etched.

When Even was through talking I stepped close beside her.

“Even,” I said. “What was that Indian guy”s name? You know the one that was staying at your place?”

Even looked at me.

“You mean Flash,” she said.

“Yeah, he’s the one,” I said.

“Tony,” she said. “Why?”

“Tony,” I whispered. “No reason,” I said.

I looked at the marked again.

“Naw, it couldn’t be.”.

The other were all ready heading back to the cars. I turned and ran to catch them.

That night we were all at Even’s house when her phone rang. It was her mom.

“Hi mom,” Even Said.

“Even, you have to come over here right away,” her mother said.

“What’s wrong, mom?” Even asked. She motioned for the rest of us to shut up so she could hear.

“I was going through you father’s old camera bag,” He mother said. “I just found it lying out on the kitchen table and in stead of putting it up I sat down and started going through it.”

“Mom, you that all the time…”

Even’s mom cut her off.

“Even, there are pictures of you in here!”

“What?” Even looked at Robey. “Mom, what are you talking about.”

“Pictures of you, Evening. About thirty of them from places all round the rez.”

“Mom, you’ve never let me look at dad’s bag.” Even paused for a moment. We were all standing around her. “Mom, what does dad’s camera bag look like?”

Her mother described the bag that Flash had carried around for the three weeks he had stay with Even.

“Mom, we’re coming over,” She said. She hung up the phone and grabbed Robey by the arm. She was pulling him toward the door.

“Come on guys. We’re going to Mom’s,” she yelled at us.