Johnny Rustywire: I walk in beauty, a story from Navajo Nation

Hoskie woke up and could hear nothing and so he sat up. It was early, before light, still dark outside. He walked slowly to not make a lot of noise and could see that his wife was still sleeping and he decided to let her sleep.

She liked to sleep on an old air mattress, a $16 job he got in Farmington. She said she liked to sleep on it because the springs in their bed had sagged and so they slept in what seemed like a bowl.

He opened the door and went outside. He picked up the wash basin, took a few dips of water from the barrel and washed his face and head, feeling the cold water. If he hadn’t been awake, he was now.