Broken Ankle wedding
Courtesy: Leonard Atonnion Bordeau
Story told by Leonard Atonnion Bordeau
On June 12, 1969, I broke my ankle on an ironwork job site in New York City. It was a Thursday and I was due to get married that Saturday.
I got an x-ray and got the results back in a matter of maybe 10-15 minutes. The doctor said “Mr. Bordeau, we’d like to reset your ankle, but we have to wait till the swelling goes down before we can set it.”
I told them that I was supposed to be getting married in two days and asked what I needed to do to be proactive and get the swelling to go down as fast as possible. He said, “We’ll put you in a bed and just don’t move your foot.”
The next day, they set my ankle to put me in a cast from my knee down, just my toes were sticking out.
When I finally got out of the hospital, it was about 3:30 pm on Friday afternoon. I was in Long Island City so I made my way to Brooklyn and flew home to Dorval airport and when I came out of the plane, they had a wheelchair waiting for me.
And so I made it to my wedding in crutches.
Tehotshineko’tià:kon roniákhe’
Courtesy: Leonard Atonnion Bordeau
Leonard Atonnion Bordeau roká:raton
Ohiarí:ha 12 shískare’, 1969 shiiohserá:te’, Kanón:no shitewatió’te’ kaio’tenhserà:ke tontakatshinekò:tia’ke’. Okaristiiáhne nen’ nè:’e tánon’ teiotonhontsohòn:ne’ Entákta aonkéniake’.
Khsineko’tà:ke wahatí:rahste’ tánon’ 10 tóka’ ni’ 15 nikahseriiè:take ohnà:ken sok wa’onkhró:ri’ tsi nahò:ten’ wahontkáhtho’. Ratétsen’ts wahèn:ron’, “Rawénhsion Bordeau, teionkwatonhontsó:ni aonsaiakwáta’ ne tshineko’tà:ke nek tsi ó:nen’k tsi eniakwatehrhá:rate’ niá:re aonsontó:ko’ ohén:ton ki’ tsi niió:re’ aonsaiakwáta’ ne tshineko’tà:ke.”
Wa’khehró:ri’ tsi teiotonhontsóhon tewenhniserá:ke niió:re’ aonkéniake’. Wa’keri’wanón:ton’ oh nahò:ten’ teiotonhontsóhon nátiere’ ne kwah tiosnó:re’ aonsontó:ko’. Wahèn:ron’, “Kanaktà:ke enkwaia’tión:nite’ tánon’ kwah nek tóhsa sarahsi’torià:neron.”
Tsi wa’óhrhen’ne’, sahonnéta’ ne khsineko’tà:ke tánon’ kkwitshà:ke tsi niió:re’ kahiakwirà:ke wa’thatinawa’tstawèn:’eke’. Kwah nek ne ia’tewakahiakwirake’tó:ton.
Kháre ó:nen wa’tiá:ken’ne’ tsi tehshakotitsèn:tha’, ka’k nón: tóka’ áhsen sha’tewahsén:nen iotohétston néntie’ ne Ronwaia’tanentaktónhne’. Long Island kanatowanèn:ne ié:ke’skwe’ sok ki’ Brooklyn niahà:ke’ tánon’ wa’tékten’ sakahtén:ti’. Dorval tsi tekonta’senhtáhkhwa’ iahà:kewe’ tánon’ shontakatitáhko’ ne tekaténshne, tho ka’seréhtaien’ ne anitskwà:ra tékeni teiokahkwèn:tonte’.
Iahà:kewe’ tsi wakeniákhe’ arenhátien tsi wakaten’nitsherohrókhon.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette