The baddest boy
Peter celebrates his fourteenth birthday. (Courtesy: Peter Tié:r Arquette)
Story told by Peter Tié:r Arquette
My father always said, “I don’t understand you. You’re the baddest boy I got but at the same time you are the best boy I got.”
If my father came home and something happened, he already knew who did it - me.
Either I did it or I made my brothers do it. I never learned. I was tough and I wanted to be the toughest. Even if he hit me, I wouldn’t cry. My mother and brothers would almost cry just seeing me get hit, but not me.
One day when I was 14 years old, my father went to go hit me and I grabbed the stick he was about to use on me and broke it over my knee. I gave it back to him and said, “Here you go Baba."
He said he was scared of me now. I wasn’t going to jump my father or anything but, I told him, “Hey you ain't hitting me again buddy.”
Even from a young age, who would go get all the bread? Me. Who would go get the water? Me. If I wanted something I would work for it.
Once when I was younger I was playing hockey every day after school and asked my father, “Baba, can you buy me new skates?”
He said, “Just keep on doing what you’re doing, going to get the milk on the farm, going to get the water, and maybe one day you’ll get it.”
Eventually, I came home from school one day and my brand-new skates were there waiting for me.
Yeah, I was the worst boy, but I turned into a hard worker.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Aonhà:'a thaksa'táksen
Peter takes time off while ironworking in New Hampshire. (Courtesy: Peter Tié:r Arquette)
Peter Tié:r Arquette ROKÁ:RATON
Rake'níha tiótkon wahèn:ron', "Iah tekon'nikonhraién:ta's. Í:se' aonhà:'a tehseksa'táksen tsi nihá:ti wakewí:raien' nek tsi sha'té:ioht aonhà:'a tehseksa'tí:io."
Tóka' énshrawe' ne rake'níha tánon' ok na'á:wen', knà:'a rotierièn:tare' ónhka tho ki' na'é:iere' - ì:'i.
Í: ki' ónhte' tho nà:tiere' tóka' ni' iakwatate'ken'okòn:'a wa'kheiónnien' ne tho nahatí:iere'. Iah nonwén:ton tewakeweientehtà:'on.
Wakahkátstehkwe' tánon' wà:kehre' aonhà:'a aontakahkátstate'. Arenhátien tóka' wahakkwirá:ienhte' iah ki' tha'takahséntho'. Ake'nisténha tánon' iakwatate'ken'okòn:'a thó:ha tahonhséntho' tsi teionkkà:nere' tsi wahakkwirá:ienhte'. Nek tsi iah ki' nì:'i.
Sewenhnísera ki' thí:ken 14 sha'tewakohseriià:kon. Wahate'nién:ten' ne rake'níha nahakenakará:ienhte' sok wa'tié:na' ne kaná:kare' sok kkwitshà:ke wà:ttia'ke'. Tontahí:ion' wa'kì:ron', "Kóh Baba."
Wahèn:ron' tsi raketshà:nis ó:nen. Iah ki' thiahiiatia'tón:ti' ne rake'níha wáhi. Nek tsi, wahihró:ri', "Hé: iah se' á:re thaonsáhstienhte' rawénhsion."
Ken' ki'k shitewátien', ónhka' enieientakóha'? Ì:'i. Ónhka eniehnekotsénha'? Ì:'i. Tóka' thé:nen'k tewakatonhontsoníhne' enwatió'ten' aontién:ta'ne'.
Énska ki' thí:ken, ká:ron shitewatién:tahkwe' thia'tewenhniserá:ke sha'katerihwaienstá:ko' owisa'kéha tewakattsihkwà:'e tánon' wahiri'wanón:tonhse' ne rake'níha, "Baba, enwá:ton' ken wato'tsinehtsherasé'stsi enhsekhní:non'se'?"
Tahèn:ron', "Kwah nek ia'skón:tahkw tsi nihsatiéhrha', enhsenon'takóha' tsi ieienthóhtha', enhshnekotsénha', sok tóka' sewenhnísera ensaién:ta'ne'."
Kháre ó:nen, sewenhnísera tontakahtén:ti' sha'katerihwaienstá:ko' tánon' tho kà:rahkwe' akwá:wen wato'tsinehtsherasé'stsi.
Hen, aonhà:'a tekeksa'taksénhne', nek tsi onketshahníhta'ne'.
Translated by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette