(My brothers and sisters --minus Cortney--on the first day of school.)
When I was a kid, we had a Navajo boy come and live with us for six years during the school years. He would go home to his family during the summer.
His name was Marvin.
He was my age (just a month younger than me).
He soon became more than just a boy that came to live with us.
He was another brother to us all.
Marvin was a great kid and I loved him like my brother.
He stayed with us until he was supposed to start 7th grade.
His family didn't want him to go away anymore, which I understood, but it was hard.
I remember how sad I was when he wasn't going to be coming back anymore.
It was really fun when he came for a visit the year I turned 18 and I was so excited when he said he might come back for college.
He had big plans to become an architect and to go on a mission.
But, living on a reservation is hard and as it turned out, he made some bad choices that ruined his dreams.
Eventually, he would make some really self-destructive choices and it really saddened all of my family.
But, we always loved getting together with him.
He is a part of our family.
(This is a family picture taken when he brought his daughter to visit the first time)
Well, I remember the last time I saw him. I ended up yelling at him because he had done something really stupid
(I don't want to go into details but it was really bad)
and I told him to go home and get his life in order.
I haven't spoken with him since.
A few weeks ago, I was at my mom's house and she got a phone call from Marvin's ex-wife.
Marvin was in a coma in critical condition.
He was involved in a hit and run accident and was run over by a car.
It doesn't look good for him.
He has brain damage and many broken bones.
The last we've heard is that they couldn't do any more until he went through withdrawls.
This is just so sad.
It's hard to believe that the cute little boy that we grew to love and that was so funny and had such high hopes for the future is now lying in a coma.
I feel so bad about the last time I saw him.
I was so mad at him but even more disappointed.
I wish I would have handled it better.
I really hope that isn't the last thing I will get to say to him in this life.
