from "Vilify": Part VIII

from "Vilify": Part VIII


Back in 1977 or '78, at Wellpinit Junior-
Senior High School, all of the students
gathered in the old gym for a musical
performance. A guy named Ben was giving his
farewell concert. He wasn't a good student
and it didn't look like he'd be able to
graduate, so he was looking forward to his
GED. But, in the meantime, he wanted to tell
us how much he loved us. And how much he was
going to miss us. So he, with the backing of
the Wellpinit High School Choir, launched
into a full-throated cover of Michael
Jackson's hit song, "Ben."

"Wait," my best friend, Steve, said, "Isn't
that a song about a rat?"
"Yes, it is," I said, "A killer rat."
"Like a super-smart killer rat that leads lots
of other killer rats and massacres a bunch of
people, right?"
"Yeah, hundreds of rats and, like, eight or
nine dead people. Eaten by rats. Chewed to death."
"So Ben, our fellow tribal member, wants us to
remember him as Ben the Genius Mass Murdering
Mutant Rat?"
"I guess so."
"Wow."


Sherman Alexie

from his book FACE.