Freedom 25000 BC Read online

  “I don’t like the look of the clouds,” Dah said. “We must stay three days. A big storm comes.”

  Wing walked outside of the cave. He noticed a cloud that arched out from him, but there was nothing to alert him to danger of any kind. The cloud looked normal to him.

  Hama went out and surveyed the sky. “Yes, Dah, it’s going to storm. Three days. We do three days. We should look to the boat. It may need better securing. Maybe tie to tree down there?” He pointed.

  “I’ll take care of it,” Dah said and headed toward the boat.

  They ate that evening looking at a beautiful view of the salt water. The full moon rose and made a path like line of whitish gold splotches on the waves. Wing was absorbed into the beauty of the place. Hama took out his knife and mammoth bone. Topozelmu removed the splint on Wing’s arm. She washed the arm and replaced the splint.

  “Wing, you’ve seen storms. The one that will come here is greater. Compare the big lake to the salt water. Make that comparison with storms you know and this one. This one is like the salt water.”

  Wing looked at her with a feeling of horror. “Why we stay then?”

  “Bort said stay three days. We’ll find out why in time. Right now we do it. We see why later.”

  “Isn’t this dangerous?” Wing asked.

  Hama looked up from his work. “Life dangerous,” he said laconically.

  “More dangerous to defy spirit,” Dah said.

  Wing flew back in time to the description of Bort’s son killed by lightning.

  Dah said, “Defy spirit. You become burnt by lightning. You heap of charcoal.”

  No wonder, Wing thought, that Bort agonized over his son. To look at a son as a heap of charcoal would be devastating. Such a visual would be impossible to forget.

  They sat on the rocks to eat. The deer meat was very tasty. They enjoyed it after the day’s travel. They were quiet. The salt water background noise instead of forest fauna background noise consisted of waves crashing on the shore. When it was daylight, sea bird noise accompanied crashing waves. Wing inhaled deeply the salted moisture. It made him feel a gentle calm.

  “I think we have enough strong cordage,” Topozelmu said.

  Wing wondered what the point of the statement was. He didn’t ask.

  “I checked already,” Hama said. “We have more than enough. Your shoulders should have told you that. We had heavy packs to carry. Heavier than usual.”

  “What are you talking about?” Wing finally asked, completely mystified.

  “Oh, in storms if we have to go out, we tie ourselves together. It keeps a single person from being blown away. The winds can carry you away.”

  “This storm must be fierce. Why so fierce here, not back where we were?”

  “It comes strong from water. We think land slows it down and it turns storm into more of huge rainstorm. Trees protect village,” Dah explained.

  “I see,” Wing said.

  Wing may have thought he had some understanding of what was to come. The beginning of the third day the storm was blowing. The sky was pitch black and charcoal with bits of gray and white— frightening with winds howling piteous noises. Wing was intimidated, never having seen anything like it. Here he was far from home, looking at salt water that was of immeasurable size, being set upon by a storm that made it hard to hear. He was grateful for the cave. It protected them from the wind and some of the noise. The water level was rising. Wing wondered whether it would enter the cave and they’d drown. He kept his fears to himself.

  Wing felt a terrible sense of unease. He walked toward the cave entryway.

  “Stop there!” Dah shouted. He ran over and took his foot and made a line in the sand. Do not cross that line,” Dah said.

  Wing looked startled.

  “The wind can reach in and grab you. It will pull you out there. You’d be gone,” Dah explained.

  “I feel drawn,” Wing tried to explain. “Something urges me. Can you not tie me and let me look out?”

  “Is this some spirit thing?” Dah asked.

  “I don’t know,” Wing replied.

  Dah was not pleased, but he went to the back of the cave and brought out some strong cordage.

  “I tie you to me. Hama holds cordage from me. We do this quickly.”

  Wing nodded. They tied themselves together.

  Wing walked to the entry way. He stared into a churning sea. It was hard to understand what he saw. Then he thought he saw something on the water. It was dark. He wasn’t sure he actually saw anything. “There, can you see that?” Wing asked Dah.

  “I can’t see anything,” Dah said.

  “You’re not far enough out,” Wing replied.

  Dah and Hama tied themselves together. Then Hama and Topozelmu joined in cohesive strengthening links so that all four were secured together. Slowly Wing and Dah crept to the entryway, with Hama and Topozelmu serving as anchors. They stared into the dark water.

  Dah wanted to turn around, until suddenly he saw something. He squinted.

  “There it is,” Wing said. “See it?”

  Dah had to admit, “Yeah. I see it.”

  “What is it?” Wing asked.

  “It looks like a boat,” Dah said. “We watch it for a while.”

  They watched as the object was tossed about on the waves. A large wave caught it just right and hurled it much closer to shore. Hama and Topozelmu, neither of whom could see the object watched the bodies of Wing and Dah as they moved in reaction to the object.

  “A man on the boat! See him?” Dah asked.

  “Yes. Are there two?” Wing asked.

  “Looks like two.”

  “It comes nearer. We may have to go out there.” Dah realized they might need to save the man by letting him or them know where people were.

  “Anyone unwilling to go out?” Dah asked.

  Silence returned to him. He wished he were the lead on the line, but there was little time. The four went outside and walked a line on the beach as far up from the water as possible. They wanted to show their presence.

  After what felt like a long time the man in the boat waved at them. The man’s wave looked very tired.

  Wing said something to Dah but immediately realized he couldn’t be heard. They waved to the boat man.

  The men on shore were dressed and their clothing was soaking wet. Fortunately they each had a change of clothing so they did not even concern themselves. Each was intently watching the man in the boat. As it neared the water’s edge, they could see another person in the boat. That person was lying down and not moving.

  Finally the boat met the water’s edge and the people raced out to help. They gave a hand to the man who had waved. He stepped out of the boat and fell upon the beach. The other man was unconscious and cold to the touch, so they lifted him from the boat. They carried him to the cave and helped the other man walk there.

  In the cave, the man who waved broke down in tears. Both men were starving. Their bones protruded in a horrifying manner. Topozelmu, assured herself that the second man lived, and she took some of the fish they’d put aside after eating and added it to water after cutting it into tiny pieces. She put it along with a tiny piece of a mafafa corm into a bag with water and added a number of herbs. She placed rocks from the fire into the bag and warmed the mixture. Topozelmu put some of the mixture in a gourd and handed it to the man who’d waved. He nodded his head in gratitude and took the offered gourd. She put broth into another gourd and went to the other man. Topozelmu used a stirring stick to drip little drops of the liquid into his mouth. Never had she seen anyone alive so thin. It caused her extreme discomfort. Her cursory examination showed starvation to be the major problem.

  The people had only three spare sleeping skins. They decided to put the two men together so they could keep each other warm. They’d cover them with two skins. Dah showed the first man where to sleep. Then, Dah lifted the other man to a place on the sleeping skin. They were in position to gain warmth from the hearth fire. T
he others changed out of their wet clothing and unrolled their skins for the night.

  Wing, readying for sleep and still having discomfort from the sunburn, considered based on the skin color of the men they rescued, they must have been badly burned. He didn’t ask.

  Topozelmu had no way to determine the passage of time, so she used the material in the fire. When she brought the fire back up, she’d make more of the fish soup. She’d feed both men the soup and then doze. She did that through the night and the next day.

  Dah tried to communicate with them. It was a little difficult, but the one who waved, named Doeoi, was picking up their language fast. He was also eating. Careful not to overeat, he was doing better. His friend was not doing well at all, and he died the second day in the cave. They carried his body a good distance north of the cave and buried him. Doeoi was devastated. They’d gone through so much together.

  On the evening of the sixth day in the cave, Hama was carving images on the piece of bone he held. He leaned against the cave wall thinking. “Wing, did you come to save this man? I see that. All these things working together. It cannot be luck. This had to have plan.”

  “I wondered that, Hama. It makes the spirit man powerful. Power. I don’t understand power at all.”

  Dah looked up. “There is reason for this. I agree with both of you. This is not luck.”

  Doeoi raised his head. “Too much plan not to be plan. What plan? Not know. But plan. Sure.”

  “Doeoi, what brought you here?” Wing asked.

  Doeoi spoke slowly, sometimes using hand gestures. “My brother and me. We fish in salt water to south. Big wind blow. Our boat made for river. We had gone out of river. Think okay. Not okay. Storm took us. Wind pushed us over the salt water. We in boat long time. We no food. Only water from rain. Hard to find water to drink. With all that water, no water to drink. We sure we die.”

  “We are glad you alive, Doeoi,” Dah said with feeling.

  “I grateful man to you.”

  “Dah,” Wing said, “Our boat is partly buried in the sand. How we return in boat?”

  “I thought you’d have figured it out,” Dah and Hama laughed.

  “I no understand,” Wing said confused.

  “We untie the logs. We roll logs to water. We line logs. We retie logs. We use boat again.”

  Wing laughed at how simple it was. “I didn’t think!” he said, laughing at himself.

  “Good we brought poles inside!” Hama added.

  “As soon as I saw that sky,” Dah said, “I knew we needed to protect them from blowing away.”

  “You wise,” Doeoi said, making himself part of the conversation.

  “He is,” Topozelmu said.

  “Let’s sleep. Tomorrow we return home. It seems Wing has done what he came to do.”

  “I’ll take a short walk first,” Topozelmu said.

  “I join you?” Wing asked.

  “Of course,” Topozelmu replied.

  They walked along the beach close together. The tide was going out. They left footprints that quickly erased themselves.

  Wing reached out and took her hand. Topozelmu was a little surprised, but she didn’t object. She released her hand and put her arm around his back. He put his arm around her shoulders. They walked wordlessly for a long distance.

  Wing stopped and looked at her. He thought they should turn around. Instead her eyes drew him and he dared before thinking to reach out to kiss her. Instead of recoiling, Topozelmu melted into his kiss and they stood there embracing. One thing led to another and after yet a while longer they started walking back to the cave.

  “I loved you first sight, Topozelmu.”

  “It took me until night with you in my hut. Bort asked me to give you room for a reason.”

  “He made good decision,” Wing said.

  “Yes. He did. I’m happy.”

  “Topozelmu, will you be my wife?”

  “Yes. I will be your wife.”

  “How is it done here?” he asked.

  “We return. Bort will announce to all.”

  “I like that!”

  “I do too,” she replied and once again they kissed. Then they entered the cave.

  The return trip was uneventful. Bort was not in the least surprised about Topozelmu and Wing. He was surprised at the dark skinned person who returned with them. He liked the stranger. All was well.

  Chapter 3

  Five years passed since the rescue of Doeoi. Topozelmu and Wing had three children. When Topozelmu had their first child, Wing was never happier in his life. He also felt a sense of overwhelming responsibility. For a long time he would have to devote his life to see that his young son grew up to be a good man, a contributor to the group, responsible, and loving. He was awed at the process that brought another person into the world. Topozelmu had worked so hard. She’d been in such pain. He knew some husbands took off hunting when their wives went into labor. He refused to leave her side. He caught the slippery little one when he came forth. He fell into Wing’s hands as a gift.

  When Ahn arrived the labor and delivery went easier for Topozelmu. Wing caught Ahn also and laughed when he realized this one was a girl. He was delighted. By the time Tu came, it wasn’t that it was becoming routine, birth was too special for that, but it wasn’t as filled with the same degree of surprise for Wing. Tu came into the world screaming and shaking his fists. Wing found that amusing and hoped that wasn’t a portent of things to come. Quite the contrary. Once in this world, Tu was calm and a delightfully contented baby.

  Doeoi became the husband of Lumi, Dah and Hama’s sister. Lumi had fallen in love with Doeoi the moment she saw him. His almost black skin fascinated her and she found his soft tightly curled hair irresistible. They had two children, a boy and girl. Recently Dah, Hama, and their brother, Peza, had gone to other groups where they found wives. Dah and Hama returned with wives, but Peza remained where his wife lived nearer the salt water.

  In the five years since he’d left home, Wing had experienced great physical change. Where once he had been a very short young man with a frail looking body, he’d grown into an exceptionally tall man with a body that no longer showed any signs of frailness. Instead his body reflected great strength. Wing had a strong desire to take his family to visit the place where he grew up. He wanted to see his mother and brothers and sister at his former home. He wanted them to meet his family to let them know he lived.

  Topozelmu agreed to join the trek. Hama and his wife decided to accompany them. Hama had always wanted to see Popocatépetl closer. They left early one morning carrying great burdens to keep them comfortable while traveling.

  When they reached the pine nut tree, Wing asked them to wait. At the base of the tree he knelt. He took something from his pack and laid it on the ground. From the valley’s edge the others couldn’t see it. They were not able to hear him say, “Spirit, I touched the feather. You told me not to touch it. I return it and ask for your forgiveness. I have cared for it well. I disobeyed by touching it. I excused myself. I wanted proof that the feather was not a dream. My excuse made no right for disobedience. I return the feather now. I ask for forgiveness.”

  Wing found quickly that the return trip was very familiar. As they walked he remembered each place he stayed. He knew where the water was. It was a long trek, but the familiarity of it was refreshing. With the feather gone, his pack felt much lighter. He was glad not to be alone. Wing carried an extra heavy load because Topozelmu carried their infant, Tu. Zeb was old enough to walk. Ahn occasionally needed carrying. Elmalla, Hama’s wife, was more than willing to help carry when the little girl fatigued. She loved children and was hoping soon to have some of her own.

  It wasn’t long before they spent the night at the place where Wing had the experience with the bear. Wing could feel the bear’s presence again as if it were actually happening. He was relieved it wasn’t.

  Wing enjoyed being a father. On their evening stops after their last meal of the day, the adults and childr
en would sing the stars out. They sang of past events, of hopes, of joys, of surprises on the trek. They’d make up words on the spot. Some choruses would be used from song to song, some made new. They had a variety of tunes they tended to use and re-use. Ahn loved to sing at night. She’d snuggle close to Wing. She’d sing and suddenly no one heard from Ahn. She drifted to sleep in the middle of her own singing.

  Hama would carve animal shapes into pieces of bone. Elmalla would lean against him careful not to pin his arms. She watched him at his carving. She’d never seen anyone make representations of animals. She could tell what each was. Sometimes he lacked good bone and he’d superimpose a carving over another.

  As they neared Wing’s old homeland they reached the place where he had stood long ago and looked down on the landscape below. He’d seen the twisted mountains. They still fascinated him. The children were with Dah and Elmalla. He and Topozelmu walked to the edge of the mountaintop to gaze at the scene.

  “The earth does seem to have squeezed it all into a tortured shape. Is that damage from earthquakes?”

  “I think it must be.”

  “That’s interesting,” Topozelmu said.

  “What?” Wing asked.

  “We’ve had no earthquake for a long time. We had them almost daily. Now, for a long time—none.”

  “You’re right. Maybe it has come to rest again. I hope it’s for a long time.”

  “Popocatépetl used to smoke a lot. There’s nothing there.” Topozelmu leaned against him.

  Wing drew her away from the edge of the mountain and they headed back to the others. The night was spectacular. Stars were blazing in the sky. With the moon out it was easy to see to walk around in the night.

  Wing took the gourd and drank water. He offered it to Topozelmu. She waved it off.

  All wrapped in their sleeping skins and slept.

  They slept later than usual. They quickly fixed a morning meal. While that was being prepared, Wing took Zeb and Ahn to the edge of the path.