by M L Bellante
“Tondo, Chashutzo’s family thanks you; the village thanks you; and I thank you.” The chief then gave a curt bow in Coleman’s direction, and all eyes fell upon the visitor. He gave a quick glance to his right and then to his left, unsure of what he should do. He then looked at the chief and returned the bow. The men gave another guttural shout and turned their faces back to the chief. Coleman noticed Tahso’s proud demeanor had slackened.
“I have counseled with the tahso and he informs me that there is no history of a hunting party ever taking a gorga. He tells me, many villagers have died by gorga attacks. Yet, today gorga flesh strengthened the village. Who do we thank for this blessing? It is Tondo!”
The villagers began chanting, “Tondo! Tondo! Tondo!” over and over. The chief and Tahso joined in the chanting, and this continued for nearly five minutes. Coleman sat in his place feeling very uncomfortable with all this attention.
They adore you. Use this power to make them better. Guide them, strengthen them. Then you can use them for your own purposes, Coleman’s inner voice chimed proudly.
The chief raised his arms again and the chanting ceased. “Tondo, tell us about the hunt!”
Coleman looked at Tzeechoe and whispered, “What I say?”
“You must tell us how you killed the gorga. You must show us how you killed the beast.”
Coleman grabbed his head with both hands. Oh good grief, this must be the villagers’ version of instant replay, he thought. Reluctantly, he stood and walked to the chief’s left side. “I follow Chashutzo and other men and we got attacked by gorga,” he uttered in a quiet voice. The chief shook his head and sat. Coleman immediately saw the disappointment in the eyes of the men in the front rank. Then Tzeechoe’s words came back to him: ‘You must show us how you killed the beast.’
Coleman took a deep breath and started over. This time he acted out every phrase and emphasized every threat. When he came to the part where he told Ayascho to help Tzeechoe, he watched as Ayascho lowered his head and stared at the floor mat, waiting for his shame and cowardice to be exposed to the entire village; however, Coleman only mentioned that he told Ayascho to help Tzeechoe and never said a word about the young man’s cowardly retreat. Ayascho raised his head and, for an instant, their eyes locked.
Coleman continued, pantomiming his movements, grasping his imaginary club and Chashutzo’s imaginary spear. His description of the charging gorga caused the men to shudder and the children to clutch their mothers.
The villagers sat transfixed by Coleman’s exhibition. Audible gasps came from the women and guttural grunts came from the men during his thrilling presentation. As he pantomimed his run with the gorga hot on his heels, he would look over his shoulder, give an exaggerated expression of terror, and run in place faster. The villagers laughed wildly.
Finally, with the gorga exhausted, Coleman raised his imaginary club high. “The club crashed down on gorga’s head, rock came loose and bounce into grass,” he uttered through clenched teeth. The men leaned back and shook their heads while many of the women covered their eyes with their hands. “I pull out knife and kill gorga!” he yelled as he pulled out his waist knife and drove it into the imaginary gorga’s neck. He raised the knife high above his head and gave a victory yell. All the men jumped to their feet, gave guttural shouts, and began slapping their chests. The women joined in with trills of joy. The chief and Tahso remained seated and moved their heads up and down in an approving manner. Coleman stood silently with sweat dripping from every pore.
The celebration continued for several minutes until finally, the chief stood and grasped Coleman by the upper arms. The men seated themselves again and all became quiet. “Tondo, you are the Sutro P´oez! Never has a story of the hunt been so thrilling. You have indeed earned the great tooth of the gorga.” The chief lifted high for all to see a gorga fang suspended by a braided leather cord. He walked around the great lodge, showing it to all the villagers, causing many to marvel at its size. When he returned to Coleman, he said, “Tondo, this is your reward. Let this be a sign to all who see it that you are the greatest p´oez the Batru have ever seen!” With those words, he placed the cord around Coleman’s neck and gave him a curt bow. Coleman returned the bow, and the assembly erupted once again. Coleman held the fang forward for all to see as he smiled from ear to ear. After another minute or so of celebration, the chief raised his arms for silence. The villagers quieted down and returned to their places. The chief motioned for Coleman to return to his place and sit.
“Now, my children, I’ve had a night vision; guidence was given to me by the Great Batru. That is why I have asked Tahso to tell us the story of how the Batru came to be. It is important for our little ones to learn this story. It is important for you to remember it and, most importantly, it is essential for Tondo to understand it.” The chief then sat and looked at Tahso.
The shaman stood, his face as rigid as granite. So significant was the change that overtook him, Coleman thought he was going into a trance. After a few seconds, he began to speak, pausing after each phrase as he recalled each line from memory.
“In the beginning, Great Father searched the land for space for his wonderful work.
“Then, when Great Father found the place, filled with enough dust for all his creation, the spirits came to him.
“In their many voices, they said, ‘We are weak and blown by the wind. Give us shells that we might learn to stand strong. Help us learn and grow wise.’
“The Great Father swept out his left hand and turned the dust into The-Land-We-Live-On. Then he swept out his right, and from the land grew all that lives.
“Then, the Great Father told the spirits to find the shell that would best please them and each went as they saw best. Some flew and became birds. Others wished to swim and became the fish. The fierce became the beasts of prey. But we became men.
“In those days, all living souls could speak with one another: the animals, the trees, the creepers.
“The living souls called upon Great Father for direction and guidance in their quest for knowledge.
“Great Father gave them instruction in all things. He taught the birds to fly and make nests. He taught the creepers to chirp in the night. And he taught the beasts of prey to hunt. Then Great Father granted them choice.
“He would see if they obeyed his counsel willingly, for in this way they would learn to freely choose between the good seeds and the evil seeds found within all living things.
“All living souls were thankful to the Great Father. They willingly obeyed the guidance of Great Father and fulfilled their purposes as they filled all of The-Land-We-Live-On.
“Harmony abounded and joy filled the hearts of all living things. They soon grew to fill all The-Land-We-Live-On. And as Great Father walked, he smiled always.
“And so it was for so many days that their number exceeded the leaves on every tree.
“However, after many days, there arose a corruptor. He claimed to teach Great Father’s counsel, but he changed its meaning to support his own desires.
“He influenced others to stop following Great Father’s guidance and live according to their own selfish desires.
“He sought to bend all living to his own will so he could become grand and supplant Great Father. Many followed him to gain power and dominion over others. The corrupter encouraged them to exceed Great Father’s wise counsel, calling it foolish.
“Some trees doubled their size. Animals changed their natural forms. Plants began to eat their neighbors.
“The corrupter called himself Uragah, and his followers called his corrupted law the Uragah Code. Soon, the Uragah Code swept throughout The-Land-We-Live-On and, for the first time, suffering was seen as Great Father walked.
“But then, a powerful follower of Great Father arose. His name was Batru. When he saw the sadness in The-Land-We-Live-On, he wept and began to teach the true principles anew. His teachings are called the Batru Code.
“The living souls chose sides by
the way they lived their lives and soon the contending codes brought strife to The-Land-We-Live-On. Great Father wept as he witnessed the discord in which his beloved creations had fallen, but he knew it had to be this way, for such is the consequence of choice.
“The struggle raged for many days and so fierce was the contention that it threatened to destroy all living. Batru saw that this destruction was bad for Great Father’s creations. Uragah realized that this destruction would leave nothing for him to control. Great Father intervened and strove to bring peace to The-Land-We-Live-On.
“Batru told Great Father he would stop his fighting if Uragah would also stop.
“Uragah said he would stop fighting as long as Great Father did not take back the gift of choice.
“Thus, Great Father allowed Uragah to form the Tempter, the spirit of dissension; and allowed Batru to form the Whisperer, the spirit of harmony. In this way, balance would be maintained and all living souls would have choice.
“Both Batru and Uragah agreed. Great Father decreed that now both Batru and Uragah would have to leave The-Land-We-Live-On.
“Batru chose to dwell on the blue moon, Munnari, and the living souls who chose to live by the Batru Code would join him when their time of mortality had passed. By the Whisperer, the Batru Code is taught throughout all The-Land-We-Live-On and by the influence of the good moon, Munnari.
“Uragah chose to dwell on the red moon, Munnevo, and the living souls who chose to live by the Uragah Code would join him when their time of mortality had passed. By the Tempter, the Uragah Code is taught throughout The-Land-We-Live-On and by the influence of the evil moon, Munnevo.
“Today, Batru has greater power over The-Land-We-Live-On when Munnari covers Munnevo. But, Uragah has greater power over The-Land-We-Live-On when Munnevo covers Munnari.
“Planted in the heart of Great Father’s creations are good seeds and evil seeds, placed there for all his children to choose for themselves which seeds they will nurture in this life. Balance is maintained and all the Great Father’s creations are granted the power of choice.”
Tahso stopped his narration and cast a stern gaze over the entire assemblage, scanning from left to right. He raised his staff and warned, “The followers of Batru, guided by the influence of Munnari, nurture the good seeds. Those who follow Munnevo nurture the evil seeds and must be cast out before their wickedness poisons the followers of Batru.”
Coleman noticed the impact of these words upon the gathering. An air of reverence seemed to fall upon the villagers. Most of the adults and many of the children placed an open palm on their chest and began rocking to and fro. As though by a silent command, the conclave broke into song. As Coleman listened, a spirit of peace and contentment seemed to descend upon the great lodge. Joy filled his heart and he felt uplifted and secure. He closed his eyes and drifted into a dreamful haze.
The image of the young girl returned to him, her arms outstretched as if she were pleading for help. Coleman stretched forth his arms and embraced the little girl, comforting her as she quietly wept. Subjugated and weeping Batru villagers filed past him. In the distance, he noticed other enslaved people, and not just Batru. They, too, marched into the murky distance. He noticed a woman with dark hair, holding an infant, turn and look in his direction. After a short delay, she continued her march into the distance, slowly fading from view.
The singing continued in the great lodge and, as it did, he could hear a faint voice giving him instructions. He focused on the voice, but he could not understand what he heard. The words were little more than whispers to his dreaming ears, but he felt within his soul an urge to protect the girl and, by extension, all she represented. But what was that? He didn’t know who the girl was and he had never seen her in the village before. She didn’t even appear to be Batru. Yet he knew she was linked to this village and possibly all the good people of this world. He was left with the strong impression to help these people, both the Batru and the others he had seen. Not only was it his duty, but it had become his calling.
Coleman remained in this dreamy absorption, calling to mind many more overlooked details of his previous visions. He felt someone shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes and found himself looking into Tzeechoe’s face. He shook his head as reality slowly embraced him again.
Tzeechoe smiled and asked, “Were you sleeping?”
“No, I had dream like the one when I sick. I not understand what it mean.”
Tzeechoe nodded, “Tondo, the gods favor you and work through you. I think you have a great duty to perform here. I am honored to call you my friend.”
Coleman placed both hands on Tzeechoe’s shoulders and smiled. “I wish I understand what dreams mean.”
“I am sure you will come to a full understanding of their meaning in time,” Tzeechoe said in an encouraging voice.
Coleman looked around and noticed the meeting had ended and the villagers were departing. He and Tzeechoe stood and departed, as well. Tzeecha and Atura were waiting for them as they exited the great lodge. The women’s smiles were infectious and Coleman couldn’t help himself as a broad smile covered his face. “What?” was all he could say.
“You are the Sutro P´oez,” Tzeecha finally said. “I wish I were a man and could do such great things.”
“You think different when big, ugly gorga chase you,” Coleman mused. The small group laughed and began walking to their home.
Unexpectedly, Ayascho approached Coleman from the darkness and stepped into his path. Coleman snapped to a stop and stared down into Ayascho’s dark-brown eyes. He detected anger and frustration on his face, yet there was something more.
“Tondo, I will speak with you,” he finally said. “I must talk to you alone,” as he looked at the others accompanying Coleman.
“The rest of you go. I go to lodge later,” Coleman said as he watched them disappear into the shadows. He noticed Tzeechoe was reluctant to leave and kept glancing back to see what Ayascho might do.
“What you want, Ayascho?” The young man stared at the gorga fang hanging from the leather cord around Coleman’s neck. He seemed to be working up the courage to do or say something, so Coleman stiffened himself, preparing for the worst.
Finally, Ayascho spoke again. “I hate you! I have hated you since the time you attacked me. You don’t belong here. You are not Batru. You know nothing of the Batru ways, and yet you have found favor with the gods and the People. I wish you had never come here.”
“That too bad, Ayascho. I not harm you,” Coleman responded awkwardly, wishing he had a better grasp of the villagers’ language.
“Yes, you have! You have taken my honor and made me ashamed of myself.”
“Why you say that?”
“You saved my life on the hunt and you didn’t mention my dishonor to the village. I am in your debt and you are not even Batru!”
“Do not worry, Ayascho. It in past. You do better next time.”
“You should have let the gorga take me. You shame me. Why have you come here?”
“Ayascho, I not shame you. You shame self when you run.”
“Tondo, kill me here, where I stand and release me from this debt.”
“No! I not do that. It todo!”
“I must repay this debt. I will not rest until it is done.”
“Do what you must. Can we be friends?” Coleman asked as he extended his arm in peace. Ayascho seemed confused by Coleman’s gesture. After a few awkward moments, Ayascho turned and left, leaving Coleman standing with his arm hanging in the air.
“That boy has some issues to work out,” Coleman said aloud in English as he headed back to Tzeechoe’s lodge.
As he walked, he scanned the night sky. It was another clear night with only a handful of clouds slowly drifting by. Both Munnari and Munnevo were at first quarter. Their location in the sky drifted slowly from night to night, whereas Munnoga’s position changed quite a bit, like Earth’s moon, he noted. He wondered if anyone in the village kept track of such things. He
would ask that of Tahso in the morning, along with a few other things he’d been wondering.
When he entered the lodge, he found the others waiting in anticipation. “What did Ayascho want?” Tzeechoe asked immediately.
“He say he in my debt for saving his life and killing gorga.”
“We are all in your debt, Tondo,” Tzeecha said with a lump in her throat, as she looked lovingly at her husband.
“Yes, that is true. I think the gorga would have killed us all,” Tzeechoe chimed in.
“Why gorga kill entire hunt party? Is it not just hunting for food?” Coleman asked.
“No,” Atura snarled. “A gorga will kill anything or anyone who threatens its hunting area. That’s its nature; influenced by the Tempter.”
“She’s right, Tondo. A gorga will kill anything it sees as a threat. And now that you have killed the gorga, our hunting parties will be safer and find more food. You have done a great thing for the village,” Tzeechoe advised.
Coleman smiled and then noticed a sweet odor in the lodge. “What I smell?” He looked down at the fire and saw four large banana-like fruit pods cooking on the coals. “What that?” he asked while pointing.
“We must celebrate,” Tzeecha said smiling. She reached down, skewered one of the baking fruits with a stick and gingerly pulled it from the coals. “Here, eat this.”
Coleman warily looked at it and then took a nibble, not sure of how hot it was. “Wow, this great! I never taste anything like it. What is it?”
“It is the habaga fruit. It is hard to get. It grows very high in the trees so we must pick it before the monkeys get them. They like it as much as we do,” Atura instructed. The others each took one habaga and all ate, quietly repeating oohs and aahs as they slowly consumed the treat.
“That wonderful. How you get it?” Coleman finally asked.
