The Man with Munnari Eyes

by M L Bellante

  “Atura got them. She is very good at finding the green bunches and hiding them from the monkeys until they become ripe. She climbs a tree, covers the habagas with leaves, and the monkeys don’t know they are there,” Tzeecha said in an admiring voice.

  “Good, Atura. You very brave to climb so high,” Coleman said as he took the measure of the woman’s athletic build. For the first time since he’d known her, Coleman watched as Atura blushed. She hid her face in her hands and turned away. Coleman stepped next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I not know you so skilled and brave. You get more, tonight?”

  Atura pulled away from him and exclaimed, “Todo!” The small group began to chuckle and then the chuckles turned to laughter. Atura, too, began to laugh.

  Tzeechoe, Tzeecha, and Atura started telling stories of village life and great hunts of the past. Coleman intently listened until weariness overcame him and he began to yawn. The others were becoming weary, as well; soon all retired for a good night’s rest.

  However tired he was, Coleman still found it hard to fall asleep. The vision of the young girl returned to him as he strained to recall the words he had heard in the vision. What was it all about? Was it a message from the gods? Was he indeed favored by them?

  Suddenly, he cleared his mind. Am I turning native? Am I getting sucked into this tribal hocus-pocus? Is my mind just playing tricks on me? There are too many questions and too few answers. Is my new life to be like this for the remainder of my days? What new surprises are in store for me, Tondo the visitor, the Sutro P´oez?

  CHAPTER 8

  THE POWER OF TAH

  Morning came too early and Coleman found the others busily working around him. “Good morning, Tondo,” Tzeecha cheerfully called when she noticed him stir.

  “I not know why I wake up late. It feel like I just went to sleep. Are the nights shorter?”

  “Tondo, you’re just lazy. Get up so we can put away your bed,” scolded Atura.

  “Yes, habaga girl,” Coleman teased and then exited the lodge.

  Shortly after he left the hut, he met the shaman. “Good morning, Tahso. I like what you said last night.”

  “If you liked it so well, why did you fall asleep?”

  “I not asleep. I had vision, like the one when I sick.”

  “Ha, I see. Tondo, you are favored by the gods, but their favor always requires great sacrifice.”

  “Is that so? Tell me, Tahso, how did you make fire start? I never see anything like it. It was like magic. Tell me, what is the trick? I promise not tell.”

  “What does trehg mean?”

  “It mean to fool someone.”

  Tahso recoiled at Coleman’s words. “What do you mean? I am tahso. I have the power of tah. This is not a lie!”

  “I sorry I offend you. I mean no harm. Tell me then, how do you start fire?”

  “I used the power of tah. That is how you were healed. That is how you have learned to speak with us so quickly. That is what makes our hunters successful.”

  “Does everyone have tah?” Coleman asked.

  “No, just the tahso. It is through him that the village is blessed by the power of the gods.”

  “So, how do person get this power?”

  “Only the gods choose those who can use tah.”

  “How you know who is chosen? Could I have tah? Could I be chosen?”

  “No, you are not even Batru! Only Batru can have tah.”

  “Are you sure? You see someone other than Batru people, someone like me? You see Anterran?”

  “No, I have only seen people in this village,” Tahso admitted reluctantly.

  “Then how you know only Batru have tah? Is there a test? I need to know. Too many strange things happen to me since I come. I need to learn why,” Coleman told him.

  “I have felt an unusual power within you, Tondo. It could be tah, or it may be something evil. Only time will tell. When you were brought before the village, it was discussed whether to let you live or send you into the trees to die. I warned the chief that there was great power within you, but I could not tell whether it was of Munnari or Munnevo. It was your Munnari eyes that saved you that night. Yet, I am not convinced. The followers of Munnevo can be very cunning.”

  “I swear, Tahso, I love the Batru.”

  “Yes, you have proven yourself worthy to remain with the People, and yet there is danger within you.”

  “Danger? What danger? What have I done to make you feel this way?”

  “My tah feels it. I can sense your power. I do not know how powerful you may become, but you may become a threat to this village.”

  “Tahso, the Batru are my friends. I could never hurt them.”

  “Tondo, tah is the inner-power and it may be in you. The gods grant us the right to choose which seeds we wish to nurture. The Tempter and the Whisperer influence our choices. You may be a good person, but you may surrender to evil. The Tempter is very cunning. Only time will tell how strong you are.”

  “If that so, should we not learn quickly? I only want do good for the Batru and the others in my vision. Help me, Tahso, to learn if this power I may have will be used for good.”

  “Yes, that is wise. This could be a very dangerous time for us all.”

  “If I can do some of the things you do, would that mean the power is for good? If I could start a fire like you did, would that mean the power is for good?”

  “No, but there is one simple way to find out if the power I sense is tah. I must discuss this with the chief. Come to my lodge this afternoon and I will tell you what he decides.”

  When Coleman returned to Tzeechoe’s dwelling, he found Atura tidying up the space. “Atura, I will visit Tahso this afternoon. I wish to bring him a gift. Can you get habaga?”

  “That will be very difficult. Do you know how high I must climb to get them?”

  “No, but if you do, you come with me when I visit him.”

  A trace of a smile crossed Atura’s lips and then quickly disappeared. “I will try,” she snapped.

  Coleman exited the lodge and found Tzeechoe standing near the entryway with Coleman’s broken club in his hand. “Tondo, you must make a new one. This time, we will make it stronger.”

  “I not plan to break it over ugly gorga head but yes, let us go find perfect rock.”

  After a short walk, the two found themselves at the creek. For the next few minutes, the men searched for a suitable stone. Several were lifted from the water and examined, only to be discarded as unusable for one reason or another. Finally, Tzeechoe lifted a nearly spherical rock of the right size and composition. “Look, Tondo. I think this will do very well.”

  “Ha, yes. It looks perfect.” Just then, Coleman caught the glint of a shiny object in the water. He reached down and pulled out a yellow pebble the size of his thumbnail. “Could this be what I think it is?” Coleman muttered in English.

  “What did you say, Tondo?”

  “Tzeechoe! Look at this. It looks like gold.”

  “Gor-duh? What is gor-duh? It’s just a yellow rock. It is worthless. Here let me see it.” Tzeechoe took the nugget from Coleman and bit into it, and then he showed it to Coleman. “See, teeth marks. It is too soft to be good for anything.”

  “Are there many of these rocks around here?” Coleman questioned, still excited about his discovery.

  “Oy, you will find many of these little yellow rocks in the water. They are not good for anything, so we just leave them there.”

  “Okay. Where I come from, these rocks are worth a lot of money. A man could become rich if he finds enough of these.”

  “Tondo, what are you talking about? What is mhun-nay? What does reetz mean?”

  Coleman just stared at Tzeechoe and didn’t answer. He considered the implications of Tzeechoe’s words for a few moments. Finally, it struck him that these people had no concept of money or personal riches. Their village survived day-to-day by each member’s efforts. No one was rich and no one lorded over another with a
rrogance or hubris. Every villager had their own duties, and only the chief, tahso, and tusk-men had special authority, but there were no class distinctions.

  “It is best you do not know what money is. In my world, it is sometimes called evil. Too often, men lust after it and kill one another to get it. Long ago, in my homeland, people like the Batru were chased from their lands when greedy men found gold there.”

  “How can a little, worthless rock cause men to act so terribly? Did Munnevo teach your people?”

  “They seek power over others and they think money will help them get it. Money can also make life easier. If you have a lot of it, you do not have to make your own club. You can trade money for the very best club ever made. One that will never break.”

  A puzzled look crossed Tzeechoe’s face as he stared at the yellow nugget. “Tondo, you are very funny. Here, take your mhun-nay and let us return to the village. You could offer me all the yellow rocks in the water and I would never trade my club or anything else I have for it.” With that, Tzeechoe handed the nugget back to Coleman and headed toward the village.

  When the men arrived, Coleman stored the nugget with his other items in a wicker basket Tzeechoe had given him. His personal items included the material from his environmental suit. For the rest of the morning, he and Tzeechoe worked on his new club.

  Shortly after midday, Atura reappeared with half a dozen habaga. She had a nasty scratch on her left shoulder and what appeared to be bite marks on her left forearm.

  “What happen to you?” Coleman asked.

  “One of the monkeys tried to take the habaga from me.”

  “What did you do? I hope you were not seriously injured.”

  “It scratched me, and then it bit me, so I hit it in the nose with my fist. It ran away making noises.”

  “I bet it did! I am sure you would do the same thing to a gorga,” Coleman said with a broad smile. Atura looked into his blue eyes and offered a weak but proud smile in return. He then washed her wounds with water and examined them carefully. “If the monkey does not have rabies you will be okay,” Coleman said lightheartedly.

  A look of surprise and fear crossed Atura’s face. “What is ray-beez?” she questioned in a concerned voice.

  “Oh, nothing. I try to be funny.”

  “Todo!” Atura stammered and then she stormed out of the lodge.

  “I sorry,” Coleman shouted as she left. He then turned to Tzeechoe and shrugged his shoulders. “Why does Atura get so angry with me? Is it because I am not Batru?”

  “Maybe, Tondo, maybe. Atura is very difficult.”

  “Has she always been this way?”

  “She has always been strong-willed, but when her father died, she became angry and has been that way ever since. I liked the old Atura better,” Tzeechoe admitted. “She was about to be banished from the village, but then you came and the chief gave her to you.”

  “So, what am I? I know I am not her mate, thank the gods. Am I her father?”

  “No.”

  “Am I her brother?”

  “No.”

  “Then, who am I?”

  “Tondo, you are her . . .” Tzeechoe paused for a few seconds as his face lit up and a broad smile crossed his lips. “You are her . . . Todo!” He began laughing uncontrollably. Coleman was still holding the fur skin he’d been using to cleanse Atura’s wounds, and he flung it at Tzeechoe. The sopping wet fur hit his head, made a loud splat, stifling the laughter.

  By midafternoon, Coleman felt it was time to see Tahso and find out what the chief had decided. He found Atura stacking firewood and told her to fetch the habaga and follow him to Tahso’s lodge.

  “Why are you going to Tahso? What is this all about?” she asked as they tramped through the village.

  “We will see.”

  “See what?” Atura then began badgering Coleman with an endless volley of questions.

  He continued walking, lost in thought, and ignoring her questions. He wondered what the chief and Tahso had decided. Would he be tested? Would they determine that the risk was too high? What would happen to him if they decided he was a threat? The cold memory of hanging in the balance returned, causing him to shudder. He took a deep breath and became aware of Atura’s constant chatter. “What? What you say, Atura?”

  “Does this visit have anything to do with me?”

  “No. It has to do with me.”

  “Oy,” Atura muttered in a disappointed tone. Coleman just smiled and continued his brisk pace.

  A few minutes later they arrived. Tahso’s home was located on the edge of the village near the main entryway. It was a typical Batru lodge with one noticeable difference—hanging on poles near the doorway were feathers, various animal furs, the bones of different animals, and small creature skulls.

  “Tahso, are you there?” Coleman called.

  “Yes, Tondo, you may enter,” came the reply from inside.

  Coleman and Atura entered the dwelling and found only Tahso standing next to a stack of unlit wood. “The chief has decided you are to be tested. He wants me to learn if the power within you is tah.”

  “That good, I hope,” Coleman replied. “Before we begin, I would like to give you a gift. Atura, give Tahso the gift.” Atura stepped forward and handed Tahso the six habaga pods she had carried with her. Tahso’s eyes lit up when he saw the fruit and he took them from her.

  “This is a fine gift indeed. Thank you, Tondo.”

  “You can thank Atura, too. She the one who got them. She is very good at it. A monkey tried to take them from her when she was high in the tree and she hit it in the nose.” Tahso stared into Atura’s eyes and then glanced at her scratched shoulder. He then examined the bite marks on her forearm. “She is very brave, Tahso, and the habaga are good.”

  “Yes, yes,” he said trying to refocus on the business at hand. “As I said, the chief wants me to test you for tah. Since you think I fooled the People, I will show you how it is done, and then you will do it if you can.”

  “Okay. Show me how to do it,” Coleman said as he turned and gave Atura a wink. He saw a flash of anger cross her face followed by an audible harrumph. “What is it, Atura? Tell me your thoughts,” Coleman chided.

  “Only the tahso has the power of tah. You cannot have it. Only a great man can. You are not even Batru.” Coleman grinned as he watched Tahso straighten while his ego was puffed up by Atura’s words.

  “But, Atura, I have been told that the gods favor me. Can I not also have tah?”

  “Yes, Tondo, the gods favor you, but only a great and special man can be a tahso.”

  Coleman watched as Tahso’s gaze seemed to express a newfound feeling for and a deeper appreciation of Atura. A smile crossed Coleman’s lips as he watched his Cupid’s ploy scoring points. “This may be easier than I thought,” he muttered to himself in English.

  “What did you say, Tondo?” Tahso asked.

  “Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if we could start.” He didn’t want to overreach the great beginning his matchmaking was already scoring.

  “Yes, yes. Let me show you how it’s done. Sit and observe.” All three sat around the unlit stack of wood. “You must feel the power of tah within you, here,” Tahso instructed as he tapped his solar plexus and then did the same to Coleman. “This is the center of tah. You then think about the fire, here.” He tapped his forehead and then Coleman’s forehead. “You must see an image of the fire in your mind, then feel the tah and focus on the wood. Like this.”

  Tahso took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and suddenly the wood burst into flame. Not nearly as dramatically as the night before, but nevertheless, it was awe-inspiring to both Coleman and Atura. Coleman saw the same look of adoration on Atura’s face that he had noticed the night before.

  “That is how one with tah can make fire.” Now, let’s see if you have the power of tah.”

  Coleman looked at Tahso and then over to Atura. She leaned back, crossed her arms over her chest and hardened her countenance. Co
leman gave her a smile as Tahso put out the fire by smothering it with an animal hide.

  “Tondo, prepare yourself. Take a deep breath, feel the tah, and think of the fire.”

  Coleman looked at Atura and then Tahso. He took a deep breath and tried to feel the power of tah, but he felt nothing. “I do not feel anything.”

  “Relax, Tondo, you’re too tense. Calm your mind and find inner peace.”

  Coleman closed his eyes and cleared his mind. As he relaxed, he felt a tingling sensation beginning to grow within his chest. The tingling slowly changed to a warming sensation as the intensity increased. Through a fog of thought, Coleman could hear Tahso’s instructions.

  “As the power of tah grows, you must bring an image of fire into your mind.” Coleman continued to let the warmth build within himself, and he began to visualize a fire in his thoughts. “You must bring the tah and the image together and focus them into a point. It is then that the fire will ignite the wood.”

  The warmth within Coleman continued to grow, and the image of fire began to brighten in his mind, as well. He felt a trickle of sweat slide down the side of his face, and then suddenly, a flash of light burst through his mind. He felt a gush of energy being expelled from his body and the image in his mind exploded into a sheet of flame. He opened his eyes and there, before him, the wood had ignited, fully engulfed in flames. As he watched the blaze, he felt himself returning from a trance-like state, only to hear Atura’s screams and Tahso’s yells of panic. Coleman shook his head, and as he became semi-aware of his surroundings, he could see that not only was there a fire in the pit, but the entire lodge was smoldering, and flames could be seen in many of its sections. Tahso and Atura were running around beating the flames with animal hides. Coleman calmly sat watching the chaos around him.

  “I think it worked,” he mumbled, still not fully cognizant of what was going on.

  “Stop, Tondo, stop!” he clearly heard Atura yell.

  He casually turned his head from side to side and saw flames everywhere. He felt Tahso grab him and literally throw him through the structure’s doorway. Coleman landed with a thud and slowly came to his senses. “What happened? Tahso, why did you throw me out?” Then he realized the hut was burning, so he pulled open the door skins and ran back into the lodge.