Sisimito I--Ox Witz Ha

by Henry W. Anderson

  Choj and his Köj were bullying332 for the ball as it left the Blue goal. The ball bounced off the Köj’s knee and Choj took it with his head, diverting it into the central area of the court where I picked it up with my wrist and propelled it so high that I could hear the bystanders sucking in their breath as they watched the ball ascend. The Red goal was to my right and the ball was coming straight down. A Köj was standing just in front of me looking up at it. I moved closer to him. I felt Bo’s and Choj’s black eyes staring at me, intently. I wanted the ball to fall just behind me so as the ball approached me from above, I charged my opponent pushing him about four feet away from me and the falling ball. I dropped back quickly to where I had been and mustering all the strength I could, jumped upward and forward in a spectacular handless somersault, at the same time blocking the Köj from getting to the ball. I brought up my feet, locked together, picked up the ball behind my ankles and hurled it towards the Red wall where the goal was. There was a tremendous hush as the ball hit the hole of the goal at an angle, sending fragments of stone across the wall and the court. I was back on my feet. The ball oscillated rapidly within the confines of the goal until it stopped. Everyone watched the ball. No one moved, not even us, the players. Slowly, the ball rolled out of the goal onto the other halfcourt. A marker was placed on the Red side.

  “Fok! Fok! Fok!” shouted the spectators. “Fok! Fok! Fok!” They jumped and tossed their parasols in the air. Even the Halach Uinic and his family were standing. He looked towards the priests and, momentarily, there was a smile on his face.

  I was frozen, not believing what I was hearing … not believing what I had done. Luckily, Bo and Choj were back on tract. Choj had raced up the slope to retrieve the slowly falling ball. He immediately sent it out to Bo, however, as one of the Köj’s were right up against him. Move and Think only of winning the game. I raced downcourt to give Bo and Choj more space to set up a play, my Köj marking me closely. Bo was upcourt, at the northern end, facing the offcourt, bouncing the ball off his knees. His Köj was right up against his back, moving with him and blocking both his vision and his body. Choj’s Köj left him, ran up the Red side of the sloping wall and then downward towards Bo. The ball was in the air when the Köj reached Bo and he successfully took the ball with his left wrist and hurled it onto the blue wall. The ball shot straight upward. My Köj ran upcourt then curved to the Blue sloping wall. The descending ball was in front of him as he jumped upward to meet it. He seemed to be walking on air as he moved his legs then, with his left ankle, he shot the ball right through the Blue goal. I saw the ball coming towards me, I saw the spectators jumping up and down, I saw the unsmiling face of the Halach Uinic, I saw the second marker go up on the Blue side, but I did not see Molly anywhere. I reached for the ball then tried to pull back my hand, but it was too late. The drums rolled. I had fouled the ball.

  Choj and Bo were immediately at my side. “You lost concentration,” shouted Choj. I saw it in your face. If you do that, we’re dead. Move and Think only of winning the game.”

  “Move and Think only of winning the game,” I shouted.

  The official stood up.

  “Let’s go,” urged Bo, and we each raced back to our respective Köj, glistening with pouring sweat that was falling quickly from our oiled bodies.

  “Blue ball,” shouted the official.

  Move and Think only of winning the game. Think only of winning the game.

  Bo’s Köj was juggling the ball off his knees while the other two Köjs had left us and were sprinting towards opposite ends of the court. I wasn’t sure whether to follow or not, so I looked towards Bo and Choj. I saw Choj go after his Köj, so I went after mine. It had taken only a second of hesitation on my part and my Köj was already facing the goals. He hurled the ball off his waist and before I knew what was happening, the ball was passing between my legs. It hit the court about twenty feet away from the Blue goal and took its upward flight straight through the Blue hole. A blue flag went up on the Blue side.

  We were immediately surrounded by attendants. The gear had to be checked again, fruits had to be eaten, water drunk. I knew that Choj and Bo were not pleased with my performance, but all they did was pat me strongly on my back; then Choj gesticulated towards the northern end of the court. If I needed anything to persuade me that I could not afford any more lapses, it was what was there. The golden statue of the Feathered Serpent, Kukulcán, had returned and was surrounded by priests. I recognized one of the priests as the one we had met on the sacbeob, the Ahau Can Mai, and he was staring directly at me, his eyes blazing the color of blood as they reflected the hot afternoon sun.

  A group of the priests were talking continuously among themselves while others stood aside, some having stern looks, probably practiced, to inflict terror. I assumed that those were the priests who specialized in the removal of the human heart and other forms of human sacrifice. They too were staring at me and my heart began beating wildly within my chest.

  Move and Think only of winning the game.

  The presence of the priests was not the only matter that caught my attention. The Halach Uinic was no longer seated. He was standing to a side of the platform, talking to several Warriors dressed in full jaguar war regalia. I was not allowed to be distracted any longer for Bo and Choj were beside me and we were hugged in a tight circle.

  “You cost us the game, Ke’kchi,” declared Bo. I was surprised that he did not sound angry.

  “You allowed yourself to become distracted,” chastised Choj.

  “I foked up,” I said.

  “Yeah! You’re all fok,” agreed Choj. He laughed loudly. “I still don’t know what the word means. As Bo said, nobody knows what it means, but everybody is saying it.” He looked at me and shook his head.

  “Who are you, Ke’kchi?”

  I found it hard to accept that those two young men were facing death and yet could laugh … could be so calm. I looked to Choj. “Fuck is when you and your woman get naked and have fun.” I formed a circle with the fingers of my left hand, took my trigger finger and rubbed it in and out of the circle.”

  “Oh!” Choj raised his eyebrows. “Then it’s a good word.” We laughed and hugged each other. He continued, “The young people support the Halach Uinic. They support us and they will support you … if you let them. They can only do that, however, if we win.””

  I stared at Choj. There was no enmity in his eyes. I didn’t know what to say.

  Choj smiled. “Well, Ke’kchi! Leave your fucking until later or you won’t fuck tonight; unless, we can fuck in Xibalba.”

  “Okay,” instructed Bo, returning to the game. “We will go for three quick scores.” “We’ll t’u’ul333 them … hit them with everything we’ve got and swiftly … confuse them that before they know what’s happened, the game is over.”

  “T’u’ul them?” I asked. Bo and Choj laughed so loudly that many of the spectators turned to look at us.

  “Have you seen a t’u’ul … fuck?” asked Bo. I couldn’t remember if I had. “One, two, three and it’s over. That’s how we’ll win. A t’u’ul will defeat the Köjs.” I joined in the laughter, although I really didn’t feel I had anything to laugh about. It made me feel better, however, even though I really didn’t know how the fok I was going to do a t’u’ul.

  “The Red will have the ol,” ruled the official.

  “To life,” I roared.

  “No,” insisted Choj. “To the game. Move and Think only of winning the game. It is only through winning the game that there will be life.”

  We held tight and shouted to the top of our lungs, “To the game!”

  I was surprised to hear the shouts from the spectators, especially the Nim-q’ij Guards. “Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi!” Their shouts entered my blood and I felt every muscle of my body respond. Then the noise of the crowd started disappearing. It was as if I were becoming deaf. Move and Think only of winning the game.

  We stood at the center, looking the Köj s directly
into their black eyes, their oiled and shinning black hair hanging from under their helmets. The Red team faced the north and the Köjs the south. The spearthrower was brought down by the official and Bo, who was in the center, reached for the ball. The Köj s were already responding when Bo dropped back in a feint and Choj picked up the ball instead and was bouncing it off his knee moving rapidly backwards. Bo maneuvered forward again, standing in front of Choj while I moved quickly upcourt. I was rapidly approaching the northern end of the court, but I was not alone as I felt the warm breath of the Köj against my back and I smelled the strong sweat pouring out of his athletic body. I side-stepped and he rushed passed me. I swung around and saw the ball racing from Choj’s right ankle, taking flight about four feet above the court. I jumped up, walking in air like the Köj had done, hit the ball off-center with my right ankle, imparting the ball with a spin as it travelled downcourt towards the Red goal, about forty feet away. My Köj responded to its apparent straight flight path and instead of going after the ball, stayed with me. As the ball travelled, it started to curve making a perfect banana pass.334

  Still in the air, I saw Bo racing up the slopping wall south of the Red goal, his Köj marking him closely. Choj was running towards the Blue goal, his Köj trying unsuccessfully to get in front of him. The ball continued its curve and hit the wall about a foot in front of the Red goal. It rose up and shot through the hole towards Bo. Score one! Choj had left his Köj and was racing towards the northern end of the sloping Red wall. Bo slammed the ball with his wrist, returning it through the goal, the ball not even touching its edges. Score two! Choj was on the opposite side and as I watched, spellbound, he used his ankle to heave the ball back towards the goal. I heard him scream out and I saw his ankle twist away from the ball. He began falling to the ground, but the ball was going … going back to the goal. The ball went through. Score three!

  I heard the crowd once again, the shouts of Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi! Fok! Fok! Fok! Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi! adding to the general hysteria. I couldn’t think and felt warm tears on my cheeks. I held the green scapular and sank to the court where I remained on my knees. There were screams of excitement, roars of delirium at the way we had played. The surrounding temples and buildings were alive as colorful parasols, headdresses, and cloaks were waved at us and thrown into the air. Flowers and jade were thrown at us on the court for we were the victors. I got up and Bo and I rushed to Choj. We pulled him up, holding on to him as we jumped up and down, over and over. He was in pain, but he jumped with us, using his one good leg. The attendants were trying to reach him to look at his ankle, but we just kept on jumping and roaring … and we were also crying. Why? Our victory? Our Salvation? It didn’t matter. We feasted our eyes on the three markers on the Red side as they were removed and replaced by the second Red flag. I didn’t think that the Nim-q’ij Guards had ever been allowed before to participate so much in a spectator sport in Ox Witz Ha. That time, however, they were shouting, throwing their weapons in the air, hitting each other on the back. In the revelry I continued to hear “Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi! Fok! Fok! Fok! Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi!” I saw the Ahau Can Mai, his face reddened by anger, his blood eyes still looking at me. Then the drums rolled and kept on rolling.

  Abruptly, the festive atmosphere came to an end. All of a sudden, there were no excited sounds, no cries of joy, only the drums as we were escorted to the middle of the court. The Köjs came and stood in front of us and Uetzcayotl handed the game ball to Bo. Attendants were at our side, quickly, removing all the game equipment. They removed our sweat soaked loincloths and rubbed down our bodies with scented oils after which new loincloths were put on us. We stood facing each other, dressed only in our loincloths, the victorious and the vanquished. The attendants brought out three cloaks made from the skin of the jaguar, the Baläm, and placed these around Bo, Choj and myself. There were none for the conquered. I looked into the black eyes of Tepiltzin, across from me. I saw no fear of what was to come. His eyes showed no emotions, no pain. It was I who felt the emotions. It was I who felt the pain. The drums stopped.

  The flute musicians began playing and the priests and the statue of Kukulcán came onto the court. They turned to face the Halach Uinic and we did the same. The Halach Uinic stood up and the music stopped.

  “This k’iin is one that will be written about by our scribes and poets,” began the Halach Uinic. “Never before has a game of Pitz had more significance in our history. I am sure that even the achalals Hun Hunahpu and Vucub Hunahpu335 would nod their clever and handsome heads in agreement. Of great and grave importance, also, I have been advised by my Nim-q’ij Military Commander that the forces of the traitorous Ajawinel of Maxam are less than a quarter of a k’iin away as they approach from the northwest. My Nim-q’ij Army is already in place to defend us all, to protect the citizens and city of Ox Witz Ha. We will proceed with the procession as planned by the Ahau Can Mai, but immediately after the visit to the Ch’ajch’oj Tz’ono’ot, all our citizens must prepare for war. There will be many dead before this k’iin is done. Many of our citizens have already been taken from us last night by the evil one, Mahanamatz and his Kechelaj Komon. So much is our fear that our city is incensed with the sacred p’om. Yet, we play Pitz, and what a ballgame it was.”

  Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi! Fok! Fok! Fok! Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi! Ke’kchi!

  “This k’iin,” continued the Halach Uinic, “many of our young Warriors will fight the invaders and offer themselves to the gods of war; to Ah Chuy Kak, the Fire destroyer, to Ah Cun Cun, the Serpent Charmer, to Ahulane, the Archer, and to the great fierce and violent Black War Chief, Ekchuah, who glorifies our fallen Warriors. I will not sacrifice more Warriors, unnecessarily. The war god, Buluc Chabtan, will have to be satisfied with those fallen in battle.” Murmurs rose from the crowds and the Halach Uinic raised his right hand to quieten them. “I, K’an II, Ruler V of the Kingdom of Ox Witz Ha, therefore, mandate that the vanquished in this k’iin’s game be sent to the front lines that protect our city, there to fight as the Warriors they are. If it be the will of the gods that they enter the Maw of the Beast, that they travel to Xibalba, they will do so as great Warriors of our people and not as sacrifices on a cold stone altar already stained with the blood of too many of our young people.” There were tumultuous cheers from the people and, once again, the air was filled with color. I looked at the angry priests, their eyes filled with hatred as they saw roads of erosion being laid into their power. “I will now ask that the procession to the Ch’ajch’oj Tz’ono’ot begin without delay.”

  The flutes and drums headed the procession as we left the ballcourt. Choj was taken away so that his ankle could be looked after, but Bo was with me. So was Xicohtencatl, who kept hitting me on my back. He was very happy that I had won, but I knew that he would kill me, if ordered, just as he would die to protect me, if ordered. I accepted it. He was a soldier. I was a soldier.

  Behind the musicians was the golden statue of Kukulcán and the priests. I noticed that they were busy in consultation and did not seem as solemn as they were before. They had many assistants carrying banners and jars of burning incense and one carried a ladder made of hemp or bark. The Halach Uinic, the Chichu’ Ajawinel, their children the Nim-q’ij Alixels, Lady Batz’ Ek’, other family members, were next and we followed, being honored as victors. Then came other Nobles and the citizens who filled the sacbeob as far behind me as I could see. I was grateful for Bo’s presence as he explained the happenings about me. Many of the processionists carried banners and statues of Kukulcán while some carried pots of incense, food cooked without salt and pepper, and drinks made from beans and the seeds of squashes. Others brought jewels such as earnings, jade labrets336 gold beads, armbands of precious stones, snail shell bracelets, panther claws, jaguar claws, owl skulls, parrot feather crests; yet, others carried beautiful pots and dishes, and there was much more.

  The city was filled with villagers who had fled the outskirts be
cause of Mahanamatz and the approaching war. I was curious why there was a large crowd of non-Nobles participating in the procession as the festivities were called to appease Kukulcán, the god of the Nobles, and to make Ox Witz Ha victorious in war. Yet, I saw many farmers, craftsmen, merchants, servants and slaves partaking. I wondered if they were there simply because it was a religious activity and feared the wrath of the priests if they didn’t participate; or was it that politics in Ox Witz Ha had reached all levels of its society and they had attended out of interest because the situation brought the policies of the priests and those of the Halach Uinic in confrontation. Of course, they may simply have wanted to see what would happen to the two strangers, Molly and me, who were blamed for fulfilling the priests’ prophecy. I had escaped the death clutches of the priests and they did not hide their infuriation. Should Xch’úup Xma’ K’aaba’ also escape, as she must, I feared to think of the repercussions. Fok! Why couldn’t my life be simple?

  I had not seen Molly, as yet, and I looked for her, continuously, as we moved along. We had walked westward from the ballcourt, between two long buildings used for shell, chert337 and other workshops. We then walked along the causeway that served as a market route for materials and goods from the northwest into the Northwest Acropolis where the ballcourt was, the same causeway being used by the Ajawinel of Maxam to bring his forces into Ox Witz Ha. I remembered, having looked from the table-mountain, that the city outskirts did not spread out far in a northwesterly direction.