Tuksook's Story, 35,000 BC

by Bonnye Matthews

  “Yes. But that’s encouraging to me.”

  “Why’s that?” Item asked.

  “Because I can keep on going. If I were in a serious condition, I’d be unable to attend to my duties.”

  “I see,” Item replied. She could follow his reasoning, but it was faulty. She wasn’t sure she wanted to talk to him about that yet.

  Tuksook couldn’t help but see her parents from where she and Gumui had their bench/sleeping place. She had seen her father have some problem that looked like pain. Her mother had given him some kind of tea twice now. She wondered whether her father was ill.

  Item left Midgenemo and walked to where Gumui and Tuksook sat together. “Tuksook,” her mother said, “Your father is not feeling well. You will have to take his role at council tonight.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Are you hearing well?” Item asked her.

  “Yes, Mother. I just don’t know whether I’m ready.”

  “If you’re not ready, you’d better talk to Wisdom fast, because you have a responsibility at council tonight and you have to do it.”

  “Very well, Mother. I’ll do my best. What’s wrong with Father?”

  “I’m not sure. He’s been having chest pain. This is different from what Hapunta had. He has no lung congestion. I’m just giving him some teas trying to help and watching to see what develops.”

  “Don’t let him worry about tonight. I’ll tend to the council.”

  Item returned to Midgenemo.

  “You’re unsettled about tonight, aren’t you?” Gumui asked her.

  “Well, wouldn’t you be?”

  “I guess I was the first time I talked about the bent tree house until I started and then I realized I had something to share, and I forgot about myself.”

  “Maybe that’ll work for me.”

  “It’s not like you don’t know how it works.”

  “You’re right, Gumui.”

  The people ate the evening meal and by council most people in the house had noticed that the Wise One was lying down. Item brushed it over by saying he was being cautious because he had some pain in his chest. The council would take place and Tuksook would lead. That drew some interesting facial responses, but no words were spoken.

  Clean up finished and council was called by Item. All gathered at the central hearth. Since Midgenemo and Item’s bench/sleeping place was the most central in the house of all those in the west part, he could oversee Tuksook and hear everything that took place.

  Tuksook began. “This evening, the Wise One is taking care of his health and I will serve in his place. We have happiness to share. Orad and Hustep have decided to join, and they have the approval of the Wise One. We no longer have a first nights place, so they have the shielded area in the north part of the house. Orad and Hustep,” she called them forward.

  “Orad,” Tuksook said.

  Orad took both of Hustep’s hands and said, “I offer myself to you as husband for as long as my life extends.”

  “Hustep,” Tuksook said.

  Hustep said, “I offer myself to you as wife for as long as my life extends.”

  Tuksook said, “I say to Wisdom and to People everywhere, Orad and Hustep are one.”

  There were murmurs all around. As the two gathered their things, they accepted congratulations and left for the shielded area in the north part of the house.

  “Is there any other information for the council this night?” Tuksook asked.

  Silence.

  “Then we will have a story now.”

  Tuksook began, “This is a very, very old story. It is the story of Kukuk-na and Timkut-na. Timkut-na and Kukuk-na were hunters. They had trekked far looking for meat to feed the People. It was a time of drought and meat was not easy to find.”

  “Tumkut-na and Kukuk-na went to places where they had known deer to gather. There were none. They went to places where trees grew in groves providing shade from the sun for animals. There were no animals there. The men went to the highlands where they used to find grazers. There were none. They went to the lowlands and found nothing. Hunger was everywhere, but the two of them were determined that they would not let their People starve—not if they could help it.”

  “Kukuk-na and Timkut-na were exhausted. They looked for a place to sleep. Wisdom was sucking color from the land fast. Below them was a grove of trees and they stumbled towards it. Timkut-na was the first to arrive. He noticed a spring that had not dried up. He kneeled and began to drink, for his thirst was great. Suddenly he felt a hit on his hand. A serpent had been harboring in the grass beside him, and it bit his hand. He noticed it was a cobra. He cursed himself for being so careless. Kukuk-na arrived. He saw what had happened, and Timkut-na showed him the direction the cobra had gone. Kukuk-na found the snake and killed it. He looked for others and found none. There was no cure for the bite. Either Timkut-na would live or die.”

  “Kukuk-na tried to make a lean-to from what was available. He helped Timkut-na put out his sleeping skins and lie down. He made a fire and handed Timkut-na a piece of jerky, but the hunter declined. He wasn’t hungry. Kukuk-na ate it. Timkut-na’s hand was beginning to hurt severely. He became nauseated and vomited, but there was nothing in his stomach to eliminate but a little water. His eyelids were drooping and his hand and arm were swelling. Timkut-na was in obvious pain. Kukuk-na was agonizing over his friend. He kept the fire going and watched over Timkut-na carefully, while his friend slept fitfully. When Wisdom restored color to the land, Kukuk-na saw that Timkut-na was struggling to breathe. He saw him breathe his last.”

  “Kukuk-na took the digging tool Timkut-na carried in his backpack and dug the best he could to bury Kukuk-na. When he had him in the hole and covered by dirt, he still needed to find more dirt to cover his friend. He did not want any animals to dig the man up. Slowly he brought more dirt and covered the body. Then he found rocks and covered the mound. In the distance he heard what sounded like voices. He thought it was just his being alone that he was hearing things that weren’t there.”

  “Kukuk-na sat by the lean-to and wept. He wept because his People hungered. He wept because there were no animals to feed his People. He wept because he and Timkut-na were starving. He wept because Kukuk-na died. He wept because he was alone.”

  “The voices came closer. Kukuk-na didn’t notice. It was two hunters from his People. They had found meat. They came to call the hunters home.”

  “This story is the reason we always check thoroughly for snakes and spiders when we look at a place to camp or live. Even if you are terribly tired, you must look to be certain that the place you are planning to stay is free of harmful living things. Timkut-na died because his thirst was more important than his safety.”

  Tuksook looked at the People gathered there. Oddly, she had felt comfortable at the meeting. It was not as frightening an experience as she thought it might be. In truth, Tuksook admitted, it was enjoyable.

  There was silence.

  “Any additions to the council this night?” she asked.

  Silence.

  “Then, the council ends now for this night.” She knew the Wise One said something but she had forgotten how he disbanded the council. Her words worked, for People were heading to their sleeping places.”

  “Well done,” Ottu told her.

  “Good, Tuksook,” Unmo said touching her shoulder.

  Item walked over and close to her ear said, “Your father is proud of you.”

  “Thank him for me, please,” she replied.

  Gumui handed Tuksook her jacket. He led her to the entryway in the west part of the house. Outside the wind was picking up, and in the sky there were green bands of color. They moved seemingly faster than the red ones, but then the red sky lights they saw had covered the whole sky. These were strips of green color. Gumui poked his head into the entryway and whistled the general “Come.” He put his arms around Tuksook and they watched the sky light bands. As with the red ones, you could see stars through the bands of color.
Some bands were straight overhead and some were in the distance. It was amazing to behold the display. It seemed that some of the sky lights were tinged with blue, others with white, but they found themselves uncertain. Just watching it was enough.

  People used the east, south, and west entryways to go out to see the sky lights. There was a fascination with them that drew People to them. For some reason the green was not as frightening as the red sky had been. This by comparison seemed friendly. Midgenemo came out in his jacket and hat. He wore his boots. His mittens were on his hands. Item had clearly been involved in his pursuit of the sky lights. He stayed long enough to enjoy a good viewing of them and then he returned to his sleeping place.

  Gumui looked at the roof of the bent tree house. The wind seemed to blow harder now. He and Tuksook returned inside. Both were filled with the beauty of the sky lights.

  As the night wore on, the wind blew stronger and stronger. For some of the late night, the wind howled. No one went outside while it howled. Few adults slept well. Some didn’t sleep at all. Occasionally, the People could hear a limb from one of the bent trees being tossed in the wind. Twice it sounded as if a limb from the top of the bent tree house broke and at other times it sounded as if a tree blew over, its thump on hitting the ground reverberated throughout the house.

  When morning arrived, a few hunters, including Gumui dressed warmly and went to search for damage, if there was any. Clearly, from the inside of the house, there was no damage. Outside, it did seem that some of the tree tops needed to be tied down again with additional leather strips. But that was true of only two places. It was something they could finish in a day. There was some sea aurochs skin available, and Gumui and Togomoo decided to cover the two places that needed the additional tie downs with the sea aurochs’ skin. When warm weather returned they’d cover their roof with it. The hunters went inside to report their findings on damage. What damage there was from the wind was slight. Gumui was greatly relieved they had put the turf blocks against the side of the bent tree house.

  “Now, see, I told you so,” Ottu said to Hawk. “The Wise One becomes sick and the sky lights come all in the same day. I tell you it isn’t coincidence.”

  Hawk was convinced that the sky lights and the Wise One’s illness had nothing to do with one another, but he said, “Yes, elder, we’ll just have to wait to see what develops.”

  Tuksook went to find Item.

  “Mother, how is Father doing. He’s not on his bench.”

  “He’s much better today,” she said smiling a real smile. Midgenemo’s heart seemed better to her and he definitely felt better.

  “I am so glad.”

  “He was so very proud of you last night. So was I. You have done well.”

  Tuksook blushed. “Thank you,” she said lowering her head.

  Chapter Six

  Tuksook knelt just outside the west entryway to the house while most of the People were still sleeping. Her shins touched the cold ground, something she didn’t notice. She sat on the heels of her boots. Her hands, covered in mittens lay on her upper legs. She talked with Wisdom. She had thought long and hard about the change in the way she saw her father.

  “When I was young, I saw my father as larger than a normal man, Wisdom. He was my idea of the best. He could do no wrong. Father knew everything. He was strong. I thought he was like you. Then, he made a single, huge judgment error. My image of my father shattered into what felt like uncountable pieces that no one could hope to put back together. My belly lodged feelings that traveled fast from love to hate. It was all based on one single judgment error. I expected perfection from him. What does that tell me about my love and hate? Are they parts of the same thing? I based my love on my imaginings, not reality. What an ugly, poorly reasoning mind web! My father was the same man. Did I see him as something he wasn’t? I have to admit, I did. Then, when he erred, did I make more of that than was warranted? I did. Was my love so shallow that it couldn’t survive a single judgment error? Yes. I think I resented his shattering the perfect image I had set up in my imagination, as if that were unforgiveable. I certainly carried an unrelenting unforgiving spirit, which is contrary to your way.”

  “Is that part of why I fought against becoming Wise One? Is it that I thought I had to be bigger than life? Tuksook, having to be perfect. I wanted to remain a child, because children were expected to err? Did I see becoming adult as Wise One too great a challenge for me? Did I assume, and probably rightly so, that I would fail, even as my father failed. Oh, Wisdom, I begin to see, and what I see is not a good sight!”

  “Your eyes open a bit. Tuksook, you are one of the People—no more, no less,” the small, quiet voice of Wisdom said.

  “I understand,” Tuksook replied. Then, she continued, “I look at my father now and worry. He seems to have overcome whatever made him ill recently, but I still worry that what caused the illness is only hidden. I fear it will come again. Wisdom I love my father. I don’t love him as someone who’s perfect or hate him as someone who’s outrageously horrid—I love him as he is, as one of the People who has a large responsibility and can make mistakes. I don’t want him to die soon.”

  “His illness will come again, but his line of life is not at the end yet. He will remain Wise One for a while. You are not ready to take on the full responsibility of Wise One. You must take some time to continue to examine your reason and what’s expected of People in life. You need stability. How can you go from thinking your father is perfect one moment to virtually murdering his character the next?”

  “Murder!”

  “Why does that term bother you?”

  “Wisdom, murder is a horrible thing to do.”

  “Anything that is not my way is a horrible thing to do, Tuksook. Do you think murder is worse than lying?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “You are wrong, Tuksook. Lying involves murder. Lies attempt to murder the one who lies, the one lied about, and me. The liar tries to change himself into what he is not—he murders who he really is, usually to make himself look better than he is. The liar tries to change the one lied about into what he is not, usually to make the other person look worse than he really is. That’s a type of murder, Tuksook. It’s all outside of my way. Going outside my way leaves scars that take long to be forgotten, if they ever are.”

  Tuksook was startled by the revelation of the equality of wrongdoing regardless of the specifics. It required her to look again at the way she saw things. Gumui had been right all that time ago when he wondered whether her sitting in judgment on her father wasn’t equal to what her father had done. Gumui had been right! “Oh, Wisdom, I have to become Wise One and Gumui is so much more mature in understanding than I am.”

  “That’s why he’s your husband, Tuksook. Remember and never forget, I chose you—not because you’re perfect—I chose you because I chose you, wrongdoing and all. The People can see that I choose People who are not perfect for Wise Ones, and that gives them hope. They should see you grow in my way as time passes. That gives more hope. Tuksook, there has never been a perfect person of the People; there is not one now; there will be none in the future.”

  “Do you think many of the People understand that?”

  “Far more than you credit, Tuksook. Certainly, not all. You discredit many of your People in an unthinking, uncaring way. It is your self-centeredness and pride that keep you from clear vision. You continue to think that you’re better than many of the People. That is unacceptable. It’s the error your father made.”

  Tuksook let the pent up tears fall. As cold as it was outside, she had to wipe her face to keep ice from forming on her skin. Instead, it formed on the beaver fur of her mittens.

  “You have made progress today, Tuksook. You must continue to examine your thoughts, whether they are in my way or whether you’re off on some of your thinking, which has an immaturity of its own.”

  “I will obey, Wisdom,” she said.

  “It is only in looking straight at what you�
�ve done that you can grow in the future as a plant that stands straight up, reaching for the sun. Or, you may be one that grows bent over and confined to the shade for life. That is a choice you make in life.”

  “Wisdom, help me reach for the sun.” Tuksook’s face, full of hope, looked into the sky above her.

  “Your request is asked naïvely. To start what you ask, you begin with patience. Patience is gained only through very troubled times.”

  “What?”

  “You know to be careful what you choose to request of me. Tuksook, you are not ready to ask my help to reach for the sun. You ask for trials that are sometimes overwhelming. Future Wise One, grow your understanding first. Slow your reactions and increase your reason. Let my spirit breathe through you the fresh air of life, instead of relying on the limited breath of your own spirit. To do that you must know the stories, apply them to all things to which they relate, and listen to me. Also, you have a wonderful teacher for what I want you to learn, for he has learned it well. That person is Gumui. Now, watch.”

  Having no visual reference for Wisdom, Tuksook did not know where to look. Across the river, the closest of the year-round white covered mountains made a rumbling sound and a column of what looked like smoke rose from its top. She heard it and felt the tremors with her whole body. The wind was blowing toward the meadow. Tuksook realized that the volcano was erupting and the material it was spitting out was headed for them. She whistled the hunter’s “Come—now!” alert, and hunters came out of the house quickly. Tuksook pointed to the erupting volcano.

  Gumui came out and gave her a hand to rise up. They watched the long, slender cloud sweeping towards them and it was visibly dropping materials on the meadow as it approached. Gumui pulled her to return to the bent tree house, but she resisted.

  “I really want to see what it’s spitting out,” she said. “I am concerned for our house and the meadow.”

  “Very well,” he replied. “I’ll be right back. I need my full cold time protection to be out here.” He ran back inside to put on his pants, hat, and mittens, returning as soon as he was more warmly dressed.