Bit-n and other women circled near the hearth, sewing or making narrow rope. There were some of the People who needed new tunics. The men had asked for narrow rope. They were in no need of the thicker rope, which normally they made. When Oneg began to play the flute, the women became silent. The music made the hairs on the backs of their necks stand on end. It was haunting. It seemed to speak without words, speaking through feeling and time.
Tuksook listened and went to the girl. She sat on Oneg’s bench, listening to the tune and watching the girl. When Oneg finished playing and laid the flute beside her, she looked into Tuksook’s eyes.
“You have been with the ancients?” Tuksook asked.
“Is that who they are?” Oneg asked. “I can’t see them or hear them, but I can play music with them. It’s their music, but they seem to become part of me and I am part of them when we play the music.”
“Oneg, listen to me very carefully. You are touching something that can be very wonderful and very frightening. Do not try to talk to the ancients. I don’t see a problem with learning the music from them. But don’t talk to them. If they try to talk to you, call the Wise One or me immediately. The tunes they teach you are lovely and will be special for the People, but Wisdom has told us we are forbidden to talk to anyone who has died. Do you understand what I tell you?”
“Are you saying it’s okay for me to learn the tunes, but I am not to talk with them at all?”
“That’s exactly right.”
“Well, Tuksook, I cannot understand them. Their words make no sense to me.”
“Good. Put the tunes in your mind web, because if ever these People are able to talk to you, you will need to leave them forever. That’s where the Wise One or I can help you. Do you understand?”
“I do, Tuksook. You care about me, don’t you?”
Tuksook put her arm around Oneg. “Very much, Oneg,” she said. “I want to protect you from harm.”
“I have heard your words, and I have them in my mind web. I will not forget.”
“Good. Did you see the mammoth?”
“I did. Mother and I were showering when it came through. We had just finished and were drying the water off. We fled down behind the bent tree house to come in for safety. It was huge!”
“It was. I had no idea they were that big. Were you playing a flute Wikroak made?”
“Yes. This one has a deep sound that I love. It’s wonderful to have different flutes. Each has a voice just as People have different voices. With the ones he gave me, I returned Mother’s flute to her, so I wouldn’t break it. She can play it when Mil and Lamo grow older. Then, Mother and I can play together.”
“What a wonderful idea,” Tuksook said encouraging the idea.
Back in the meadow where the large rock was, the men had decided how to move the rock. They tied it with ropes and forced it on its side where they had laid short pieces of cut tree trunks. The tree trunks would serve to roll the rock. When the rock rolled over the last log, it could be carried to the front so the rollers worked all the way to ease the passage of the rock. Older boys would keep the logs moving by running them from the back to the front. Hunters would pull on the ropes. Some would push from the sides of the rock. To their delight, when they tried their solution, it worked. The rock moved. Not fast, but it made progress. They would have a replacement for the center pole that day, a replacement that would stand long after they were gone. The men started a rowing song and enjoyed the hard work after having been in the house for so long.
When the men had the rock near their meadow, the elders could hear the rowing song. They knew that the hunters had succeeded. They put on their jackets and went outside. They would direct the placement of the stone. They smiled knowing smiles. It was a good day.
“You did well,” Ottu said to Hamaklob.
“It was a dirty work,” Hamaklob admitted. “We’re going to need to shower. There was mammoth excrement on the path and the rollers transferred it to the rock and all over us. Nevertheless, we have a stone. Where do you want it?”
Ottu walked to the exact place where the pole used to be. “Right here,” he said. “Once you place it here, there may be a need to adjust it, so wait when it’s first raised to be sure it’s positioned right. We’ll examine the placement when it’s up.”
“Whatever you say,” Hamaklob replied. All the hunters were beaming. They had solved a hard problem. They would have a special stone in their meadow. They all felt the joy of achievement.
With much effort, the men stood the stone where Ottu had shown them. Ottu walked to the south part of the stone and sighted along the top.
“It needs to move just a bit to the west,” he said.
The men shouldered the stone, but had no success. Finally, using a hardwood tree trunk for leverage, they lifted one side and twisted it and then lifted the other side setting it down just a little to the west.
“How’s that?” Togomoo asked.
Ottu stood south of the stone. He sighted again. He smiled.
“Perfect,” he said.
Wave and Momeh had gone to the bent tree house and called for some large water holders. They asked for someone clean to carry them to the shower to fill them. The rock needed to be washed off.
Item, with the pretense of forbearance for the men used a hand signal to call Heek and Amuin to fill two large containers with water to shower off the rock. “Be careful, she cautioned. Who knows what’s on the rock.” The women laughed, and took the challenge. Item was glad it turned out as it did. She wouldn’t have wanted the men to contaminate the containers with whatever was on the rock. Women would be careful.
As it was, it took the women four fills each of water to clean the rock. It smelled awful.
Days later Togomoo, Hawk, Vole, and Taq gathered the things they’d need for five days. They took them to one of the boats and prepared to pursue another sea aurochs or two, if possible. They had plenty of rope. They had the four oars that Wikroak made. This would be the first use of the new oars. Just to be certain about what they were doing, they carried four of their old oars in the floor of the boat. If the ones Wikroak made didn’t work for them or for their boat, they wanted to have available what they needed. Oars were special and all unused oars were tied to the boat.
The river’s current was very fast. The runoff from the mountains as the snow melted swelled the river to its fullest and created a swift current. They made it to the sea in a single day, not two. They began to row to the west, looking for piles of seaweed on the shore. They had to row for half a day to find what they sought. There was the evidence of sea aurochs eating their favorite food.
Togomoo and Hawk prepared to enter the water. They found the wind cold when they removed their jackets and tunics. Hawk put his hand in the water.
“We’re going to have to do this very quickly,” Hawk said to Togomoo.
“Cold?” Togomoo asked.
“Makes the shower at home feel warm!”
“If either of us becomes too cold, we have to return back to the boat,” Togomoo said firmly. “Sea aurochs is good, but our lives are worth far more.”
“Agreed,” Hawk said.
Hawk prepared the slip loop and handed it to Togomoo after he was in the water. The cold of the water took Togomoo’s breath. Quickly, he dived and Hawk was right behind him. They managed to secure the loop around the first sea aurochs’ tail and then swam to the surface fast, freezing.
Vole had watched from above and had the rope tied to the boat. The freezing swimmers climbed into the boat and told the others to row while they dressed.
Teeth chattering, Togomoo said, “One sea aurochs this time is enough.”
Vole asked, “Would you like Taq and me to swim down to tie one?”
“I think Hawk will agree with me that we hung right on the edge of danger to ourselves. We’ve done this before, so we knew fast exactly what to do. You need to wait until the water warms before you try it the first time. When the water warms, it’s still co
ld! Let’s go home,” Togomoo said.
“I agree with Togomoo,” Hawk said starting to row.
“I like these oars that Wikroak made. They make it easier for us to row faster than the other ones,” Taq said.
“I do too.” Vole said.
The men rowed with great force, but it took them almost three days to reach home. They arrived just as the sun was rising. The reason was the force of the current in the river. It was taking the snowmelt from the mountains and there was a lot of it. The sea aurochs capture effort seemed to require four days regardless of season.
They returned home and the hunters and older boys came to meet them. They knew their roles from the last year. The sea aurochs was set to roasting as soon as the first roasts were delivered to the meadow. The strips for drying and smoking were being done quickly. Before the evening meal, everything was done that needed to be done. Elfa fed the dogs some of the fat with their dried fish.
By the time everyone had filled their bowls and seated themselves for the evening meal, there was a jolt. Earthquakes were not new. The People had experienced earthquakes for thousands of years. This one was a large hit followed by a roll. The People continued to eat. Then another earthquake hit. It was a little larger. The People continued to eat. After they had put their bowls away, another hit, but it was smaller. There were no more that evening.
When they went in the house, Gumui looked carefully to determine whether the quakes had left any damage to the bent tree house. Only here and there a little mud had fallen from the ceiling. He was delighted to see that the home was holding up well. He knew, if they had a big shaker that lasted any significant time, it could tear at the roof, possibly destroy it. With this earthquake, however, all was well.
Council that night was called off. There was nothing to report and the People were fatigued after the effort to process the sea aurochs.
Tuksook snuggled close to Gumui under their blankets. She thought of the shower of roses. She was blessed. She had begun at night before she slept to think of the blessings Wisdom had showered upon her that day. Tuksook smiled a faint smile. She had grown so much in this new land. Wisdom had been there leading her to right thinking time after time. She felt it was a blessing that now she knew she loved her father as she should have at the beginning. He was a man with a burdensome responsibility. He made errors just as others. He learned from his wrong doing and turned away from the wrong thinking or behavior and went on. He was truly a Wise One. Tuksook realized it came from Wisdom. Where once she had fought the very idea of becoming Wise One, she had learned that a chance to be with Wisdom outweighed anything else she could hope to do with her life. She was learning at an incredible rate about Wisdom, about how to be with other People, about staying in Wisdom’s way. She savored the memory of her playing while the People died. She would guard against that all her life. Tuksook finally understood it and was glad to have the reminder.
She thought back to her time with Oneg. The little girl had had a tough time with her broken leg. Suddenly, Tuksook realized that she was seeing Oneg growing towards the sun. This little girl had learned to play the flute like no one Tuksook had ever heard, because she’d been immobilized by the broken leg. Tuksook understood instantly what Wisdom had meant. Tuksook definitely didn’t want a broken leg to teach her patience so she could grow to the sun. She was overwhelmed with how beautiful it was to hear Oneg’s flute playing, but the immobilization, that was long term and very frustrating. No, she didn’t want to learn patience. She was grateful to Wisdom that her request was denied. Wisdom truly looked after his People. She had lots of time in her life to learn. She wiggled herself against Gumui as if she could become any closer. She shut her eyes and drifted to sleep.
All the People except the night watch, Loraz, were sleeping. Midgenemo rose up without waking Item and put his boots on. Around his shoulders, he wrapped a skin that hung on a peg near their bench/sleeping place. He walked quietly outside. The night was cold, but not freezing. He whistled a very light whistle and from the dog house a large black dog came toward him at a trot.
“Tictip, my dog friend,” Midgenemo greeted the dog.
Tictip came to him and sat in front of him, looking at Midgenemo’s face as if to identify the purpose of the call.
Midgenemo walked to the log where they laid the food choices when the People ate outside. He sat on the log and the dog sat next to his leg facing the same direction Midgenemo faced, toward the bent tree house. A few bats flew overhead. Early in the year for bats, he thought.
Without much forethought, Midgenemo reached down and scratched behind Tictip’s left ear. The dog looked at him adoringly. Overhead a single light streaked across the sky. They had learned from the stories in Manak-na and Ki’ti’s time that the source of the lights were little pocked rocks that fell from the sky to earth. When they hit the earth they were very hot. To the Wise Man, that did not eliminate the lovely effect in the night sky they made.
While continuing to pet the dog’s head, Midgenemo spoke aloud but very quietly, “Wisdom, it has been long since we talked. I have missed our times together. I have been so ashamed. I had become prideful and outside your way. It rips my belly every time I think of it. I know I asked you to forgive me. I know you forgave me. Somehow, I find it impossible to forgive myself.”
“Midgenemo,” came the very unique voice that the man knew so well, “For you to fail to forgive yourself when I have is conceit. Do you think yourself a better judge than I?”
“No, Wisdom, I question myself in all things now.” His words were true. Midgenemo stroked the dog. The dog turned his head and gazed at Midgenemo. Then, the dog looked off to the side, the north side of Midgenemo, the seeming source of the very quiet voice of Wisdom.
“Turn from what is past, Midgenemo. Move forward avoiding the errors of the past, but moving forward without the weight of carrying what I’ve already forgiven. You carry a burden that is not necessary and it clouds your judgment for the present. It burdens your feelings with weight from which you have been freed.”
“I understand, Wisdom.”
“I will tell you what I have told Tuksook. There has never been a person of the People who was perfect. There is none at this time. There never will be one. You are no better or worse than any of the People.”
Midgenemo looked up. His hand rested still on Tictip’s back. He carried a burden that there was no need from Wisdom’s view for him to carry. It was a burden from which he was freed—but he continued to carry it. He understood! The weight he carried since the lightning struck was one he could turn loose. It was that simple. The heavy weight of worry seemed as dew on the meadow in summer to evaporate in the warmth that came from the love Midgenemo felt from Wisdom.
Tictip could feel the emotion in Midgenemo. He did not stand up, but he turned his head to look at Midgenemo’s face. The dog easily detected the great feeling that filled the man. The dog turned back to the invisible source of the voice.
“You fear that you are nearing the end of your life line,” Wisdom stated, not asking a question.
“Yes,” Midgenemo replied.
“You have two cold times still in your line,” Wisdom said. “You should live fully and freely. Always remember to consult with me, but live, Midgenemo. While you live, help your daughter to eliminate the same weight of concern she carries. You need not know what the concern is, but only that she has it and you’re freed of yours. She should be free of her burden as well.
“Wisdom, sometimes I am overwhelmed at the love you have for me. I think of me on this land. To you I could be only less than a grain of sand. Yet, you know me. You know when I hurt. You relieve pain that I experience from needlessly carrying a burden. My heart is grateful Wisdom. When I heard Wikroak speak to you, it made me realize that some people live their lives without ever hearing of you. How can people live without you?”
“It is enough to know that some people do, Midgenemo.”
“My belly fills to overflowing with love a
nd gratitude to you Wisdom. Please never leave us.”
“I do not leave my people. I never have; I do not do it now; I will not do it in the future.”
“When I think of all the People who make the stories we tell, and I think of all the People who are to come, it is overwhelming that you are constant with all of us. And all of us stumble and think more of ourselves than we should. But you remain constant, guiding. We are truly blessed in you Wisdom. What is reassuring is that other people can see that we are blessed in you. It shows to people who never heard of you.”
“Remain in my way, Midgenemo.”
“I will to my utmost ability,” the Wise One replied.
Tictip seemed to realize the source of the voice had left. He whined almost inaudibly.
“It’s good, Tictip,” Midgenemo calmed the dog. “I just had a wonderful time with Wisdom and he healed my fatigue from carrying a burden I didn’t need to carry.” Midgenemo spoke to the dog, certain that the dog had no idea what he was saying, but he wanted to make the words come out. There was too much joy to contain within his body, so it had to come out in words.
Midgenemo picked up a stick that was near the hearth. Rising to his feet, he threw the stick some distance to the west. The dog ran after the stick and brought it to him. Midgenemo threw it three times and the dog retrieved the stick each time.
“Good dog, Tictip,” Midgenemo said. “You haven’t forgotten.”
Midgenemo walked with the dog back to the dog house. He gave the dog the hand sign to stay at the place. Midgenemo patted the dog’s head, turned, and began to walk back to the bent tree house. He was happy in a way he hadn’t felt in years. He felt lighter somehow. He felt connected to all that was around him. Midgenemo felt truly loved by Wisdom.
Tuksook's Story, 35,000 BC Page 22