Tuksook's Story, 35,000 BC

by Bonnye Matthews

“I’ll bring you his old one, which is like new, and hang this on his peg,” she told them.

  Women busily prepared the evening meal. The meat was swan, caught after the boat left, camel, and some aurochs that remained from the last meal. Those who could touch the plant without effect had taken some mother of red rash and peeled off the leaves and outer stem. They had washed them at the falling water for bathing. They cut them into cylinders about a finger long, and called them mother fingers. There would be greens for the evening meal. It was late for these still to be green. Most stalks were brown to black, but the women would make use of any vegetation they could find still fresh.

  The sound of rocks being hit together called the People to the evening meal.

  Tuksook took some of everything except the mother fingers. The smell was inviting, but knowing what the plant did to her skin made her avoid having anything to do with them. Mi loved their crunchiness, though this late in the year, they were losing some of that crunch. When Mi and Gumui ate the mother fingers, they would wash their hands well afterward to keep from transferring any of the plant to Tuksook’s skin.

  The People gathered for council as soon as all finished their evening meals. They decided to have council outside, but they soon realized they’d have to move inside because it was becoming colder, especially at night.

  Tuksook said, “Our boatmen guests have left for the south. I ask Wisdom to protect them in their sailing and keep them. Let them arrive at their destination safely,” she paused. Then she continued, “Does anyone have anything to say this evening?”

  Yumo said, “I heard that this is the last of the fresh sea aurochs. Would taking a sail to the sea to fish for sea aurochs be something you’d do at this time of year?” he asked.

  Hawk said, “I’m ready to fish for sea aurochs any time I can have People go with me, except when it becomes too cold, and that coldness is near but not here yet. I am willing to accompany you. We need two others.”

  Orad said, “I’ve increased my muscles this year and rowing would be good for me. I’ll go to row, but I’m not interested in going in the water.”

  Vole, always ready for a sail said, “I’ll make the fourth man.”

  Yumo said, “After the morning meal, then?”

  The other three planning the trip nodded.

  Tuksook asked, “Are there others who would speak?”

  Item made eye contact, and Tuksook nodded.

  “I need to have each one of you check jackets, boots, mittens, hats for cold time protection. If something is worn or torn or just doesn’t fit right, if boots are outgrown for children, let me know. We are trying to assure that all are ready for the cold times. For those of you who just arrived, you have to be certain that the things given you fit well and are not torn. You cannot permit your skin to have much exposure to the very cold. If something isn’t right, speak up. We already replaced Unmo’s jacket, which was too large. We know that Stencellomak, Gumui, and Hawk need replacements.”

  “Does anyone else have anything to say?” Tuksook asked.

  Gumui stared into her eyes. She nodded.

  “I went through the bent tree house, looking for anything that needed attention before the cold times. I realized that we should have a bladder of water across from each hearth. If a fire occurred, the means of stopping it would be available. We need to have the bladders added and someone to assure that they are always filled and ready.”

  It was surprising when Paw made eye contact with Tuksook. Tuksook nodded.

  “Lumu and I would be glad to contribute to the People by assuring the bladders are filled,” Paw said.

  “Does anyone else have anything to say?” Tuksook asked.

  Kiramuat made eye contact with Tuksook. She nodded.

  Kiramuat said, “I will take the bladders needed tomorrow and fill them. I’ll peg the inside of a nearby tree to hang each one.”

  “Does anyone have anything to say?”

  Silence.

  As the People dispersed after the meeting, Huaga walked over to Tuksook.

  “Tuksook, I want to thank you for talking to Wisdom about our boatmen. We were so close for so long. I worried about them on this sailing. After you talked to Wisdom about them, I am no longer fearful for them.”

  “I enjoyed meeting those I had a chance to meet. They are good People, Huaga. I’m sorry they had to leave, but it’s true that we have few females available.”

  “Well, thanks again,” Huaga said and turned to walk with his wife.

  The People walked a little faster in the chill of the air. Once inside, the bent tree house was warm and cozy. Some People checked their jackets, boots, mittens, and hats. Others would wait until they awakened. Quickly, rest fell on the bent tree house. A flute played a short two tunes and stopped. All was well.

  Chapter Twelve

  Five years passed. Tuksook had been confused, expecting an imminent earthquake. Then, she had become irritated, because it hadn’t come. Ultimately, she lost full trust in Wisdom. She still talked with Wisdom, and Wisdom knew her thoughts on the earthquake and that she’d lost trust in the long wait. Tuksook lacked patience and understanding. Wisdom did not interfere with her learning; it was as it was. To speed Tuksook’s learning would throw her out of balance in the way of the People. Wisdom would not disclose the time of the earthquake, only that she needed to practice calling on him when anything significant occurred to be sure to obtain the guidance Wisdom might want her to have. To that she was obedient.

  Tuksook walked over to the stones and sat on one, while Mi sat on a skin on the grass and recited the stories. Tuksook looked at Mi as the girl recited. What a different child Mi was from the other children—or from herself for that matter. She was single minded when it came to the stories; she had perception way beyond her years; she was good natured. Tuksook wondered whether Mi had any childish behaviors such as the expected rebellion, greed, pride, or any of a number of others that would need correction. Tuksook had never found any. She wondered whether Mi’s integrity crystal was as shiny and perfect as the day she was born. Tuksook knew that if called on to name a single problem with Mi, she would be unable to name one. Tuksook would not count the times that Mi followed Awk when he didn’t want her to be with him, because she was too young to understand without guidance what she did. Once she understood, she never repeated that behavior, but, then, she was occupied reciting stories.

  Gumui walked over. “Let’s walk down on the lower level path today to see what the pooling waters have to show us,” he said.

  Tuksook looked surprised that he’d interrupt the recitation, but she realized it was a lovely day and she agreed. Mi couldn’t believe it.

  They walked down the path. As they walked to the south, Gumui and Mi examined each pool for minnows or worms or water bugs, whatever they could find. Tuksook’s intake of breath caused Gumui and Mi to turn around. She had pulled a leg bone from the hillside. Beside it was a jaw-less skull. She pulled both bones from the dirt and wiped them off.

  “What are you going to do with the bones?” Mi asked.

  “I plan to ask Gumui to bury them,” Tuksook replied. She smiled at Gumui.

  “Where our People are buried?” Mi asked.

  “Does that matter to you?” Tuksook asked her, wondering what her reasoning was to question it.

  “The bones are not from our People. I cannot reason that they should be buried in another place, but it seems odd to have the bones of strangers in our meadow.”

  “Mi, according to the stories, what becomes of one of the People when they die?”

  “Wisdom draws them to the navel of the earth. Oh, I see what you’re having me see. The bones are laid there from respect for the person, but the person isn’t there. I can also see that these bones were once buried in our meadow.”

  “Yes,” Tuksook replied.

  “So my question wasn’t really one I should have asked. But I tried to reason and didn’t find the right pathway in my mind web.”

  “
It happens to everyone, Mi. Don’t worry over it.”

  “Now, I am comfortable with the stranger’s bones in our meadow. The spirit of that person is not here.”

  “True,” Tuksook said, realizing how well she knew it was true.

  They went up to the meadow with the bones. Gumui carried the bones over to the place where the graves were.

  “Before we do this,” he said, “do you think it wise for us to poke around in the dirt where these were to be sure there are no other bones that should be added?”

  “Why don’t you ask a few men to help,” Tuksook said.

  “Good idea,” he replied. “I’ll see who I can find.”

  Tuksook looked at the graves just beyond her feet. Unmo and Amiz were buried there. A rock covered with red ochre was buried representing Togomoo. What appeared to be a huge black and white fish with a large fin on top along with others with proportionate fins of smaller size had eaten him, while he was fishing for sea aurochs. Hawk called the beast a whale, but others were certain it was a fish. His body was at sea. She thought how the People had refused to fish for sea aurochs for a while. By this time they had returned to it assuring themselves they’d avoid or leave the water, if fins appeared on the surface. They carried rocks to hit together underwater to warn the fishers to surface. So far, no one else had encounters with the large black and white fish.

  The season had just changed. Trees were just leafing out. Soon green would color the land that in the cold times lost color, resorting to black and white on land, leaving color to the sky. Flowers would bloom to bring color to the ground; hardwoods would green up. Tuksook’s favorites were the lovely wild roses and the pink plant that grew where fires from lightning had burned up forests.

  The dogs made low growls, so Tuksook and Mi looked to see whether there was a boat on the river. They looked at the dogs. The dogs walked about stiff-legged, their hackles up. Hunters who noticed ran to the various places where they looked from the near to the distance to see what they could see. Nobody saw anything.

  “I wonder what’s making them restless and set them to guarding,” Tuksook mumbled to Mi.

  Hunters gathered together in the meadow by the center stone. No one had seen anything. The dogs had calmed. The People returned to what they’d been doing.

  A little later, the dogs became restless again, pacing and uttering low growls. Then they calmed again.

  Amuin hit rocks together calling all to the evening meal. People gathered from all over the meadow and nearby places. That night they had fresh sea aurochs. That was always viewed as a treat. As they finished eating, there was a loud noise and a large crash. People looked at each other in horror as the ground began to move beneath them. They could see the rise and fall of the land in the meadow. Dogs were cowering in their house. People who had been in the bent tree house ran outside. Some little children in one part of the meadow would be on their feet and then in an eyeblink they were lying on their backs. Then, they’d stand again, not of their own doing. The ground shook so that Tuksook, Gumui, and Mi were thrown to the ground. Trees were leaning one way and then they would sway to lean the other way.

  Tuksook remembered the guidance of Wisdom that she had practiced for five years. “Wisdom!” she shouted looking at the sky and trying to rise to her feet on the violently shaking ground.

  She looked at Gumui with her eyes and her ears heard that special voice, “Check the fires.”

  “Gumui,” she said with her voice shaking from the shaking of the ground, “It’s going to be very important to check for fire in the bent tree house.”

  Gumui managed to rise to his feet, and he began to run on the still shaking ground. He headed to the bent tree house. A large limb that hung over Tuksook and Mi broke off, and it landed on Tuksook’s right leg and foot, up to the knee.

  “Want me to find Father?” Mi asked when she saw the huge limb on her mother’s leg.

  “No,” Tuksook told her, looking up to see whether any more branches could fall on them. She didn’t see any. Her leg began as horribly painful when the limb hit, but the feeling had decreased to one of pressure, not searing pain. She sat up as the rolling subsided.

  “Mother, your leg has to be a mess,” distraught Mi said.

  Tuksook touched Mi and said, calmly, “Mi, stop worrying. I’m in Wisdom’s hands. Be quiet. I have things I must do.”

  Elders gathered around her. She was their Wise One, even if pinned to the ground. Tuksook had listened to the guidance from Wisdom.

  She told them, “Do not worry over me right now. Search through all the People. Bring any who are terribly injured to the meadow away from trees. Use stretchers, don’t carry them in your arms. If they have broken bones, you don’t want to make matters worse by carrying them bent. Gather the injured together. Do you know if Item is doing well?”

  “Item is fine,” Anvel assured her, “a little shaken, but she is unhurt.”

  “Good, ask her to gather people who can treat injuries. Have those who can treat injuries go to the meadow to wait for the most critical cases that are likely to survive. Bring the critically injured first. I understand we had some die?”

  Hawk said, “Yes, Guw and Kiramuat both died. Gilo is probably going to die later. He has a terrible head injury, but he breathes.”

  Tuksook nodded.

  “Be sure that you know where every one of the People is. Have the ones who are well check the meadow and the nearby places People commonly go. We must find any who are injured.”

  At the far north end of the meadow, Limilow was shouting at Yumo. “We could’ve stayed in the old land. You brought us here. It was supposed to be a wonderful land. Well, it becomes horribly cold in the cold times, and now this. I’m scared and my mind web is screaming. I hate this. I hate it. This land is cursed.”

  Yumo was trying desperately to calm her, but she would not be calmed. Some of the People had circled around them and were agreeing with some of what she said. Yumo was frustrated but realized her words could make things a lot worse. He slapped her.

  When she looked at him, he said, “Wife, control yourself. From fear, you say many things about which you know nothing. You need to find the children to be sure they are well, not make a laughing bird out of yourself. Fear has you in its grips. Break out of it now. You are unhurt, so you are needed to help those who are hurt. The rest of you,” he said looking at those who had gathered, “go to the aid of those who are injured. Now!”

  The People scattered, each looking for others who might have been hurt.

  Tuksook said, “Elders, we already know we need two graves, maybe more. Some of those who are in fear, have them start digging. Please, someone, check to be sure Gumui is well. He went to see whether fire was a problem in the bent tree house, and he has not returned.”

  Hamaklob went running.

  Tuksook continued. “If you find anyone who is unhurt and is not busy in the way of the People, tell them to do something that you can think of to make them busy with purpose. Being busy should remove the fear from their mind webs. Finally, some People need to check the river level.”

  The elders went to carry out the things she told them.

  Hawk sat in front of Tuksook, so it was easier for her to see him.

  Without waiting for a nod, Hawk said, “Wise One, you are injured badly. You know that. Should I call Gumui and Item now?”

  “No, Hawk, my dear friend. Not yet. As long as the log doesn’t move I’m fine for the present. Listen to what I’m about to say, so you can tell my mother. Don’t move the log off my leg until someone is ready to take care of my leg. My leg must be removed below the knee. If necessary it may be that you have to shorten the bone in the upper leg, because there must be skin left to cover the end of the remaining leg. Someone must thoroughly wash the opened part of my leg with salt water. Any vessels that bleed from the leg must be burned with a hot coal quickly. The skin that remains must be sewed together. If any of the students of Kouchu have the belly for it, they would
do good work. Then someone will have to cover it with honey and whatever the preservative herbs are available and wrap it.”

  “Tuksook, I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

  “Hawk, I could be dead. I’m grateful to be alive. Once I heal, I can still do what I am supposed to do. That is good. Any sign of Gumui?”

  “Yes, he comes here now. I will go to number the People to be sure we have them all.”

  Tuksook nodded.

  Gumui arrived and sat cross-legged facing Tuksook. “Tuksook, I’m so glad you mentioned checking the hearths. There were two hearths that had caught some skins on fire when they fell off bench/sleeping places. If you hadn’t said what you did when you did, we could have lost the bent tree house.”

  “How is damage to the bent tree house other than fire?” she asked.

  Gumui had difficulty looking at her leg under the limb, but he replied, “Many tree branches that were tied together to make the top broke the ties. We will have to use the handholds to climb up to retie them and then re-mud. We need to replace some blocks of grass squares. Many things scattered all over the ground where the jerky, tools, weapons, and other things are stored. We must clean that up and replace some split sea aurochs skins that cover the house. Some of the openings that are covered by the poled squares above must be repaired. A few trees seemed to have been pulled to lean when the land rippled, but the ties and the connections of bamboo we attached to the trees, they held well. Some bench/sleeping places may need to be repaired. Now, Wise One and wife, it is very important to take care of you.”

  “Not yet. The tree keeps me from bleeding. Just don’t move the tree. I will have my mother take care of the removal of the leg with the help of hunters, if necessary. I just gave the information to Hawk. I want to wait until those who need help from healers have it. I can wait. When my mother has finished there, she can take care of me here. We will need salt water, honey, and whatever plants are used for wounds. We also need needles and probably horse hair, since it’s strong, to sew up the flaps of skin over the bone.”

  “The pain will be unbearable,” Gumui said.