by AA Lee
Her heart felt like exploding in anger. In a fluid movement, she lifted her hand and called forth the water to unleash her anger, but the water was deaf to her command.
“Take a deep breath.” Goni’s voice was like a whisper on the wind. “Your real power will not work there. You are on a journey to discover your inner self.”
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and imagined Goni guiding her. She felt herself getting calmer.
When she opened her eyes, she saw women holding hands in a circle, their faces painted white. This time, the vision highlighted their voices, and Kenda covered her ears from the sudden, piercing sound.
The women were singing a sorrowful song. The woman who was leading the song was the same woman whom the man had beaten. The surrounding women were following what she was saying, like they were confirming her words. The melody seemed so familiar, yet the lyrics were not. After a few verses, she realized that they were expressing themselves through song. It was a kind of song that people still sing to this day. The lyrics were completely made up based on what the singer wanted to say, but the rhythm was the same and was repeated all throughout the song. They only had to think of the lyrics.
“We are people, too,” the lead woman sang at the top of her lungs.
“We are people, too,” repeated the other women in loud voices.
“We are not animals,” the leader continued, and the other women repeated. Almost as if they were saying a final goodbye, they swayed.
“Why can’t you see, we are also special? Why should our mouths be closed? Why should our lips always smile when we are crying inside?”
Kenda found herself singing with them and felt warm tears rolling down her cheeks. She thought that life couldn’t get much harder for the women in her time, but she realized, there and then, how these women had suffered.
“Goodbye to our beloved children, and goodbye to our fellow women.” Kenda stopped singing. Her intuition was right; they were saying goodbye.
“Our bodies may be gone, but our words will live on forever. May the gods hear us, for we have spoken for the first and the last time.”
Kenda’s body tensed as men approached the circle of women. They were carrying sticks, ropes, spears, and arrows. The same tattooed man walked in front, his face red with anger. “You vile women! Instead of following your husbands, you’re wasting your time here, poisoning the minds of children and other women! You will surely learn your lesson today!” He shouted an order to his companions. “Don’t let anyone escape!”
Every fiber of Kenda’s being wanted to intervene. She ran to stop the men, but she just passed through them like she was nothing but air. Kenda wept in agony as she turned toward the women, still holding each other’s hands and fear evident on their faces. But as Kenda looked more closely, she saw something entirely different in their eyes: determination.
Just before the men reached them, they all let go of each other’s hands, reached under their one-piece clothing, and retrieved sharpened bamboos. Kenda watched in petrified horror as the women all stabbed their stomachs at once. Blood flooded her vision.
The sky darkened, and thunder boomed. A sea of water from the river rose as high as the mountains. In a blink, the leader was thrown up in the air, his hands bound to his sides by the water. He was slowly being swept away by the water until he completely disappeared.
Despite the horror unfolding, something at the back of her mind was bothering her. A jarring realization hit her. She was supposed to free the man from the water’s imprisonment. What she was seeing was the beginning of the curse. The vision was not only testing her; it was showing her why she should devote herself to fighting for the lives of the women of the future.
She needed to prevent this from happening again.
She looked at the spot where the bodies had been just moments ago. “I swear,” Kenda said, as she stopped crying, “that I will do all I can to make sure that what you have done will not be in vain. I will not just stand by anymore. Thank you for your sacrifice.” She bowed her head.
Kenda felt the shift in her surroundings, like she was being transported from one place to another. When she looked up, she saw a woman who looked like her standing atop the Great Fall. Her hair was standing on end, like she had been hit by lightning. A giant tornado was beneath her feet.
The woman did not just look like her. It was her.
People all around her looked at the other Kenda in fear, begging her to stop, but she would not listen to them. The people at the bottom of the waterfall were all women. Kenda did not understand what was going on. As the other Kenda raised her hand, the water from the waterfall stopped, creating a huge pool. Once she released the water, it came crashing down, carrying away the women below. The towering waterfall became a slow, wide river.
“No!” she screamed. “No! Stop! You’re supposed to protect them! You’re supposed to use your power to help them, not hurt them.” Kenda struggled to stop the water from drowning the women, but the water was deaf to her wishes. She ran to save the women, but suddenly, there was no water. When she fell, her hands touched only soil.
“You showed alarming fear, so I pulled you out.” Goni helped her to her feet.
“I…” Kenda tried to catch her breath. “I will cause the deaths of hundreds of women. I will kill them.”
“Calm down. It might have been a false vision.”
“No, I am sure it was real. The people were right all along. It was my fault,” Kenda sobbed.
“Kenda, stop crying. You have passed the test. The visions decided that you can handle all they offered, so you’re good.”
“No, Uncle. I saw more than just visions. They did not make me stronger. It only showed me what has happened and what will happen.”
“What do you mean?”
“How long was I sitting here?”
“Probably ten minutes?”
“It felt like ages, and I wanted it to stop, but I couldn’t tell you. I saw horrifying things.”
“What did you see?” urged Goni.
“A man... I saw a man who was the cause of the deaths of so many women. I saw him being taken by the water.”
Goni’s jaw dropped.
“And then I saw myself in the future. I destroy the Great Fall, and many people die. All of them are women.”
“If that is the future, you have control of it. They were just visions meant to test you.” Even Goni’s voice didn’t sound convincing.
Kenda’s knees buckled when she tried to stand.
“It looked real, and I don’t know what to do. I know in my heart that the vision was true. I don’t want this magic anymore. Just remove it. Maybe you are wrong. Maybe I’m not the Bringer of Equality.”
Chapter 28
Kenda
The sun was high in the sky and Kenda could feel the sweat trickling down her back as they finished the last irrigation for the village. She followed Goni to a big tree to rest in its shade.
Goni had spent the past month trying to convince Kenda to believe that she would not cause the deaths of all those women. Kenda was disheartened and, even though her connection to the water seemed stronger than ever, she hesitated in using it as the memory of the Great Fall entered her mind each time she started to summon it. Her worry for Lita also distracted her. Fortunately, a seller who went to town fairly frequently was able to pass her a message of what had happened in town. Kenda was told that Lita was getting better, and that Daniel had stayed with her.
Kenda sighed in relief at the thought of finally having some time for herself. She sat down next to her uncle, who seemed to be enjoying the shade.
“Yes! You will finally have all the time in the world to study your power.” As if reading her thoughts, Goni looked at her enthusiastically.
“But I think Datu Romu will find more work for us,” she said, suddenly looking forward to the prospect. She was no longer interested in using her magic anymore. “Speaking of the devil,” Kenda whispered to her uncle, as a figure
appeared at the edge of the field.
“Why is he coming back? I thought he had collected the payment already.”
“Who knows? Maybe there is still another farm for him to fleece.”
Datu Romu was walking leisurely. Known in the village as someone who was afraid to get sunburn, he held a banana leaf over his head. His white knee-length shorts showed his pale legs that were normally covered when he was out in the sun, which was rare on account of his propensity to order people to do the hard work for him.
“Ah, good to see that you are done. This farm is not so far from home, so I thought I would check to see how the two of you are doing.”
Kenda faked a smile. She had become used to pretending that she didn’t hate him, in the hope of finally exposing his evil deeds to the people.
“This is the last farm. If none of the irrigations get damaged, you won’t be busy anymore. So how about helping me with my water supply at home? That way, my servants can do other things besides fetching water.”
Kenda’s eyes shone brightly at the opportunity to catch Datu Romu, but she pretended not to be too happy about it. “But Datu, your house is higher than the water source. It will be difficult.”
“Don’t you think I don’t know that?” he answered sarcastically. “Looking at the way you completed the irrigations, I think you can handle it.”
“We will try,” Goni said, and Kenda knew that he was also trying not to sound too eager.
“No, I think you don’t need to be there, Goni. You take a rest today. You did a lot of irrigation, and I think Kenda knows what she’s doing by now.”
“But…”
“No buts. I have decided to just let her do the work. I will see if she has learned anything if you’re not there to correct her.”
Goni looked confused, but he did not argue any further.
“Come to our house later, before the sun sets. I will be waiting.”
“I think I can do it now, if you like? That way, I can go home after finishing it.”
“No, there are people at home now and I don’t want them to be disturbed by your magic. I don’t want them being scared, either.”
Kenda knew Datu Romu was planning something, but she couldn’t guess what it could be. People already knew of her abilities, so it would be no surprise to the locals. Instead, she tried to focus only on the opportunity of getting her hands on the documents that might prove that Datu Romu was a corrupt official.
“All right, then,” Kenda agreed, and Datu Romu walked away happily.
“Be very careful. He’s not acting like his usual self.”
“I know. He’s planning something, but don’t worry. He is no match for me.” Kenda demonstrated what she meant by twirling water on the tip of her index finger.
As soon as the sun had almost reached the mountaintop, Kenda set off for Datu Romu’s house. It was very quiet when she arrived, and she thought that she was perhaps too early for the datu to be home. She called out, but there was no answer, and so she was taken aback when Datu Romu finally opened the door. He was only wearing the pants that he had been wearing that morning, and dark and white spots littered his upper body.
Kenda was not comfortable looking at him, so she bowed her head. “I just want to let you know that I am ready to look into ways for the water to flow directly here.” Kenda started backing away, not wanting to see his half-nakedness. “I will start working now.”
“You must be really tired from all the work this morning.” Kenda sensed the fake compassion in his voice. “Come in first. I have prepared some rice and chicken soup.”
Chicken soup? Kenda thought. She couldn’t remember the last time that she had eaten it. Just the thought of it made her mouth water, but she controlled herself. “No, I’m fine, thanks.”
“Of course, you’re not fine,” Datu Romu answered. This time, his voice was stern, like he was commanding her to follow what he wanted.
“No, I’m fine, really,” Kenda said in a clear voice.
“You’re going to eat as I have said, and I will not let you go home until you do. This is for your own good.”
Kenda wanted to bolt right away, but she didn’t want to lose the chance of getting her hands on the documents. She went inside as Datu Romu wanted and sat alone in front of a table that accommodated a dozen seats. She started filling her bowl with chicken soup. Datu Romu sat across her.
“Let’s eat,” Kenda offered with a respect that she was somehow able to conjure, despite her loathing of the man.
“I am done. Go on and eat more,” he motioned.
It was the longest meal of her life, even though she tried hard to eat fast. After she had finished eating, she cleaned the table and put her used plates in the sink made of cement. Datu Romu’s house was the only building made of cement in the entire village.
Kenda washed the dishes and wished that Datu Romu would leave her alone for a few minutes. He had been watching her the whole time, and she desperately wanted to be free from his scrutiny so that she could look for the documents.
Her heart skipped a beat when she hit someone while backing up from the sink. It was the datu. He had been standing close to her all along.
Datu Romu held her arm and touched her hand. Kenda’s skin crawled in disgust. She tried to break free without causing him harm, but he refused to let go.
“It is almost night.” Kenda tried to distract him. “I have to go and make a path for the water here.”
“Do you really think that I asked you to come here to do that?”
Kenda played dumb. “What do you mean? Of course you did. I can command the water, so you wanted me to use my power to make your life easier.” After her experience with Jinja, she knew exactly what Datu Romu was after.
“You silly girl! Are you playing hard to get? I know you want this. At first, I was confused as to why you started being kind to me. After all, you rejected Jinja, but I had no idea that I was the one you wanted all along.”
Filthy bastard, Kenda cursed in her mind. She wanted to vomit upon hearing his words. The man was old and could easily pass for her grandfather.
“I think you misunderstood me, Datu. I just showed you kindness because you are our leader. I didn’t want to fight nor argue with you, so I simply followed your wishes.”
“In that case, my wish is for you to sleep with me. My wife is too old, and she’s not interesting anymore. I want you to be my second wife. You will have a comfortable life. More comfortable than you could ever imagine.”
The vision came back to Kenda’s mind. Datu Romu reminded her of the men who had been served by several women, just because the men thought they were special and the women were not. She forgot about the documents that she was supposed to be retrieving. She pushed Datu Romu hard enough that he went crashing down onto the floor. His head hit the cement wall, and Kenda gasped at the sight of the blood which ran from his head.
“Are you crazy?” he shouted. “I am giving you a chance at a better life, but I think you prefer it the hard way.” Datu Romu stood and choked Kenda with his bony hands.
Kenda gasped for air, but nothing came. She raised her hand to call forth water, but Datu Romu saw her hand.
“Do you want to go back to prison? Who will believe that you came here because I asked you to, huh?” He tightened his grasp on her neck, and Kenda’s vision dimmed.
She was thankful when the old man’s grasp loosened. She thought she heard a cracking sound, and when she focused her vision, she saw Goni before her holding a branch.
“I knew that he was planning something wicked all along. You should just have hit him with your power when you first got here.”
“I guess I wasn’t thinking,” Kenda managed to say after coughing uncontrollably.
“Hurry, let’s get out of here.”
She and Goni ran out of the house. As soon as they were outside, Datu Romu started to shout.
“Catch those thieves! Help! Catch them!”
“Uncle! I didn’t know th
at he was conscious.”
“I guess I didn’t hit him hard enough.”
“What are we going to do?”
“Run before someone sees us.”
Kenda ran as fast as she could, but she slowed down a little when she started to leave Goni behind. “Go!” he motioned. “You mustn’t be seen!”
“But Uncle…”
“Go! Don’t worry about me.”
Kenda did not listen and called forth water. She commanded the water to carry her and Goni as, to her surprise, people had begun to gather outside Datu Romu’s house, staring at them as the water carried them away.
“That was close,” Kenda sighed with relief.
“No! That was a mistake!” Goni said angrily. “Sometimes, you should stop being stubborn and listen to what I say.”
“Why? Should I have just let them catch you? No way.”
Goni looked up in frustration.
Pilly scolded Goni nonstop about his wet clothes when they arrived at his house. “You should be more careful. Do you know how hard it is to wash clothes? There are ten of you, and only one of me. Have mercy on this poor body. I’m sick of washing your clothes.”
“They’re not dirty,” Goni said in a low tone, not really paying attention to her. “I can just hang them.”
“Yes, yes, and leave the house to smell like rat for days.”
Kenda bowed in apology and muttered, “Sorry,” but Pilly did not scold her. She was considered as a guest in the house, even though she had been staying there for almost two months. Her grandfather stayed with her Uncle Pali because he said that he was more comfortable there.
“I washed your clothes yesterday,” Pilly said to her. “I think they are dry now, so just go ahead and gather them from the clothesline outside before it rains.”
“Thanks, and sorry for adding to your burden.” Kenda’s apology was genuine because Pilly had nine children to look after. Some were old enough to help on the farm and, lately, they had been the only ones tending to the crops because Goni had been working with her.