“Maybe we can get some game meat tomorrow,” intervened Rhys. “Well, since everyone is saying what they miss, I miss my one, two, three.”
“What the madafok is one, two, three?” inquired Teul, absolutely stumped.
“Well there’s something you don’t know. Teul,” chuckled Rhys. “It’s chicken, rice and beans, and potato salad.”
“I could do with some of that, myself,” I said. There were sighs from all over.
“Well, you certainly won’t get that out here,” snapped Taat.
We began to eat in silence, except for an occasional chuckle from Choco. I did not think that it was only our exhaustion, but the peace and beauty of the night on the summit of the outcrop was nature’s tranquilizer. We finished eating, but no one moved.
“Alas!” moaned Robertson. “We need to ‘blanket drill’, as soon as possible.”
“Blanket drill?” asked Choc, curiously.
“Yes, Choc. Blanket drill. It’s a World War Two slang for ‘sleep’.”
“No problem there,” said Choco.
“We still have to do the watches, however,” continued Robertson. “Rhys will set that up. I don’t think we need the fire, but I will leave that up to Taat. We are all tired. If on your watch you think you are going to fall asleep, come and get me. Don’t fall asleep. Got that!”
“Medic!” the men shouted.
“We’ll ‘bobby up’ in the morning,” continued Robertson.
“Bobby up? What are you talking about, Medic? Is that some kind of sex?” asked Choc. “If it is sex, I want to know who will bobby-up with me.”
“Not I,” shouted the men in unison.
“It means ‘clean up’, responded Robertson.
Choc sighed loudly, shaking his head. “And I thought I was getting lee bit tonight. As our brothers in the Coast Guard say, ‘any port in a storm’.”
“The old British Navy used to call the anus the ‘Windward Passage’,” said Robertson. We all looked at him, silently.
“Okay! It’s 0330 hours. Way past time for … blanket drill,” instructed Rhys.
“I will take the first watch,” I said. There were absolutely no objections as my men lay down on top their ground sheets, cradling their rifles and machetes. In a few minutes, all I heard were light snores.
Taat had not gone to sleep and he came over to the rock I was sitting on.
“Get some sleep, Taat,” I suggested, a bit firmly. “You must be tired.”
“I am. My body is not as young as when we used to go hunting, but I’m not one day older in my heart. As long as you keep your youth in your heart, you will be able to do what you need to do. Anyway, I just wanted to talk with you about something, sit with you a little on this rock, and look at this world Itzamná gave to us, away from all new beliefs.”
I chuckled. “You don’t like the new churches, do you?”
“It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s just that they want me to believe that only they are right. That is not good. That, to me, is arrogance and pride, and they themselves say ‘Pride’ is the greatest sin against God and against man.”
“Life is difficult, Taat, and our world has changed. The past is being replaced by the future.”
“Only if you let it.” He was quiet for a while. “New churches have come to our villages and before long others will come, each wanting to grab its own piece of our Maya land, staining our beautiful jungle with their expensive posters. Each one of them will try to steal members from the other as they try to save us. What good is that? Is that really what their God wants? If we need to be saved, it is from them. That is what I believe.”
“You think about this a lot?”
“Yes, I do and I discuss it with other people, people who have studied. Educated people like Rosalia. I don’t spend all my time in the kool.” I felt I was being chastised. “If those people really wanted to help us, they should have one church that all of them can pray in, at different times if they have too much pride to pray together. They could use all the money they are wasting on their own little wooden building to do projects that will really help our villages. Many of these foreign preachers … foreigners in general … come and act as if they have a right to our land and a right to change our beliefs. They don’t have any rights. They are here because we provide them with that courtesy, a courtesy they often take for granted and abuse. They need to be reminded that a courtesy given can always be taken away.” He shook his head, again remaining silent for a while. “We all believe in God. Father Stiobhan’s church says that there are three Gods in one God. My people say that there are many gods with one main god. What’s the difference? Now, there’s even the god Hunab Ku.”268 He appeared in deep thought then continued. “You have studied a lot about the ancient ways of our people and you talk about them, but I don’t hear you say anything about the gods.”
I chuckled, again. “Religion is not something I think or talk about, Taat. Christian or Maya.” I put my hand on my bare chest and felt for my bloody Green Scapular, stained with Bas’s blood.” Taat stared at it.
“But you believe in Mother Of God?”
“I do believe. As I said at Burgos, I have seen her. I, Eutimio Chiac from the Maya village of Santa Cruz, Toledo, have seen her in a waterfall. She saved Molly and me from Sisimito. I must believe. I have no choice.”
“Yes, as you told us by the fire.” He put his hand on my shoulder. I don’t remember him ever doing that. “I believe you, Paal, and Mother Of God makes it very difficult for you to know what to believe. Do you believe Christian or do you believe Maya?”
“Yes, Taat. It makes it difficult.”
“Yet, you saw Mother of God in Sisimito’s world, in the world of our ancient people, not in this one … this world of Christ.”
I didn’t answer and we were quiet for a while, looking at the stars. “You said you had something to tell me.”
“Yes, Paal. Choc is a very good tracker. He has a special blessing from the gods Yum Kaax and Ah Tabai.269 When we tasted the urine on the leaves to see how much time had passed, he was taken with fear. I asked him what was wrong. He said that he knew the packs were not normal, but he did not know before that they were filled with so much evil and hate. He said that they were intelligent enough to follow commands.”
“How would he know that?” I asked.
Taat smiled. “I told you he has the blessing of the Gods of the Hunt.”
I remained quiet for a while, conflicts between beliefs, truths, untruths, legends, tearing at my mind. “It’s time to get some sleep, Taat.”
“You too, Paal. Do only your watch.”
I did not answer, but I knew I would follow his advice. I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring and I had to have fresh muscles and a clear mind. I took a walk around the perimeter of our camp. Everything was okay. I walked over to where Rhys was sleeping and kicked him on the butt. “Your watch, I said.”
I lay on my ground-sheet looking up at the cosmos, its silent swirling just as it did when my people ruled the land. I turned on my side knowing that as long as I looked up, I wouldn’t go to sleep easily. As I closed my eyes I wondered what dreams would come. I held onto Bas’ Green Scapular, hoping for good dreams only, if any. According to the beliefs of my people, the night was a symbol of balance and putting things to rest so that I would have peace. It allowed me to set aside things until my spirit was ready to deal with them again. It was a cloak pulled down on me so that my inner spirit could do its work while physical actions were silenced. I prayed to Mother Of God that the night would put things to rest and I drifted off into a deep and quiet sleep.
CHAPTER EIGHT
A
BATTLE ON THE FLOODPLAIN
Sunday, April 29, 1973
I woke up to a touch on my shoulder. I immediately swung my rifle towards the touch.
“It’s me,” blurted out Robertson.
“Don’t wake any of us that way, Robertson,” I
reprimanded him. “You kick us on the butt, then we know it’s one of us.
“Sorry. Wasn’t thinking, Sarge.”
“It’s okay. Just don’t do it again. You could get hurt. Dead, actually.” The smell of coffee and the sun beating on me added to my reaction to Robertson and soon made me fully awake.
“It’s 0730 hours, Sarge. Even Taat took extra sleep, but we’ve only had about four hours sleep in all; those who did a watch, only three.”
“That’ll have to do, Robertson, after all we’re soldiers, aren’t we?” I raised my eyebrows then grinned. “How come we have coffee?”
“Well, Taat carries a plastic gallon bottle with water in his cuxtal. He says that it’s for emergencies and with the little sleep the men had, this qualifies.”
I shook my head. “Taat’s bottomless cuxtal. You’ll never know what’s coming out next.” I took in a deep breath. “Better get the men up.”
“Sarge!”
I stretched. Every fokin muscle in my body was traumatized and I knew it was the same for the men. I also knew they would not complain, except probably Teul, and, if he did, it wouldn’t really be complaining, just stating a fact. I got up and went to the edge of the camp and pissed. After putting Tóolok away, I walked back while stretching and exercising my limbs as much as I could. Robertson was kicking the men awake as I got my mess tin from my pack and walked over to the fire where Taat had the coffee. He poured out some for me and I made my way back to the rock he and I had sat on the night before.
To the south were the Chiquibul Branch Tributary and its valley that curved to the west of us. To the north, just over a mile, was the main Chiquibul Branch, its valley, and beyond that the Vaca Plateau. To the east, the mountains increased in height until they became the Main Divide of the Maya mountains, thirty miles away. In every direction, there was jungle, thick evergreen jungle, and small pockets of white clouds below us. The morning sun was already intense and the air was becoming oppressive; to the northwest dark clouds were building.
Rhys came with his coffee and sat beside me. “Nothing better than hot coffee in the morning … except pussy, of course.” I chuckled. He took a sip of his coffee. “I’ve almost forgotten what it tastes like.”
“What? Coffee?” I teased. “Or pussy?”
He laughed out loudly then took another gulp. “Do you want me to have the men dress now then eat?”
“No. Let them do what they have to do. I need to hit the bushes, anyhow. We’ll eat first then dress, have a briefing, then we tab.”
“Okay, Sarge.”
Rhys and I sat, looked around us and at the men, Teul, Choco, and Choc fokin around. It was as if they didn’t have a fear in the world, as if they were unaware of the dangers that faced them, but I knew that wasn’t the case. They were aware, but they would not show it until it was necessary to respond. They were not only good men, but good soldiers. It was funny how I no longer though of Choc as a civilian. He was now a soldier in my section.
“There’s weda270 to the northwest,” noted Rhys.
“Yeah! I saw it.” I had a swallow of my coffee, not looking up. “Probably a cold front. We certainly don’t need the rain to make everything slippery. The cold wind would help to cool us off though.”
“Slippery! I could certainly do with some slippery right now, Chiac. In-and-out slippery.”
I smiled. “So could I, Rhys. So could I, but I think the only slippery we’ll get is if that rain comes.”
He sighed. “Life of a soldier. Well, let’s hope the rain passes through quickly, if it comes.” We sat quietly for a little while longer. “I’d better get the grub ready,” he said and jumped off the rock. I drained my mess tin and headed for the bushes to ‘take a walk’ as we called going off into the jungle to have a crap.
A short while after, we all sat together, Taat pouring out the remaining coffee and Rhys getting out the food.
“Instant oats, but you have to use your own water to make it. Yeast extract and wheat crackers. Cookies. High energy cereal bars, Rhys informed us.”
“Lots of roughage, Rhys. Going to make us shit a lot,” noted Teul.
“Don’t worry. It won’t be as bad as Taat’s,” responded Rhys. “And I must inform you all that rations are low. Actually, almost done. We need to supplement with wild fruit and game meat, as much as possible.”
“Choc and Choco. Got that?”
“Sarge!”
“Eat up quickly, men, as we need to get going,” I reminded them.
“I don’t think I can madafok move,” complained Teul. “I have to though. I need to bos271 a shit.”
“Now, Teul?” I grumbled.
Robertson sighed loudly. “Shit is such a vulgar word.” We all stared at him. “It’s true. Especially when Teul says it.”
“What happened, Medic? Don’t you want us to say shit?” I asked, smirking jokingly.
“It’s not that. It just sounds vulgar,” he answered, shrugging his shoulders.
“Please don’t underestimate us, Medic,” lectured Rhys. “We do know the more polite words.” Robertson suddenly looked uncomfortable. “There’s defecate, micturate, flatulate, masturbate, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. We know them all.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything,” apologized Robertson.
“That’s not necessary, Medic,” grunted Rhys. “We all put up with each other’s … shit at times. It’s just the Colonial in you that slipped out. You’re forgiven.” He chuckled. “But ‘shit’ is a vulgar word, and kaka272 is even less pleasing to the ears.”
“Well, Gentlemen,” said Teul, bowing at the waist and sounding as British as he could, “I’m off to the bushes to defecate, micturate, flatulate, masturbate, and I’ll be returning, presently. Please ensure, Rhys, that breakfast is served. And please have the page, Robertson, bring a wet towel in the bushes so I may clean when I’m finished. Cheerio. Oh! Better have another wet towel for me to wipe my hands before we breakfast.”
“Sure, Teul,” I said, good-humorously.
“Sarge!”
“I will have the briefing while we’re eating, so hurry up and shit.”
“Sarge!”
Teul returned, there was no wet towel, but breakfast was served and I began the briefing. “We’re on the highest summit in this area and the top of the outcrop gives the best view. Before you leave, get on the rock and study the area to the north as that’s where we’re going. Briefly, as far as I can see, there is one ridge below that we’ll need to cross and beyond that is the valley where the main Chiquibul Branch flows. The valley seems thick in most areas, not like the last one, and the river can’t be seen from here. I hope there’ll be sani-bays … sand bars, Medic … but I was unable to see any details from the rock. I don’t think the view of the theatre will be any different from the top of the next ridge we’ll go over. We won’t be able to see much.”
“How far away is the river?” asked Choc.
“Using the last tributary as a reference point we’re halfway there, so about two miles or a little less north of here. Once we go down this mountain and cross the ridge, we should arrive at the river.”
“How much time?” asked Rhys.
I grimaced. “I think we’ll leave out hour estimates. They haven’t been accurate. We’ll just move as quickly as we can. No accidents. Any other questions?” There were none. “Finish up and get dressed. Check your weapons. We leave at 0900. Make that 0915. Give your rifles a good check and a quick clean.”
“Sarge!”
We started going down the mountain at 0925. The only real difficulty we had was scree and the steep slope. Even after we reached the tree line, scree was still present and we had to step carefully. It was easier once we got below the tree line as we had branches and trees to hold onto. The undergrowth wasn’t thick so we didn’t have to do much macheting, for which Teul was grateful and made it known. Every now and again, one of us took a fall, but there were no serious injuri
es, just a lot of cussing. The scree let up once we were about half way down the mountain and the rest of the downward climb, though steep, was relatively easy.
Choco rotated the macheting as I had ordered, and Taat and Choc continued monitoring the nearby jungle for signs of the packs, but did not report to me until we were about halfway down.
“The packs have split,” advised Choc. “The hach-k’ek’ens are travelling on our right, the kitams on our left, and the batz directly in front. If they turn and face us, we’re trapped on three sides. That’s not fokmi good.” I nodded.
“They’re about a mile ahead,” added Taat, sniffing the air. “They’re moving now, but must have rested during the night.”
“Something’s up. Fok!” I sighed. “Briefing!” The men gathered round and I explained what Choc had told me.
“Well!” exclaimed Teul, kissing his rifle. “It seems I’ll soon have to use you, baby. Don’t madafok let me down or I won’t be able to sleep with you anymore.” He kissed the rifle again. He didn’t sound excited or indifferent, just resigned … calm.
“Will you know when they have stopped? Know immediately?” I asked Taat. He looked towards Choc.
“I’ll be able to tell,” answered Choc.
“This madafok man-bwai from Jalacte is good,” shouted Teul, laughing. “When we get back, I owe you one, Jalacte.”
“As long as you don’t take me to that place where you got the bad-siknis. I’m very careful where I push my wood,” replied Choc, much to the amusement of the rest of us.
“You see now,” chided Teul. “Ah deh chrai fu bee wahn brada ahn luk whe di madafok yu gwain.”273
“Okay, men,” I intervened. “This is good, but we need to keep moving.”
“It’s soon going to happen, isn’t it?” asked Robertson.
“We know it’s coming. We don’t know when, we don’t know where, and we don’t know what, but right now that’s not important. The circumstances won’t change so we just have to be ready, at all times. You got that, men.”
Sisimito II--Xibalba Page 23