by BJ Mayo
Frogs and grasshoppers were frequent fare and never cooked. She stripped off the frog skin with her teeth and snapped the grasshopper legs with her fingers. She missed her mother’s meals in the evenings by the fire, eating monkey meat brought in by the village hunters and roasted on a spit stick, with fresh honey and bananas. No one ever went without food in the village. The hunter men always came home with meat or speared fish from the river.
She had nothing to build a fire with. One village elder was charged with fire building at B’Douro. The children helped bring in cooking wood. She always saw and enjoyed the fire, but could not make one with sticks the way the fire maker could. Sometimes after tearing the frog skin off with her teeth, she lay the frog on a rock in the sun for a while before eating it. The warm rock made them easier to eat, and their legs quit twitching after a while in the sun. Sometimes she could find no rocks, and speared them on a stick facing the sun. She found no banana trees, only a few gobo roots to go with her stream frogs and brush grasshoppers.
Slowly, Jackaleena made her way toward the sleeping sun, following the stream. Every night she would count her toes for the time she traveled. The village elders said it would take all fingers and toes to get to Benguela by the Sea. The stream became wider and much faster than when she started. She did not know where the stream started or where it ended. She only knew it was moving much faster, and frogs were getting harder to sneak up on in the water. They seemed to be able to jump faster than she could grab them. When she could not catch them, grasshoppers had to do. Her belly was never close to full, and the grasshoppers were like eating straw with juice coming out. They did nothing to help her hunger pains.
She lost track of the days she had been traveling. The nights were long and scary. She felt safer sleeping in a tree at night as high as she could climb, always breaking off a sharp branch for protection if an animal came up the tree.
It was never easy to sleep. Balancing herself with her legs and arms in the branches, she gathered as much sleep as possible, forever fearful of falling to the ground and being eaten by a leopard or lion. Each night, Jackaleena called out to Toto to watch after her, clapping her hands twice at the end of her petition. Mostly the petition was to not let her fall to the ground and be eaten by a lion or leopard, to help her find her way to the spirit women at the village Benguela by the Sea, and to not let the soldiers find her and do what they did to the two girls in her village. She supposed that he was watching after her, as she had not even heard the call of a leopard or lion since she left B’Douro.
Jackaleena began feeling pain right above her girl parts after several days of travel. When she relieved herself, she noticed bright red blood with her free water. She screamed and immediately called on Toto to save her from something eating her insides and spitting out the blood with her free water. The pain subsided, but the bleeding stayed for three sunrises and sleeping suns. Then it vanished. She washed herself on the edge of the fast-moving stream every morning and evening. Maybe some spirit had taken over her body. Maybe one of the dead girls had taken up her spirit in Jackaleena’s body.
Her mind raced with this thought. If Toto demanded it, it would happen, and she could not stop it. She washed herself and her tunic, letting it dry on the rocks by the edge of the stream while she stuck her toes in the mud. She was careful to remove the remnants of the dried blood. If it ever returned, she knew she might be under a curse. It seemed like long ago when she was looking out her tree root hideaway by the stream and cooling her toes in the mud.
She heard a noise. She grabbed her tunic and put it on. Rushing behind a tree, she listened carefully to what appeared to be approaching footsteps. She peaked behind the tree and glimpsed a boy, not much older than she, trotting down the path in the direction she had been traveling. He did not look to be a soldier boy, but did not look like boys in her village. His hair was braided. He had on a pair of breeches and sandals, but no clothes above his waist. He carried a water sack on his shoulder that may have come from an animal’s insides.
He stopped by the stream and knelt to drink. He splashed water on his face. Suddenly, he stopped. Sensing someone’s presence, he slowly turned around. His piercing eyes were scanning the ground and the trees, trying to detect any sign of movement. Jackaleena froze in fear and tried to keep her breath from making noise. Her heart felt like it was bursting from her chest. She thought he might hear it. He slowly stood and pulled a small knife from his breeches. He walked toward her tree. She dared not peek around the edge, and crouched frozen at its base.
The boy appeared from around the tree. His knife was drawn and ready to strike. He froze in his tracks when he saw Jackaleena crouched on the ground. She dared not speak, and kept her eyes on the ground and the sandals that stood there.
“What is your name, please?” he said. Jackaleena said nothing. “I said, what is your name, please?” Still she crouched motionless. “Girl, I say, what is your name, please? I will not hurt you. I am traveling away. What are you doing here? Is your village a close walk? Stand up please. I will not hurt you. Do you speak Umbundu? Do you speak Portuguese? I Joao Cubala. I go to be a priest and help people. It is where was going when he caught me. If the soldiers catch me again, I have to fight again. I do not want to fight.”
Jackaleena stood up, never taking her eyes from the ground. The boy’s voice gave her hope that he was not a soldier boy. He did not have the soldier boy’s cap on, either. Slowly she brought her chin up and looked him in the eyes before turning away. He was not mean in the eyes but she was still not sure.
“What is your name, please?” Joao asked again.
“My name is Jackaleena. I am protected by the witchy man Toto. He guards me night and day and is with me now.”
“So you do speak Umbundu. Good, we will talk. I do not see your witchy man, is he like a frog and jumped into the water?” Joao said, laughing.
Jackaleena angered. “He is not a frog. He is the guard of all villages and people and can fly. He lives forever and knows where the village of Parrot People live.”
Joao laughed. “Maybe he has gone to the village of the Parrot People because he is not here. Anyway, my Jesus Man will protect us.”
“I know nothing of your Jesus Man,” Jackaleena said. “Is he your village protector?”
Joao laughed heartily. “Jesus Man is the builder of the jungles and the whole world. He is the builder of the bright lights in the sky at night. He is the maker of the stream and the water and of the big water the stream flows into. He made the animals and he made you and me.”
“My mother made me,” Jackaleena said, “and you better be not speak again of such things or Toto may curse you. He may curse me for hearing your words. Where did you meet your Jesus Man?”
Joao studied the girl closely as he looked away for a moment. “I met him at the village of Benguela by the Sea. There was a woman. She was not our color. She is the color of that rock. The rock was the opposite of our color. There she takes care of us who do not have a village to go to. She fed me and let me stay at the Benguala by the Sea after I escaped from Mingas the killer man. There are many women at Benguela by the Sea. There are some good men, too, but they stay behind the walls. Mingas never attacks the village, but has his army guard it. It is sometimes hard to sneak in. He made me fight for him against village people who hurt no one. People that have done nothing to him.”
Jackaleena began trembling and ran to the stream. She wept uncontrollably. Joao approached cautiously, taking off his water bag and laying his knife on the ground.
Jackaleena wept. She sat on the ground with her head buried in her arms, crossing her knees. “Did I say something bad?” Joao asked.
Her sobs were deep. She recalled the killing of her village and the man Mingas, the boy soldiers, and the two girls. Maybe this Joao was trying to trick her and take her to the soldier boys. She saw a sharp stick a short distance from where she sat. She grabbed it and was on her feet as fast as a leopard. She held it up to his throat.<
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Joao batted it away. “Jackaleena, please be calm, I will not hurt you.”
“You were with Mingas, were you not? You probably killed people and cut off their heads. You probably did things to girls like the soldier boys did.” There was venom in her eyes. Her mind was racing. She might try to run away from him. Maybe she was quicker. If she was not, he was much stronger than she. He could hold her until the soldier boys came. She had not heard them, but she imagined they could be close. Jackaleena froze, not wanting to say anything.
Joao quietly turned his back on her. “My father was captured and made to fight for Mingas. I do not know who he was made to fight against. Mingas just kills people with his soldier boys. He made me go with my father and his other soldiers. He beat me in front of our village. My father was not the same man he was before he was captured. His mind was not the same. He did not talk the same. Mingas would talk loud at the evening fire, when he allowed us to have one. He smoked the brown-brown and became crazy-eyed. He made all of the boy soldiers smoke it too, and the grown men. It made my father crazy. I acted like I was, but did not do it. He spoke about an army of fighters against a government while holding his rooster in the air. Their name was Unita. He would become angry and start shooting his gun into the sky. Everyone was very afraid of him. I do not know what the government is. I think it is like a king. Mingas did not like the king, and wanted to kill him and his people. I ran away, after many days in the jungle, which I did not count.”
Jackaleena listened carefully. She could feel that Joao was probably telling the truth and came around to look at him. His eyes were furrowed and worried.
“I tell you the truth, Jackaleena. I am going back to the village of Benguela by the Sea. You can come with me.”
“I still do not understand why you left the village of Benguela by the Sea,” Jackaleena said.
“I left to return to my village. I had to see if my father had been allowed to return. Maybe he escaped. But he was not there.”
“What about your mother?”
“My mother is dead. She died when I was born. My father took care of me every day until Mingas came. I am going back, to be a teacher and shepherd of the people. I will teach people about the Jesus Man. He has saved me. I now have a purpose.”
Jackaleena scowled. “I do not know what is the priest or this Jesus Man. I have my Toto, the witchy man. He takes care of me. What did your Jesus Man tell you your purpose was?”
“The women at Benguela by the Sea taught me to pray to my Jesus Man. They showed me a book that he wrote through other people about his life. It says not to worry about what to eat or wear on your back; he will see that you get it. He wants us to tell other people about him, that he can save them too.”
“Save them from what?”
“From the devil and going to hell.”
Jackaleena stared in awkward disbelief. “What is hell?”
“It is a place of constant fire and pain where people go if they do not believe in Jesus Man.”
Jackaleena said, “I have already gone there. My village was hell when the soldier boys and Mingas came. How can it be worse than that?”
Joao looked away for a moment. “I don’t think Toto has taken very good care of you, or your village.”
“Don’t you say that. He is very busy and there are many important things.”
Joao cut her off. “Jackaleena, the witchy man is not a true healer. He is full of tricks and useless powders. Jesus Man is the true healer. He is the keeper of people. Sister Francis taught me about him and what he has done. He saves the world, he saves people that believe in him. Everything he does is good. Everything he thinks is good.”
“Have you seen him?”
“I have not seen him.”
“Then how do you know he is there?”
“I can feel him at my side and in my mind,” Joao said. “I pray to him and he gives me great comfort.”
“Why did he let you not have your mother’s milk? If he saves the world, why did he let Mingas and his soldiers kill everyone in my village? Why did he let the boy soldiers hurt and kill the two girls in my village?”
“I cannot know the answer to this,” he said.
“Then I do not believe this about a Jesus Man.”
Sensing that the conversation was going no further, Joao dropped the subject. “I think maybe my Jesus Man helped me find you to take you to Sister Francis. She told me nothing ever happens out of the sky that Jesus Man has not planned to happen. Also, my friend Margaret Mavungo lives there and helps with the children. She is a woman from Kabinda.”
“I have never heard of Margaret Mavungo,” said Jackaleena.
“That is because she is much older than you. You are going to Benguela by the Sea, yes?”
“That is right. I heard they will protect you from the soldiers, give you food and clothes.”
“You are right about that,” said Joao. “Why don’t I lead you there?”
“You can lead me there if you will not speak about your Jesus Man,” said Jackaleena.
“And you will not speak about your Toto witchy man,” said Joao.
* * *
With a pact now in place, Joao proceeded to follow the stream to Benguela by the Sea. Jackaleena was but a few short steps away. They moved along the stream like wisps of smoke, easily hiding behind trees at the slightest sound in the forest. Several nights were spent in trees to stay off the forest floor. Joao knew many edible jungle plants. They were able to find a few banana trees, but mostly the bananas were green and bitter. Most of the plants he found were bulbs. He cracked those with his teeth. They had a soft white inner core without much taste. However, it left the stomach not craving food a few moments after it was eaten.
“How much longer to Benguela by the Sea?” asked Jackaleena.
Joao checked his surroundings, looked at the sun above the canopy top. “I guess about two more sunrises. When we get close, we have to be very careful of Captain Mingas and the boy soldiers. They are on patrol, looking for boys coming to Benguela by the Sea. They will try and capture them if they can, to fight for them in the war against the government. If they catch me, they might kill me, because I escaped. They try to catch girls if they can.”
The very thought of the boy soldiers sent Jackaleena’s heart racing. She clapped her hands to summon Toto, and asked him to put a curse on Mingas and to protect them in their travels.
Joao said, “Remember our pact, Jackaleena? You cannot speak of Toto and I cannot speak of my Jesus Man. Besides, I have already prayed that you get safely to Benguela by the Sea. Jesus Man has given me peace that you will get there safely. He already has a big plan for you in your life. Maybe to help someone as he will help you.”
“Toto will protect us,” Jackaleena said quietly to herself.
* * *
The sea was closer to the stream as they began to get close to Benguela. Joao’s cheery mood did not belie the dangers of the area as he led them along. He sang and quietly hummed a song.
Halting behind a group of trees, Joao put his finger to his mouth, signaling complete silence. He held out his hands like he was holding a gun and pointed to the white campground in the distance.
Jackaleena could not hear any soldiers, but that did not mean they were not there. Slowly they crept toward the campground of Benguela. First four stone throws, now three, and then one.
There was a sound above from one of the trees. “Stop right there, skinny boy!” someone screamed.
There were several soldier boys perched in the trees with their guns aimed straight at Joao. “We know you, you piece of goat shit.”
“Jackaleena, run now and run quickly. Go to the village.”
Without thinking, Jackaleena ran hard as she could. The soldier boys started shooting their weapons. She ran side to side and was fast approaching the village encampment doors. She could feel the bullets zing past her. The massive doors swung open as she sprinted the last fifty meters. She ran in the gates, not knowing
the outcome of Joao or what awaited her on the inside. She dared not turn around.
Outside, she heard many rifle shots as someone closed the big gates. She surmised that Joao was probably now with his Jesus Man, either by bullet or machete. She remembered what Joao said: “I prayed for Jesus Man to get you safely to Benguela by the Sea.” She prayed for Toto to protect both of them. He did not. Did Jesus Man get her safely to Benguela? She saw Toto, she could not see this Jesus Man. Was he a ghost?
Jackaleena ran through the gates and ran to a stairwell. At the top of the stairwell stood two men with guns, guarding the gates. They must have seen her and Joao as they approached and arranged to have the gates swing open as she ran in. She hid under the stairs and crumpled close to the ground. Several girls and young boys ran up to her, pointing and laughing. She did not recognize their language, but knew they were laughing at her.
Two Milano women appeared in neat tunics that were clean and pretty. One approached her cautiously, and bent to touch her. Jackaleena pulled herself into a ball and kept her head tucked between her knees. The woman said something in a language she did not understand. She gently stroked Jackaleena’s arm, speaking in a calm voice. She heard the woman say “Margaret Mavungo.” She recognized this woman’s name from what Joao had said about the village by the sea. He said she was from Kabinda.
A dark woman appeared. She was dressed in a neat tunic with a bright headwrap. She and the Milano spoke briefly, and then she sat on the ground in front of Jackaleena. She began to speak a language Jackaleena did not understand.
The woman tried one more, and still Jackaleena did not understand. Then she began to speak Umbundu. Jackaleena peeped up over her knees. “Oh, you must come from Kabinda.” She turned and spoke to the Milano. “I think she is Ovimbundu from Kabinda Province.” The woman then said something else in another language. All of the children and the Milano woman left. Only the dark woman with the bright headwrap and the guards above were left.