by Leah Matheny
Sitala turned around. “Yes, Huyana, you look lovely. Honon will be very proud to see you walking to him.”
Liwanu announced himself and I told him to come in. When he saw me, he stopped and stared. “You are…” He cleared his throat. “Are you ready? Everyone is waiting.” He quietly handed me a small package and tapped my ring finger; it was my jewelry.
Sitala stood up with Jack. “We’re ready. Come on, Papina, let’s go outside and tell the others Huyana is ready.” I soon heard music and I quickly put Sitala’s necklace on; I also put my ring on a thin leather strap to tie around my neck, hiding both under the dress.
Liwanu put his arm around my waist and walked me outside. We walked toward the crowd of people, who slowly parted for us to walk through. Soon the people were no longer there and I saw Honon. He took my breath away. He had on white pants with beading and feathers. Like the first time I saw him, he wore no shirt, but had a beaded and feathered chest plate. His hair hung down loose, only held back with a white headband, also with beads and feathers. His smile was big enough that I could see his dimple. I smiled and mouthed to him that he was beautiful, and his smile grew.
The music stopped and the yenene asked who was giving the bride to the groom. Liwanu walked forward with me. “I give this bride to this groom,” he said while putting my hand in Honon’s, whose eyes roamed all over my face. The yenene asked, “And what is the gift you have for the groom to take this bride?” I looked quickly in shock at Honon and started to shake my head, but I felt him lightly squeeze my hand and he gave a nod.
“I have this bear pelt for the groom,” Liwanu said. He set his gift on the ground in front of Honon. The yenene asked Honon if the gift was acceptable.
He never took his eyes off me. “Yes, the gift is acceptable.” Most of the rest of the ceremony sounded similar to a Christian ceremony, some of it was spoken in the Miwok language. Once the yenene pronounced us “Man and wife” Honon slowly took my face in his hands, told me he loved me, and slowly brought his lips to mine. He grabbed me closer and deepened the kiss. As the crowed hooted and hollered, Honon picked me up and twirled me around.
When he set me down, I was in front of Wuyi; he’d been sitting a few feet to the side of me, leaning against a pile of fur. “Father, I present my wife.” Wuyi put his hand out and I took hold of it. Everyone was silent.
“You have made my son happy. You have made his mother and his father happy. You give my son a son of his own. You give his mother and father a grandson. We have all been blessed by you, Huyana. I pray the good Lord blesses you and this marriage for as long as you live, my tune.” He leaned back, panting.
I bent down to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, my father.”
Kosumi carried him back into his koca while people started coming up to us with congratulations. The music started up again and most everyone began dancing around a huge fire. Papina brought a woman to me. “Huyana, this is Amayeta.” Amayeta shyly bowed her head and I reached out to hug her.
“Thank you so much for letting me borrow your dress. It’s very beautiful. I’ll take good care of it.”
She bowed her head again, with a blush. “I am honored to have you wear it,” she said and smiled.
A couple of the women came and grabbed me, pulling me to the dancing circle. They tried to teach me the steps, which I didn’t get right away. Food was set out for people to eat, along with something that tasted like beer, so I didn’t drink any more after the first taste.
Later, I felt my breasts getting full so I headed to Sitala, who was holding a fussy Jack. I fed and changed him and took him back to Sitala. “I’ll take Jack in to sit by Wuyi. Enjoy the rest of your wedding, tune.”
More people came up to congratulate me that hadn’t earlier. Kosumi finally came up to me. “I’m glad to see you so happy, Huyana.” He kissed my cheek. “Congratulations.” He gave me a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and he walked away.
Before I could think about Kosumi, someone pulled me out to dance again. Honon danced by me a few times and I stopped to watch him. “You look like you are looking at something good to eat,” Sapata said by my ear.
I turned to her laughing, “Am I that easy to read?”
She nodded. “I’m glad to see you happy with Honon and your baby. I am still available if you need me.”
I hugged her as I said, “I do need you, Sapata, as a friend.” She kissed my cheek before walking away. I went back to dancing and soon found myself alone in the center of a big circle everyone had made around me. I stopped dancing, not knowing what to do. Everyone chanted, dancing around me. Then they all stopped and were quiet. I looked all around me until I saw an opening in the circle; Liwanu stepped through. He walked over to me and smiled, “Are you ready to be taken to your husband?” I nodded and he bent down in front of me. “Wrap your arms around my neck and wrap your legs around my waist.”
“Okay, now what?” I asked. The crowd started chanting again and parted to let us through.
“I will take you to Honon,” he said over his shoulder. The crowd started hooting and howling again.
“Liwanu, I want to thank you for the bear fur…and for taking the place of my father…again, it means a lot to me. Thank you.” I squeezed him a little tighter.
“The bear is the one that came to the campsite the night on our way here. It is good for you to have it. You helped me after the bear wounded me.” When we got to the entrance of my koca, Liwanu turned around.
“Hello, wife,” Honon said from behind me as he lifted me off Liwanu. Liwanu turned and closed the drape. When I turned to look at Honon, he was naked. “What did you think of your wedding?”
I tried to swallow. I still couldn’t believe I was married to him; he wanted me. “Our wedding was wonderful and I’m a very happy woman. I just married the man I love, the father of my son.” I put my arms around his neck. “I think I like walking into our koca and finding you naked, I could get used to it.”
Honon removed my necklace. Smiling, he started pulling the ties at the side of my dress. “I think you should be as naked as me.” He trailed kisses down my body as the dress slipped off. When he noticed my wedding ring, he stopped and smiled. “I love you, wife. Are you ready to consummate our marriage and begin our life together?”
I answered him with a smile and a kiss.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leah Matheny is a mother of four living in Southern California. Now that her children are all ensconced in school and other activities, she finally has time to sit down and do what she’d always wanted. Write.
If you have any questions for Leah, you may contact her at: [email protected]
Coming in the fall of 2011, the story of Karen and Liwanu in: MY PERFECT MAN.