Yochi came to me. “Go ahead and build the rafts to carry the weapons,” I told him. “The ground is uneven and there are gullies.” I sucked my teeth, something I hated doing. “We may lose weapons and, even though the river is not fast here, maybe even Warriors.”
“Yes! Our Warriors have not eaten and we grow tired,” added Yochi.
“Give the orders, Yochi.”
He hit his chest. “Nacons! As we discussed earlier, have your section get sticks and vines to build a small raft to hold your weapons. Tie the weapons to the raft. You have one k’ab. Women Warriors! Get rid of your úúks and wrap arounds. or band them tightly around your waists. If you don’t, they will hook into brambles and you will drown.”
The Warriors immediately began cutting strong vines, and branches about three inches thick. They worked fast and within the hour, four sturdy rafts had been built and the weapons secured. I put my weapons on Iztali’s raft, and Yochi put his on Ichik’s. Without my weapons, I felt more naked than I was, if that were really possible. The women Warriors had banded most of the cloth they had around the waist, leaving only a very short úúk that more resembled an eex.172 As that was the only piece of clothing they wore except for lej-xajäbs, their legs and torso were not protected from brambles and thorns.
When we were ready, I spoke to the Warriors once more. “As I ordered before, none of my Warriors must begin the journey to Xibalba this day. We do not know what swims below the brown water and we do not know what swims on the surface. At times, there will be no place to walk and we will swim. Until we reach Quiriguá, the brown water is the enemy Warrior, and it is a strong and treacherous Warrior with many weapons. But we are greater Warriors,” I shouted.
“Kaloonte’!” they responded, beating their chests three times.
I stepped into the brown water, once again, but this time with visions of hungry fishes and snakes attacking Tóolok. I read somewhere that there was a fish that looked like an eel larva that can enter a man’s cock and travel up the tube if the man is bathing naked.173 It then erected its spines so that it couldn’t be pulled out. Sometimes, knowledge is a bad thing. But I didn’t have to worry. Tóolok had withdrawn himself completely into my body. Why on Earth am I thinking about that? I shook my head.
I was the tallest among my Warriors and the water was at my chest, most of the times. For them, it was at their necks and many were already swimming. The canopy was not dense and Kinich Ahau had brightened the surface of the water sufficiently enough so that we could see all about us. The undergrowth was thick, but a lot of it had been bent by the flooding and so was not as hazardous as it could have been. Nevertheless, our feet often went through bushes and their branches and thorns tore at our skins. Vines also entangled our feet, at times, and the Warriors had to help each other disentangle themselves. Yet we moved on, at a very slow pace, however, hoping that we would soon be out the jungle and onto the plain. The number of trees diminished as we moved away from the lower hills, but there were still enough that one could grab onto when one got tired. The Nacons had ordered the tallest Warriors to guide the rafts and so that mainly fell to my men as there was very little difference in height among the others. Iztali choose Anderson and Clarke. Ichik chose Rhys and Hulse. Ikan chose Robertson and Taylor. Teul borrowed Parham from Ikan’s team and buddied him with Yoloxochitl.
Wildlife was prevalent in the broken canopy. Several piitors174 and their creek-creek were there, kingfishers, the noisy xt’uts175 and kaj-rochochs,176 many different colored ts’unu’uns177 including the Purple-Crowned Fairy,178 and the xhom-bzan179 with its gurgling or rusty-hinge squeaking call. I did not hear the xan-cotí180 and its Katy-Katy-yu-baby-di-cry. Somehow, it would have been good to hear it. The Purple-Crowned Fairy, the thought of the xan-cotí, and the xhom-bzan cast me back to the day Molly was being dressed for her wedding in front of Mahanamtz’ cavern. I forced the memory from my thoughts, but, occasionally, there was the crazy laughter of the kos, Wah-co!-Wah-co!-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, reminding me, constantly reminding me. The cold flood I was in did not give me koal seed, but the call of the kos did and I shivered.
We often met with kaans as they twirled themselves on branches above the water, looking savagely at us, pointing their forked tongue at us. Some of them swam about us, disappearing and reappearing. Most were non-poisonous, but we did see poisonous sachojs from time to time, and even the kiaqxop,181 probably brought down by the torrential rains and flooding from the high summits where pine and scrubland were prevalent. I made myself believe that it was mere coincidence that most of the non-poisonous kaans were the bocotora clapansaya. Yet, they always appeared near Taylor and he was becoming jumpy. Seeing the bocotora clapansayas, even though they were much smaller than the one Molly and I faced at Mahanamtz’ cavern, the same one that had attacked Taylor as we walked up the Cockscomb Branch one year ago, also made me feel very uneasy and I reminded the Warriors to remain vigilant. I could not help thinking that we were under surveillance.
We tried to walk in the shallowest areas and searched for mounds, or followed those who had found a shallower path, always generally going north, keeping Kinich to our left. Taat was very good with directions and he kept us on a path to the northwest, towards the distant small hills and specifically the one with the smoke plumes. When we came to other hills or spurs along our march, more accurately our swim, we left the flooded water, walked along the slope until we had to enter the water again. Kinich was giving us only a faint glow when we came to a small mound with a few trees on it, almost bare of other foliage. We were all able to stand with decent space around us.
“We’ll make camp on this mound. We’ll rest easier than on one of the hills where every animal that lives in this valley has found refuge. Yochi. Have the Nacons set up a roster for guard duty. Make sure no animal leaves the flooded waters for the safety of our camp … unless we can eat it raw.”
“Kaloonte’!”
I didn’t think we had covered three miles since entering the water. I threw myself down onto the ground, smelling the wet mud and decaying litter. Even that was my jungle, I thought, as I covered myself with mud against the persistent biting flies, and watched the peeniwali float above the flooded waters of the Ja’-nima’ with their ghostly lights. In a short while, all of us except the two Warriors on guard duty and Bas had settled down getting ready to sleep.
I broke off a twig from a low bush and placed it between my lips, imagining I was smoking. My mind drifted for a time then Bas came and sat beside me. “Do you know what day it is, Bas?”
Bas shook his head. “You asked me that same question before. My answer is the same. From the time I showed up in Xibalba, I don’t know what day, what month, or what year it is. I am lost to the world I came from. I accept that.”
“Well, the last time we spoke, as we looked over Chay Abaj, I told you the previous day was Mother’s Day. Well, today is Sunday and the official Mother’s Day. Has to be a woman to have two days to celebrate. Funny. I just can’t seem to get it out of my mind.” I threw away the twig. “Would you believe that I always made breakfast for Nah’ on Mother’s Day? I always made sure I had the time off. Sometimes, it coincided with stand-down.182 That was good.”
“You really made breakfast?” I nodded. “What did you make?”
I chuckled. “Not the traditional beans and kua. I made ham and eggs with beans and kua.” Bas laughed out loudly and I soon joined him. “I wonder what’s our nah’s are doing, thinking, what they did this morning?”
Bas shook his head. “I don’t know. Perhaps made the usual breakfast … without us.” My eyes started to cloud over. Bas shook his head again and began smiling. “So, you made ham and eggs with beans and kua for your nah’. I didn’t know there was a nice part to you, my friend.”
“I suppose there is,” I answered, without really pondering on what he said. I was silent for a while, recapturing memories of Nah’. Bas was also quiet, looking down, probably reflecting on his nah’ too
.
“We’re all that’s in their minds right now,” he said. “Somehow, we men seem to be able to put aside our deepest sorrows, but women can’t or won’t; and no woman wants to know the pains of losing her child.”
“Yet, here we are, Bas, two men, bloodied Warriors that have tasted the blood of their enemies, thinking of our nah’s … not only thinking, but wishing we could be with them.” Bas got up, abruptly, said nothing, and moved to where he was going to sleep.
The mound was soon silent except for the chirp-chirp of the xirs, the buzz of chan-koxols, and the sound of the Ja’-nima’. I twisted, turned, unable to sleep as Bas’ reaction to our conversation and my emotions caught up with me. My golden hue, which I had thought had almost gone away, began to rise. I tried to control the many demanding forays that were lancing my mind, but I was losing the battle as I broke out in sweat and glowed brightly.
“Owt di madafok lait, Chiac. I waahn goh doado.”183
“Kaloonte’!” reprimanded Yochi, hearing me referred to as ‘Chiac’.
Absolute quiet.
“Ah misn mai kaan-beef ahn noodles.”
Chirp-chirp.
“Wahn Jungle Chow Mein uda bee wikid da disya taim.”
“Whe bowt di Tambran Tang?”
“Datdeh tu.”
Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp.
“Wel ah lang fi yehr haap ahn marimba.”
Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp.
“Wel ah lang fi nyam wan-too-chree … foa.”
“Foa?”
“Frai plaantin … if yu loki. Noh blogo.”
“Oah!”
Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp.
I listened to the banter and my gold color faded.
“Tenk Gaad! Lang at lass!”
“Fu wara?”
“Blakowt.”
“Chroo.”
“Chiac aaf di korant. Ah neva tink ah mi wahn tenkful fu balkowt.”
“Taim chaynj, bwai.”
Chirp-Chirp.
“Fu chroo.”
Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp.
“Unu goh doado!”
Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp.
Chuckle.
Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp.
I fell asleep … almost happy.
CHAPTER SEVEN
MARCH TO QUIRIGUÁ - DAY THREE
SIB JUYUB (Smoke Hill)
K’iin 15 - The Uinal of Yaxk’in’
Monday, May 14, 1973
I woke to the sound of activity around me as the Nacons kicked their sections awake. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. It was dawn and bright enough that there was no difficulty seeing. The women Warriors were gathered in a small circle at one end of the island mound while most of the men were pissing in the water. No one had taken a walk and that probably was a good thing as they would not have had far to walk, but then we hadn’t eaten in three days. I looked for the rafts. They were pulled up high, almost in the center of the mound. I stood up as Yochi and Anderson came over to me.
“All the Warriors have scratches, cuts, and swollen bruises,” Anderson informed me. “The bruises are no problem, but the scratches and cuts are becoming infected. If we don’t get out of these conditions soon, the infections will spread and fever will break out. They won’t be able to carry on. There’s nothing Taat, Robertson, or I can do. I have nothing, not even clean water and the jungle remedies are all under water.” He shook his head. “If we stop a while and climb one of the hills, Taat and I might be able to find some medicinal herbs.”
“You will be able to do that once we reach the hill with the smoke. It wouldn’t be sensible to delay our progress to treat wounds and then have them submerged in the same dirty water again. We will wait for treatment until we reach the hill.” Anderson sighed. “Thanks for taking back your job as Medic, Anderson.” He nodded then walked away, not saying anything more.
“We need to get some food,” urged Yochi. “Even in the hills, I haven’t seen any ripe fruit. The trees are bare. There must be berries, but those are under water. We have to get some meat. Soon. Kill some birds, tuucha’s,184 kaans. Anything.”
“We’ll reach the hill with the smoke today, Yochi. We’ll get food there.”
He frowned. “The villagers may be in the same position we are. They won’t want to provide food for fifty warriors, even if they could. No one knows when the Qas Nim Woja’185 will abate and what will be the state of their villages and crops. Everything may have been destroyed.”
“I will not stop to hunt now. If we need to, we will do that once we reach the hill. Let’s not waste any more time.”
“You’re pushing the Warriors hard. They weaken.”
“As you said, Yochi, they are Warriors.” Yochi nodded, looking troubled. I put my hand on his shoulder and he glanced at it but I did not remove it. “I listen to you, Yochi. Don’t stop talking to me.” He nodded, but his face remained unsettled. “When we get to Quiriguá,” I said, “We will feast like the noble lords.” I smiled, roguishly. “And you, Yochi, will have as many women as you want to chakuj tutuchci. As many times, as you want.”
Yochi gave a half-smile, but continued to brood. “Let’s get there first, Kaloonte’.”
I decided to stop the conversation. “Ko’one’ex,” I shouted. Immediately, the Warriors started moving into the water, some helping with taking the rafts.
We continued our slow pace through the flood. After about two hours, we came out the water and started climbing, at an angle, up the slope of an elongated spur that descended gradually in a northerly direction. The climb wasn’t difficult; the only problem was carrying the weapon rafts. Yochi and I had decided that it was too early to get rid of the rafts as we didn’t know what lay beyond the spur and beyond the hill with the smoke. When we reached the top of the spur, I called a halt, telling the Warriors to rest. There the canopy was thick so the undergrowth was sparse. Kinich was directly overhead, however, and the humid air was hot. The ground was damp, not very wet, and the flies were thankfully sparse.
I was sitting, my back against a rum-p’ok tree,186 surrounded by its yellow to purplish-red fruit that were scattered on the jungle floor. The Warriors and I were hungrily eating the sour pulp on the large seed of the fruits, thankful for them. I looked up as Hulse came up to me.
“At least we found one hog plum tree with fruit. Flipping memories,” he said, then started moving away.
I nodded. I had also been thinking of Expedition Bold and the Mexican Branch where we had found another rum-p’ok tree. How happy and carefree we were then. I threw away the large round seed I had been sucking on, wishing I had some k’uutz to smoke. Even a’kl187 would have been okay, or cho-otz188 as Teul insisted it was called. It was the first time I wanted to smoke in many days. Things must be getting better. I chuckled at the thought.
I looked down, staring at my muddy naked body, wondering if I too were lost to the world I came from. I pushed my thoughts away. I knew my purpose in the world I was in and I had to pursue it. I looked back up, broke a twig from a nearby bush and started chewing it.
Bas came over and we each picked up another fruit and started sucking at the pulp. “Do you recall how you got to Xibalba, Bas?” I was immediately sorry that I asked for my mind instantly flew back to that day on the mountain top as we looked across to Victoria Peak. I shuddered and quickly pulled away. I had to fight myself so as not to relive the horror of that day on the mountain top.
“I remembered sitting, looking at Victoria Peak, talking to you about Molly Cervantez. You were angry that I brought her up.” He looked amused then frowned. “We never did get to discuss what had happened to her.”
I spat out the seed, broke off another twig, placed it between my lips and took in a deep draw. I handed it to him. “Sorry it’s not k’uutz or a’kl. You’ll just have to pretend.”
He took it and grinned, placing it in his mouth, moving it a
round as we used to do with match sticks and tooth picks. He took a deep draw. “A’kl?” He shook his head, smiling roguishly. “This is definitely one of those times k’uutz would be better. Much better.”
I laughed out loud. “Yeah! For all fifty of us.” I knew that it was time to resume our march, but it was so good talking to Bas that 1 continued. “Did you ever wonder how I got here, what has led up to all this?”
“Yes. I have, but all this has been so confusing that 1 decided to leave it alone until we had a chance to talk. I … all of us from Expedition Bold don’t know what happened. We were on the mountain, we have a blurred vision of rifle shots and of being attacked, then we were taken out a river by Yochi and his Warriors and marched to Xibalba. Yochi realized that we were different and he took us to Kish. Kish ordered Yochi to keep us as secluded as possible and to start training us as Warriors, immediately. He would inform the Ahau Can Mai as he would any routine matter, downplaying us as much as possible.” Bas shrugged. “We just accepted what was happening. There wasn’t anything else to do, at that time, and we weren’t going to panic, disgrace ourselves and our units. We are soldiers. Warriors.” Bas chuckled. “We had to learn about Yaxché, its levels, its gods, and its citizens. We were taught how to play pitz and we were taught to fight using the weapons available in Xibalba. I was the only one who could speak Ke’kchi, so he got two women, Emataly and Nikai, to teach Hulse, Anderson, Taylor, Clarke, and Parham. It was strange how quickly they learned the language.”
“Emataly and Nikai?” I queried, somewhat loudly.
He nodded. “It was unbelievable. Like magic. Within a week they were as fluent as I was. I assumed it was something to do with Xibalba, so I thought no more of it.” He held the twig in his mouth, took a deep draw while closing his eyes, then handed our imaginary k’uutz to me. I took another big draw. “So, how did you get here?” he asked.
Sisimito III--Topoxte Page 12