Sisimito III--Topoxte

by Henry W. Anderson

  Teul and Xipilli worked, helping to rebuild a large central shed. Just as Kinich Ahau was returning to the Underworld, Ix Chel rose as the nojinaq-ik’ in all her brilliant glory. The hunters returned with three large kitams, already cleaned, and some women began smoking them in the shed from which Teul had seen smoke rising as they approached the village. Tochtli called a halt to the work and all the men went down to the river, stripped, and immersed themselves. They soon climbed back on the bank, dried, put on their loincloths and returned, all congregating around a fire that the women had built near the central shed. Tochtli, Nabael K’ojol Atl, the Batab, the two Chiefs they met earlier, Xipilli, and Teul sat together, women serving them meat and kua on broad dried leaves. The girl who served Teul was about fifteen and as she bent over him to hand him his food, her nipples brushed against his face. Their eyes made contact and Teul crossed his legs, as a precaution, so that no one became aware of his growing tutuchci.

  The feast continued and they were fed chojim-wa and watered down tiáálinbil with plenty of chukwa’ and balché to drink. Rolls of k’uutz were lit and passed around and Teul was soon feeling exhilarated. There was even music provided by ch’aw-baqs and la’j-tuns. When the nojinaq-ik’ was almost six hands above the horizon, Tochtli stood up. “Tonight, even after the destruction brought upon us by K’o-chuq’ab Kiäqiq’-jab, we have still been able to offer our guests a feast and good company. Now we go to our mats,” he chuckled, “if we still have them, for tomorrow we work again and our guests leave with the arrival of Kinich Ahau.” He looked towards Xipilli and Teul. “We do not have a hut to offer our guests, but we offer them the part of our main shed that is completed, if they wish. Or else, they can sleep like the rest of us, under the beautiful night sky of Kaán.” He looked at the nojinaq-ik’, bright and large in the mostly cloudless sky. “The Chacs will not visit us tonight.” He turned to go and the other men started to get up, their families coming towards them as they drifted off to various parts of their village to sleep, a village still not rebuilt.

  “Well, Teul,” said Xipilli. “Let’s go to the shed.”

  “I think I prefer to sleep in the open,” Teul answered.

  “So do I,” answered Xipilli. “However, as Tochtli has offered it, we will accept. We don’t have to sleep just under it.”

  Teul and Xipilli got to the shed, took off their loincloths and hung them out. They threw themselves down just outside the shed and curled up to sleep. Two shadows fell across them, dimming the bright moonlight, then lay beside them. Teul reached over and held one of the breasts that had touched his face earlier in the evening. He placed his mouth over it. He heard soft sounds already coming from Xipilli and his woman. Teul rolled over on top his woman, lifting up his upper body. The girl was very beautiful, exotic in the moonlight. “Madafok to the foreplay,” he whispered, sighing happily and in disbelief as he overcame some unexpected resistance to his tutuchci sliding into her t’ot’. The girl gave a little cry.

  “Ye-e-e-e-s. Tight, warm, and moist. Just how I like it. And I’m good. Just madafok good. Oh, you lucky gyal275. So, what’s your name? At least I should know your name.”

  “Sacnite!”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  TEUL

  THE MARCH TO

  PUSILHÁ

  K’iin 20 - The Uinal of Yaxk’in’

  Saturday, May 19, 1973

  It was just after the haunting whistle of the kolol that Xipilli kicked Teul on his rump. He had to do it several times as Teul was in a deep slumber. Teul finally turned, looking up at Xipilli.

  “What the madafok? Is it time to get up already?”

  “Yes,” Teul. “I want to reach Pusilhá before Kinich Ahau is directly overhead.”

  Teul looked around. “Where are the women, Xipilli?”

  “Gone.”

  “Madafok! I could do with another round of happiness.”

  “So it seems,” said Xipilli, pointing to Teul’s tutuchci.

  “Teul looked down. “Wasted tutuchci,” he lamented. “Oh, I just need to piss,” he said, jumping up. “It doesn’t mean I don’t want to soften my tutuchci again,” he laughed. “Women love it best in the morning when the little fellow is at its hardest.”

  “Little fellow, indeed,’ smirked Xipilli.

  “A madafok to you Xipilli. Remember. It’s not only the size, it’s the way. And I’m good Xipilli. Madafok good. I’ll teach you everything I know, if you want.”

  “Perhaps, I’ll teach you. Well, you’re just being greedy. You scarcely slept last night,” Xipilli chuckled.

  “Neither did you, my friend,” laughed Teul.

  “Yes! It was a good night. The first I’ve had since K’o-chuq’ab Kiäqiq’-jab. I also think it was the first time for Xochitl.”

  “Well, that’s a nice and unexpected extra. It must have been the first time for Sacnite as well. There was some resistance as I began, but I was so madafok ready and drunk, I didn’t really think about it. It was the first time since I had to drink mes-bel for bad-siknis. That’s more than long enough.”

  “What is bad-siknis?” asked Xipilli.

  “You don’t know?” Xipilli shook his head. “Sometimes when you chakuj tutuchci, you piss puh and it burns no madafok.”

  “Never got it.”

  “Don’t.”

  Xipilli shrugged his shoulders. “Well, when you’ve finished pissing, let’s go to the nim-ja’. It will be good to swim a little before we continue our journey.”

  Teul and Xipilli raced in the lightening darkness to the nim-ja’ then jumped in foot-first. They swam and competed against each other until finally returning to the bankside where they sat, breathing hard.

  “I love the nim-ja’,” said Teul. “The nim-ja’ gave me the only real happiness I knew as a child. And the jungle too, of course.”

  “Why is that?” asked Xipilli, frowning.

  Teul raised his eyebrows. “I grew up pretty much alone. But I’m a man now and the past is the past. It is only me who can decide my future.” He sighed. “It was not until I became a soldier that I felt like I had family and a home.”

  “Soldier?”

  “Mix-ba’al. A Warrior.”

  “Perhaps, one day, Teul, you’ll be my achalal,”276 responded Xipilli. “I don’t have an achalal or a chaq‘.”277

  Teul was struck by Xipilli’s words. He turned and looked at Xipilli. “That would be good, Xipilli. I never had a real brother … achalal or chaq’ either.” He paused. “I grew up with no family. Now, it seems that, all of a sudden, I will have one.” He leaned back on outstretched arms. “I may even be having a taat, if he hasn’t gone to the Underworld. Perhaps, this land will be good to me, after all.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Teul shook his head. “Mix-ba’al. Taat was with me when our canoe capsized on the Ja’-nima’ during the Qas Nim Wo-ja’. He had sort of taken me under his wing.” Teul felt his eyes moisten. “I hope he still lives.” Teul reached over to Xipilli and hugged him. “You will be the first of my new family.” Teul smiled, “But you will be my chaq’. I’m sure I’m older than you, even if barely so.”

  Xipilli laughed. “Yes, Achalal.” “As soon as we can, we will have the blood-letting ceremony to make us achalal and chaq.”

  “What, whatblood-letting ceremony,” stammered Teul.

  Xipilli frowned. “Oh, it’s nothing. Are there no blood-letting ceremonies in Ox Witz Ha?”

  Teul didn’t know how to answer so he simply said, “Anything you say, Chaq’.”

  “We could do it here, but we have to go. We’ll do it another time, but soon.” Xipilli nodded several times, agreeing with himself. “That will be better as it’s an important ceremony. We’ll have a grand one.”

  “Anything you say, Chaq’,” repeated Teul, wondering what was in store for him. They stood up, and Xipilli put his arms across Teul’s shoulders. Teul reciprocated and they walked back to the partially built shed. As
soon as they entered the shed, they put on their lej-xajäbs and loincloths, and Xipilli picked up a cuxtal and looked into it.

  “What’s that?” asked Teul.

  “Smoked meat and kua,” answered Xipilli. “Someone must have brought it in the night.”

  “In the night? You think they saw us with the gyals?”

  Xipilli frowned as if the question was strange then shrugged his shoulders. “Doesn’t matter. Perhaps it was one of them who brought the food.” He smiled. “They may be giving thanks to the gods right now for the night we gave them.”

  “Okay, Chaq’! And I haven’t even started training you yet.”

  Xipilli laughed. “There will be time in Pusilhá. But now, ko’one’ex, Achalal.”

  A faint redness from Kinich Ahau’s fiery chariot had just begun infiltrating the horizon when Teul and Xipilli started on the track to Pusilhá.

  The track passed through mainly damaged broadleaf jungle and they several times crossed and re-crossed the small creek that eventually ran through Zactun. The land was almost flat with small rises for the first half of the journey and they were able to run quickly. They soon reached a larger creek,278 crossed over it and threw themselves on the bank to rest. A few minutes later Xipilli said, “That creek leads to the Temax that flows all the way to the Nohoch Ate’am Ja’. As a boy, my taat took me up the coast to where the Temax meets the Nohoch Atz’am Ja’. We then canoed all the way up the nim-ja’ until it became too shallow. There were no signs of villages. There were plenty of birds, animals, and fish. Always fish.” He chuckled. “From there we returned and went further along the coast until we arrived where the Yaxal279 meets the Nohoch Atz’am Ja’. It was the same there. My taat likes to explore, but he always returned to Nito.” Xipilli frowned, thinking. “Then he had to. He is Nimalaj Achi. I am not.” He stood. “Ko’one’ex, Achalal.”

  “Madafok, Xipilli! We just got here. Let’s rest a bit more. I’m tired.”

  “Well, you chakuj tutuchci all night long. What do you expect? You’re not young like me anymore.”

  Teul glared at Xipilli who was grinning. “Madafok to you! I’m a young stud just like you. And why are you grinning?” Teul was immediately taken back to Choco. “Madafok!” he shouted.

  “What’s wrong?” asked a bewildered Xipilli.

  “I may have lost the closest friend I ever had. He was like an achalal.”

  “I’m sorry. Was he a Warrior?”

  “Yes. He was … what the madafok am I saying? He’s alive. I know he’s alive. I won’t say he’s dead.”

  “Then he’s alive,” responded Xipilli.

  Teul looked at Xipilli. “Yes, Chaq’. He’s alive. But why the madafok were you grinning? That’s what I do. I’m the one who’s usually grinning you piece of madafok.”

  “Fok you too!”

  Teul was baffled. “Where did you learn that word?”

  “Well, you keep saying it, but that’s not how I know it. Don’t you know the story? It’s sung by our artisans in many of our kingdoms.”

  “Tell me.”

  Xipilli shrugged his shoulders. “It is a word that was used by a T’oit’ik-jolom from another land. It was also his name.”

  “His name?”

  “Yes.”

  “I haven’t heard you use it before.”

  Xipilli’s eyes seemed enraptured. “We don’t use it often for it reminds us that the T’oit’ik-jolom has left us and we may see him no more. That brings sadness, especially to our Warriors. But, sometimes, we say it in his honor.” Xipilli shrugged his shoulders again. “Anyway, Achalal, we need to get to Pusilhá and Ox Witz Ha. Nito needs help.”

  “Okay, Chaq’,” said Teul, pulling himself up, knowing that Xipilli was speaking of Chiac. “Let’s get to Pusilhá.”

  The track took them north and for most of the way, they had a creek on their left. They came to a fork after two k’abs, continued north to another fork, and then followed the left tributary which led them into the base of higher hills.280 The trail was clear and although their running slowed when going uphill, they maintained a good pace.

  The trail continued climbing and Teul estimated that the small hills were becoming mountains of over a thousand feet above sea level. On reaching a summit, Xipilli threw himself on the jungle floor, Teul doing the same.

  “We’re almost there. Listen. Pulch’ich’.281

  Teul listened. “Can’t hear anything,” he said, breathless.

  “Well, if you stopped making so much noise with your gasping, you would hear it,” grinned Xipilli.

  “Madafok to you!” growled Teul. Teul closed his eyes and listened. He nodded. “Pujila’.”282

  “Ko’one’ex,” said Xipilli. “We will rest there.”

  They jumped up and Xipilli began racing downward on the track towards the waterfall. Teul shrugged his shoulders and took off behind him. Within a few minutes Teul caught up with Xipilli who was already pulling off his loincloth and lej-xajäbs. He turned around to Teul and smiled extending his hands wide. This is Tuucha’ Pujila’.”283 He then jumped into the blue pool at the base of the waterfall. Teul gazed at the beauty of the waterfall and the pool, stripped and jumped in.

  The waterfall was not high, but there were several areas where the crystal-clear water cascaded over large rocks, smoothened by the years of having the water rush over them. Teul and Xipilli drank their fill as they swam up and down the pool, then climbed up on one of the nearby rocks. Teul threw himself backward closing his eyes, allowing Kinich Ahau to warm and dry his body while Xipilli sat beside him. Above in a high branch that spread over the pool were two piitors shouting their creek-creek at each other.

  “This is the life,” said Teul.

  “It is,” answered Xipilli.

  Teul closed his eyes. “Madafok!” exclaimed Teul, jumping up. Xipilli quickly looked up at him to see what was wrong. Several spots of white and black piitor shit was oozing off his face. Teul rushed to the pool cussing, while Xipilli rolled with laughter on the rocks.

  Xipilli was still laughing when Teul returned, his face made up. “They say it’s ka xi ‘ik teech utzil,”284 grinned Xipilli.

  “Ka xi’ik teech utzil my madafok,” responded Teul. He looked up at the two piitors who were still very noisy. “If I had my rifle, I’d take the two of you madafoks down,” he shouted.

  “Rifle,” asked Xipilli, puzzled. “What is that?”

  Teul immediately realized his mistake. “Mix-ba’al, Chaq’. Mix-ba’al.” He lay back then looked up. He moved from under the birds and closed his eyes.

  They were silent for a while then Xipilli spoke. “I’m not going back, Achalal; at least, not for many tuns.”

  Teul’s eyes flew open. “Not going back?” He sat up.

  “I am the Nabeal K’ojol. One k’iin I will be Nimalaj Achi of Nito.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Nito is a fishing and trading village.” He looked at Teul. “I want to be a Warrior, a T’oit’ik-jolom someday. Like you, Teul.”

  Teul picked up a small pebble and threw it into the pool. T’oit’ik-jolom. I’ll have to tell him the truth soon, thought Teul. “What about your taat, Zipactonal. He needs you to rebuild Nito. You are his Nabeal K’ojol.”

  “I do not forget that. I will be his envoy. I will see that help is sent to Nito. My taat will not go to the Underworld soon. He is strong. I will return to Nito when I am able to become Nimalaj Achi. I will return a Warrior and you will help me to become that Warrior.” Teul threw another pebble into the pool. “You are Achalal. You cannot refuse me.”

  Teul stared at Xipilli, his forehead furrowed. “Is that so? You are Chaq’. You will do what I tell you.”

  Xipilli jumped up, glaring angrily at Teul. He calmed quickly and sighed loudly. “Yes, Achalal. I am your Chaq’ and I obey you. I will go back to Nito and spend the rest of my life imploring the blessing of Chac Uayab Xoc so that I may catch fish.”

  “Madafok! Why can’t my life b
e simple?” Teul exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air. “Okay Xipilli. We will discuss this more.” Teul stood up. “Kinich Ahau is almost directly overhead. I think we should swim again before, with my luck, this beautiful scene suddenly disappears.” Teul jumped into the pool, quickly followed by Xipilli. After a few loud splashing races, they sat on a rock drying.

  “Xipilli.”

  Xipilli frowned. “Yes, Teul.”

  “I am not T’oit’ik-jolom.”

  Xipilli threw a pebble into the pool. “I know, Teul. My Achalal. You don’t carry yourself as one. I was wondering how long it would take for you to tell me.”

  “Madafok! I just …”

  Xipilli raised his hand and Teul stopped talking. “Say nothing more. You said that you are a man now and the past is the past. We are both men and the past is the past. You are my Achalal. I am you Chaq’. It is only what happens now and in the future that matters.”

  Teul stared at Xipilli, overwhelmed with emotions. “Thank you, Xipilli.” He nodded and threw another pebble in the water. “I have been through so much … and the pain grows.”

  After leaving Tuucha’ Pujila’, they ran to the top of a ridge. A mirador had been cleared and they looked down on a beautiful beya’. “The nim-ja’ is the Machata and it flows far until it empties into the Yaxal. Across the nim-ja’ is Pusilhá. As you can see, it is a large city. About seven thousand citizens live there. And we do not have to swim across. There is a bridge. Pusilhá is famous for its beautiful bridges.”

  The run down to the bridge was quick and there were people swimming and washing in the nim-ja’. Teul was amazed as he approached the bridge for it had stone abutments supporting a wooden platform made from planks and saq-ki rope.285 Two Warriors, armed with long bate’s and to’bal-ribs and dressed in loincloths and arm-bands, guarded the bridge. They interlocked their long bate’s as Teul and Xipilli approached. The two young men stopped a few feet in front of the Warriors.