Ki'ti's Story, 75,000 BC

by Bonnye Matthews

  “Will they eat this one since it’s dead?” he asked.

  “I think so,” his father answered. “Throw it far out.”

  All of the adults wanted to know how the different fish tasted. There was much trading during the meal. Most people favored the snout trout and the catfish. Totamu favored the ray finned fish. She thought the others were too picky about bones.

  The men relaxed that evening and discussed setting up drying racks the next day. Some were restless and wanted to return to hunting, but they wanted the women to have everything they needed for the care and preservation of fish before they returned to their hunting. They still had a number of bamboo poles. That evening they would transport the remaining poles to the lake while others found pole racks to set them on. The women could string rope between the poles and have enough room to dry the fish for the whole season of warm nights. All the adults were content with a day that had gone well. Kai was the only one who was concerned. One of his nets, the one Pechki used, had fallen apart and he wanted to fix it, but more than that he wanted to know why it came apart. He also realized that he probably should make spare nets for each raft. He knew that Ekuktu was talented in woodworking, so he decided to talk to him about the nets.

  The sandy shoreline extended for a long distance. Ghanya asked Minagle if she’d like to run. They had been running for quite a while and enjoyed it. They walked to the shore and then began to run. Ki’ti watched them knowing she could not have kept up the speed. She was awed. She watched the whole run and the dip in the lake afterward. She dreamed some day of having someone with whom to join who would be as good a match as Ghanya and Minagle or Domur and Manak.

  Babies were settled in the tents and adults watched as Wisdom sucked the color from the land making brilliant sunsets of the post-Baambas sky. The sky above was aglow with vivid reds and purples and yellows. They watched it reflect on the water of the lake. There was such peace.

  Ki’ti leaned against Wamumur and whispered, “It wasn’t always this peaceful here.”

  He smiled. “You are right. It wasn’t. Aren’t we blessed of Wisdom?”

  “Yes, Father, we are blessed of Wisdom.”

  Emaea smiled. In all her life she had never thought she could be so happy. She leaned against the aurochs skin that had been propped against the hillside. She felt a warmth for the People. This, she mused, must be how Wisdom had planned for them to live. She would treasure the day and the evening and the night as something to savor from time to time from her mind web. And, oh, how good that trout was! She burped.

  “That fish still sending up little bubbles?” Ki’ti laughed, joined by Emaea and Wamumur.

  Wamumur shoved Ki’ti so she fell into the sand. Then he tickled her. She was so shocked that she almost lost her breath laughing. Wamumur had definitely changed as a parent. She was glad he found out that he was being like his father. It turned him into someone kinder and gentler and sometimes really funny. The difference was not lost on Totamu. She had no idea what caused the difference, but she was finally at ease about how Ki’ti was being raised.

  By the end of the season of warm nights they had a huge supply of meat, both animal and fish; they had lots of plants that had been dried and placed in baskets, safe for use from the present until the following season of warm nights. They had skins to make into garments and all were prepared for the upcoming cave time.

  By the end of the season, all the children ages three and above knew how to swim well enough to survive in water. Women had learned how to row a raft. Even Domur, Alu, Inst, and Olintak, who had been at the caves all season of warm nights, were brought down to learn raft rowing for several days. The break had been a delight and provided something to talk about during the hours of nursing. They knew even if no one else did the wonderful value of having a cave of about fifty inhabitants. The variety was great. It made life more interesting and People could do what they were good at. They had endless activities to keep them alive in life, activities that would have been denied them if they had been a People of only eight. The People were healthy physically and in the way they treated each other. Life was very good.

  Chapter 8

  The seasons of cold days were warmer and the vivid colors in the sunsets had dimmed. It had been five years since the rafts had been put on the lake. Fishing had become totally integrated into meat acquisition. Hunters still checked the outlying lands for signs of life. The People noticed that at the edges of the ashfall, plants were spearing their way through. They had no desire to go there but were heartened that the place was springing back to life and color would return to the ash-covered land. Chamul-na and Nanichak-na made one more trip to the rope bridge and discovered that as hard as they searched, they did not see a single man-like ape. They listened and failed to hear anything that sounded like one. They had taken each of three of the well-concealed but still viable paths to the north that led off from the larger ancient path. The paths went into the high mountains, many of which were like Notempa and Baambas, covered with what they knew now was white rain. They had found one encampment, probably Mol, possibly only a year old, but no people. Other hunters had scoured the areas to the northeast, east, and southeast but found nothing. There had been some earthquake activity that was very strong recently. It was thought to have originated in the west but there was no way for them to be sure and Ki’ti’s ways of knowing didn’t tell her.

  Nanichak-na and Chamul-na had gathered their hunting gear and planned again to check the paths that led west to see if they could find answers to the earthquake activity. If it seemed that earthquakes were getting closer to their area, they wanted to know. They left quietly one morning and headed to the ancient path. They walked briskly and listened to the forest that they had come to know well. All sounded normal.

  Meanwhile, Neamu-na, Mootmu-na, and Ermol-na had taken younger men with them to patrol again the northeast, east, and southeast. Grypchon-na and Manak went south to take another look at the ashfall landscapes.

  About five days into the scouting, Manak said, “Father, what is that?”

  Grypchon-na looked where Manak pointed. He squinted and could barely make out a few dots that appeared to be moving on the ashfall. They chose places to sit on the mountainside to watch the moving dots. Both took the time to eat and water themselves.

  “I think that might be People,” Manak said with wonder.

  “Anybody crossing all that ashfall would have to be crazy. Nobody would know where to go.”

  “That’s true.”

  They continued to watch as the sun went from overhead to the west. Manak took the water bags to the closest creek and filled all of them. He returned with a question on his face.

  “They are people, Son. There are four of them.”

  “Four people out on the ashfall. What are they thinking?”

  “They seem to be following our old path,” Grypchon-na said.

  “How could they have found that?” Manak asked.

  “Could they have already known where the path was?”

  “You mean Abiedelai-na’s people, the Others?” Manak was shocked at the idea. “Why would they want to come this way?”

  “That is a very good question.” Grypchon-na was not happy with the prospect of seeing them again. Their way of life was not like the People’s; they were argumentative and did not think first about the welfare of the People. He loved Arkan-na’s family, but then they had embraced the way of life of the People and were welcome. No one thought of them as Others but rather as People.

  They continued to watch the arrival of the travelers from concealment at the edge of the forest. When the travelers reached the grassland, the four fell to the ground and touched the grass very much like they themselves had years ago.

  Manak observed, “They are Others, Father. There is no question.”

  “You can see better than I. Are they ones we know?”

  “I cannot be sure. I need them to get a little closer.”

  “Let’s hope they
move this way before Wisdom sucks the color from the land,” Grypchon-na said while straining to see.

  The four travelers got up and continued walking.

  “One of them, the one that appears to be the leader, has something wrong with his arm. Something is really wrong with his arm!”

  As time passed, Manak tried to see the face of the man with the odd arm. Leaping to his feet, he said, “Father that is Cue-na.”

  Grypchon-na and Manak rushed to meet the Others. They had had their differences in the past but it seemed the travelers had a real need and the two people were obliged to help. The Others grouped together, when they saw the two men approaching. It appeared that two men tried to protect two women.

  Manak called out, “Cue-na!”

  The oldest man looked up with tears forming in his eyes. He lifted one arm and fell to his knees.

  Grypchon-na was the first to arrive and he took Cue-na’s good hand to help him to stand. Grypchon-na was repulsed at Cue-na’s bad arm. It stank.

  “What happened to you?” he asked.

  “War injury. I had to get the young people out to safety.”

  “Where are the Others?” Manak asked.

  “Dead, all dead,” Sum answered. “My wife, Keptu, and Aryna, and my father are all that are left.”

  Grypchon-na could see that they were dehydrated.

  He offered a water bag. “Drink very slowly and not too much at one time. You will have plenty of water. Manak, go to camp and get a stretcher. Run with the wind.”

  Manak ran with everything in him. He was not a fast runner but he gave it what he had. It took two days to reach the camp. Lai and Guy-na were there. They took a stretcher and ran to meet the Others, making the run in a day.

  Guy-na could not believe what had happened to his relatives. While they had been slaughtered, his family had grown and flourished in a land with People who were peace loving. The Winds of Change were strange and it seemed they were blowing again.

  They loaded Cue-na on the stretcher. His fever was very high and he sweated profusely. They kept the water bags full at every chance because Cuena’s need was so great. Sum, Keptu, and Aryna were strangely silent. They only spoke when absolutely necessary. They seemed cowed and terrified.

  By the time they reached the caves, the women had set up sleeping places for the Others and had made a specially soft spot for Cue-na. Totamu had heard about Cue-na’s injury from Manak and she had little hope of his recovery. When a wound stank like Manak described, short of cutting off the limb and searing it with fire, she had no idea what to do. Caring for injury meant doing something immediately, not waiting for days and days and days. She had a cup of blueberry tea while she considered what, if anything, she could do. While she waited, she gathered maggots to eat the decayed flesh on the wound.

  It took four days for the group to reach the caves. On the third day, Cue-na died. The three young people were distraught. Except for Aryna, they did not remember the People well, and they were not sure they wanted to go to caves at all. They would have to speak the language of the People and that did not please them much. They felt their lives had literally fallen apart and there would be no way to resume a life. They felt lost and abandoned.

  While the stretcher bearers carried Cue-na’s body, Grypchon-na left the group to prepare the People to dig a grave in the area they had reserved for burials. He thought it ironic that their real first burial, discounting the one that was done quietly for Amey’s dead baby, would be for one of the Others who had chosen to leave them after the ashfall sojourn. And Cue-na had been one of the most vocal about leaving. Life could deliver strange twists and turns, he knew.

  When he arrived back home, the women set about rearranging the bedding and removing all trace of the place they had made for Cue-na. Minagle, Domur, Meeka, and Liho were excited to see Aryna and Keptu. They didn’t know Sum or Keptu very well, but they had spent much time with Aryna. Aryna was the only one of the Others who looked back when they left.

  When the stretcher arrived, the men took Cue-na’s body straight to the burial ground. All the members of the group who were home went to the site and they solemnly had a funeral for the man who lived to be forty-five years old. The People remembered him so they had their say in as positive manner as they could. For what he had done, he definitely deserved to be buried as Cue-na. The three young people spoke in tears remembering particularly how he had taken them through the ashfall to find the People so they would be safe.

  With the burial over, the People returned to the cave. The three Others sat on their bedding until Totamu suggested they unroll the bedding and stretch out for a little while to rest from the trip and the sadness they’d just been through.

  Meeka came over and looked into the eyes of Aryna. “Do you remember me?” she asked.

  Aryna looked, “Meeka,” she sobbed. They threw their arms around each other.

  “Oh, Aryna, when you looked back, I wanted to run to you and bring you with us.”

  “I know. I wanted to stay.”

  “You’re here now. I am so glad that you’re here.”

  “I am too.”

  Keptu looked at Meeka. She looked around. Someone else was coming, then another. Minagle and Domur arrived with children. Then Liho with a child. The Others didn’t recognize them until they said their names and then the old memories came rushing back. Everyone hugged Aryna and Keptu, welcoming them.

  Lamk went to Sum and told him his name. Sum remembered. Lamk told him that the People were terribly saddened by their losses. He welcomed his old friend.

  “We thought you might shame us by telling us that you told us we’d have trouble, but when Cue-na said that, I couldn’t understand. I didn’t remember your telling us we’d have trouble. I remember that the men wished us well.”

  “They would have done nothing but wish you well. We did not have the same customs. Things we do your people would not have done. What we don’t do, you would have done. We are always focused on the health and strength of our People; we do not compete; we help all who need help; we welcome strangers who are traveling. We are a peaceful People.”

  “It looks like you found a wonderful place to be.”

  “We have. We watch for other humans, but we have seen none. We have fields that give us good meat and a lake that gives us good fish. We survive the cold times well. It is good.”

  Sum looked long at Lamk. “We met warlike people from the beginning. They fought us and we fought them and both sides had bad injuries. Lately, they started ambushing us when we’d be separated from one another. They killed women and children. Anyone they could find in groups of three or two or one.” He said the numbers and signed them. “Mostly we didn’t go alone anywhere. Toward the end of the last battle, Cue-na managed to get us together and told us to follow him. He led us through the woods while the battle continued. He already knew the battle was lost due to the injuries he’d seen. He had us run swiftly through the forest. His arm flapped as he ran and tried to hold it, while carrying his weapons that he wouldn’t have been able to use with one arm. We ran and ran into the ashfall and he seemed to follow the path we’d taken from your cave. He kept going, hardly talking, just progressing. Then he turned onto your path. We’d stop and get meat from the caches and in some were water bags. That saved our lives. We kept going until you found us.”

  “Who were these people?”

  “They were us.”

  “Your people, the Minguat, fought other Minguat? How can that be?”

  “Lamk, you may remember that we fought among ourselves. We were like that. I, for one, have learned that the end of such custom is death.”

  Lamk reached out and hugged Sum. “I am so glad you survived, my friend. I am so glad!”

  The evening meal was served, and the travelers couldn’t believe their good fortune. The food was wonderful and none of them had to keep looking for Others to attack. The People did decide to keep watch for a while on the ashfall land to be certain no one followed
the survivors.

  After the evening meal, the young people were shown to the creek and they bathed, though that was not something they did customarily. Liho explained that the People bathed regularly. In warm weather, bathing was in the creek and in cold seasons it was in the lower part of the cave. They kept clean so they did not have lice and because it kept them healthy. Males and females bathed together. The People had learned from the Others that they didn’t do that, but they had learned to become one with the People and now thought nothing of it. Quickly, Sum, Keptu, and Aryna bathed modestly keeping their eyes to themselves.

  After bathing, they gathered the sleeping mats and covers and shook them outside because they had gotten ash all over them. They didn’t realize the women had already swept out the ash they brought into the cave.

  The next day, Lamk and Manak took the three newcomers to the lake and showed them the rafts. The women came down ready to take the rafts out. Likichi took Sum and Keptu out while Pechki took Aryna. They didn’t go far out because they didn’t know if the young people could swim. After the rafting, Ermol-na and Lamul tested the young people for swimming and found they needed to learn. They spent the next few days teaching swimming to the three Others. Keptu was really good at it. Sum and Aryna took longer but cast on the People as they were, they knew they had to learn so they worked assiduously at it, wondering whether it was a condition of being able to live there. Likichi realized what they thought and did nothing whatever to change their thinking. In addition, the remaining adults of the home cave, who didn’t know how, learned to swim.

  It was five days later when Hahami-na announced that he’d seen Chamul-na and Nanichak-na returning. They were accompanied by three very tall men. They were not People or Others and these men were only wearing a strip of leather secured by a band at the waist.

  The People tried to prepare but had no idea what to do. They all grouped to the south end of the rock walk to meet these new arrivals. Ki’ti had figured out these people must be the Mol, and she was correct. She and Emaea were fascinated finally to see them. They looked much like the Others—or more like a combination of the People and the Others. They were very tall.