Ki'ti's Story, 75,000 BC

by Bonnye Matthews

  “You will need that. You will need to learn very quickly. It will be critical. If you join with Ki’ti, in some way the fate and health of our People will be in your hands.”

  “Wise One, you don’t know me well. All I can say for myself is I am a serious person. I do not take responsibility lightly. Never have. I would love her and cherish her, but I would never let it out of my sight that my responsibility to her would be responsibility to the People and their future. I can understand and appreciate that. Life would be a lot easier without that, but the sacrifice would be not having the most wonderful woman I ever met.”

  “You really think after all that that Ki’ti is the most wonderful woman you ever met?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Then what would you do if she were drawn to do something in the future like delivering the green bag and you knew it was all wrong and had told her not to do it. When she did that, Wisdom had begun to suck the color from the land and trackers had to follow her with great difficulty.”

  “First, I would try to keep my eyes on her especially after telling her ‘No,’ because from what I’ve heard that can get lost in her mind web when she travels another. I am wise enough to know I cannot keep my eyes on her all day every day. I, like you, would depend on the People to know where she was and whether she went off alone. I have heard your threats to her. I would reiterate those threats. She cannot be permitted to go off into situations that are dangerous either for herself or for me or for the People. I would hold her. My size makes that possible. I would punish her, if that were necessary. I think if I absolutely had to, I could disable her so that she could not wander off. I would not want to do that ever,” he said shivering.

  “My Son,” Wamumur said, “You have my permission should you want it to join with my daughter. You will become my Son and I shall teach you.”

  The two men embraced very briefly. The heart of Untuk was soaring. He walked quickly to Ki’ti.

  “Will you walk the shore with me?” he asked her.

  In response, she arose and took his hand as they walked along the shore line. She gave Ahriku a signal to remain with Wamumur. They walked a great distance before a word was said.

  “What did Wamumur want to talk to you about?” she asked, wondering whether she wanted to hear the answer.

  “He talked to me about you and me. He wanted to know what I would be like as a husband to you.”

  Ki’ti experienced a watery feeling in her belly again. She didn’t like the feeling. It made her feel weak.

  Untuk found a place to sit on a log that was hidden by holly bushes from the view of the People at the lake. He pulled Ki’ti to his lap and kissed her deeply and with great feeling. Her mind web was aswirl with feeling. She could grasp no reason, only great overwhelming feelings for this young man she’d just met. He touched her and held her, and her world, she felt, would never be the same. She tried to grasp what the Winds of Change were doing to her and all she could feel was being swept along.

  Untuk wanted her desperately but felt after talking to Wamumur that they should join before he took her fully. So he tried to cool down the warmth they had generated. He was convinced she was his. The manly odor of his clean sweat was overpowering to her. She swam in him.

  He told her, “Your father has given permission for us to join.” There, it was out. “Will you be my wife?” he asked, staring into her big blue eyes.

  “What can I say but yes?” she asked.

  “Well, do you say yes?” he asked.

  “Yes, Untuk, I say yes.”

  He forgot the attempt to quell the warmth and kissed her forcefully, trying to let her know his joy. She understood, for hers was the same. After all the years of wondering whether she’d ever have someone with whom to join, she had one who was attractive, kind, and who loved her.

  “We will walk some more,” he said.

  “When will we join?” she asked.

  “When can we join?” he asked in return.

  “We can join when the pronouncement is made. If we want to do it tonight, then the pronouncement has to be made tonight.”

  “Who has to approve?”

  “Wamumur. I will ask him if you want to do it tonight. We would have to prepare our cave if that’s the case.”

  “You mean you go to a separate cave on the first night?”

  “Yes, or however many nights you feel are necessary.”

  “Ah, many, many nights, I think,” he said, and they laughed.

  They returned to the People at the lake hand in hand. They walked up to Wamumur who was at the water’s edge.

  Ki’ti waited for Wamumur to recognize her. Untuk paid attention to the encounter.

  “Yes, Little Girl?” he asked.

  “Would you please pronounce Untuk and me joined tonight?”

  Wamumur looked at her and then Untuk. It was good, he was convinced. “I will,” he said, “and you had better get busy readying your cave. Wisdom sucks color from the land early in the mountains.”

  The two headed up the hill hand in hand followed by Ahriku. Both were virtually trembling with excitement. Each felt as if they were the most special person on earth. While they made their way to the caves, Ki’ti carefully explained what would be necessary to prepare.

  When they got there and Ki’ti reached for a broom, Totamu waddled over. She was becoming weaker and weaker and had some difficulty walking.

  “You are joining?”

  “Yes, Izumo. Wise One will make the pronouncement tonight.”

  “Young man, do you have any idea what responsibility you are taking on?”

  “Yes, the Wise One made it very clear. He will also teach me what I need to know, and I will apply myself to learning.”

  “Little Girl,” Totamu said sharply, “you know you will have to obey him.”

  “Yes, Izumo, I shall obey him as if he were Wamumur.”

  “Then it is good. It is good.” Bent over from age, she headed for tea.

  Ki’ti took the broom and headed for the cave next to the one where the man of the Mol was found years ago. She swept the ceiling and the walls while Untuk gathered rocks and made a hearth and brought wood for fire. She and he both went to the cave for sleeping mats and coverings. Totamu stopped them holding her arm outstretched as if to block them.

  “I have something for you,” she said. They followed her to her part of the cave. She handed them the largest aurochs skin they’d ever seen. It had been softened and the hair was left on. “I made this for you when I learned you were to be Wise One. It should keep you both very comfortable.”

  The two were stupefied at the gift. Normally gifts were not given when People joined. Ki’ti went to the old woman and hugged her. She seemed unwilling to let go, so the old woman gently pushed her away. “Save that for later,” she said making both Ki’ti and Untuk blush.

  They took the skin and carried it to their temporary cave. They were ready for Wisdom to suck all color from the land and the day’s events in the home cave to end.

  The fishers and visitors returned from the lake. They had gathered and set to dry a number of fish. Since not all rafts had been on the lake, the number of fish was fewer than a five raft run. Still it was good. Three men remained to guard the drying fish from bears, ravens, or any other scavengers.

  While Ki’ti and Untuk had come together, Tongip had found his interest in Aryna was returned only slightly. When he understood the reason for her coolness, he felt compassion and began to get her to talk about the difficult experiences since they left the Others. She had never shared her mental burdens, and found doing so brought many tears in front of this kind young man who was so very tall. Meanwhile, Mihalee was becoming homesick.

  The evening meal was called and the People came together for a feast. There were roasts and fish and vegetables. Everyone ate well and enjoyed the food. When Wamumur arose at the end of the meal to make his pronouncement, most of the People were shocked to hear Ki’ti and Untuk would join considering the
short time the two had known each other. Chamul-na and Totamu went about after dinner assuring People their concerns were unnecessary. This joining was special. The People believed them.

  Ermol-na played the drum. Ghanya had made a flute-like instrument from a waterfowl bone and the tones he produced pierced the evening’s music joyfully. The new couple danced obligatorily and then left the home cave for First Night.

  Outside, when the young people headed for their cave, Untuk picked up Ki’ti and carried her down the rock walk to the cave. Ahriku followed along limping slightly.

  “Put me down, Untuk. I feel silly,” Ki’ti insisted.

  “Never, my wife,” he responded.

  “What will people think?” she said, obviously uncomfortable.

  “From this time on, they can think what they will. I will follow the Wise One in his advice. He said I must make you obey me. That is why I do not put you down. You must learn you have to obey me. Do you understand?”

  “I do. I admit I don’t like it. Yes, I do understand. Wisdom knows I don’t want to understand!”

  “Forget that I carry you. Just let go of all the burdens you carry and relax for this evening,” he said as he laid her on the soft skin. He kissed her and then pulled himself away to make the fire. He had an ember and got the fire going quickly. He had gathered much wood and the cave glowed. Ki’ti was surprised to see that Untuk had taken an armful of moss and put it in a spot in the cave near the fire. He had laid a piece of leather on the moss. He picked up Ahriku who was lying by the entrance and laid him on the little bed. Ki’ti was deeply touched. Ahriku looked at Untuk and put his head down to sleep with contentment.

  Then he came to her and lay beside her for a long time. He reached over and they kissed. They touched and murmured to each other for a long time in play. Finally, Untuk could stand it no longer and he began to present himself for penetration. As he began, Ki’ti inhaled sharply at the initial discomfort. As he rocked, she began to feel something of a filling unlike any way of knowing she’d ever had. She could see into the very belly of Untuk and knew he would be true to his words. He would care for her, even when she wouldn’t want him to. He would protect her. He would keep her Wise One. And he would love her until one of them died, as would she love him.

  The first time was a gentle rocking which she loved. The next time they joined that night it was feverish and at the edges of rough. She loved it too. How many ways of expressing this love were there? she wondered. They would try to discover that night.

  At the cave, gossip was running rampant. Finally, Wamumur rose and cleared his throat. The cave instantly became quiet.

  “Today I talked to Untuk. Before he met Ki’ti he knew her story from Chamul-na and Nanichak-na. They left out nothing. I asked Untuk questions that you would find difficult to answer. The two of them are devoted to each other even though little time has passed. I have not lost the proper function of my mind web. I suggest that you have better things to discuss than the two young people or the state of my mind web. Watch and you will see that this joining was designed in the belly of Wisdom. That is all I have to say.” He finished with a palm strike.

  The gossip immediately stopped. The cave calmed down and the People went to sleep shortly afterward. The Winds of Change had come again and wasted no time at all.

  When Wisdom brought the sun’s first glow to fade the darkness, Ki’ti and Untuk were still undressed and awake.

  “I need to bathe,” Ki’ti said.

  “So then do I,” Untuk said. They joined hands and went down the steps farther north from the ones by the home cave. They bathed quickly downstream from the main bathing area and returned to the cave, started to dress, spontaneously changed the direction of their mind webs, and began again to make love. They could not seem to become satiated.

  They did not leave the cave until high sun. People in the cave were shocked, but having been admonished by Wamumur, they kept their thoughts to themselves. When the couple emerged, it was to go to the privy and stop at the cave to eat. Then they retreated to the cave and slept. They awakened when the evening meal was called. Ki’ti took the time to comb their hair. They dressed and went to the evening meal. As soon as it was over, they returned to their cave.

  Ki’ti was ready for more lovemaking, but Untuk slowed her down by asking, “What does ‘ways of knowing’ mean?”

  She hadn’t really thought much about that. She had to rove her mind web and then she told him, “Some you know, like the conversation we are having now, or looking at a person’s smile or frown; you have probably felt watched. Sometimes you know from hand signals.”

  He nodded.

  “Sometimes you know things by feeling something like the little yellow owl.”

  He shook his head. He did not understand.

  “Sometimes you just hear something or see something or feel something. Sometimes you dream it when you sleep or when you’re awake. Sometimes like with me and the owl—you hear it sing to you. Sometimes you know what will happen in the future or what happened in the past as clear as if the sun’s light shined on it. And you find out you’re right.”

  Untuk looked at her amazed. She spoke of a world he didn’t know at all.

  “Sometimes you get the visual form of internal feelings, thoughts, or intentions of others. For example, I can sometimes see from looking at the edges of a person if they hurt or lie or are filled with vitality.”

  Untuk realized that his wife had dimensions he never dreamed of. He could see why Wamumur wanted her protected.

  “Sometimes when a person touches you they communicate things they would never say to your face. For someone to take my hand is not wise for anyone who wants to lie to the People. I know it instantly through touch.

  “Sometimes Wisdom simply tells People something. Wisdom told Wamumur to get the People to the north because Baambas was going to destroy the land. We barely escaped. With the stories, I don’t have to memorize the stories perfectly because Wisdom puts them in my mind web so I cannot forget. Does that answer your questions, my husband?”

  “Probably more than answers it. You have all that information and feelings going on inside while you look like a perfectly normal young woman?”

  “Yes. Only, it seems normal to me now. For a while I fought against it. Oh, how I fought! I didn’t want the responsibility or the protection or the constant watching.”

  “But you were chosen.”

  “Yes. Wisdom leaves no options. I learned that the hard way because I thought I had a choice.”

  “I see,” he said and he did. “I wonder whether I’m up to all this.”

  “You are. I learned that when you picked me up. Your touch told me. When you filled me with yourself, I knew that you loved me and the People equally. That is why I must obey you like Wamumur unequivocally. And do you think I want to?”

  “I suspect sometimes you’d like to run away from it all.”

  “Yes. Wamumur has made that impossible. He told me if I ever did run off again he’d hit my foot with a rock so I would be crippled and couldn’t run ever again. I don’t want that to happen.”

  “You do know that I have had to promise him the same thing.”

  “Yes. I knew when you picked me up. Your touch communicated your promises to my father.”

  “That is completely frightening,” he said, running his fingers through the aurochs fur.

  “Not at all. It’s just another way of knowing. Well, you asked.”

  “I did, and I thank you for sharing. I need to understand as quickly as I can. You can help me.”

  “I’m not sure I want to,” she laughed because he had begun tickling her. “Don’t do that!” she gasped. “I hate being tickled.”

  He didn’t stop but tickled her more gently. She began to return the tickling but he could hold her at arms length to tickle her and she couldn’t reach him. Somehow that felt unfair. When she was almost breathless, he stopped and kissed her. Her emotions were all over the place. Who was this man
? He could get her to talk and then shake her emotionally from top to bottom. Did all women feel this? she wondered.

  He loved to see her naked, so he lifted her tunic over her head. Her tunic was very short and she needed a new one. He still wore his leather. He traced her body with his fingertips lingering here and there. She felt vulnerable but didn’t understand to what. All these new thoughts and feelings. It was good that newly joined people had time in a cave to themselves. She thought she’d have stayed blood red if she’d participated in all this joining play in the cave. She’d never seen anyone in the dark of night do half the things they were doing. Is that what couples did when they wandered off? she wondered. Yet she could hardly wait to experience more. As if he heard her wish, they began again. And she found there was more.

  Wamumur had seen Ki’ti and talked with her. He realized that the two young people were well matched from an attraction to sexual fulfillment. He was delighted and shared with Emaea. He also laughed that they might hold the record for the longest stay in the other cave. They joked about how long it would be. At the end of seven days, it was already longer than what any other pair had spent in the cave. They still did not return.

  Minagle asked Ki’ti when they’d return and she smiled and said they weren’t ready yet. Minagle was amazed. But she had a good feeling about what Ki’ti was experiencing and was content. She shared that with Manak who had also been wondering but would never have asked. He was relieved.

  Aryna and Tongip were becoming closer and closer. He had caused her to share with him in ways that she’d never shared with anyone. Their relationship had moved to one that was physical, but that was going slowly. One evening they walked to the beach and watched the sky while Wisdom sucked the color from the land. Tongip had his arm around her shoulders and he leaned down to kiss her. She responded, then fought, and then responded with warmth. He touched her and she touched him. They pulled off their clothing and copulated in fury on the shore out of sight of the place where rafts were launched. They repeated joining several times. Aryna went from weeping to expressing joy and to weeping again. Tongip did not understand the emotional reversals, but he enjoyed their copulating, and she had agreed each time. He lay on the damp sand, exhausted. She looked down at him.