Zamimolo’s Story, 50,000 BC

by Bonnye Matthews

  “I just wanted to go with Too to the waterfall. We were going to swim. Everyone has taken care of Ghumotu, but Too has not been doing anything but looking out for his mother. I thought it was a good time for him to do something.”

  “Your thoughts were good, my daughter; your timing was terrible; your attitude, indefensible.”

  “I told Father what I told you and he refused to let me tell Too the plans had been changed. He got furious that I refused him.”

  “That was your first mistake. You would have been wise to explain that, of course, you’d accompany the family. You could have said that you made plans with Too and wanted to let him know of the change in plans. You could have asked whether he could accompany us to the sea. Instead, you came out fighting with disobedience and arrogance, my daughter. What did you expect your father to do?”

  “I didn’t think.” Sima rubbed her arm where the bruise was already forming. “I was just angry and tired of the boys getting to do things like go to school and hunt, while I take care of children, cook, make things.”

  “That’s clear to me, but did you learn anything?”

  “I learned that girls get poor treatment here.”

  “Sima, I am ashamed of you. Have you ever truly been unloved, gone without food or shelter?”

  Slowly and begrudgingly Sima replied, “No.”

  “Why is obedience a thing to rebel against? When you are a mother, you will expect your children to obey you.”

  “I don’t want to be a mother.”

  “Sima, that’s a subject for a discussion another day. Right now we are dealing with your disobedience.”

  “But it’s all tied together. Look at Tuna. She has a lot of children, but she’s free to go about on adventures with her husband. They are happy. He doesn’t beat her.”

  “Tuna is married to a man who is not of the Nola Nola. He lives here, but he is a man who does not have to follow our customs. You do not have that luxury.”

  “It isn’t fair.”

  Olomaru-mia grabbed Sima by the hair and held her head firmly so that she had to face her. “Get this straight for the rest of your life. Look at me! Life isn’t fair. Say it,” she demanded.

  Sima said, “Life isn’t fair.”

  Still holding her head firmly, Olomaru-mia continued, “I was abducted. I had to learn to love a man who abducted me. Someday try to imagine that. I came from a People where males and females were equal. Life ripped me from my only security and brought me here. On the way Mechalu treated me harshly. I found out later that he was trying to keep my trackers from finding me. He brought me so far from my People that I couldn’t find my way back to them. Since then he has treated me exceptionally well. You have to learn to make the best of what happens to you in life. You choose to be happy or miserable. Nobody ever makes that choice for you. Your circumstances change, but you and you alone control your happiness. I am happy, or was until I discovered my own child disrespecting the Creator of All and her father. I’ll be happy again, even if you choose to remain a disobedient, arrogant child and end up broken, disabled, or dead. I am trying to save your life.” She let go of Sima’s hair.

  “You think that my father would kill me?” Sima seemed jarred by the information.

  “I don’t think Mechalu would ever intend to kill you. I do think that if he beat you with a nola nola stick, you could die from the injuries. He certainly didn’t want to beat you today. Your disrespect and disobedience left him no choice. When Mechalu does a job, he doesn’t do it part way. If he’s going to beat you, you will get the full beating. For him to beat you with his hand today instead of the nola nola was a warning. He’s never had to beat you. If he has to beat you again, there is no question. He’ll use the nola nola and he won’t be gentle about it. You could die. Your rebellion is suicidal.”

  “Mother, I don’t want to die.”

  Olomaru-mia could see that finally Sima began to understand. She looked into her daughter’s eyes and saw fear. Clearly, she had reached her daughter in some fundamentally necessary way. “I am glad to hear that. I don’t want you to die. I want you to live, join with one you love, and have a wonderful life. Sima, until now you’ve been respectful and obedient. It is not a hard thing to do. Stop comparing yourself with other people. You have one life to live. It is yours. You know only a small part of the life of any other person. To make comparisons is vain. Simply be the best you can be and never wish to change places with anyone else. A person you see in the day may face a terrible life at night. You never know. You must remember that when you wish for something, sometimes the Creator of All grants that wish, and sometimes it results in something very undesirable. Just be you. Live the life that is uniquely yours. You will not change the Nola Nola. You will become a mother and have many children. That is your life. Your choice is to make your life happy or sad. You do that alone. No one can affect that but you.”

  “Mother, I’m sorry I disappointed you today. I am truly sorry.”

  “I know, my daughter. You need to tell your father and the Creator of All. Get straight in your belly and do what is right. You will have a good life, sometimes wonderful, sometimes sad, but overall very good. First, you have to get right with yourself. Respect and obedience are things you must make part of you.”

  “I have learned much today. Thank you.”

  Olomaru-mia reached out to her daughter and hugged her. Sima was a good child, but she did have some work to do on herself. Olomaru-mia hoped that the other children had seen enough and heard enough to learn a lesson from what happened that day.

  When the men had taken the three glars, they let the women know and many of the women went to the lower land to help with the skinning and butchering. They would feast that night and have plenty of jerky smoked and set aside for lean times or for traveling.

  Mechalu still fumed about Sima. When he returned to the hut before the evening meal, he saw her sitting there.

  “Father, may I speak?” she asked.

  He ignored her. He changed the leather strip he wore threaded through a narrow band of leather around his waist. He stood in the hut looking at everyone. “All of you may attend the feast and dance—except Sima. Sima you are still confined.”

  “My husband,” Olomaru-mia said calmly, “Sima should go to the privy.”

  He looked sharply at Olomaru-mia and said, “You accompany her and see that she speaks to no one.”

  “I will,” she replied.

  “The rest of you come with me,” he said.

  Olomaru-mia gave Sima a hand. Sima took it and got to her feet. “Mother what must I do?”

  “First, do not leave this hut. Be obedient. When he has come home, sat, and relaxed a little, go to him and kneel. Say nothing. When he recognizes you, say that you are sorry for your disrespect and disobedience to the Creator of All and to him. Tell him it will not happen again. Then keep your mouth closed.”

  “I will, Mother.”

  Olomaru-mia and Sima’s attention was distracted by the atmosphere of the cooking area. There was great joy and the place moved with excitement. Food would be wonderful that night and the women had gathered plants that they had left untouched for a long time. Some of the plants were to flavor the meat and as they began to cook, the savor was causing people to salivate. Sima tried to keep her eyes downward and hurry with her mother to the privy and back to the hut. She was embarrassed following the beating and wanted to get back to the hut to avoid being seen.

  It was almost dark when Olomaru-mia entered the hut. Sima was on her bedding sitting cross-legged. She had been weeping, Olomaru-mia realized, but she didn’t say anything about it.

  “I brought you some food, Sima. It is good.”

  “I don’t deserve any,” Sima said almost in a whisper.

  “Don’t be silly, my daughter. I have brought you food. I expect you to eat it. To fail to do so would be disrespect. Do you understand?”

  “Yes. Mother, I understand. I am not hungry, but I will eat from respect.”


  “Very well, my daughter. I’ll return for your bowl soon.”

  Sima picked at the food. She was frightened not to eat it. If she failed to eat and her mother told her father, she could be beaten. She made herself eat everything in the bowl. Her mother had brought her some greens that tasted awful, but she forced them down. She put the bowl aside. Punishment was harsh for disobedience and disrespect, she discovered. It seemed to go on endlessly. She had never felt so alone. And then, she realized her mother thought she was not alone. Sima for the first time in her life said out loud, “Creator of All, if you’re there, come to me and comfort me, for I am alone and scared.” Sima felt a warmth run through her body. It was a new feeling to her and she observed it. It was comforting. Her tears stopped and she smiled. This comfort remained. She laughed a tiny laugh from deep inside. “You are real,” she said in a whisper. “I’m so sorry I offended you today. Please stay with me.” For the first time since the beating, Sima relaxed.

  True to her word, Olomaru-mia returned after eating her evening meal to get the bowl she’d taken to Sima. She was surprised to see Sima in a better condition. “What has changed, Sima?”

  “He is real,” Sima whispered.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I talked to the Creator of All. He is real. He is comforting me after what I did today.”

  “Of course, he’s real.”

  “I always thought he was something adults made up. I’m so glad he’s real.”

  Olomaru-mia shook her head and left the hut. She wondered where children got some of the ideas they had. Of course, the Creator of All was real. Olomaru-mia knew him by the name Wisdom. Without Wisdom, Olomaru-mia knew well, she would probably not be alive.

  Well after dark Olomaru-mia returned to the hut with Poa, Azom, Snar, and Maisy. Quickly the children unrolled their bedding and prepared for sleep. Later Mohu and Pipto came home and prepared for sleep. Finally, Mechalu and Token arrived. While Token was unrolling his bedding, Mechalu grabbed Olomaru-mia by the wrist and said, “Come.”

  She followed him asking why when they were outside.

  “We are going up the hill to make more twins.”

  “I thought we already did that,” she said.

  “Then we’ll do it again and again. Look at this night. Did you ever see such a night for making twins?”

  Usually Mechalu was so very gentle, but this night he was direct, demanding, and forceful. Olomaru-mia was uncertain what she thought of this approach, but the two flowed together as always without missing a beat. His need and her willingness met in an explosion for the both of them. Differences melted as snow in summer. They were one, had been one for a long time, and would continue as one. She assumed they would return to the hut, but she was pleasantly surprised with Mechalu’s continuing demand. How she adored this man, her captor. He still had surprises for her. He pulled the leather strip off that held her hair back. He ran his hands through it. “Look at that in the moonlight!” They lay there together in the moonlight her extremely white body reflecting the light of the moon. “You excite me beyond words,” he said huskily, and again they connected explosively.

  He gave her his hand and pulled her up. Instead of leading her to the hut, he went uphill onto the path that led to the small lake. When they reached the lake, he picked her up and walked into the water with her. They lay at the water’s edge and again merged as one, this time gentler. Finally, Mechalu rinsed the earth from Olomaru-mia’s hair and they walked back to where they had discarded their clothing. They dressed and returned to the hut. Sima slept.

  In the morning, Mechalu waked with Sima kneeling beside him.

  “What is it, Sima?” he asked.

  “Father I am sorry that I disobeyed and failed to respect you and the Creator of All yesterday. It will not happen again.”

  “Sima, that is good. I do not want to hurt you, but if you disrespect or disobey me or the Creator of All again, I will beat you with the nola nola stick. You will not be spared. You do understand that?”

  “Yes, Father. I do understand.”

  “You are now free to come and go from the hut.”

  “Thank you.” She left quickly.

  Token slipped out behind her.

  “Sima, wait.”

  She waited but was anxious to reach the privy quickly.

  “I talked to Too. He understands what happened, and at first, he felt responsible for your beating. I tried to make it clear that it was not something for which he should feel guilty. The wrongdoing was yours. Sima, Too really cares a good deal for you. Do you know that?”

  “I thought we were good friends,” she said honestly.

  “Sima, I think he has a love for you that a husband has for a wife. Would you receive him as a future husband?”

  “I have never thought about that. Can I tell you on the way back from the privy?”

  “Of course.”

  Sima realized she was about a year from the age at which many girls of the Nola Nola joined. Too would not be going to the school that his brother attended. Too was a very good hunter but was not singled out as a leader. Others were already identified. He was two years older than she was. He was tender and gentle. He would not likely beat her for pleasure as sometimes occurred. Sima realized that of all those with whom she might join, he was a very good choice.

  Token joined her on the walk back to the hut.

  “I would very much like to consider him as a future husband, Token.”

  “Then, he will soon be talking to Father.”

  “I’m not woman yet.”

  “These things are decided long before a girl becomes woman. I think this will go well. Just whatever you do, be respectful and obedient.”

  “I will.”

  “Are you significantly hurt, Sima?”

  “No. Of course, I hurt, but nothing is broken or dislocated. My pride got hurt badly, but I learned a lot. I was stupid to be disrespectful, desiring disobedience over obedience.”

  “I’m glad Father didn’t use the nola nola.”

  “I, also, Token. How is it that you and Pipto never have been beaten?”

  “It’s so much easier to be obedient and respectful. I expect to be punished if I am disrespectful or disobedient. Did you think he wouldn’t punish you?”

  “I just exploded. I didn’t think.”

  “You better learn that lesson fast.”

  “I have.”

  He put his arm around her and they went back to the hut.

  Later in the day, Sima went to bring water from the spring at the edge of the forest. When she turned to pick up the bag, she was face-to-face with Too.

  “I talked to your father,” he said looking more confident than she had ever seen him. “He said we are free to join after you become woman.”

  “That is wonderful, Too. You will be a great husband.”

  “You will be a very special wife, Sima. I have loved you a long time.”

  Sima stared at him. Finally, she said, “I love you, Too,” and she meant it.

  Too carried the bag to the women’s cooking area. Then she and Too slipped off to the waterfall to be alone. Each of them looked at the other with very different eyes. They no longer saw the boy and girl bodies they were so used to, but rather the bodies of a future spouse. They drew together to hug, kiss, and touch what they had previously considered off limits. They found a new joy in each other that carried them beyond their pain with hope for their future.

  A few days later there was much busy work in the village. The boat from the Alitukit was due that afternoon and they were preparing their gifts for the masters of the school. They were also making certain that the three boys who would be going had everything they needed. Their bedding and clothing were double and triple checked by women. For the masters there was fruit of every kind available, a huge supply of jerky from the glars, skins with and without fur attached, nuts, honey, and containers of herbs.

  All of the material had been carefully tran
sported to the edge of the sea. The boys were excited at the prospects of the boat trip and the new school. They knew this education would be a lot more difficult than any they had encountered. They expected it to last for about four years.

  “Token, I wish you a wonderful trip and a profitable learning experience. When you return, you should be an uncle.” He grinned. “And I thank you again for talking to your father for me.”

  “I think you are the best person for Sima. I love her dearly, Too, and you are a special friend whom I treasure. For me this is the best bond I could hope to make. Take good care of her, and, Sima, respect and obey him.”

  Sima glared at him.

  “Don’t start doing that. Get your thoughts arranged right,” he reminded her.

  Sima realized he meant well, so she calmed herself. She was still very sensitive about how females were treated and the fact that her father or Too, or her brother for that matter, were free to beat her for disrespect or disobedience, but it didn’t work in reverse. Olomaru-mia had told her to get used to the fact that life wasn’t fair, but she wasn’t sure that even in a lifetime, she would be able to get used to it.

  Suddenly there was some commotion down the beach. Someone had seen the boats. There were three of them. They had red sails and moved swiftly. As they approached, the signs painted on the sides of the boat became clear. The strange markings meant nothing to them. One of the boatmen got off each boat and came to where the Chief stood. The Chief introduced the boys and each was told to board a different boat. The Chief then told the boatmen that they had some gifts for the masters. The boatmen directed the men where to load the gifts.

  Too stood behind Sima who watched her brothers board different boats. She would miss Token so much. Too put his arms around her. She loved Pipto, but she and Pipto did not share the same relationship she and Token did. Pipto was more apt to be short with her and authoritarian, where Token took the time to understand and look out for her best interest.

  “I wonder why they have to be on different boats,” she said.

  “They may want them to get to know others right away and not depend on people they already know well,” Too replied, wondering the same thing himself.