Waywaya by f

7/26/2019 Waywaya by f

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WAYWAYA by F. Sionil Jose The frst time Dayaw crossedthe river, he elt ulflled, as i he had fnally assed the!reatest test o all. "t was so unli#e that lea over the$amin! it the eat o stren!th that would have assuredhis ather, the %lo, that he was no wea#lin!, that in siteo his seemin! indolence and love o oetry and sin!in!,he was caable nonetheless o coura!e as were thebravest warriors o Daya. All his lie he had been cooedu li#e the i!s his mother attened in the it beore theywere ta#en out or the easts. Daya, ater all, washemmed in to the east by the sea, vst and mysterious,

and to the west, this mi!hty river, or beyond it was orestand mountain, land o the &a!a &aud, the ancient andindomitable enemy o his eole. 'e had made thecrossin! at ni!ht ater he had blac#ened his ace andbody with soot, carryin! with him nothin! but a coil oma!uey twine and his lon! #nie, he had dashed rom thecover o reeds near the river(s ban#, or while Ao )uanshowed the way, it would also reveal him to whoever

watched the river. Days aterwards, he tried to athom thereasons or the deed, why he went alone, and or what.For one the river was there, a barrier to #nowled!e o newthin!s, new si!hts, and erhas a new lie. 'e was,indeed, a!low with wantin! to #now* how many times hadmused, !a+in! at the chan!in! cloud atterns in the s#y,the shaes o the waves as they bro#e and oamed on thebeach, the trac# o ants, the wheelin! o birds they all

seemed to ollow a desi!n that could not #now what laybeyond the river and the sea without crossin! them.nce, he climbed the loty daliawen at the ed!e o thethe communal arms and as i he wwas on someromontory, he scanned the world around him the shinin!sea in the east and beyond the !reen, man!ly to o the


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orest, ar down the hori+on to the west, the mountains,urlish !reen in the last li!ht o day. 'e envied those whlived there or they could see everythin!. Was it ossibleor them to #now everythin! as well- Wadin! across the

river in the dry season was not dicult* there wereislands o reeds and uturned trees ra!!ed down romthe mountains with their catch o moss o dried leaves,and clear ools where there would be silverfsh andshells. This was how it elt then, to ord this limit o whatwas sae. From the very be!innin!, it was dinned to him,and to all the youn! Ta!a Daya to cross the river meant!oin! to war. The frst time he came to this river was

when he was thirteen and was with some twenty boys othe same a!e* they had marched or one day and oneni!ht, in an/iety and ear, or they had no warriors torotect them but this old, shrivelled healer who made this

0ourney every year. They had been tau!ht stealth andcunnin!, and once they entered the orest beyond thecultivated felds and ca!on wastes, it was ossible or theenemy to be lur#in! there. They were not warriors they

would be ho!tled and brou!ht to &aud as slaves. For aday, they wal#ed without eatin! and by the mornin! othe ne/t day, when they fnally reached the river, theywere wea#, hun!ry and ready to die. nly the ear ocature #et them alive. There, on the sandy ban#,behind the tall reeds that had $owered with lumes oda++lin! white, they lined u, s1uattin! while the healersharened his #nie and reared the stran!e mi/ture o

tobacco and weeds with which he treated their woundsater he had circumci+ed them. 'e was now on his thirdni!ht and the relentless sense o dan!er that houndedhim was no lon!er as #een as it had been on the frst,articularly when a do! had howled and a man had comeout with a li!hted ine slinter and a sear, wonderin!


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erhas what li+ard was out there ater his chic#ens. 'ehad slithered into the recesses o the bush and returnedaterwards. 'e #new the town by then, and in the wanin!moonli!ht, he stole away rom it, detoured throu!h

terraces in the mountains, then down to the orest oscrub and co!on, ma#in! a new way each time. "t wasstill dar# when he reached the river. 'e had alreadysatisfed most o his curiosities , heard their son!s, theirconversations. 'e had loo#ed at their handiwor#, theirfelds o sweet otato and rice, and marvelled at the1uality o their crats. 'e returned to the cove actually asmall turn o the river that was hidden by a wall o low

branches. Within it was a ool that was ed by a srin!and beyond the srin!, u a sandy bar, was a srout oco!on behind which he had slet the ni!ht beore. 'e hadta#en care that there was no trace o him in the sand sothat when he went to the srin! to drin#, he had wiedout his trac#s careully. 2ow he went to slee, and oncerested, he would merely race across the river to thesanctuary o his own land. "t was lon! ast mornin! when

he wo#e u, alive to the twitter o birds, the 0abber omon#eys, the scent o moss and !reen livin! thin!s. 'elay on his bac# motion less or some time, !a+in! at thecloud3$ec#ed s#y. "t was then that a rustlin! to his ri!ht

0arred him rom his reverie* he #eened to the ootalls onthe !rass and dried leaves. Whoever was aroachin!was not tryin! to hide his resence. Then he burst intoview, a !irl lovely as mornin! and 0ust as air, her hair

#notted to the let above her ear. A fne, blue tattoo o$ower desi!ns ran in a hin line down her arms to herwrists. She #nelt down beore the rim o the ool and!a+ed at her re$ection there, then stood u, untied the#not o her blue sac# dress on her shoulder and let it slidown to her eet. She stood na#ed and true and beautiul,


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her ace uraised to such a bit o sun, her breasts andniles touched with in#. 'er stomach was $at andbelow the atch o ubic hair, her le!s were sule wellshaed* she stooed and untied the thon!s o her leather

sandals then she wal#ed nimbly into the water, shiverin!at frst as she tested it with her toe. Then she lun!edand slashed about. She dived to the shallow deths anin the clear water, he could ollow her lissome f!ureturnin!, then suracin! to $oat on her bac#, so that herbreasts were shiny with water and sun. Dayaw watched,#eein! cats #een* he wanted to #now i she hadcomanions but he could hear only the rustle o the wind

in the trees, the !ur!lin! o the river as it coursedthrou!h boulders and shallows. 'e had stashed acrossthe river an iron lowshare, a iece o newly woven cloth,a 1uiver iron tied arrows. 2ow, he would also brin!home a slave4healthy, youn! and !ood to loo# at. Withher sandals, her ban!les o !old, she was no simleeasant* she must come rom the uer class o &aud. 'isa!ile mind 1uic#ly devised a way by which he could

cature her with her least resistance and trouble. "tseemed that she would swim orever but fnally, shemade or her clothes. )y then, Dayaw had crouchedcloser to her thin!s and as she stooed to !ather them,he rushed out and inned her arms, clamin! a bandover her mouth. That was a mista#e or she bit his hand*the ain was shar and his resonse was immediate. 'esun her around and struc# her in the 0aw. There was this

dumb, surrised loo# on her ace as she sta!!eredbac#wards and ell. Dayaw bound her hands and eet, and!a!!ed her mouth. 'e !athered her clothes, her sandals,then erased the si!ns o stru!!le on the sand. Andheavin! her on his shoulders, he headed or the river. "tdid not matter very much that he would cross now in the


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dayli!ht* i they ursued him, he could easily outracethem, and once he was in the sanctuary o his orest, itwas a brave man who would ollow him. nce or twice,while he was #nee3dee in the water, he turned to loo#,

and a!ain when he was fnally across, no one had seenhim. nce across, he laid her on the !rass, still na#ed,while he went bac# to the water to wash the soot o threedays rom his ace and body. When he returned, she hadrevived and she crin!ed at his aroach. 5You are heavy67Dayaw said, smilin!. 5And loo# at my hand4you littlewildcat67 'e waved his ri!ht hand which had be!un toswell, her teeth mar#s deely imrinted still below the

thumb. She made an!ry rotestin! sounds, sha#in! herhead. She tried to rise but when she reali+ed it wasuseless to stru!!le, she did not move anymore. "n thesunli!ht, loo#in! closer at her, she seemed airer andrettier than when he frst saw her. That was what the

Ta!a &and women were noted or, unli#e the women oDaya, who had dar#er s#in. 5You are !ood or the eyes,7Dayaw said, movin! closer and twea#in! her niles. She

!lared at him but did not move and very soon the nileshardened. 8leased with himsel, Dayaw smiled. 5" youromise not to ma#e trouble,7 he said with a lau!h, 5" will!ive you bac# your clothes.7 She nodded 1uic#ly. 5Wehave a lon! way to !o4a lon! day9s march, and " don9twant to carry you.7 'e heled he to her eet and as shestood u, he reali+ed that she was tiny, she did not evenreach u to his shoulder. 'e went beside her and ran a

hand down the curve o her bac# to her buttoc#s. Then heuntied her hands and eet. Free at last, she stretched herarms and stamed her eet. She ic#ed the sac# dress uand ut it on. When she loo#ed at him a!ain, entreatywas in her eyes. 5Yes, " will hit you a!ain,7 he said, raisin!his fst, 5i you cannot be tamed. And " don9t want to do


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that.7 Shortly beore midday, he ound the water tubes,the dried meat and the ca#es o brown su!ar that he hadhidden under the trun# o the dead tree. 'e ateravenously and when he was throu!h, he !ave her a little

o what was let. She was hun!ry, and thirsty, too, butshe reused what he o:ered her. Dayaw shru!!ed, 5i youdon9t want to eat, then march on an emty stomach.7 )yni!htall, she still had not so#en a word. 'er 0aw hadbe!un to swell and he wondered i he had hit her so hardthat her ton!ue had been cut. "n the dimmin! li!ht, heheld her ace. She winced. 5en your mouth,7 he said,but she reused. 'e !lared at her and raised his fst.

Slowly, she oened her mouth. 2o, he ton!ue was not cutand her breath was warm and sweet li#e a baby uon hisace. 'e !a+ed at the sullen eyes, at the mouth, the nose*yes, he really had a !ood3loo#in! slave, erhas betterloo#in! than any o the youn! women he #now, even&iwliwa with whom he already sent many ni!hts. Theyreached the !ulley where salin!s !rew and at this timeo the year, the !ulley was dry. 'e told him to recline

a!ainst a salin!. 'e tied her hands behind the youn!tree and then her eet. "t was not that he earedtreachery* it was that she mi!ht run away and becatured by another Ta!a Daya and he would then lose allclaims to her. She seemed resi!ned and not once did herotest. The dar# came 1uic#ly. Fire$ies emer!ed romthe tall !rass and win#ed at them. The stars were out*would be some time beore the rains came. 'e was tired

but slee was slow in comin!. 'e turned on his side. Shewas leanin! a!ainst the tree, her le!s raised. "n the sotdar#, he could see the outline o her ace in 1uiet reose.5What is your name-7 She did not answer. 5" am Dayaw,7he said, 5the older son o the %lo. ;y youn!er brother,8arban!on, will be circumcised beore the rains start. Do


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you #now any &aud son!s-7 2o rely. 5" li#e to sin!. "ma#e my own son!s. &isten.7 'e 1uic#ly ormed the linesand !ave a tune to them< 5The river is dee )ut we canord it. Who will ma#e the brid!e- 8erhas love will do it.

8erhas time will rove it=7 'e aused, 5do you li#e it-7The ensive ace was immobile, the eyes closed as i inthou!ht. 5You don9t li#e music,7 he said, 5you silly !irl,!oin! there alone and so ar away rom home. What wereyou doin! there by yoursel, anyway-7 he aused andlau!hed, 5well, you may 0ust as well as# what was " doin!there, too.7 Silence a!ain, the sou!hin! o the wind in the!rass, cric#ets alive in the bushes. 5"t was Ao &an!it that

brou!ht me there, that brou!ht you there. "t was Ao&an!it that made you my slave.7 For an instant, hevan1uished the thou!ht* he was not !oin! to use theorce, she should !o to him because she wanted to theway &iwliwa wanted him. And it was &iwliwa and herromise o welcome that was " his thou!hts when sleefnally claimed him. "n the mornin!, he was rudelywa#ened and when he oened his eyes, he reali+ed that

she had #ic#ed him, not in an!er but because she was inain. She had slied, twisted her bac# and could notrise. 'e stood u and loo#ed at her wrists< they wereswollen. 'e was determined to teach her obedience, tohumble her, but the ain in her ace touched him and heuntied the twine that abound her wrists. She 1uic#lywithrew her hands rom behind her. 'e untied her le!sne/t and ree at last. She stood u and limed to the

bushes down the !ulley. 'e did not !o ater her333she was!oin! to urinate but when she did not return, he ollowedher. She was lyin! on her stomach on the !rass andcryin! silently. Then she turned to him. 5Why don9t you#ill me and let me su:er no more-7 "t was the frst timethat she had so#en and he understood everythin!* but


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or the di:erent intonation, she was sea#in! in her ownton!ue. 5You are in our own land now,7 he said coldly5You are a cative, a slave and you will be #illed, ocourse i you try to run away. You #now that. Your lie is in

your hands.7 Then abrutly, as a warrior would sea#an she coo#-7 5>an sheweave-7 5>an she !yrate her his-7 5"s she 0uicy andti!ht-7 They shrie#ed and lau!hed and Dayaw lau!hedwith them, ac#nowled!in! their !reetin!s, leased that

they #new where he had been, roud that they could seehis slave and also the new 1uiver, the iece o cloth slun!on his shoulder and the lowsahre under his arm. 'e letthe day len!then thou!h courtesy demanded that sheshould have !one strai!ht to the %lo, his ather, or tellhim that he was bac#. 'e had not told anyone where he


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was !oin!, not even 8arba!on who oten came to hishouse to listen to his son!s and his #utiben!. &iwliwacame shortly ater noon with a bowl o e!!lants, andbitter melons coo#ed with tomatoes, onions and dried

fsh, and a ot o rice. 'er hair was !lossy with coconutoil, and while he reclined ater they had eaten she#neaded his muscles wih oil and stirred him* and whilethe slave !irl washed the ots outside, she closed thebamboo door and welcomed him in the way he hade/ected it. When he wo#e u, &iwliwa had !one his slavewas in the room, annin! with him a small alm lea. 'eshowed her where she should slee, a corner o the

#itchen, amon! the fsh tras and coo#in! ots, and toldher what her chores would be, rom sunu to sundown.She listened intently. Women assed and eeed, andchildren who had not seen her earlier shouted obscenitiesher. 52ow, what should " call you-7 he as#ed, as he madeready to visit the %lo. 5Waywaya,7 she said, bowin!. 'ecould see that she was cryin! a!ain and he hated thesi!ht o women in tears. At this time o day, the %lo would

be in the community house, actin! out his duties,disensin! advice and hel to those who needed it,allocatin! seed rice or the ne/t lantin! season as wellas new lots to be cleared and new duties. Dayaw lovedhis ather and had not meant to aear disobedient, butthrou!h the years, his interest has veered* while theother youths would listen to the tal# o the elders, he !otbored and would !o by himsel to the orest or to the

beach. 'e was no wea#lin!, but while the other youthsracticed the arts o war and e/ercised or the !reat leathat would transorm them into men, he layed with his#utiben! and too# leasure in comosin! new son!s.When the !reat east came, he was not even an/ious.

They had li!hted the wide it and the hay and the lo!s


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there were a roarin! $ame. They lined u the youn! menwho would now be warriors, and one by one, they leaedacross the chasm o fre. They had racticed and he hadnot and when it was his turn, he started to anic or he

now reali+ed that the it was wider than he thou!ht itwould be. 'e ran and leaed 0ust the same and barelymade it to the other side* he had burned his oot 3 thesti!ma that his ather would bear 3 but he thou!htnothin! o it. The fnal test, ater all, was when the warriorcrossed the river. 'e had done that, been in &aud orthree ni!hts, and what did he learn- Were the warriors o&aud all that s#illed and erocious- Were they out to

destroy Daya and everythin! his ather and his eolehad built- This was what his ather had told him and all

Ta!3Daya* he had heard this when he was small, anda!ain when he trained and he still heard it now that the%lo had be!un to a!e and a ew strands o white laced hismane. Still, he was the %lo, the reository o wisdom andstren!th until that time when someone braver, stron!erand wiser would lead them to battle. The community

house came into view3 a ma!nifcent structure as tall as abamboo, with a hi!h3itched roo that was almost anarm9s len!th in thic#ness, so thic# that it could last ahundred years6 The $oorin! was solid arunain, ta#enrom the orest and drawn across the !ulleys by waterbu:aloes. The bamboo on the walls had been temeredin brine so that all the insects would not be able to attac#it. The osts3 almost as at as a man9s thi!h, were the

best sa!at there was. And above the walls, 0ust below theeaves were the s#ulls o their enemies, imaled on rattanstaves. 'e waited until everyone had !one, then the %lobec#oned to him. 'is dar#, handsome ace was shroudedin !loom. 5Do you #now that had you not returned today,tomorrow we would have disatched men to &aud to loo#


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or you-7 5For!ive me, Father,7 Dayaw said contritely.5Well, how ar did you !o-7 5" crossed the river, Father.7'e wanted to say more but he held bac#. 5And what elsedid you do-7 5" wanted to #now the enemy. . . 5 5That is a

oolish thin! to do, !oin! there alone, with no one behindyou. And this !irl. . .7 Dayaw smiled. 5she is wildcat but "can tame her. " will #now more about &aud rom her. )utthis " already #now ? the Ta!a &aud ? they are li#e us and "thin# they want eace.7 5So do we,7 the %lo said. 5)uttime has a momentum and we must be ready or war.Always. And you don9t reare or war by recitin! oetryand !oin! on an adventure by yoursel. . .7 A!ain, the

sarcasm. The %lo did not hide it anymore, his rustrationthat his older son, bri!ht with tunes and words and wisein his own way ? did not have any Feelin! or combat, orolitics, or the crat o rulin!. 'e was !ettin! on in yearsand to whom would he ass this accumulated wisdomand e/erience - Dayaw, his son, his blood, but he hadbeen claimed by the talisman o orest and sea when itwas all beore him, the oortunity to rule, to unite,

con1uer not 0ust land but also the many re!ions beyondDaya, the lands o Aba!atan and Amianan. When Dayawwas still youn! he had loo#ed uon the %lo with awe* ithad leased him to #now that his ather was a leader,resected and loved, that it was he who led the warriorsand had !iven the la!a Daya a sense o unity their bestdeense a!ainst their enemies which had eluded them oryears. With the years, however, he had also seen the

anoly o ower and o ceremony that had consumedthe %lo, that or all his avowals o 0ustice, he was notbeyond the reach o awnin! relatives and anderers. 'ecould not understand how in a year o drou!ht his mothercould still !o down the ar reach o Amianan brin!in! withher a retinue o riends, honey and rice in two boatloads,


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and return with nothin! but beads and !ushin! tal# aboutlavish easts !iven by the rich and owerul whom shehad met. 'e could not understand how his mother9sbrother continue in blessed idleness while everyone

wor#ed, how his ather could hand over !rain rom thecommunal !ranary to his avorite warriors who had noteven ou!ht in &aud. There were times when the eole!rumbled and had less to eat but the %lo had brou!htthem eace, the ri!ht to wor# and live without the Ta!a&aud descendin! rom the mountain to bad!es their lives.5The war must sto, Father,7 he said 1uietly. 5And youtoo# slave,7 the %lo hissed at him, 5This means that they

will see# reven!e.7 'is ather was ri!ht and a!ain, he wasclobbered not by suerior intelli!ence but by his ownimulsiveness. " he had only careully thou!ht out theconse1uences o the deed. And thin#in! about it later, hereco!ni+ed this ma!ic comulsion about Waywaya that hecould not e/orcise. A!ain, it came to him not as a $ash oli!htnin! but 0ust as scarin!, the #nowled!e that hiserdition was in himsel. 'e went down the wooden stairs

into the wide !rassy yard once more* the ur!e to leaveDaya came. 'ow oten had he thou!ht about it butalways, he seemed rooted in the land. When the shis othe 2arrow @yes doc#ed at the stone ier which they hadbuilt rom coral, he had oten wondered i they could ta#ehim so that the ni!!lin! doubts, the na!!in! sentimentswould be banished orever. 'owever, ater the 2arrow@ye had loaded the tobacco and the rice in e/chan!e or

#nives, lates and beads, they would leave and he wouldnot even tarry to as# that they ta#e him. "t was dus#when he reached his house and rom the distance he saw8atban!on idlin! at the oot o the stairs strummin! the#utiben!. 'is youn!er brother would robably be with himthe whole ni!ht, as#in! a host o 1uestions, listenin! to


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his new son!s. Waywaya #et house. &iwliwa sneered ather and envied her or she was doin! what she, hersel,would have wanted to do had Dayaw but as#ed her. Shesaid Waywaya would not be able to last* her ways, her

attitudes were di:erent and all because she was rom&aud. The older women made the same remar#s ? shewas alien to the ways o Daya. )ut in time, all the ots inthe #itchen were clean o soot, the frewood rac# belowthe house was neatly slac#ed and there was alwayshus#ed !rain in the bin. The !rass roo was atchedwhere it had thinned and where the rattan twines on the$oor had loosened, she had ti!htened it so that the slit

bamboo was once more taut and secure. Waywaya as#edi she could weave and Dayaw retrieved one o the oldlooms his !randmother had let, and there was enou!hcotton too and ve!etable dye which she mi/ed in a waydi:erent rom the women o Daya. She did not use theatterns rom where she came* she ashioned new ones,usin! the rimary reds and blac#s o the Ta!a Daya andin time, she made trousers or Dayaw, or 8arban!on and

last o all, a dress or hersel. There were many ni!htsthat Dayaw did not slee in his house, he loitered oten inthe communal house or the unmarried, and when theweather was !ood, he would !o to the beach or the feldswith &iwliwa. And when he returned in the mornin!, therewas the usual late o steamin! rice, the bowl o !in!erbroth which she had brewed, the erunctory 1uestionsabout how the ni!ht had been, i he slet well, and

inevitably, how &iwliwa was. nce, he wo#e u in theni!ht with a arched throat and he went to the water 0aror a drin#. She was awa#e and sat u. "n the dar#, hewent to her and or a moment he wanted to touch her.

There was no stoin! him* she was his roerty, but heremembered the ast imulsiveness that had been his


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damnation and he withdrew, hissin! to himsel. &i!htnin!6&i!htnin!6 "t was a !ood year* the rice !rew tall. Ao&an!it had been #ind and the hervest had beenabundant. )y the time the easterly winds be!an to blow,

the felds had all been !leaned, the bat win! shis o the2arrow @yes were roundin! the oint a!ain* they brou!htmore 0ars and lates, more bells and !on!s. The slaveswere even !iven new clothes, some were set ree, butthey elected to remain to arta#e o Daya9s eace androserity. A !ood year, but not or Waywaya. She hadher frst horrible bout with ever beore the harvest andthou!h 8arban!on came and reared marun!!ay broth

or her, the ever worsened. Dayaw made an o:erin! toAo Da!a* arehensive and ri!htened, he laced thebowl o !lutinous rice with hard boiled e!!s in the cornerwhere she slet. The ever did not leave till a ew daysaterwards and she was still wea# when she !ot u to doher wor#. She was riendly* she smiled at all whom shemet and to Dayaw9s eole and riends, she showedobeisance and resect. 'e was convinced, thou!h she

never admitted it, that her bearin! was noble, but why,why did she !o to the river- She told him aterwards thatshe was curious, that she would have crossed the river,too, i only she was made to run switly li#e a deer, thatshe had !one u the mountain oten and loo#ed atcreation sread beore her, the orest and the lain andbeyond, the river emtyin! into the sea. 'e fnally too#her there on a ni!ht when the sur was rou!h, a ni!ht

without stars. At frst, she was scared but he held herhand. To!ether they breasted the sur as it collased onthem until they !ot to where it was calm and the waterwas u to their shoulders when it heaved. 'e thou!ht hecould soten her loneliness i he e/lained, althou!h hedid not have to. 5"t is what you remind my eole o, not


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what you are . . . .7 he told her. "n the sot dar#, her eyesshone, the !rateul smile. She chose to be elusive 5Don9tworry,7 she said. 5" can belon! anywhere, " can even beacross the sea althou!h " don9t #now what is there . . . .7

5)ut the !reatest un#nown, one that we can never !etinto, is the mind o other eole,7 Dayaw said. She wasnot meant to do all that wor#, to bear all those insults.She had become very thin and one aternoon, in themonth when the rains were to come a!ain, Dayaw cameuon her at her weavin!, the shuttle unmovin! in herhands. Tears were rollin! down her chee#s. Dayaw wasen!uled by the ity and comassion he had elt or her

rom the very start. "n the mornin!, he reared lon!rovisions or the lon! wal#< dried meat, rice coo#ed incoconut mil#, salt and su!ar, and the tubes o water. 'etold her to !ather her thin!s, nothin! really but her olddress, the bu:alo s#inned sandals that were almostrayed and the len!th o abric that she had woven. Theylet Daya beore li!ht bro#e uon the land and late theollowin! day, they fnally reached the river. All throu!h

the ni!ht, he had been 1uiet and now, loo#in! at hermovin! 1uietly, a !reat sadness flled him. 'e was ta#in!her bac# and he wanted to !o as ar as it was ossible, tocross the river with her, so he waited or dar#ness, untilthe stars swarmed out o the s#y. nce, she slied overa mossy boulder and he reached out to steady her andher !ras frm and warm. The reached the curve at theother side, and as he had lanned, headed or the cove

where he had ound her. Ater they had eaten the coldrice and the dried meet and dran# rom the ool, she laidon the sand the iece o cloth she had woven and theylay down. 'e slet easily, and at the frst sliver o li!ht,he wo#e u to fnd that she was still beside him. 'ewatched her, the slow rise o her breast, her arted lis,


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her closed eyes. Then she stirred. 5" had e/ected you toleave in the ni!ht,7 he said. 5Well, you #now why we arehere. " have caused you harm and sorrow. Also, " did notdo ri!ht rom the be!innin!, " #now that now.7 'e rose,

unsheathed the #nie at his side and handed it to herwithout ceremony. 5You can have your reven!e now,7 hesaid simly. 'er eyes widened in ama+ement, in wonder.She ell on her #nees, hu!!ed his le!s then #issed hiseet, 5Dayaw, " belon! to you,7 she murmured. That washow it really be!an. )ac# in Daya, in the mornin!s whendew was still !listenin! on the !rass and coo#in! fres stillsent !rey smo#e trailin!, above the houses, he would rise

to fnd that she already had ood or him. She wouldhover silently around, waitin! or his every whim toe/ress itsel. The frst time was a revelation* she had!one with him to !ather frewood in the communal orestbeyond the felds* it was to be their uel or many rainyseason and she had balanced a heavy load on her headand his own load was a ole slun! over his shoulder. Theday was warm and beads o sweat were on her nae li#e

earls. They were about to brea# throu!h into theclearin! and he was tired so he brou!ht his load downand heled her to brin! her bundle down, too. She wasclose to him and could smell her warm body, her hair. 'edrew her to the shadow o a !reat tree* she met his !a+ewithout ear, without retense. "t was as i she hade/ected this moment, too, and with one det ull at the#not on her shoulder, she let her dress dro so that she

stood beore him as he had seen her or the frst time,only now there was no an/iety, no ear in her eyes. Shewas not as e/erienced as &iwliwa and there was thisunso#en demand that he teach her, but or the momenthe #new only his need, the fre that must be 1uenchedand when it was, he lay on his bac#, his breathin! 1uiet


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and slow. The sun fltered throu!h the leaves above them.She lay beside him, unmovin!, while his hand stro#ed hersmooth, $at belly. 5" hoe " did not hurt you,7 he saidaterwards. 5" will be better ne/t time,7 she said 5" am

sorry " don9t #now too well hot to lease you. And no onebut you will teach me.7 She still slet in the #itchene/cet on those ni!hts when he called her in, but atertwo months, when she was fnally sure, Dayaw orbadeher to slee there or always. That mornin!, beore themen went to the felds or ut out to sea, he ut on therobe that she had woven and she slied into her old&aud dress, and on her head a !arland o #alachuchi that

8arban!on had made. Then they went down the stes,bri!ht with hainess. 8arban!on wal#ed ahead o them,blowin! on the bu:alo horn, the shrill blasts echoin! inthe mornin! 1uiet. They wal#ed hand in hand, frst, to thearthest end o town, close to the sea, and the eoleeered out o their windows or aused in their yards towatch them. The youn! men smiled, but none o the !irls!reeted them. &iwliwa had done her words more than

that, she had cursed them. Their march around the townended in his ather9s house beside the community hall.They assed at the bottom o the $i!ht while 8arban!onblew at the horn a!ain and a!ain. The %lo came out, hisace !lum and with a wave o his hand, he orbade hisyoun!er son to continue the bleatin!. To Dayaw, he saidwith a slow sha#e o his venerable head< 52ow7 more insadness than in an!er 5Dayaw, you will never be %lo7

5)ut " will be hay, Father,7 Dayaw said, loo#in! strai!htat his ather. Within the house, his mother was waitin!*she shared her husband9s sorrow and she must havewondered what terrible deed o hers had disleased Ao&an!it. And that evenin! when Waywaya came with hero:erin! o rice and coconut mil#, 8intas acceted both,


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but in the resence o her dau!hter3in3law, she emtiedthe ots into the it where her i!s were. 'ate 333 thiswas the stron!est and rawest o eelin!s that boundeole to!ether and it was hate, Dayaw #new, that made

the Ta!a Daya re!ard Waywaya and now, himsel, withderision. And how did this eelin! start- 'ow did it ta#eroot- "t was in the ears and insecurities o his own eoleand it was the %lo ? his ather who #new how to use hate."t was he, his amily and his amily9s relatives and riendswho benefted rom the lar!esse that hatred created."ndeed, without hate and ear, the %lo would not havebeen able to shae Dayaw into the ortress that it had

become. )ut at what cost- nowin! this, Dayaw otenwondered how it would be i he $ed to the deeer orest.Such a $i!ht was a wish that he sometimes layed in hismind, ima!ined himsel startin! out, clearin! the landwith his bare hands, lantin! the cros on a atch thatthe wilderness would constantly encroach uon. The laborwould be severe and the vi!il constant. 'ow to watchover the feld, rotect it rom wild i!s, maraudin! deer

and rats 33 and no ence would really #ee away the wildbu:aloes and when the !rain was rie, there would bethe birds. 'ow much simle it would be i he 0ust stayedand moved with the daily rhythm that his ather haddecreed. 'ere, there was a community, order, certitudethe fnality that would assure him and everyone not onlyo their lace but o their destiny. 'ow was it in otherlands- 'ate and in0ustice were everywhere and he

himsel had contributed to the ine1uity o thin!s. &oo# atwhat you have done to Waywaya< you do not love her,you merely osses her. You are as !uilty as your ather, asyour warriors who have ambushed and maimed that Ta!a&aud. And in the evenin!s, when he strummed his#utiben! and san!, the words were sad. Waywaya


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understood. 5Why are you unhay-7 she as#ed.5)ecause you are.7 5With you " am always hay.7 5Andwhen " am no lon!er here-7 5"9ll stand by mysel,7 shesaid. 'e shoo# his head. 'e had made u his mind*he

would sea# to the %lo a!ain, fnd out how they couldclear the dust that had su:ocated them. 'e ormedclaerly and sharly the thou!hts that he would e/ress.ur tools are lined with the s#ulls o our enimies and theydo not evo#e their !hosts to rama!e in our midst theydon(t disturbed our slee or the s#ulls o our loved onesand they are there without honor. What has war hasbrou!ht us- Women wailin! when they should be sin!in!.

'ow much blood has been silled- "t was not used towater the cros, 1uench our thirst, or wash the dirt romour bodies. And the $esh o our enemies we did not fllour stomachs with it, or ma#e the eilds ertile with it.Who #nows what they who ell beore our lances couldhave achieved, what o:srin! they would have sired,what clearin!sbthey would have made- All this is or themind to !uess, or the death that we bestowed unto them

is fnal. They wal# slowly on the beach, the waves to theirri!ht daled with mmosilver, "t was a 1uiet ni!htinteruted by the sounds o children layin! in themoonli!ht, the howlin! o do!s* the lantin! seasonwould soon set in, still no aven!in! warriors rom &aud,stillno tear in the fne abric o eace. 5They are araid,7the %lo said, 5They cannot enetrate the wall o ourdetermination. And i they come,will they be ast enou!h

to $ee to their sanctuary, to escae our hound do!s-Then you as#, why are we stron!-7 Dayaw stared at thewaves brea#in! on the sur with a murmur. 52ature hasbeen on our side Father,7he said. 5 2ot 0ust nature,7 the%lo was e/uberant 5We #now our ast, we don(t reeat itsmista#es. That, too, it tradition.7 5The ast could also be


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a rison, Father,7 Dayaw said. 5You always loo# bac#, nota0ead. Do you #now that acroos the river, they arecoo#in! not with earthen ots but with coer-7 Theyhave #ilus better than our, not or ma#in!oys but or

meltin! metals. And they have beeswa/ and mountaindyes. 'ardwood. And their sears...7 5ur bamboo searsare li!hter, easier to throw.7 5Their searheads arebetter.7 5 We f!ht in !rous, we eat rice ? not camotes.75They have lowland rice, too, and they use water romthe srin!...7 The %lo was silent. Dayaw continuedevently. 5 We have to chan!e, Father. To be where we are,we have to chan!e...7 5That is the law o lie,7 the %lo

said. 5You are not tellin! me anythin!.7 5>han!e not war.75War that is art o chan!e. And however you may detestit, with war we have become roserous. And " havewor#ed very hard...7 5We have wor#ed very hard.7 5Andnow, our seed is the best in the land. ur water bu:aloesare the stron!est. We used our #nowled!e to breed, not

0ust lants, but animals...7 5And eole-7 5Don(t sea#li#e that to me.7 5You wanted &iwliwa or my wie.7 5'er

ather is owerul and...7 5The way ;other(s ather wasowerul...7 5Yes, and everythin! we do should contributeto Daya, to our unity, our ro!ress...@ven our leisure. urweavin!, our ottery...7 5The Ta!a &aud have better...75That is not the test. A eole survives not because o itsots. "t survives, endures because it has a will...7 5Andwho rovides the will, Father- The leaders-7 5Yes67 5 5 5

The %lo i!nored the remar#.7 5She has also heled the

weavers, sold what they made, imroved their desi!ns.And the carvers. 'as there been any time that out cratshave been so encoura!ed- We don9t rely any more on thebowls and lates that the 2arrow @yes brin! rom acrossthe sea. Soon we will be frin! our #ilns and ma#in! lates

0ust as beautiul......7 5 5 'e had heard it all beore and he


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would hear it a!ain. 5 )ut what is truth- Dayaw had as#edhimsel many times but could not fnd the answer e/cetthat he believed what he elt and saw, the sunrise that!lad dened him, the wind in the bamboo, the smell o

new rice, o meat crac#lin! in the oen fre. And nowWaywaya the scent o her hair, the warmth and sotnesso her bein! ? he would not be leader now, with her as hiswie. 58arban!on is !rowin! li#e bamboo shoot, Father,7Dayaw said, divinin! his ather9s thou!hts. 5And he isalready ta#in! ater you7 5'e must #now oetry, andmusic, too. 'e will be a comlete man.7 Then Dayaw saidit. 5So he will be the leader. Father. What " cannot be. )ut

Waywaya at least, you can be #ind to her.7 5She is Ta!a&aud,7 the %lo said sadly. 5She is my wie. And her baby 37 he said this slowly 5our baby37 he will have your blood,Father67 leaves or her. 'e marvelled at the miracle o liein her belly, elt its frst stirrin!. With eyes shinin!, shehad told him o her deeest wish that the child becometruly hay and not !iven to !loom because o her.Dayawwatched her !o throu!h the hases, the frst three

months durin! which she han#ered or oran!es, orchic#en as only the Ta!a &aud could coo#, but when itwas coo#ed its blood coa!ulated with its $esh ? she wouldhave none o it. She became emaciated and he worriedabout her health* he !athered water bu:alo mil#, lots ofsh and )ut why did she have to die- Ao &an!it, AoDa!a ? all o you who shae the course o time and thedestiny o men, what wron! has she done- 'e had

watched her bleed* he could not staunch the $ow andthere was no healer who would come. 5Waywaya ? youhave son67 he cried and she loo#ed at him and smiled,then slowly, ever so slowly, she closed her eyes. son andhastened to his ather9s house. 5you have a !randson,;other,7 he told 8intas who met him at the stairs. 5and


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the slave whom all o you loathed don9t your eelin!s onher anymore. She is no lon!er amon! us. The traces obeauty were still on her ace. 5it is not my ault, child omine. "t9s ate,7 8intas remonstrated. 5 " am not blamin!

anyone.7 Dayaw said.72ot even ate. )ut romise me,;other, raise my son to love his mother as " have alwaysloved you. 5and why do you say this-7 5" have a duty todo, ;other. "9ll not be there to watch him !row=7 "t wasthen that the immensity o what he was sayin! struc# her.She shric#ed an animal cry o surrise and !rie thatbrou!ht the %lo to the house. To him, 8"ntas $ed, her acecontorted with ri!ht. 5Sto him, my husband. 'e does

not have to do it. She was not one o us67 5Whatoolishness is this7 his ather as#ed. 5;ust you site me-Whatever it is that " have done, " did because you are myblood and " want you honored=7 5" do not see# honor,Father.7 5You have already shown that. )ut now, " wantyou alive, whatever your aults, whatever yourwea#nesses.7 5Tradition, Father. We have to live u to it.

You said that.7 5Don9t throw it bac# to me li#e soiled

meat=7 5)ut " believe in tradition, too, Father. This younever understood. There are traditions we must uholdbecause they are not 0ust or us they are or all eole=7

The %lo was silent. 5'ow many seasons assed that shewas without honor amon! my eole- )ut " can honor hernow.7 5Then live with dishonor67 the %lo screamed at him.5For me6 2ow67 'e went orward and embraced hisather, tears scaldin! his eyes, 5 ;y son, my son,7 the %lo

whisered. Dayaw elt his ather9s arms ti!hten aroundhim. "t was the last time that they would embrace.8arban!on had already been circumcised and had alreadystarted to build his own house. 5She is li!ht,7 Dayaw toldhim rememberin! how he had carried Waywaya acrossthe river. 5" will carry her uri!ht, straed to my bac#.7


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5)ut that is not how it is done, ;anon!,7 8arban!oninsisted. And o course, his brother was ri!ht. 5You are notthat stron!=7 8arban!on shoo# his head. 52o, that is notthe reason. You ear or me.7 Dayaw did not sea#< he

was condemnin! his brother to a lie travail but8arban!on #new all that. 5She was sister to me. Shecoo#ed or me, wove or me. " have not done anythin! orher. &et me honor her too.7 Dayaw wraed Waywaya inthe blan#et she had woven, the bri!ht red with blas o hereole, the desi!ns o moon, mountain and tree comin!throu!h the slats o bamboo. n both ends o the ole towhich the bier was attached were the wreaths o

#alachuchi that 8arban!on had made. They reached theriver easily ollowin! aternoon or they rested and atebut little and Dayaw marveled at the boy9s stren!th. Theyuntied the thon!s o their sandals ad waded across theshallows, stein! over mossy boulders, ta#in! care thattheir recious burden did not tilt into the water. Therewas still lenty o li!ht when they reached the other sideand he ollowed the bend to the small cove where he frst

saw her. 'ow eaceul it was and brie$y, in his mind9seye, he saw her a!ain as he saw her then, oised beorethe ool, serene as ni!htall, and a shar, almost hysicalain coursed throu!h him. )y dus#, they reached thetown o &aud* they had been watched even beore theyhad aroached the rin!es and now, the enemyaeared rom everywhere, women, children and menwho loo#ed at them more with curiosity than hate. 'e

#new where to ho* he had studied the town only too welland to his #nowled!e, Waywaya had contributed hershare. A clutch o women met them beore they reachedthe clearin! in ront o their community hall and theystarted wailin!, their voices hi!h3itched and nasal,listenin! to what they said3 the sister, the riend who was


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no more3 a!ain tears dimmed his eyes. Throu!h the blur,he could see the structure beore him, the hi!h osts withfnely carved fli!rees, the beams 0uttin! out and aroundthe raters3 0ust below the !rass roo3 a linr o s#ulls o his

eole. The hu!e door o the community hall swun! oenand down the massive stairs he came, the leader o &aud,and as Dayaw by the shoulder as Dayaw loweredWaywaya onto the wooden latorm where o:erin!s weremade, and so#e in a voice that 1uavered7 5"t has beentwo harvest seasons. We missed her=7 Then nebec#oned to one o the older women who had met them,and to her he said 5&oo# at your 0ewel, woman67

Dar#ness came 1uc#ly and with it, bird calls and the coolbree+es o the mountain. 'e sat with the old chie in thelace o honor, and they fled u to him.. the warriors o&aud with their wooden shields and shiny battle a/es, andraised their arms in salute. Then the !on!s startedbeatin!, sonorous and loud3 his #nell. Death would bewelcome, or with Waywaya9s assin! no lon!er wouldthe s#y hold its dominion over him, nor would the earth

that he had cultivated* whose ruits he would o:er to her.'ow will it eel- There would be ain but he could bearthat. 'e had been wounded beore, had seen blood oo+erom the wound, had elt his head !row li!ht and hisstren!th slowly ebb. "t was not this ain which he learnedor the warrior was reared or it. "t was this deeeran!uish that no herb, no sorcery could staunch. Allaround them the hu!e ine slinter torches had been

i!nited and they cast a red !low over the crowd* it wastime to do the fnal ceremony and they rose3 0ust him andher amily, and they ormed a small rocession to theside o the mountain where a hole had already been du!.

They let him shove her con within the* they ushed aboulder at the entrance to the burial lace and covered it


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with earth. Waywaya9s mother lanted beore it a ewstrands o ramos3 they would !row, tall and urle. 'ewas a Ta!a Daya, he must show them that he could damhis eelin!s but as tears streamed down his chee#s, he

shuddered violently and cried. The chie laid an armaround Dayaw9s shoulder and too# him bac#. The !oin!swere louder now and above their rhythm rose thes1uealin! o i!s bein! butchered. They went u the hall,its $oor o hewn wood, and rom the roo dan!led lamso iron, abla+e with li!ht. 5" have as#ed my ather.7 Dayawsaid, 5that they do not cross the river anymore, that ithey do, they bear !its o lie. " ray that you do the

same. This is what Waywaya would have wanted. . .7 Theold chie, s1uattin! on his deers#in ru!, did not rely* his!a+e went beyond the bonfre outside the wide oendoor, leain! now, li!htin! the sombrous s#y. "n theyellow embroidery o $ames, it seemed that his eyeswere !la+ed and when he fnally so#e, his Words wereslow and they bore !reat eelin!. 5There somethin! aboutan old tree, 5he said, it !rows no more. At the same time,

its is dicult to cut it down. "ts roots are dee althou!h itcan draw no more sustenance rom the earth. ;aybe, it isri!ht that the new trees should !row. 'e ate little whenthe ood fnally came. 8arban!on ate nothin! or he hadalicy aslee. They brou!ht dayaw wine ? sweet sli!htlybitter and he wondered i it would be in the wine. )ut itwas not. "t was late and he must rest so they let himwhile the eastin! and dancin! continued outside. 'e

slet ftully until dawn3 that dee and tran1uil 1uietwhen 0ust a tint o urle aeared in the east and starsstill studded the s#y li#e !ems. 2ow, thou!hts crowdedhis mind li#e drones and he was flled once more withre!ret that he had not been #inder to her. 'e could seeher now in this time o day , her hair !lossy and blac#, her


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recious ace, the luminous eyes, the moist lis3 theima!e o her alive and breathin! and touchin!, otterin!in the #itchen, rearin! his meal. And the baby yes, theirson, how would it be when he fnally b became a man-

And 8arban!on, would they enslave him order him returnas he had hoed they would so that he could tell Ta!aDaya- And how would it end or him- 'e had beentrained not to ear death and thou!h he had consideredf!htin!, there was no sense to it as there was really nolo!ic or his bein! here, 0ust as the lo said. 2o lo!ic, butsince when did love have any- ;ornin! and time to leavehe old chie was at the door and as he aroached,

Dayaw !lanced at 8arbn!on who was still aslee. 5Don9twa#e him u,7 the chie said sotly. 5'e needs rest* wewill ta#e him bac# to the river. A wave o 0oy en!uledhim. They went down the broad stes, into a brilliantmornin!, where some o the warriors had already!athered. The old chie ut an arm around his shoulder,murmurin!, 5'usband o my dau!hter3 my son.7 5Fathero my wie3 my ather,7 he returned the arewell. "n the

clear, everythin! stood out now ? the bamboo houseswith their !rass roos, the corrals or the i!s, the chic#enhouses, the ve!etable atches, the oran!e trees. 'e#new almost everythin! around him 0ust as Waywaya haddescribed it* why, he was almost home at home6 Theywal#ed him to the ed!e o the villa!e. 'e must utter nowthe imortant word. 5Waywaya,7 he said in reverentialrayer. 5 " loved her. The ruit o our union3 a boy Your

blood is in him, he is across the river. Will you let him!row in eace i!norant o a time li#e this- 5Will you-7 Thechie did not answer and i he so#e. Dayaw did not hear.

The !on!s started a!ain and them, rom the women inthe distance came a sound o wailin!. Was it or him- "nhis heart, thou!h he was araid, he was !lad. The orest


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awaited him BBBBBBBBBBBBB as sunset, he #new that hewould not reach the river. 3the end3

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