In the Beginning (13 page)

Some men said, “Leave!” But some men said, “Attack the village again!”

Dom sat with the men. He heard their words but he did not speak. He was young, and young men did not speak.

A man said: “The village is at the bottom of a hill. There are big stones on the hill. A big stone killed my brother. It rolled down a hill and killed him. We can roll a stone down this hill. It will go through the wall of thorns, and then we can go into the village easily.”

The chief hunter said: “Can we move the stones? The ground holds them.”

A man said: “The ground in front of a stone holds it. We can dig the ground away from there. Then we can move the stone.”

The chief hunter asked: “Should we do this?”

The men said: “Yes!”

They found a very big stone on the hill. They dug the ground away from the front with their fingers. The work was hard.

Dom worked with the men. He looked at the forest.

He thought: “Is Va in the forest now?”

A man said: “Work, boy!” Dom worked.

They worked and worked. They pushed the stone, but the stone did not move. They were very tired. They were hungry too. They needed food.

At night some men said: “This is not good. We have to leave this place. We need food. We have to hunt.”

The chief hunter said: “We have to work again. We will move the stone in the morning.”

In the morning they went back to the hill. They worked again. They dug the ground away with their fingers. The stone moved. It was a very big stone. The men stood behind it. They pushed, and the stone moved again. It rolled down the hill.

It did not roll far. It stopped, and they pushed again. The stone stopped again and again. The men were very tired.

The chief hunter said, “Push!”

Some men were angry and said: “We are tired and hungry. We have to leave this place. We need food. We have to hunt.”

But the chief hunter was strong. He said again: “Push!”

They pushed, and the stone moved.

This time it did not stop. It rolled down the hill.
It went fast. The men ran after it. They gave the hunters' cry.

The stone rolled very fast. It rolled into the wall of thorns. It went through the wall and rolled into the village. The northern men ran behind it. There was a hole in the wall now. They went through the hole. They were in the village.

The southern men came out of their huts. They fought the northern men.

It was a hard fight. The southern men fought for their homes. They fought well. But they did not have killing clubs. The northern men had killing clubs. With their clubs they were strong.

Dom fought with the northern men. A southern man bit his arm with his teeth. Dom hit the southern man with his club. The man fell down. A second man ran at Dom. Dom hit him too.

There were fires near the huts. They had pots on them. A southern man jumped at Dom, and Dom rolled into one of the fires. The fire hurt his leg. Hot water from a pot fell on his chest.

Dom cried out. He was very angry. He got up and hit the man with his club. The man fell and did not get up.

The end of the fight came soon. The northern men killed the southern men. They gave the hunters' cry and danced the war dance. Dom danced with them.

The women and children of the southern tribe were frightened. They hid in the huts. The northern men pulled them out of the huts. The women and children cried.

The northern men said: “Food! We want food!” The women did not understand the words. The northern men put their hands to their mouths. The women knew the meaning of that. They brought food to the northern men.

Va was very frightened. Her father was dead. Her two brothers were dead. The northern men were angry. She brought bread. They did not know bread, and they ate it with angry noises.

She saw Dom. There was blood on his hands. His killing club was in his hands, and there was blood on the killing club too.

She thought: “He killed my father and my brothers.”

Dom saw her and spoke. He spoke gently, but she did not smile. She turned away. She hated Dom.

Dom said: “You are not hurt, Va. I am happy.”
She did not look at him. He said: “I will look after you.”

She did not understand. She said: “You killed my father and my brothers. I hate you.”

He did not understand her words but he knew her meaning.

The northern men made a feast. They said: “We are strong in war! We killed our enemies. Now we will take their cows and their homes. We will take their women too. They will be our wives.”

Dom said to Va: “You will be my wife. I will look after you.”

She did not understand the words. She did not look at him.

A big hunter came. He said to Dom: “You cannot have a wife. You are just a boy. This girl will be my wife.”

Dom said: “She is my girl.”

The man laughed at him. Dom fought the man. But the man was very big and strong. He hit Dom with his club, and Dom fell down.

The hunter pushed Va into a hut. He said: “This is my hut. You will be my wife.” Va knew the meaning. She was very sad. She cried in the hut.

The northern men ate and ate. Then they slept. Dom did not eat. He did not sleep. He was sad and angry.

He looked for Va. He found her in the hut. She was sad and angry too. He spoke, but she turned away.

He spoke very gently. He said: “Come with me.” He pulled her arm, and he looked out of the hut.

Va knew the meaning. “I hate him,” she thought. “He killed my father and my brothers. But the big man is a very hard man. I will go with Dom. Then I will run away.”

In the morning they were very hungry. Va found a tree with fruit. She and Dom took the fruit from the branches and ate it. Then they walked again.

They walked and walked. Va found fruit and nuts for them. One day they were on a hill. Dom saw deer at the bottom of the hill. He went down the hill quietly. The deer saw him, and they were frightened. They ran away. Dom ran too.

The deer and Dom went very far. Va could not see them. She thought: “Now I can run away. Dom
will not find me. Dom killed my father and my brothers with his club.”

But she did not run away. She thought: “Where will I go? I do not have a home now. I do not have any people.”

Dom killed a young deer with his club. He carried it back to Va.

He said: “Here is some meat. We will eat it.”

Va found sticks. Dom said: “What are you doing?”

She said: “I am going to make a fire.” Dom did not understand the words. He watched her.

Va made a fire with sticks. She put the meat on the fire and cooked it. Dom said: “I like the smell.”

Va gave some meat to him. He said: “It is very good. Eat, Va.”

Va knew the meaning. She was hungry. She ate the meat with him.

Day followed day. Still they went on. Sometimes Va found nuts or fruit for food. Sometimes Dom killed animals. Often they were hungry.

Dom talked to Va. She knew some of the words. She did not speak often to Dom. She was still angry with him.

Va hated the killing club. She looked for fruit and nuts. But often she could not find them. Then she ate Dom's meat.

Sometimes they saw people a long way from them. Dom and Va did not go to them. They were just Dom and Va. They did not have a tribe.

One day Va looked for fruit in a forest. She found bushes with flowers. There was a stream. Dom was not there. She sat beside the stream and sang.

Dom heard her voice. He went through the forest and found her. He said: “Your song is beautiful.”

The song stopped. Dom said: “Sing for me, Va.” She did not sing. Dom said: “You are beautiful too.”

Dom took flowers from a bush. He gave them to Va. He said: “Put them in your hair, Va.”

She dropped the flowers on the ground.

Dom was angry. He hit her face with his hand. Va looked at him. Then she turned away.

Dom said: “I am sorry, Va.” Va understood the words. She did not answer.

Dom was not happy now. He said: “We have to go away from here.” Va did not speak. Dom went away. Va followed him.

• • •

One day Dom was ill. He shivered. His body was heavy. He could not run. Then he could not walk. Dom lay down. He was very ill. First he was very hot; then he was very cold and he shivered. He said: “I am dying.”

Va went away. Dom could not get up. He thought: “She will leave me now.”

Va looked for herbs. She found them and brought them back. Dom was asleep. She made a fire with sticks.

Dom woke up. He said: “You are still here, Va. Now I am happy.”

Va gave the herbs to him. Dom asked: “What should I do?” She said: “Eat them.” Dom ate the herbs. The fire was bright, but Dom was still cold. He shivered. Va held him in her arms. He said: “That is good, Va.” She did not answer.

Soon Dom was well. He said: “You looked after me, and now I am well, Va.” She did not answer. He said: “We can go on now.”

They came to a lake. The water was quiet. It was very beautiful.

Va looked at the place beside the lake. She thought: “We can build a hut here. We can plant corn. We can make a home.”

But she did not speak. Dom said: “There aren't any deer in this place. We have to go on.”

They went on and left the lake behind them.

• • •

They came to high land. There were trees and bushes.

Dom killed a deer. Va made a fire and cooked the meat. They ate. Then Dom went away. He needed a drink. There was a stream not very far from them. Dom went to the stream and drank.

Va stayed near the fire. She heard a sound and looked up. She saw a big animal. It lay on the branch of a tree. It was yellow and black. Its eyes were bright and green. Its teeth were bright too. It was a leopard.

Va was very frightened. The leopard moved and showed its teeth. She cried out.

Dom heard her cry. He ran back from the stream. He saw the leopard. He was frightened too, but he did not run away. He stood in front of Va.

The leopard jumped out of the tree. It jumped on Dom, and he fell under it. Its claws tore Dom's arm. He pulled away from the leopard. His arm hurt, and there was blood on it. He took up his killing club.

The leopard jumped at him again. Dom swung his club. The club hit the leopard's head. The leopard's claws tore Dom's side, but the leopard was hurt. It made an angry sound, but it went away.

Blood came out of Dom's arm and side. Va found herbs. She held them on his arm and side. She held them there for a long time. In the end, the blood stopped.

Dom said: “Thank you, Va. With your help I am well now.”

Va thought: “You saved me from the leopard, Dom.” But she did not speak the words. She thought: “You saved me from the leopard, but you killed my father and my brothers. I hate you.”

One day Va spoke to Dom. She said: “I am going to stay here.”

She spoke with his words. Dom said: “No. We will go on. I can't find deer here easily.”

Va said: “I am going to stay, Dom.”

Dom said: “I will go on, and you will come with me.”

Va looked at him. “I will not come.”

Dom said: “Why? Why won't you come?”

Va said: “I am heavy.”

Dom said: “I was heavy, and you gave herbs to me. I will find herbs for you.”

Va said: “No. I do not need herbs. I am not ill. I am going to have a baby.”

Dom was very happy. He said: “I will have a son!”

Va said: “He will be my son.”

Dom said: “What do you want, Va? Just tell me, and you can have it. You are my wife.”

Va said: “I want a home for my son. There were huts in my village. I want a hut.”

Dom said: “I can't make a hut.”

Va said: “I will show you.”

She showed him, and Dom made the hut. He put long sticks in the ground. He put branches on top of the sticks and at the sides. Then he put big leaves and grass over the branches.

It was a good hut. Va stayed there. Dom went away and found food. He brought food to Va. There was a stream near the hut. She got water from the stream.

One day Dom came back with food. He heard a strange sound. It was a cry. He went into the hut. It was not Va's cry. In her arms there was a baby.

Dom took the baby. He said: “This is my son.” He was very happy.

The baby cried. Va said: “Give him back to me.” Dom gave the baby back to Va.

It was summer. The baby grew big and strong. Dom found food for them. Sometimes he went far away.

Va took water from the stream. Dom was away. She made a fire. It was a big fire, and very hot. Va found clay. She made a pot and baked it in the fire. Then she carried water in the pot.

Va found grass near the hut. It was like corn. She took seeds from the grass. She ground the seeds on a stone. She made flour and baked bread.

Dom came back with meat and fruit. Va gave some bread to him. Dom said: “It is good. There are good things here. There is bread. There is the hut. There is my son. And there is you, Va.”

Va did not speak. Dom said: “Sing for me, Va.” But Va did not sing.

Dom went away again. He hunted far away. Va
was happy with her baby. She had bread and water. There was some fruit near the hut. She found fish in the stream. She took some fish and cooked them in the fire and ate them.

Va loved her baby. She called him Kin. She thought: “Maybe Dom won't come back. Then there will be just Kin and me.” She was very happy.

But Dom came back. He took the baby in his arms. He was happy too. He said: “You are my son.” And he laughed.

Va did not laugh. She thought: “Dom killed my father and my brothers.” She took the baby from Dom. She thought: “This is
my
son.”

• • •

Fall came, and the leaves were brown. They fell from the branches. The days grew short.

Dom said: “The deer are going far away. We have to follow them.” Va said: “You can follow them. Kin is very small. He and I will stay here.”