Chapter Fourteen.
The Cliff
The weeks passed and to Ekewane nothing seemed to be very different than before. Eiru was also isolated into a small hut near her parents, just as Ekewane had been a few months before. Only Eiru was so excited and happy with the right of passage to becoming a woman. Ekewane often joined her in her hut, she envied Eiru’s lovely nature: everyone seemed happy to be around her.
In the evenings Ekewane would walk to her favourite spot and wait. Soon Emarr and Bagonoun would come as usual and join her. They never talked much, just sat there quietly each in their own thoughts; they all missed Eiru.
Then finally the day came and Ekewane was excited. She woke up early and ran to Eiru’s little hut; tonight she would be free again to share their hut and adventures. She wondered if her parents had planned to find a husband for her soon. In their old village her husband would most likely have been picked out long before now.
That night Eiru was beautiful and glowing. “She is much prettier than Emet,” Ekewane thought.
Ekewane sat near her friend and could see that she was happy. The other members of the tribe brought her gifts. They had finally been able to kill a pig and some chickens and everyone was happy. The island had been good to them. They had plenty of food.
“It is not right that we could not kill chickens or a pig for your celebration, but we can for Eiru. You are of a higher rank than she,” said Emanear wistfully.
Ekewane just smiled at her mother, she did not mind, she was happy for Eiru. Eiru was her best friend; she was the only girlfriend she really ever had. Back on her island she would play and swim with her friends the other Emarr and Amweb. They would swim amongst the reef and catch fish. She did not want to join the girls of her tribe, comb their hair and play string figures, but preferred to run free with the boys. But here Eiru preferred her company to the other girls of the village. Ekewane felt happy that she was her friend.
At the celebrations Ekewane looked around without thinking to see where Emarr and Bagonoun were. Emet, Iudi and other girls, as usual surrounded them and they were laughing together and she wondered why the boys never joined her and Eiru when there was a celebration. But Eiru was so happy and she felt her friend’s happiness; all angry thoughts had disappeared that night. However, every now and again she would glance over at Emarr and Bagonoun, and noticed that Bagonoun would often glance shyly across at Eiru.
The days quickly passed. Their days were filled with fishing for octopus along the reef, collecting shellfish and water. At night the four friends would meet at their spot and talk until it was time to return to their huts.
They could still hear the loud piercing screams from the mountain. The tribe would always stopped what they were doing. The spirit, although frightening, had not come any closer to harm them. Some nights Ekewane thought she could hear other spirits outside her hut in the bushes, or wandering through the tall pinnacles near-by, then she would huddle closer to Eiru, who always seemed to sleep peacefully and not hear anything.
There were changes within the tribe. They had started out as disgruntles and angry whispers. The men seemed to be always arguing and Ekewane knew that at the centre were her father and Ramanmada. The tribe was now coming apart; some of the adults seemed to be on her father’s side, whilst others agreed with Ramanmada: she could not understand why.
“I will go back up into the mountain!” Ekewane stated frustrated, “I am tired of listening to the adults argue.” The four had been sitting quietly at their spot as they did every evening.
“Yes,” agreed Emarr and Bagonoun.
Eiru did not say anything and sat there quietly. Ekewane had expected the others to object, after the last frightening episode on the mountain, was surprised at their agreement.
Bagonoun had never been on the mountain, and although the spirits that lived there frightened him, was excited to explore more of the island. He had not been with the three when they went last time and felt he had missed out on their adventure.
“We will not go as far this time. There are some cliffs up the southern side of the mountain. We have seen them when we were fishing in the canoe. Do you remember Bagonoun?” Bagonoun nodded in agreement.
He was hoping to go away a few nights but the cliffs would be better than staying here waiting and not knowing what they were waiting for.
“We will go south along the shore-line until we can find a way up the mountain.” Emarr continued.
Early next morning, before the sun rose, the four friends met on the reef. They walked silently along the reef, each in their own thoughts glad to be going away from the tensions that were building up in their tribe. They continued following the coast until the sun was high up in the sky.
“We will sit there beside the undergrowth and eat,” said Emarr looking around.
They sat down and he pulled out of the pouch that he always wore pieces of fish wrapped in leaves and handed a piece to each. They had only sat down for a few minutes when he got up and walked towards the undergrowth. The others, as they knew that they were meant to follow, quickly followed.
The climb was steep and difficult. The forest was lush with tropical vines and bushes, and the girls struggled to keep up with the boys who kept walking without looking back. Ekewane did not want to complain; it had been her idea, so she looked at Eiru and smiled. She noticed that Eiru was also hot and tired; there was no sea breeze here under the canopy. Ekewane extended her hand and helped Eiru up the ascent.
For how long they kept climbing she was not sure. She could not see the boys anymore, but their voices told her that they were not that far ahead. The track they left to follow was easy, and the girls kept walking, even though their legs were burning.
“The sun is high in the sky,” Ekewane thought.
Every now and again she could see rays of sunlight streaking through the eerie forest. She felt very thirsty and wondered how long before they could drink.
At a certain point she stopped and said: “I can’t hear the boys anymore. Do you think that we are so far behind?”
Eiru did not answer, she thought if she stopped it would be very hard for her to get up again. So they kept climbing.
A little further up the track stopped climbing and crossed the side of the mountain. It was a little easier, and so they could walk faster.
Finally, they stepped out of the undergrowth to a small clearing. Emarr and Bagonoun were sitting there smiling up at them. The girls stumbled over and dropped to the ground exhausted. Emarr and Bagonoun held up two coconuts ready to drink. The girls took the drinks and greedily swallowed the sweet liquid. When they had drank their coconut dry, the boys laughed and handed them another. This time the girls savoured the wonderful juice as they sipped it slowly.
“Emarr and Bagonoun had time to climb the nearby coconut trees and cut some down, we must have been very slow,” thought Ekewane.
The four sat there for a time and rested. They felt happy as they looked out over the sea. The cliff was high above the reef, and they could see the steep climb they had had to travel, but felt at peace away from the tension of the tribe. They lay down tired; the heat of day lulled them into a restful slumber. The tribe often slept in the afternoons, it was too hot to fish or do anything strenuous.
Ekewane was the first to awake. She stretched, stood up and looked over the vast sea to where there was a faint line where the sky met the sea. She gazed lazily at the shimmering water; out on the horizon it was hazy. Suddenly she felt her body go cold. Out there far away she saw a monstrous bird, she could see the white of the wings and the large black body shaped like a canoe. How could a canoe be so big with large white wings?
“Look!” she cried pointing at the image in the distance.
The other three woke up startled, and jumped up. They followed the direction of her extended hand, but could see only sea and sky.
“It’s gone,” she said, her voice still shaky.
“What had she seen? Was it the spirit
of her ancestors coming to the island?”
“It must have been one of the very big white birds that fly across the sea,” stated Emarr more confidently than he felt. He then put his arm around her shoulders, for he could see that she was still trembling.
Ekewane felt comforted by his arm, but inside her she felt afraid. “Was this a warning?” she thought.
.
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