Chapter 9; A Visit to the Widows
Lar paid no attention to his observers. He was used to being watched where ever he went in his little fiefdom. He concentrated on getting his load to the widows. As he passed people placed tears in his pockets.
They would whisper, “A Blessing shared.”
“Lar replied, …is a blessing doubled.”
At the end of gathering, Lar would give them to Kiv. Through out the year between gatherings, Kiv would use the jewels to feed his mother and the other widows living at the edge of the hunting camp. Again, Kiv had brought him new grains and spices for use after they left. Lar was bringing some of that bounty now to his mother and her friends. He failed to notice his red haired shadow. He was on a mission. His mother lived in the widow’s tent. No matter about his thoughts, they were of the People and the People had their own ways. He knew the way of it all. He walked around the tent to the door on the shaded side.
As soon as he entered the shabby dwelling, some of the women quietly relieved him of his burdens and touched his face in silent affection. As dead women, they were unable to speak to an unmarried man. They all knew that the People always filled his jars with more food than any man could eat in a year. The women moved the extra food into their jars for safekeeping. They would eat well for a time. Lar would see to that.
His mother cared not for those banns. She would speak to any who would speak to her. Mostly, though, out in the high desert, no one spoke to any of the widows. She drew him to a cool seat beneath the threadbare tents. They sat comfortably together in the shadows to eat their midday meal.
“I thank the Watcher for the food, child.”
“We have plenty, Mother. You must share in my bounty as my life giver.”
“And we have love…”
“Yes, mother. We will always share our love.”
You must call me Lov now. I am widowed and your mother is dead.”
“To Gehenna with that talk. You are my mother for now and for always.”
She laughed through her tears, “I am blessed to have you for my son.”
He took her hand and smiled, “Shared blessings are doubled.”
“You are my blessing, my dear, dear baby boy…”
Sitting in a circle, they all their heads and raised their food toward the mountain. “Bless the Watcher…” intoned the women.
“And the Watcher blesses us.” returned Lar.
“Son..?”
“Yes, Mother?”
“Thee have been alone too long inside our mountain.”
“Mother…” he said reproachfully.
“Your father and I spent many days and nights in that old cave. We filled it with love just as you and your blessed Han did.”
“I remember. I remember too well.”
“Thee must not forget… Thee must go on and build a new life…”
“Not possible…”
“Thee must try to begin again.”
“Please mother…” They had spent too much time on this topic recently.
“Still…I have a need to hold my grandchildren…”
A tear of remembrance coursed down his dusty cheek. “Your grand child took my Han from me.”
“No…”
“I know…” he said softly.
“She loved you. She would have wanted your love to live on…”
“But it didn’t,” he said bitterly.
“No.. it didn’t.” She took his big hand in her two tiny ones, “But…love lives on!”
“Sure…”
“It is true, my son. I have seen the way that little red headed girl looks at you…follows you every where…”
“Girl…what girl?”
Zet piped in, “My baby Jin.”
“Mother! Zet!”
Zet continued, “She is a good girl. Look at the stones that she passed to me this morning. These will ease the life of the forgotten women this trading time.”
Lov smiled at her old friend. She held Lar’s face in her old hands, looking at him with a mother’s fire, “She is the spitfire that could rekindle your heart. Han would want you to live well.”
Zet nodded, adding, “I have seen it too…She loves you.” She went over to the side of the tent, “I have something to show your mother.” She unfolded the cloth. She let the cleaned tear roll off into Lov’s lap.
“What is this?”
“Jin’s bride price.”
“Really..?”
“Really. You take this sultan’s ransom to brain damaged ex-husband. He will plotz him self and the witch…she’d sell her son for a rock like this… Its my Jin’s best chance to get her own tent… or cave as the case may be.”
Lov smiled. “I see the value of this.”
Lar looked exasperated, “Don’t I get a vote?”
“Pshaw… No man gets a vote in this matter.”
“Mother!!!”
“Son…Let me handle this… Just ask Kal for a meeting. Tell him that I will be there. Meet ”
With a resigned sigh, he kissed his mother and rose to head for his cave. “All right, Mother…”
With a last wave, he crossed the Watcher’s hands and turned out of sight behind the rising rocks of the Watcher’s arms. As the women prepared to clean their tent before heading in to their regular campsite, one of them stopped and pointed at where Lar had been sitting, “Look, Sisters.”
“Oh, my baby… my beautiful baby boy…” His mother fell to her knees. In the spot where he had been sitting was a pile of cleaned thumb sized stones, more than enough for them to live through this year. Lov knew from a life time with his father that they were stones that the People had slipped into Lar’s pockets as worship.
Jin’s mother, Zet, put her hand on Lar’s mother’s shoulder, “Cleaned stones do not have to be shared with the Tear Master or that young witch, Mav.” The old women laughed. The stones were divided equally among the various wrinkled hands. The stones were secreted among the folds of their clothing. They put sober faces on as they went quietly back to their tents.
Returning from his visit to the widow's tent, Lar walked down to the cold pool for a drink and passed the Tear Master's tent. Not looking where he was going, he ran into the red headed girl. She was the one that he had been watching as she had been staring at the Watcher earlier. He felt her soft form and held her strong arms to prevent her from falling. He smiled, “Jin, is it?”
“I am so sorry, Watch Man. I was not watching where I was going… so sorry. My name… you know my name?”
Now he remembered seeing her as a child with flaming hair on the day he had gone to Kal's tent to claim his beloved Han for his own.
“Yes…” he laughed, “It is all over the widow’s tent about the stone you stole from your father to give to the widows.”
“I…I…”
“Guilty I guess…you shall have to be dealt with…”
“No… Yes…” Her face now was redder than her hair.
He looked very serious. “This is a serious charge…”
“Excuse me?”
“Hmmm…” He rubbed his jaw. “I don’t know what we should do…”
“Do?”
“Actually, I think I am just jealous.”
“What..?”
“Yes…that’s it exactly… I am jealous. You gave your mother more stones than I gave mine.”
She sputtered, unable to follow this new turn in the conversation. “Yes… I shall have to think more about my feelings…”
Suddenly, she looked up at his face. She saw the broad grin and relief flooded her body. She had broken several old banns to get those stones to her mother. She leaped up and kissed him full on the mouth. She jumped down and ducked into the back of her father’s tent.
He just stood there stunned. His faced burned at the spot of her impact on his lips. His eyes swelled remembering those deep green eyes. The lithe figure of Han’s little sister was now well grown in to full womanhood. He shook his head to clear his vision well eno
ugh to see, smiled and went on.
She looked back out at his back. “That went well,” she said to no one. Avoiding Mav, she headed for the cook tent to help with supper.