The Moon in Your Sky by Kate Saller

Author:Kate Saller [Saller, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780826273284
Publisher: University of Missouri Press

Chapter 14

ANNAH STOOD SILENTLY as her husband led his mother to the head of the fresh hole that lay open next to his father's grave on the edge of the family compound. He motioned for his brothers, his sisters, and Annah to stand beside the grave, and then for their friends and neighbors to gather just outside the family circle. James appeared to be in control, but Annah knew that inside he was wishing he could just sit down next to the wooden box holding Jesse's body and weep. The Pentecostal minister stepped forward and began intoning prayers.

“How have we come to this?” Annah thought as she stood holding Gilbert, willing him to stay asleep through the ceremony. “We just shared the ultimate joy—holding our first-born son in our arms—and now James must face the rest of his life without his brother. And I must somehow comfort him, and find ways to fill that void.”

The minister finished his prayers, and some men from the village took hold of the box and lowered it carefully into the ground. Lucy began weeping loudly, so James led her away and the others began to follow. Annah watched for a moment, thinking of the finality of the concrete covering that would be poured over the grave to keep it safe from animals. All week she had been able to call up an image of Jesse's impish grin whenever she wanted, but no image came now. He just felt gone. Gilbert began to fuss then, and Annah returned to the house to nurse him, glad for the excuse to sit alone.

In Iteso tradition, the family isn't left alone for the first week after a death, so Lucy's small house was crowded throughout the days that followed. At night, the village men slept outside near the grave. Tradition held that they must remain vigilant for seven days, to protect the grave from the evil that lurked everywhere. They kept a fire burning through the night, but all week the nights were cloudy and starless, and the fire's light did little to dispel the heavy darkness. One day, a man whom Annah knew to be James's boss arrived, offering words of sympathy and understanding. Annah felt a little thrill to realize how important James was—that a district official would travel such a distance to offer condolences that would normally be conveyed in a letter. After James had introduced the man to Annah and his mother, the two of them walked across the compound and stood under the mango tree. She watched with pride as the man spoke earnestly to James, who seemed to consider his words carefully and then respond with quiet assurance. After several minutes of discussion, the two shook hands and James walked the man to his car. The car moved out of the compound and James turned and walked slowly back to Annah.

“Come for a walk with me, Frances? We must talk.” Annah was surprised that he wanted to leave the compound, but she quickly placed Gilbert in a shawl and secured him against her chest.

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