The Dolphin People by Torsten Krol

Author:Torsten Krol
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atlantic Books

SEVEN

THE TWO DAYS WENTZLER had managed to buy for Mother’s recovery were wasted, at least for that purpose. She spent quite a bit of time on her knees praying, with Zeppi watching from his hammock until he couldn’t stand it any more and ran off to play with his monkey or swim in the river. The sight of Mother with her face lowered over her joined palms made me ill. I tried a few times to talk with her, but all she did was tell me not to worry, Heinrich and God had things in hand.

Wentzler told me that Tagerri had suggested that I go with him into the jungle to help pick a tree for the second canoe, but I said no, and Wentzler agreed that was wise. If Tagerri should happen to come back alone, wearing my Iron Cross and telling a sad tale about a jaguar or anaconda that had carried me off, who among the Yayomi would disbelieve him? When Tagerri was told I wouldn’t go with him, he looked sour and walked away into the trees with one of the old machetes Wentzler had given the tribe eleven years ago.

I had another reason not to go, of course, and that was to spend some time with Awomay while her husband-to-be was away. Wentzler was no fool. He told me he was young once and knew which direction my thoughts were taking, and he warned me against doing anything so foolish, even for a girl as pretty as Awomay. ‘Tagerri has half-a-dozen family members watching you both at all times, depend on it. The least infraction of the rules of betrothal and he’ll challenge you to a fight. You simply wouldn’t have a chance. Stay away from her.’

I said I would, and actually meant it at the time, but it was hard not to feel it was my right to be with her if she wanted that too. But in the end I went hunting again with her brother. Just before Kwaytcha came over to me with his zabatana and darts and made the suggestion that I go with him – a simple twitch of the head that I understood instantly – I’d seen him talking with his father, Noroni, and I had the feeling that Noroni had told him to get me away from the shabono while Tagerri was gone so that I wouldn’t be tempted to get up to mischief with Awomay. He was only an anxious man wanting his daughter to make a good marriage. Good from Noroni’s and Tagerri’s point of view, that is. Women among the Yayomi had little or no say in how things were done, according to Wentzler, but I suppose it’s that way for women everywhere.

So I went with Kwaytcha and we came back late in the afternoon with two big waterbirds and a monkey. Kwaytcha had downed them all, but he’d spent some time helping me sharpen my aim with the blowpipe, and I was definitely getting better.

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