9– Hide

Something strange happened.

I went out with Gamu in the morning as usual, and I didn’t see Yoké at the well. Uma was there drawing water alone.

We greeted him, and he greeted back.

“Where’s Yoké today?” Gamu asked him before I could.

“Oh, he was called to the chief’s hut a few moments ago.”

Gamu and I exchanged looks.

“Why?” I asked.

“I don’t know. A small child was sent to call him from the well. You didn’t see him on your way up?”

I shook my head. I was worried now. “Besides interpreting, is there another reason why Yoké would be called for by the chief?”

Uma shrugged. “Yoké is a teacher, maybe they want him to explain something. I don’t know.”

“What if he is in trouble?” I asked.

“What could he possibly do wrong? Unless it’s with you.”

Gamu laughed. “Can you believe that this girl sneaked out last night to see him.”

“Why are you telling everyone now? I told you not to tell anyone.”

“Uma is not everyone.” Gamu said.

“Tell her Gamu. I’m a good friend. Besides, Yoké already told me when I came to his hut this morning. Don’t worry your secrets are safe with me.”

I blushed. “What exactly did he tell you?”

Uma smiled. “Where’s your buckets?”

Gamu handed them to him, and he started drawing out water.

“Tell me, Uma.”

“He just told me that you came to see him last night, and you almost went into his hut.”

“That’s all?”

“Yeah. Or did you actually enter?”

“No.” I laughed. “I don’t think he will ever let me.”

“You have no idea. You are making my friend go crazy over you. He has never spoken of a girl so much like he speaks of you.”

“Does he speak about me a lot?”

“That’s his new topic. Every time I speak about the harvest this season, he takes it back to you. When I speak about my aching back, he speaks about you, when I speak about the mosquitos in my hut at night, he speaks about you. Everything leads back to you.”

I beamed with a smile I couldn’t control. I covered my mouth with my hands.

“So has he ever spoken of other girls?” Gamu asked.

“Of cause. We used to speak about the prettiest and ugliest girls in the village, but now it’s just Rena, Rena, Rena.”

“Yoké doesn’t call me Rena.”

“I know.” Uma said. “He says that’s not your real name. He is right though. I know one day you will regain your memory and tell us your real name. We will probably not be able to say it since it will be an English name.”

“Who do you think is the ugliest girl in the village?” Gamu asked Uma as he filled our first bucket.

He laughed. “Why?”

“Just asking.” Gamu replied shyly.

“Don’t worry. It’s not you.”

“You are beautiful.” I told Gamu.

“And the prettiest?” Gamu asked him.

Uma laughed even more. “Gamu, why do you want to know all that?”

“Just want to know.” Gamu shrugged.

Uma smiled and shook his head. “If Yoké was here, he’d say Rena…”

“And you?” She persisted. “What would you say?”

The footsteps of someone running distracted all of us and we turned around to look.

A child was running towards us. My heart started to race.

He stopped before us and bent over to regain his breath. His skirt was covered in mud. He was breathing heavily.

“What is it?” Uma asked him.

“The… the… chieftess Furah said… that I should tell Rena…” he stopped to regain his breath.

“Tell me what?” I asked in anticipation.

The child didn’t speak, just breathed heavily.

“I’m going back to the hut!” I said and wanted to run back but Uma grabbed me back by my hand.

“No Rena, first wait to hear the chieftess’ message.”

“But Yoké could be in trouble.” I said.

“And you want to run right into that trouble with him?” Gamu asked me.

“Chiko speak up!” Uma left me and shook the child.

The child looked about 7-years-old.

“She said that I should tell Rena not to come to the hut now. She should remain one place where no one could spot her. She said when all is well, she will send someone to come get her.” He finally spoke. “She also said that Gamu must stay with Rena.”

“Why?” Gamu asked Chiko.

“What’s happening there?” I asked him.

“I don’t know.” Someone sent me to tell you. The person that sent me was also sent by the chieftess.”

“Who sent you?” Uma asked him.

“Dafi sent me.”

“Okay.” Uma said. “Gamu take care of the waters, I am going to take Rena somewhere safe.”

“No!” Gamu said. “Didn’t you hear Chiko? Furah said that I should stay with her.”

“Where are going to take her that no one will see her?” Uma asked her. “I will take her to the mountains.”

“I will come with. I’m not leaving her alone.”

“It’s fine. Let’s go.”

“What about Yoké?” I asked the boy.

“I don’t know Rena. I didn’t see him.”

“How is the mood down there?”

“I don’t know, Rena.”

“What do you mean you don’t know!” I yelled at the boy.

“Rena, stop asking the child so many questions. We have to go now.” Uma told me leading me by my hand.

Gamu followed closely behind us. He led us far away into the mountains. We climbed and slipped and held on tightly to one another all the way up the mountain. We finally got to a cave in the mountains.

We got into the cave, it was dark, so we sat in front of the entrance. Before us we could see a big ocean around the village and everything in the whole village was too small to make out. I couldn’t even differentiate which one was our hut from this height.

“Rena, listen.” Uma told me. “Don’t worry about Yoké, okay? He will be fine.”

I nodded. But I didn’t think so, I was scared for him. I didn’t know what was going on down there. What if someone spotted us last night and only told the chief this morning? I was so scared that he was down there all alone, we were all up here. I started to cry.

“Rena, come on.” Gamu told me. “Don’t cry. Just remember that if he is not safe, you are. That’s enough for him.”

“What are you saying?” Uma asked her.

“That it’s better that at least one of you is safe. Rena, if you were the one down there, wouldn’t you wish that Yoké was up here unharmed?”

It made sense. I would’ve been hoping and praying that Yoké doesn’t even come near the village. But the thought of being completely clueless about what was the matter down there killed me because Yoké was in it too.

I sighed heavily and wiped my tears.

“Did Yoké tell you the story of the temple?” Gamu asked me.

I frowned and shook my head.

“Uma tell her the story.”

“Why?”

“To keep her mind off this.”

“Alright.” Uma shifted and went to sit with his back against the wall of the cave. Now, half of him was in the dark and the other half we could see.

“First, have you ever seen the temple?” He asked me.

“No.”

“It is incredibly beautiful. No place in the village looks as beautiful as the temple. They say that the Gods live in the temple. It’s made from stones and clay, but it shines. The rocks from deep under the ground were embedded in between the stones and clay. You can feel and touch them, and they shine.”

“And inside?” I asked him.

“I’ve never been inside the temple. We’ve just been told stories. One cannot enter the temple. And if you do, you only enter once in your life. The only people allowed to enter the temple on multiple occasions are the elders, as they assist in marriage processes.”

“Yeah, you only enter once you are getting married.” Gamu said.

“If the outside is so beautiful and blinding, I can only imagine the inside.” Uma said.

“Gifted are those that set eyes inside the temple.” Gamu said. “If one dies without entering the temple, he has achieved nothing in his lifetime.”

“Yes.” Uma said. “It’s one of the reasons why I can’t wait to get married, aside from finally being allowed to get close to another girl.”

He laughed.

“Who are you going to choose to marry?” Gamu asked him.

“I don’t know yet. I’m still observing. But since I’m spending so much time with you every day, I might not be able to choose someone else.” He chuckled.

Gamu’s eyes popped. “Why do you say that?”

Uma started telling her, but my mind trailed off. I missed Yoké instantly. How long until Furah asked for our return?

“Uma.” I interrupted them. “When Furah calls for us, how will the person know where we are?”

“I don’t know. We will just stay here long enough, and then I will go back down to check.”

“No, go check now what’s happening there.”

“But we just got here.”

“Yes, we need to know if Yoké is okay.” I insisted.

“Okay, Yoké owes me corn now for making me go up and down the mountain.”

Uma went back down.

“You do know that if they spotted you two last night, Yoké wouldn’t be the only one being called right? You would be too. In actual fact, he wouldn’t even be called he would be dragged to the pit, and then the elders would summon him there.”

“So that means that he is okay?”

“Probably, so stop worrying.”

We waited long for Uma to return.

“What’s going on there Uma?” I asked him as soon as he made his way up the cave.

“Furah said that you shouldn’t come to the rain celebration either. You should stay here the whole night. She gave me permission to look after you the whole night.” He then turned to Gamu. “And to you, Furah said that you should return because they need your help. And you need to cook.”

“So Furah said that you should stay here with Rena all night?”

“Yeah.”

“Just you two?” Gamu didn’t look too happy about it.

“Yes Gamu, who else is here?”

“How is Yoké?” I asked Uma.

“I don’t know, I didn’t enter the hut. Furah came to speak to me outside. She didn’t tell me why you shouldn’t return. She just said that if everything was okay the next morning, Gamu would come fetch you.”

“When is the rain celebration?” I asked.

“Before the sun sets.”

“And does everything seem fine there?”

“Yeah, she just looked scared.”

“I don’t understand anything.” I shook my head. “What did she mean by if everything is okay?”

“Don’t think too much about it, Rena. I’m sure everything is fine. Gamu, Furah calls for you urgently.”

“I’ll be on my way then.” Gamu said putting her hand on my shoulder. “See you, Rena.”

“See you.” I said.

“Bye Uma.” She said.

He nodded her dismissal.

She then left and it was just Uma and me in the cave. We sat for an exceedingly long time without a word. I was lost in my worries for Yoké, and he was lost in his own thoughts. I could see that although he was trying to act like everything is okay for me, he was also worried. He then took out his flute and began to play a tune.

He played and played the tune, until I familiarized myself with the tune.

He looked lost in his own tune, and the way he played, I could see that that tune was more than just a wordless song. It had meaning. Meaning which I didn’t comprehend. But it meant a lot to Uma. That tune was comforting and heartfelt.