A NOVEL SET IN PREHISTORY
The Oak People
Chapter 6: Ansa discovers the Salt Water
Ansa
Everything is new to Ansa and different: the lush green bog, the taste of the reed grass Bo gave her, the smell of salt on the air. They pass a pool of brackish water and she stops to watch a wading bird: the spindly red legs beneath the plump white body, the black bill like a digging stick, darting down into the water.
Koldo’s wife, Gashi, is behind them and she keeps calling to Ansa and Bo to wait. Ansa turns to see her weaving reeds around a stout stem and pushing it into the soft ground beside the path.
‘Why is she doing that?’
‘It’s a waysign,’ Bo replies. ‘For when we go back — to show us where to dig.’
Now Ansa sees that Gashi is marking the youngest patches of reed grass, those that will have the most succulent roots.
‘Koru wants us to take back some leaves too, for her cough,’ Gashi says.
After a time, the reeds are left behind and the ground under their feet changes. Spikes of dry grass are forcing their way up through sand now, rather than red earth, and Bo points out a long, low hill of sand ahead. As they come closer, Ansa can taste salt on her lips. Her ears catch the sound of the water, like a huge hunting cat, breathing in and out. The birds here are different too, shrieking loudly and wheeling down close to the ground, their white wings spread wide.
At the foot of the dunes, Bidari is waiting for her. Grasping her hand, he pulls her, laughing, up the incline. Her feet sink down into the soft sand and by the time they reach the top, both of them are panting for breath. What she sees in front of her takes the last of the wind from her lungs. Ahead, and as far as she can see to each side, is water, an unbroken expanse of moving water, bluer than the summer sky. It rushes towards her across the sand, each wave an angry foaming white, which is then sucked back into the blue expanse. Ansa watches, transfixed, clinging tightly to Bidari’s hand.
He gives a great whoop of delight and runs down the hill, dragging her with him. She is terrified, but finds herself keeping pace with him. Suddenly, there is the shock of cold water under her toes and a strange dragging sensation around her ankles. She is frightened to go on, but too terrified to let go of Bidari’s hand. Laughing, he wades in and she goes with him, her legs slowed by the weight, her breath snatched by the cold, till the salty water is surging around their bellies. There are shrieks of delight from the others. She is pushed up as a wave thumps into her back and speeds past her, cresting into a bank of white foam and spray. Her feet can no longer find the sand and she begins to panic; the water is trying to pull her away from Bidari. Hearing the fear in her cry, he fights his way towards her and holds her steady till she can regain her footing. Ansa clings to him and hears herself laughing as another wave tries to knock them both over. His face is close to hers and he is laughing too, and then he is kissing her and his mouth is cold and tastes of salt.
The water swirling around her, Ansa opens her mouth to Bidari. He begins to kiss her again, more forcefully. He pulls her close and says something in her ear but the words are lost in the roar of the waves. Suddenly she remembers the Balqa stone and reaches for her belt, where it hangs in its skin bag. Battling with a new wave surging across her chest, her numb fingers search but find nothing. Letting out a wail of anguish, Ansa turns away from Bidari and begins to wade back towards the sand. Soon the waves are slapping harmlessly at the backs of her knees. Frantically, she feels for the bag with her wet, numbed fingers only to find it at last behind her back, still knotted to her belt.
Bidari is beside her, his wet hair dripping onto her shoulder. Hands twisted behind her, she struggles with the wet knot. Bidari tries to help but she pushes his hands away. At last, she manages to untie the thong and pull the sodden bag apart. She rolls the Balqa stone out onto her palm where it sits, gleaming softly, untroubled by the Salt Water. Tears gather in Ansa’s eyes. She is shaking with relief and turns to show Bidari, but now his face is dark and closed. He says nothing, just turns and walks away from her towards the others.
Thank you for reading. Chapter 7 can be found here: The Oak People. Chapter 7: Bo tries to protect Ansa | by Ruth Smith | ILLUMINATION Book Chapters | Jun, 2023 | Medium
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