A NOVEL SET IN PREHISTORY
The Oak People
Chapter 16: The hunters make meat
Bo
In the far distance, where the land meets the Salt Water, the sky is aflame with colour. Bo stands, with Hua in her arms, staring out across the plain. She watches the red disc slip silently down behind the water.
‘Shh … shh…’ she repeats softly, rocking the little girl. Hua cut her foot — not deeply — but her head is nestled into Bo’s neck, every now and then a sob rippling through her little body. Bo is lost in thought. Where did Ansa go, after her strange outburst? At last, Hua lifts her head and begins to look around.
‘Let’s go and see who’s coming,’ Bo says.
They walk at the little girl’s pace. Bo is relieved to see that she is able to put weight on her injured foot. By the time they reach the vantage point, Eshtu has disappeared completely. Soon, all daylight will be gone. Bo picks Hua up again and scans the lower path.
‘Look!’ She points down the slope. ‘I think they’re coming!’
‘Co-ming!’ Hua copies her, ‘co-ming!’
Bo laughs and kisses the top of her head. She squints, trying to make out the path in the twilight. The men are climbing in single file, the last rays falling on their spears. And between them, a bulky shape, swinging from side to side. Even in the poor light, there is no mistaking what that means.
Bo runs back to the cave as quickly as she can, Hua bumping against her hip. She calls out as soon as she is within earshot. ‘They’re coming back! They’ve made meat!’
The children hear and come running. Sorne appears in the mouth of the cave, then Nuno’s wife, Ikomar. ‘Are you sure?’ she asks.
‘Yes — I saw it!’
‘Quickly!’ Ikomar beckons to the older children. ‘We’ll need more firewood.’ They run off, eager to get a first glimpse of the returning hunters.
Bo peers around, but there is no sign of Ansa. Seeing Gashi’s broad shoulders by the hearth, she goes to help. ‘What can I do?’ she asks.
‘Clear the last of these peas out of the ash, then we can start the fire.’ It is not Gashi’s way to show it but the excitement is there, in her eyes. They have not eaten fat meat for a long time. ‘We’ll need a deep pit — and the big stones.’
‘It might only be the calf,’ Bo says, ‘I couldn’t tell in the dark.’
The fire is beginning to give out a fierce heat by the time they hear Iban’s voice, shouting. ‘Ama! They’re coming!’
The half-face of Balqa is visible above the mountain top as Bo runs out of the cave. She can hear singing, growing steadily louder as the men draw closer. The successful hunter will walk ahead and come in first. Unmistakable among the other voices, Bo hears Hua’s cry and feels tugging at her knees. She picks the child up and peers around in the flickering firelight, but still there is no sign of Ansa.
At last, a figure appears at the bend in the path, emerging into the light. It is Tipi, breathing hard, his face shining with pride. He is carrying a branch, or perhaps it is his spear, and the body of an antelope calf hangs from it, the small head with its soft ears lolling backwards. The women let out a high trill of welcome. The other men come into view and the light falls on two faces –Bidari and Goi. They are carrying their spears upright, a stout branch lashed between them to form a crosswise pole. A cry goes up. Hanging from the branch, her front and back legs tied, is a fully grown female antelope, her haunches sleek and fat.
The women and the children crowd around. Bidari unties the legs of the female, letting the children stroke her smooth flanks. He and Goi will skin her because it was their spears that took her life. Koldo goes to help Tipi with his kill. He takes a blade and shaves one end of Tipi’s spear to a sharp point.
Bo runs over to them, excited. ‘Did it turn out as Ansa said?’
Koldo pauses, looking up at her blankly.
‘Ansa found the calf — it was her idea,’ Bo reminds him. She turns to Tipi. ‘Didn’t you tell him?’
The boy looks away and starts to untie the calf.
‘Leave it on the pole — it’ll be easier to pull the skin off,’ Koldo says. He turns to Bo. ‘What has Ansa to do with it? Tipi found the calf,’ he explains, ‘among the terebinth trees, down on the plain.’ There is pride in his voice. ‘And now look what Balqa has sent. The mother as well!’
Koldo thrusts the sharp point of the stake into the ground and gives Tipi a hammer stone to knock it in with. With each blow, the body of the calf bounces against the stake.
‘But it was Ansa …’ Bo insists.
Koldo is testing the pole and he takes no notice. He gives Tipi the sharp blade and turns the calf’s body so that the underside of its belly is exposed.
‘Wait for the hunt song,’ Koldo calls to Bo as he traces a line downwards from the calf’s neck with his finger, showing Tipi where to cut. Then he turns and Bo can see the white of his teeth in the firelight, as he smiles. ‘You’ll hear all about it then.’
Bo takes Hua over to see the mother antelope. Her body lies on the ground and the children are counting how many times the spears pierced her hide. She leaves Hua there and wanders back into the cave, her eyes smarting from the smoke. The women are squatting around the large cooking hearth. Sorne is laying more stones around the edge of the flaming fire, squealing as sparks fly up into her face.
Bo catches sight of someone, sitting in the shadows by the far wall. Her legs almost buckle beneath her, with relief. She runs over to Ansa. ‘Where have you been? They’ve taken the calf and the mother!’
The light falls on Ansa’s face; she seems anxious.
‘What’s wrong?’ Bo’s voice is loud with surprise. Sometimes, understanding Ansa is like trying to make out tracks that cross in every direction.
‘Shh …’ Ansa hisses.
Bo squats down beside her. ‘What’s the matter? They made meat just like you said! Koldo doesn’t know. He thinks …’
‘Don’t tell him!’ Ansa whispers urgently. ‘There’s nothing to tell, anyway.’
‘But you found the calf, Ansa, and you told Tipi what to do! How did you know?’
‘Shh…’ Ansa says again, ‘Gashi will hear you.’
‘But Gashi knows!’ Bo springs up and strides towards Gashi. ‘You heard what Tipi said! He said it was Ansa’s idea to use the calf to lure the mother.’
The women stop what they are doing and the cracking and spitting of the fire is suddenly loud in the silence. They stare at her and Bo feels the blood rising up her neck.
‘You were there,’ she pleads, turning to Sorne, ‘and Ikomar. You must remember.’
There are tears at the back of Bo’s eyes. She hears a sound behind her and turns to see Ansa creeping quietly towards the mouth of the cave, keeping beside the wall, in the shadows.
Gashi breaks the silence at last. ‘It was Tipi who found the calf,’ she says firmly. ‘And it is men who know the ways of hunting.’ There are murmurs of assent from the others. ‘Come and help us move the stones!’
Bo disobeys and runs to the mouth of the cave but Ansa is nowhere to be seen. Bo feels a hand on her back and turns to find Koru beside her.
‘Leave her. There’s nothing you can do,’ Koru says gently.
Bo can no longer hold back the tears. ‘They heard Ansa — they know it was her idea!’
Koru lets out a long sigh. ‘They know,’ she agrees quietly. ‘Now, go and help them.’
Bo wipes her face and goes back to the hearth. Gashi moves along, making a space for Bo next to herself.
Thank you for reading. Chapter 17 can be found here:
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