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Authors: Lavie Tidhar
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done. It is not
enough just to have watched. I could not, for example, Wake a birth because I
have never given birth. Do you remember the first time you skinned an animal?"
"Yes."
"Tell me about it.
Tell me everything you remember."
"It was at my uncle's
farm. It was just a chicken. My brother lopped off its head with a machete. I
knew chickens did not die immediately but it was something else to see it. It
wriggled and flapped its wings. Blood poured out of its head; it should have
been red but I remember it being dark—nearly black—and smelly. I wanted to run
away but my brother was watching. He wanted me to run so he could laugh at me…"
Eyo broke off. "Oh, I just realised. I plucked the chicken; it's not like a
rabbit."
"It's close enough.
Think of as many details as you can about that chicken. Think of what the
feathers felt like and how slippery the blood made your fingers. Remember what
your saliva tasted like. Think of that moment as though you were reliving it,
and as you do so, begin to skin the rabbit. It is hard to do but to Wake, your
mind must be totally in the past and totally in the present. The old memories
in the land want to live again but you have to be a conduit."
It was hard for
Katulo to try to describe what he did when Waking. So many things were
happening in his body when he performed a ceremony that it was impossible to break
them down. Katulo saw Eyo close his eyes in an effort to concentrate harder. "No.
If you close your eyes you are blocking one of your senses and focusing too
much on your memories. The present moment is just as important. You must see
the rabbit in front of you and everything you are doing.
Eyo opened his eyes
and the knife slit the rabbit's throat. He cut a line across its abdomen.
Katulo watched intently, and he felt with his other senses. He felt in the land
for any shift. Of course it won't happen, he warned himself. Eyo, stuck
his finger into the rabbit's lacerated belly and pulled, at the same time he
pushed the blade right under the fur. Eyo continued through the motions of
skinning and Katulo realised nothing was going to happen.
"It's…" he began
but then stopped. He felt a slight shift. Nothing large, but for a moment he
felt a burst of nausea.
Eyo stopped. "I
guess I can't do it."
"You just did,"
Katulo said. He was winded.
"You don't have to
say that."
"I'm not lying. You
did it. I can't believe it."
"I didn't see a
ghost."
"That comes much
later. You Woke an echo of the revulsion either you or some other boy felt the
first time that they skinned an animal. I could feel it." He was now shouting
with joy. He embraced Eyo hard. He had passed on every other skill he knew in
one form or other, but he had never been able to find an apprentice for the
most valuable. He realised now just how much he had underestimated Eyo because
he had not seemed naturally bright. It took him longer to grasp simple concepts
than other apprentices. Katulo had tested each for their capacities to Wake but
he had not even considered testing Eyo.
Katulo began
planning to cancel all other instruction for Eyo. Every lesson would now be
about Waking. The rest could wait. Tomorrow, they could… And then Katulo
stopped dreaming. Tomorrow he had a more important task. Tomorrow he had to try
and use reason to stop violence from returning to Burundi. Harsh memories
slipped back into his conscious mind. No, he thought, reaching forwards
and taking the now skinned and skewered rabbit from Eyo. He thrust it into the
fire. There was a spark and a sizzle. Right now, he decided, he would just
celebrate; he would laugh and eat well with Eyo. Let all the pain and tears
come tomorrow.
7
When they got back
to the village, the first thing Katulo did was check on Chama. He still was not
conscious, but his breathing was easier. He let Eyo sleep—the boy had found it
difficult to sleep in the forest—and went looking for Osati. He expected him to
be at the market. It was the place where most
enough just to have watched. I could not, for example, Wake a birth because I
have never given birth. Do you remember the first time you skinned an animal?"
"Yes."
"Tell me about it.
Tell me everything you remember."
"It was at my uncle's
farm. It was just a chicken. My brother lopped off its head with a machete. I
knew chickens did not die immediately but it was something else to see it. It
wriggled and flapped its wings. Blood poured out of its head; it should have
been red but I remember it being dark—nearly black—and smelly. I wanted to run
away but my brother was watching. He wanted me to run so he could laugh at me…"
Eyo broke off. "Oh, I just realised. I plucked the chicken; it's not like a
rabbit."
"It's close enough.
Think of as many details as you can about that chicken. Think of what the
feathers felt like and how slippery the blood made your fingers. Remember what
your saliva tasted like. Think of that moment as though you were reliving it,
and as you do so, begin to skin the rabbit. It is hard to do but to Wake, your
mind must be totally in the past and totally in the present. The old memories
in the land want to live again but you have to be a conduit."
It was hard for
Katulo to try to describe what he did when Waking. So many things were
happening in his body when he performed a ceremony that it was impossible to break
them down. Katulo saw Eyo close his eyes in an effort to concentrate harder. "No.
If you close your eyes you are blocking one of your senses and focusing too
much on your memories. The present moment is just as important. You must see
the rabbit in front of you and everything you are doing.
Eyo opened his eyes
and the knife slit the rabbit's throat. He cut a line across its abdomen.
Katulo watched intently, and he felt with his other senses. He felt in the land
for any shift. Of course it won't happen, he warned himself. Eyo, stuck
his finger into the rabbit's lacerated belly and pulled, at the same time he
pushed the blade right under the fur. Eyo continued through the motions of
skinning and Katulo realised nothing was going to happen.
"It's…" he began
but then stopped. He felt a slight shift. Nothing large, but for a moment he
felt a burst of nausea.
Eyo stopped. "I
guess I can't do it."
"You just did,"
Katulo said. He was winded.
"You don't have to
say that."
"I'm not lying. You
did it. I can't believe it."
"I didn't see a
ghost."
"That comes much
later. You Woke an echo of the revulsion either you or some other boy felt the
first time that they skinned an animal. I could feel it." He was now shouting
with joy. He embraced Eyo hard. He had passed on every other skill he knew in
one form or other, but he had never been able to find an apprentice for the
most valuable. He realised now just how much he had underestimated Eyo because
he had not seemed naturally bright. It took him longer to grasp simple concepts
than other apprentices. Katulo had tested each for their capacities to Wake but
he had not even considered testing Eyo.
Katulo began
planning to cancel all other instruction for Eyo. Every lesson would now be
about Waking. The rest could wait. Tomorrow, they could… And then Katulo
stopped dreaming. Tomorrow he had a more important task. Tomorrow he had to try
and use reason to stop violence from returning to Burundi. Harsh memories
slipped back into his conscious mind. No, he thought, reaching forwards
and taking the now skinned and skewered rabbit from Eyo. He thrust it into the
fire. There was a spark and a sizzle. Right now, he decided, he would just
celebrate; he would laugh and eat well with Eyo. Let all the pain and tears
come tomorrow.
7
When they got back
to the village, the first thing Katulo did was check on Chama. He still was not
conscious, but his breathing was easier. He let Eyo sleep—the boy had found it
difficult to sleep in the forest—and went looking for Osati. He expected him to
be at the market. It was the place where most
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