The Feather Of Glory (2) “We have found you; you have been doing this to us for a long time. You must die as soon as possible”. The dead demanded. In the morning, he invited his people and narrated to them what had happened again to him last night. “You are old man, why do you think over death; don’t think over it, it will come alone. Don’t fear death you have children and grand children”. One of the elders said “I don’t fear death, all have to die, I love death but I hate the burial. I love to die on earth but I hate burial in earth. When I die and I am buried, I will feel the heaviness of the soil on my corpse which will disturb me in my death. “You must die and soil must be put on your head” One man commented. Immediately Kuol walked away. “I wish I die and not buried”. “That is a simple thing; we shall take him to forest and be eaten by birds or animals”. One of the men said “If he dies, he will not know anything, he will not resist us from burying”. Another man said “Do people really die so shall I die and be buried like him. No foolish dead man” Kuol walked to his home instead Kuol thought over it and I came to his homestead. He entered Luak and came out with his spear, shield, smoking pipe and sitting stool. He sat out side. The sun came up and shone very much. His nephew came and told him to leave the sunshine and entered Luak. “No, I can’t go into Luak. The mad dead men are inside and they have told me that they should not leave me today. His nephew entered Luak and came back and said, “Go in Kuol, nobody is inside, don’t fear”. His nephew said Go way I can spear you now, leave me alone. The dead will see who I am today”. Kuol said angrily. The sun was hot, it was Akolthin, the second month of the year, Kuol had been sitting in the hottest sunshine for four hours, and he sweated very much, a very heavy wild wind came, it blew the dust from the dry land, the dust covered Kuol’s homestead for a while. No body was seeing anything in Kuol’s homestead. In a few minutes Kuol was seen being blown up by the whirlwind. All the people in the village of Akoi watched Kuol being taken up by the whirlwind until he could not be seen any more. People gathered at his homestead immediately to witness this mysterious scene. They wondered in great amazement and in great puzzle. “What is this?” they asked but no one could answer. The sun set in that evening, the moon shone very clearly, Kuol was seen waving from the moon. He told his son Madut that no funeral rite could be held for him, that he was not dead. Kuol was blown up to the moon on Akolthii - 10-7045 R.C.P. in Boralian calendar the abbreviation R.C.P. is “Run Cak Piny” in Boralian language, in English it means “From the year of creating the earth” in Boralian calendar, there are nine months in one year and there are fifteen days in one month: - there is dark month followed by light month and sequence continue. Akolthii is second month of the year. On Akolthi 10, every year on Boralica soil people gather at the site he was blown up by the whirlwind. They wash him. They see kuol on the moon sitting on his stool and smoking his pipe CHAPTER SEVEN The sun was reddening down at six O’clock on 11-7-7046 R.C.P. the crowd of dancers and spectators had been singing, murmuring and dispersing to different directions, it was the last day of the three day of elaborate celebration of Awak festival of Ariar shrine cattle camp. Awak is one of the solemn festival celebrations yearly in Akoi village. At the opening ceremony, the youth of the same set of age or madding (madding as they were called to according to the last bull killed at their initiations ceremony) speared to death nearly four hundred and twenty cattle at the dawn of the spearing day. The night was darkening in, the darkness was rising up every where from no where, closing the silver eyes of the silver day. The moon was crawling up. He was waving his hands. He was saying good bye to his children (the stars). He was leaving the East, his first wife house, where he had already spent fifteen days of light for West, his second wife’s house where he will have spent the next fifteen days. It was rainy season, which has been always the happiest time, the happiest season of the year in Akoi village. It was a season of harvest, much food, plenty of milk, of which the living people wish their dead people would come back and ear meals and drink milk with them. Season of: - wrestling, wedding, sacrifice at holy shrines, initiation to adulthood, dancing where gentlemen come to choose young ladies as wives. In the course of dancing, a girl was towered above the spectators and dancers. She was a girl ten times. She had seraph’s body exact her wings; seraph has her body except her breasts. Young men gnash their teeth when she passed. They almost urinated. If they see her dancing or walking, most people asked whose daughter she was. A man who would marry her would have married a wife a woman of admiration they commented. No sooner had this charming girl taken the path to her home, than Madut Kuol ran after her that he could shake her hands. He started in a cultural way by chanting his colorful metaphors in your greatest songs to draw the attention of the girl first. However, the girl never paid any attention to him. He just continued walking feeling as though no one was chanting behind. Madut went to her and grabbed her hands. “Why do I call you and not stopping?’ “Oooo okay, were you calling me?” the girl asked. “Yes” “I didn’t know that people are many girls” “What is your name?” “Do you know all these people’s names?’ the girl asked “I don’t know but I want to know yours” “My name is no name” “Why are you fooling me?” “I am not fooling; you’re the one who is fooling me. This is past; I can’t tell you my name. “It is our home, that’s when I will tell you my name” the girl argued. The girl told Madut that her home is near the sausage tree in the centre of Gieer village. From that point they made an appointment that they should meet after three days at the girl’s home. After three days Madut had returned. The girl didn’t show up nevertheless sent a small girl who had told Madut the person he was looking for was not around. The small girl made a second appointment for seven days. Seven days finished and Madut came but the girl herself came and postponed it with an excuse that there were guests at her home. Madut became annoyed and cursed the girl. The girl doesn’t want to show her love for the man at first sight. She talked to him rudely. She was testing him whether the man really loved her or not. She knew that should she make the mistake of admitting him within a day, the man should abuse her in future that he won her love within a day and that she was a prostitute. The girl would like to show the man her love after four or five times and they met and talked to each other for a year of an engagement. She didn’t expose herself to men like a dog’s tail. She was always careful on the soil stepped on, and always careful on a word to say in public. She did not talk to men on the path. She was reared and protected from useless men by her cousins and brothers and she was proud of them. She knew that she was a precious stone worthy of a hundred cattle. She was an unbroken egg of rightful man who will be chosen by her family and lineage because of his family background and his behaviour and the cattle he has. She was to be given to the man and there would be a family banquet of wine, meat, dance and jubilation. She didn’t eat outside the hut like a disgrace or a bastard. She always woke up at cockcrow to homogenize the milk, fetch water from the well, swept the homestead compound, ground the grain, and pounded the maize. She mended the broken calabashes. She milked cows, cleaned the kraal floor and fetched firewood. CHAPTER EIGHT As soon as the three days had finished, Madut appeared at the home yard of the girl. The girl took him inside the hut. She greeted Madut warmly “Tell me your name” Madut asked “My name is Abuk Deng Kuel Dan Ayuel Dong Abuot”. I am a girl of big clan – the Tiit clan. Our family branch is Pagal lineage – our god is Mayual. We also obey cobra snake. Cobra snake is our relative. We are related to him”. The girl said her name, her clan, her lineage and the god of her religion. “My name is Madut Kuol Madut, form Riet clan, Abaar lineage. Our God is Ringdit. We also obey river and we obey femur. We do not break femur when we are eating meat”, Madut narrated. “Tell me, what do you want? Why do you come to our home?” Abuk asked. “If a man who is not related to you comes to you, what comes to your mind?” Madut asked. “Nothing at all”. Abuk answered. “I want tobacco from you” Madut told her. Tobacco is a cultural configurative name for introducing an engagement to a girl. “I cannot give you a tobacco” Aduk said. “Why?” “I don’t want you!” “Tell me the reason” “No reason.” Madut and Abuk made a long joking argument until Abuk said that this word would finish between two of us. That madut should leave and come back with your brothers after four days. Four days came and Madut had come with Abung Kuol, Abung was a tall huge man with a good tongue and a good heart of making good decision. He was the chief mediator. Mac Joh, man of foolish jokes when people are tired after long argument. He was tasked with entertainment but made no good point. Madut Mayen was to answer back anything bad with anything bad. The rest were Bior Kuol, Mathiang Kur, Manut Biel. The group was comprised of bad and good guys to reflect the society they were coming from. Abuk Deng came in the hut with his group that was made up of Ayen Nhial who was a good talker. She could talk as if she were a man, she became a chief mediator of Abuk and Amuor Bul, Yar Garang, Achol Mac. After each of them sat on the mat, Madut Mayen the chief mediator cleared his throat and said “please girls, tell us your names” “No, the person who was got in the place asks the names first, not the comer” Ayen Nhial argued. Both sides refused to tell their names first. However, Ayen has just given in and said that their names are colors that would differentiate people, there were no colors of knowing people. So Ayen introduced all the girls of their names and their relations to Abuk. Madut Mayen also introduced their names and their relation to Madut Kuol. Of course, Madut Mayen said that, you daughters of Tiit clan, we came to your home for engagement – an engagement was the normal affair among youth – male or female. “If we come like this in number, there was one person who led the way to this home. This word (engagement) had started between two and had involved all of us today. Our aim was to engage Abuk”. Ayen Nhial said that it was the plain truth, nevertheless, she had just seen Madut then and that he could not engage her sister – Abuk. Manut Moyen said that “you said that you had not known Madut before, that was a weak excuse he said Ayen had to give a concrete reason for her objection to madut engagement to Abuk. Madut Biel said that an engagement was one of he most important issues in our lives, so the girl should be specific. In fact, when we were coming we had two options in our minds that if we had proposed and engagement there would be rejection and admission. Yar Garang said that she didn’t know the Madut family background whether they were good or bad and they needed to make a research first before they could admit him. Mathiang Kur said that there were vices that people were refused, these included the evil eyedness, gluttony, theft, unended family diseases. And if you knew any of these vices they should tell them. Amuor Bul said that most men had been hiding their vices and seemed as if they were just wise and loving, but rather they had proved bad people, and that was why you should learn one another very carefully. Last but not least, Ayen Nhial said that nothing would have been finished in one day – thus it was a day of introduction to them. The girls gave four days for the ment to come back. After four days they came back and the argument went on as fresh as it was five days earlier At last Ayen Nhail concluded by saying that “the word has been understood, the word (engagement) between Madut and Aduk ahs been tied by a strong rope, and the two ends of the rope have been burnt short to avoid any unnecessary loosening. We (sisters) have honorably handed over the whole affair to Madut and Abuk. If the word end up in happy marriage, many thanks very much indeed to all of us. If the word stops on the path between the two families, no blame so much. It is just a youth affair. CHAPER NINE Ten days had just passed. Madut returned to Abuk’s home. Abuk told him to come after six days to cement their relationship. Six days passed and Madut came back. He was taken to the hut. Inside the hut Madut cleared his throat and said “our word has been mediated and coordinated by my brothers and your sisters, and I would like to hear from your mouth” Madut demanded. “In my opinion, I don’t want you” Abuk said. “Why don’t you want me?” “I just don’t want you” “Tell me the reason” “No reason”. The two had talked for a long time, for three hours until Abuk she had admitted him as an engagement man. Then Maduk asked that he wanted to know one point about their engagement. “There were three types of engagement, acceptance and admission. The girl would accept a man if there were no other men, and she doesn’t love a man – this is called a paprus man until the man she loves comes. The girl could accept a man because the man has been disturbing her for a long time. The girl could accept a man if she really loves him and if the man says he wants to marry her, she accepts”. Abuk said she really loved him. From that point, the two moved to another social back ground. Both asked each other mothers, brothers, sisters until the sun sets and she escorted Madut out. After one month Madut returned back. He told Abuk that he would like to hear only one sentence from her mouth. “Do you love me?” Madut asked. “Yes” “How?” “In fact I love you, my love for you is deeper than Marianas Trench, and higher than Mount Everest”. “Show me your love.” “How shall I show it to you? I have shown it to you, that is why you are here in our home.” “If you can’t show me your love, you have made a mistake of accepting me.” “No, I will never show it to you here in our home. My mother can’t sleep with a man in this home and I do the same. I want to remain a virgin if you want to marry me” “Who is a virgin? What is virginity? It is just a little virtue” “Well, it is a little virtue, you know. Might is the origin of life, but mightier is the little aim achieved – it is little and I am pleasant to achieve” “I doubt whether there is a daughter who is a virgin, unless unborn daughters” “It’s up to you. I know for sure unborn are virgins, but pure virgin is a daughter who obeys her mother’s whispers on a man.” “You turned down my request. You make me feel little and foolish” “Do you think all you requested can make you great and wise?” “Yes.” “Oh, my man. Greatness and wisdom is gained by countless thanks and praises of your deeds and words, not by the number of the girls and women you touch. Remember, flies touch their women.” “Don’t abuse.” “ I’m not abusing you, you are the one abusing me.” “In which way am I abusing you when expressing my love for you?” “You know the girl is abused and humiliated by men through fornication, prostitution, hugging, kissing in public, and visiting engaged men’s houses.” “I don’t understand what you mean! Love is one of the oldest virtues on earth, and one of the grave morals in every society.” “Oh yes my man. That is one of the grave morals, but if you practice it at your father’s house it will result into prostitution and prostitution is one of the greatest evils in every culture of wise people.” “You don’t love me truly” Madut lamented. “I truly love you but, I simply stick to traditionalism – traditional ways of life and pure love. True love strictly takes a long time to grow, longer time to ripen, and longest time to taste, harvest and enjoy, Abuk declared. CHAPTER TEN It was the middle of the dry season. All cattle camps had moved to Toc pastures along the great river. It was a habit that young men or girls could not spend the dry season at homesteads. In the village it was hot and dusty since wind blew so much. Those who stayed were poor to endure hot and thirsty conditions. One evening Madut Kuol had fastened the bundle of horsetail at the tip of white and black bull and a big gong on the neck of the black bull. He drove out two bulls to Abuk Deng’s cattle camp for a night singing. He sang for the whole night. All girls and boys lost their nights sleep to listen to their classic songs. Madut Kuol’s songs talked about beauty of his bull and his engagement girl; beauty and glory of his clan. In the morning, Abuk Deng and his sisters took the bulls outside the camp for oil anointment ceremony. Madut and his bull were washed with cow butter of in present all including Abuk’s father and brothers. The oil ointment was a sign of girl appreciation of the songs and the men’s gentleness. By this time Madut’s popularity increased because of his songs, his wrestling strength, his bravery in rescuing of abducted children and rustled cattle by the warriors of an enemy tribes. When all cattle were returned from Toc the greenest pastures to homestead, Madut Kuol announced his plan of marrying Abuk Deng. There are many types of marriage in the Boralian tribe. First and the most important is Riong wedding, in Riong wedding, more than One Hundred cattle were paid as bride price. It is the most expensive one and is for the rich. There is Keny wedding where about thirty to fifty cattle are given as bride price. There is Liec wedding where the girl is impregnated at her father’s home and Kuel wedding where the girl is eloped. All these types take fewer cattle. Madut and Abuk had chosen Riong type of wedding. The news of Madut Riong spread to all villages. Some two other men tried to compete with Madut for Abuk but they were knocked out of race early. One man was rejected by parents because he was from an evil-eyed family and another one was rejected because he had few cattle. Abuk’s parents chose Madut because of his handsomeness and the many cattle he had. The Riong wedding was organized with big two dances by Madut’s clan. They danced at Abuk’s home. After Riong dancing, Abuk remained in her father’s home and her father went to Madut’s cattle camp. Deng the father of Abuk took one hundred and seventy cattle as a bride price for his daughter and four bulls were slaughtered as a wedding meal. After the cattle were taken, Madut came with two hundred entourages to take his wife-Abuk Deng. As it was a Riong wedding, the father of Abuk gave a heifer to his son-in-law Madut as Alokthok is a cow given to the son in-law or father in-law as a sign of respect and honour so that he could eat at his in-law’s home. And the father of Abuk gave a fat bull to be eaten by his daughter’s guests. Before the guests could eat, they lined up for choosing ceremony, where the girl could choose the man as mockery husband they could go and cook food for them. The bride came first. Abuk came and picked her husband Madut, she was followed by her uncle’s daughter Ayen Nhial who chose her mockery husband. It was a worse ceremony if an ugly girl choose you, you had to refuse her before the crowd. Some girls were crying because they were refused by the men they had chosen. After the choice, the girl could go and cook food and bring it to the man she had chosen. When the meat had been cooked and all girls had come with their food. Abuk, the bride came with a calabash of meat, she put it in the middle sitting floor. She went straight to her bride groom Madut, held his hand and brought to eat. Each of them (Abuk and Madut) picked a small of meat and ate as a green light for all to eat. Then the two entourages started eating. After the meal, the parent of Abuk came to hand over the bride. Her entourage put this song. Abuk was wearing a leopard skin and adorned with greenest wedding bead. She walked out on her sitting on mats entourage in great adoration for Madut and his clan. She was holding graceful bending long beautiful white ostrich feather. She talked in an eagletic tone. “I great you all, all my respected, loved and handsome guests. Madut Kuol has married me with a great wealth – a great wealth of cattle, and I have married him with this feather, The Feather of Glory. And this feather of glory is the only prestigious thing I must honour him on earth” Abuk said as she was putting the ostrich feather on the red ash treated hair of Madut. “You will always wear it wherever and whenever you go for occasion – occasions like dancing, wrestling, singing, judging, hunting and fighting”.
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