16

Oh To Have a Son, or Othas the son of Adsiium the adulterer was larger than the other men. But Rugged One Like A Man of Men or Rolamom the son of Amom always had the girls hanging around him for he was not only rugged like his father but he was very charming. Now Othas was jealous but kept himself under control because he was somewhat of an outcast because of his father but had learned self-control from his stepfather Ahfaw who had been strict with him for as a boy he needed it.

“What is wrong with you?” Afaw asked Othas in alarm.

“Oh,” he said with a sigh, “That Rolamam. Even my wife hangs around him. He gets all the attention from the guys and the girls. Why don’t he back off and let the rest of us have a good time too? I’d like to spend more time with my wife but like all the women she has eyes only for him. I tell her I don’t like it. But she mocks me and does it anyway.”

“Easy now son of mine,” or som, Ahfaw said, “Don’t get yourself all worked up about it. The rest of the guys feel the same way sometimes. Just keep a lid on the kettle Othas and don’t go flying off doing something like your father did. His wife gets tired of it too. I’m sure. He’s just got a way that women like even the older women like mother of mine, my own wife. Sometimes I’m ashamed of her and  also ashamed of myself other times for what I say to her about it.”

“I know som,” Othas said, “I know she’s one of them too. But I’m getting about ready to do something about it.”

As he rose from his seat on a rock outside the cave in anger, Ahfaw caught his arm and said, “Don’t do anything rash now, som. Just don’t! Do … you … hear me?”

Othas tore his shoulder free of his stepfather’s grip and shouted, “I’m too old for you anymore Ahfaw! You’re not my father!”

“Now!” Ahfaw shouted, “You … listen … to me. If they run you out for some reason I will be one of them. The first to get in line!”

“I know you would!” Othas shouted.

“Come on now,” Ahfaw said, “Sit back down and let’s talk about it. You’re just jealous. He ain’t done nothing wrong, som. Come on?”

But Othas never hesitated he headed inside. But Rolamom and the girls were laughing at something one of them did so loud he didn’t stay long. He came back out and sat down on the rock but Ahfaw was already gone. He could never catch Rolamom alone, not even for a second.

But Jesus is King of us humans or Jikouh came out laughing aloud at what happened.

“What’s with you?” Jikouh asked Othas.

“It’s none of your business,” Othas said curtly.

“That Rolamom is on a roll tonight!” Jikouh said. “But sometimes I wish it would just settle down in there and get back to normal if it ever was. I get tired of it. Night after night and all day long. Doesn’t he ever run down? I mean, really!”

“You too?” Othas said, “I thought I was the only one.”

“Don’t take it too hard,” Jikouh said to him, seeing all of a sudden it was really eating at him that night. Then they sat quietly with Jikouh fidgeting but Othas rigid as a side of beef and stoic as the rock he was sitting on. Then about five men come out all at once with Rolamom among them laughing and having a good time with him also.

They were very near Othas who sat and tried not to stare at Rolamom as they teased him but he teased them back and he was better at it than they were, not unkind exactly but teasing all the time. Finally Othas could stand it no longer. He bared his teeth and yelled at Rolamom in particular, “Why don’t you just shut up for once?”

It all came to a halt and Rolamom was directly in line with Othas but he just stared at Othas who was much larger than he was and Othas stared at him, a complete loss for words. Then Othas got up and walked through the crowd staring at Rolamom until they were face to face but Rolamom never said anything. He just held his ground as Othas stared him down and he looked around the crowd as if he wasn’t sure what was going on. Then Ahfaw came out of the cave and Othas saw him and finally took one step toward his stepfather then just kept on walking.

He walked into the cave and found his wife and grabbed her by the arm and nearly dragged her away. She did her best to fight him off but he was not to be put off. Then she did break loose but he quickly grabbed her again but she managed somehow to get free again. This time he didn’t just grab her he hit her with his big right hand and down she went screaming and crying.

He stared at her. Then he looked around the crowd. The men were back inside. Then he just turned toward the mouth of the cave and went storming out and kept walking. It seemed intently but actually he had no idea where he was going. He must have walked three miles away from the cave at a very fast pace when finally even Othas was tired. He stopped all at once. Put his feet together and just stood there.

It was dark already and Othas had no idea where he was and for a moment, a minute maybe, he panicked. Then he put his big hands to his face and ran his fingers down across his eyes on the way down.

“You are fortunate you didn’t really hurt her that much,” the Fourth said, “She’ll have a black eye and her left jaw will be sore. But she will be alright.”

Othas looked at him and it was a look of remorse.

“I didn’t really mean to hurt her,” he said.

“Yes but you did Othas,” the Fourth said, “You meant to kill her. You took all your jealousy out on her. She is so scared of you I find it easy to believe she will never get over it.”

Othas put both of his hands to his face and covered his eyes fighting tears.

“You have a killer’s spirit, Othas,” the Fourth said.

“How can I go back there?” Othas asked and looked directly at my hazel eyes as few men ever did.

“You can if you have the courage,” the Fourth said.

 Othas took his hands down from his face and grabbed the top of his animal skins, “I don’t have any courage left. There is no way I can face them let alone her.”

“That is part of your problem Othas,” your wife has a name, “She is Patient and Understanding. She might forgive you. But even if she does she’ll always be afraid of you. I know Sipau. That girl has a lot of integrity.”

“And I don’t!” he yelled at me as if accusing me of saying something untrue about him. Then he broke his stare and looked at the dark ground, remembering he didn’t even know where he was.

“This can be a dangerous place,” I warned him, “You wander around in the dark here and you are likely to bother some very ferocious spirits. Some wild animals can see in very little light, especially predators. What would you like to do?”

“I-I’m not sure,” he said looking at my face in the quarter moon. “Will you help me?” he asked, careful not to sound like he was begging me nor to let himself beg me in his mind and spirit, but I could tell he was afraid. He was not unfamiliar with the wilds.

“I can help you,” the fourth said, “I just don’t know whether I feel like it or should.”

“What can you do?” he said with his voice quivering a bit.

“I can lead you back home,” the Fourth said, “Or I can get your stepfather and a torch with some skins to make a temporary lean to.”

“No,” he said looking down at the darkness. “I can’t go back. Have him bring me some skins and a torch of my own. But don’t make him come alone. He might die!”

“You might die out here alone,” the Fourth said, “I can bring him now and stay here with you. If you will be quiet. We should be okay.”

“Bring him,” Othas said.

In about ten minutes of silence we stood there as Ahfaw’s light could be seen clearly and then he was upon us. The Fourth left him alone with his stepfather there in the dark. But he could hear them talking like they really cared for each other.

So he checked on Sipau. They had her settled down and she was lying awake in bed. She looked at the Fourth and said, “How-how is he?”

“I don’t think he’ll be back,” the Fourth said and Sipau cried and rolled herself up into the fetal position.

“I was so scared,” Sipau said, “I actually thought he was going to kill me.”

“There is no reason to be afraid anymore,” the Fourth said.

“Thank God!” Sipau said. “Where is he?”

“Don’t you worry about that,” The Fourth said.

“What am I going to do without a husband?” Sipau asked.

“That is up to you,” the Fourth said, “Technically you are his flesh. He has the right to beat it if he would like. He has done nothing wrong.”

“He really hurt me!” she screamed.

“Hush now,” the Fourth said, “It is all over now.”

Then she gradually fell off to sleep, nearly completely exhausted.

The Fourth knew Ahfaw was coming back and had his return take an even shorter time and he was just outside the cave.

When he saw the Fourth he said, “I can’t get him to come back. He says that he’s unfit to live amongst people. And, he just might be right.”