I scream, "STOP HIM!" as loud as I can. My throat is now feeling sore, but my scream did get the whole village. I scramble up the many stairs. Izel looks at me oddly and gives me a 'what the heck are you doing' look. As Eagle boy makes the first cut into her chest (you're supposed to cut through the stomach, rip through the diaphram and grab the heart), I jump up and tackle him. I take the knife and I stab him in the face and in the chest. Blood covers me and so does brown paint. I wipe his face on where I didn't totally stab and mutilate and more brown paint comes off, revealing a white skin. Confused, I call help from the medic.
He arrives on top and says, "Yes, this has happened before. A European man or woman comes in and tries to take over. Once he or she has gained our trust, they run and get many other Europeans to try to take over. It happened with a neighboring village when I was a boy." the medic says, sounding wise. Thank the Gods! Murder is punishable by death here, and I thought I was going to be killed for killing him. I felt relieved. "Um, can I just try something?" I ask. "Sure thing." he says, his wrinkled face smiling. I run my finger over his hand and face, to see if any brown paint comes off. I look at my fingers and all that's on them is skin. I look at the old medic's face and nothing is caucausian.
An hour later, I'm cleaning up the blood from eagle boy. Eagle boy mutters out four last words, raising his head. "They're coming for you." He lowers his head and rests, wheezing for just a few moments more.
***
I pay no attention to what he said, moons later. Believing we are safe, Izel continues her daily life helping with sacrifices, I keep my garden nice and beautiful, and Mama is doing just fine with Izel and myself, cooking, cleaning and she regularly helps with the village's tasks, like farming, crops, etc. She even is helping the old medic because the whole village and he knows the end is coming close for him to be a hummingbird for eternity, sucking sweet nectar from flowers because of all the good he's done.
The day is over, everyone's exhausted from everything that has gone on today. People clean up the bodies of those sacrificed today and put them in a growing pile to sort out which family the motionless, and sometimes even headless bodies belong to. I finish up with my garden and make sure my cactus is alright.It has grown into several other cacti and looks simply magnificent. I stand back and marvel at all my efforts. I notice people have started to stop and admire while not having a task to complete, especially those effected by the sacrifications or have had loved ones sacrificed. Mama stops by in the day and hugs me, and tells me how proud she is of me. I do feel extremely proud of myself and all I've contributed to this garden. I never thought this is how I'd end up, even though this might not be my permanent job.
Izel and I walk into our little hut, tired as ever. Izel's hands are painted blue in some spots. Mama is there, talking with a man. "Well, I see your daughters are home." he says. "I'll be going." he says in an irritated tone. "Well, alright. Goodbye then, Eztli. I'll see you tomorrow, I would assume, unless you do not care to meet." Mama says. "Oh, no, Centehua," he speaks while yawning. "We'll meet tomorrow. Goodbye." and the man walks out. Centehua? Only one? Alright, so, the strange man in my house's name, Eztli. His name means blood. And why is he calling my mother Centehua? That means 'only one!' My mother has 7 siblings, I've met all of them. And my mother's name is Sacnite, meaning 'white flower.' What is going on? Izel gives me a look stating that she feels how I do.
We sit down for dinner and do our regular whatever we do at dinner. I bring it up. "Mama, who was that man?" "What man, Zyanya?" she asks. "Eztli." I say. Izel adds in, "Yes, why did he call you Centehua? That means only one, and you've got 7 siblings. You're not even the oldest! Your name's Sacnite. We're really confused." "Well, girls," she begins. I instantly realize the possiblility. She and Eztli are in love, either his wife is dead or is totally unaware of this and this could result in my mom being killed for cheating, even though she's a widow, but she would be in a relationship with a married man. "Eztli's just someone I've been helping ever since his wife and baby had been sacrificed. He's got no family now and he's needing to be talked to or else he won't be mentally healthy. He'll be too lonely." Mama explains. "He calls me Centehua because I'm the only one he can 'rely' on, I guess." I look at Izel. "Excuse myself and Izel. I apoligize, Mama." I say in a sorry tone and I grab Izel's arm. "I understand, Zyanya." Mama says.
I take Izel out of the hut. "Do you believe her?" I ask. "No." she answers. "I've seen that man before," Izel states. "He has a wife and 19 year old son, and I just saw him today. His wife and I work together making paint, and his son works near the garden. I'll show you their hut." she says. I nod and she takes me to the hut. I pop my head in. "Excuse me," I try to say in a polite manner. "Yes. You must be Sacnite's daughter." Eztli says. "Oh, pardon me. I meant daughters." he corrects himself. Izel butts in, but before she can talk, Eztli's wife waves, and they have a little 'hello, how are you' chitchat for about 5 minutes. Izel continues. "Could we talk to Eztli, just for a moment." "Um, no. I'll answer. Father, you just eat with Mother." says Eztli's son. "Alright then." I say in an awkward tone. "What's your name?" Izel asks first. "Necuametl. King." he says. I notice something. I suddenly feel a little sick, but then fine, and then sick, and it continues. I feel dizzy. Izel and Necuametl continue talking, and I stand there, blinking slowly and occaisonally taking a deep breath. I realize I can't stand any longer. "Oh!" I manage to blurt out, and I fall. Necuametl catches me, and I feel my heart pounding. What is going on? Am I dying? Am I hurt? Am I diseased? Is it LOVE? Thoughts rush through my head, as I finally pass out.
I wake up in my hut, Necuametl, Izel and Mama by my side. Necuametl is explaining what happened to Mama. She takes Izel by the arm and I hear the word, "betrayed" said often. Necuametl stays by me. "Ah. I see you're awake." he says with his soothing voice. I feel instantly, just, calmed down once he speaks. My head is on his lap. I manage to say, "The gardens." and then instantly begin to hyperventilate. I'm not meaning to, but it just happened. "Really? I work right next to it making food. You should stop by me sometime. I wanna see how much the garden's grown since the last time I saw it." I hear those words, smile, and fall back asleep. It is late, and soon Necuametl leaves.
I wake up and it is a nice dawn, everyone is waking up and starting the day's work. I totally forget about what happened, about Necaumetl and the whole experience. Some are still asleep. The snoring of Izel wakes me up while only several people are awake. Minutes later, Izel gets up and gives Mama, who was already awake, a kiss and says farewell.Soon after, the day begins to heat up. Priests sharpen blades, the medic and his assistants and helpers mix some leaves up into a cream, Izel and her friends mix blue paint, farmers begin to get their tools ready and I get ready to head to the garden. All is serene, peaceful, and overall just so calming. Nothing is better than the mornings here. I head out when I hear a piercing scream.
People look over at where a scream, that of a young boy's scream is heard. Birds fly out of trees, animals scatter and everyone stops. No one knows what is going on, Mama runs off, the only feet moving. Suddenly two sets of feet are running. and then I see people rustling in the trees. Mama and Izel burst out, Izel being held in Mama's hand.
"Zyanya. They're here." Mama says, deeply, her face pale. Izel is confused, and so am I. What is she talking about? I don't bother to respond. Mama reaches her hand out to me and I don't take it for a bit.
"ZYANYA! THEY'RE HERE! COME WITH US!" she raises her voice but still does not raise too much noise. I take Mama's hand, but we are interrupted by something.
