CHAPTER 15 -- REVELATION
Kehyo’s sandals slipped and shifted on the sands as he walked. They were walking far from the fire and the tents, and the others’ voices were lost in the vast emptiness, carried away on the ever-present desert wind. Kehyo stopped to rest a moment and his feet sunk below the soft surface. The sand was cool on the tops of his feet through the straps of his sandals. The older man seemed in a hurry to reach the crest of the dune. He was a silhouette in motion against the star-filled sky. Kehyo climbed the last fifty feet to the ridge where Hobri stood, facing north.
“I have been watching you these past few days, Kehyo,” said Hobri, his face turned to the horizon. “What I have to say, will seem strange,” Hobri began. Then he turned quickly to look Kehyo in the eye. The suddenness of his movement caught the boy off guard and he flinched ever so slightly. Hobri seemed not to notice. The trader ran a bony hand over his stubbly chin. He leaned slightly and spat. Black juice clotted like a bloodstain on the sand. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a gesture that was more habit than necessity.
“Kehyo, I cannot bear lying…I need to tell you…”
In that instant, before Hobri could find his words, Kehyo made up his mind. He turned to Hobri and spoke the words he had been rehearsing to himself for days.
“Don’t worry, I will be leaving soon. I will be heading off alone.”
“Alone?” Hobri asked, surprised.
“Yes, I can make better time if I travel separately.” Kehyo’s tone was matter-of-fact, but Hobri became agitated upon hearing his plan and broke in.
“No! You mustn’t travel alone!” The man’s voice had changed. It had an edge; all trace of the soft raspy sound was gone.
Kehyo inhaled sharply. “Why?”
“Why do you think the traders choose to travel together? It is not just for convenience. No, the desert is a harsh place. It punishes mistakes severely. A turned ankle or the poor placement of a tent can mean certain death. You have seen it yourself!”
“Yet, I must go! Thank you for all you have done for me,” Kehyo said assertively, and swung away to return down the slope. He needed to get away from this man who had just saved his life. Suddenly, Hobri was in his path, arms outstretched. Kehyo tensed, readying himself to run for it, but the elder man stepped back and dropped his arms. He shook his head and sighed deeply. After a moment, he spoke.
“We are approaching the mountains; the worst of the desert is behind us. Soon we will be turning east to follow the Trade Route to the Sanang coastal towns. The King’s men scout along the coasts it is said. They capture and enslave those who travel alone. I have never traveled that far. I am not so brave as you would think.” The Trader eyed Kehyo with an inscrutable expression on his face. Kehyo was a bit taken aback at this comment.
“But you are a Trader?” Kehyo was confused.
“Kehyo, I am no Trader. “
“But you are their leader, I see how the men look up to you. They listen to you, they trust you!”
“I am… I was trying to win your trust. All along that is what I was doing. Think! I told you things to keep you in your tent, to keep you out of harm’s way. I was looking out for you. Surely, you must have seen that? I just saved the life of your friend down there! Would the leader of a Trading party really do that? They hunt qeegogs. That is what they do!”
“All along I thought you were just being kind, concerned for one of your trading party…until just now. What you did amazed me, and I cannot understand why you did it.”
Hobri let out an audible sigh, half groan, half passing of air through the teeth. The two of them stayed apart for many minutes as the world turned beneath them and the stars wheeled above. Then, Kehyo broke the tense silence.
“Why do you play at being a Trader?”
“It is my disguise,” Hobri said. “I am wanted, Kehyo. I am in hiding. These men do not know what you know!” Hobri gestured toward the flickering light of the fire circle. Kehyo’s brow knitted and he had a grave expression on his face.
“I do not understand. Why would our people hunt one of their own?”
“You and I, Kehyo, we are isolates — alone even in the company of many. I see how you have kept apart at night, as you should. These are rough men we travel with. You have been right to hide that qeegog from them. But I have hidden something from you as well…and I cannot hide it any longer.”
“What are you hiding?” Kehyo asked sharply.
“My purpose in crossing the desert.” Then he paused and sighed heavily. “I am sorry,” he said quietly. “I did not want it to be like this.” His eyes fixed on Kehyo’s and suddenly welled with tears.
Kehyo’s mind raced. What did he mean? What was wrong? Why was Hobri crying?
“I am an Outcast. I can never return home.” Hobri was glancing at him askance and Kehyo could feel the other’s eyes upon him. “I should have found a better way...to tell you...” Hobri shifted his feet on the unstable sand, and looked down. When he spoke again, it was to Kehyo as though his words were blow darts.
“Kehyo, the truth is hard, but I must tell it. Hobri is not my name. My real name is Somi, and you are my son.”
“What?”, Kehyo said, stunned. He stepped back and began to shake his head. “No, my father left when I was just a babe!”
“I did go Kehyo, but now I have returned.”
”Why did you lie to me? What do you want?”
“To know you and to help you, that is all. It is what Nene always wanted for you.”
“Leave me, please…I need to be alone!” Kehyo said, as calmly as he could. He was angry and overwhelmed. He needed time to sort out his feelings, to make some sense of this stunning turn of events.
In answer, Somi turned and walked down the slope to the fire.CHAPTER 15 -- REVELATION
Kehyo’s sandals slipped and shifted on the sands as he walked. They were walking far from the fire and the tents, and the others’ voices were lost in the vast emptiness, carried away on the ever-present desert wind. Kehyo stopped to rest a moment and his feet sunk below the soft surface. The sand was cool on the tops of his feet through the straps of his sandals. The older man seemed in a hurry to reach the crest of the dune. He was a silhouette in motion against the star-filled sky. Kehyo climbed the last fifty feet to the ridge where Hobri stood, facing north.
“I have been watching you these past few days, Kehyo,” said Hobri, his face turned to the horizon. “What I have to say, will seem strange,” Hobri began. Then he turned quickly to look Kehyo in the eye. The suddenness of his movement caught the boy off guard and he flinched ever so slightly. Hobri seemed not to notice. The trader ran a bony hand over his stubbly chin. He leaned slightly and spat. Black juice clotted like a bloodstain on the sand. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a gesture that was more habit than necessity.
“Kehyo, I cannot bear lying…I need to tell you…”
In that instant, before Hobri could find his words, Kehyo made up his mind. He turned to Hobri and spoke the words he had been rehearsing to himself for days.
“Don’t worry, I will be leaving soon. I will be heading off alone.”
“Alone?” Hobri asked, surprised.
“Yes, I can make better time if I travel separately.” Kehyo’s tone was matter-of-fact, but Hobri became agitated upon hearing his plan and broke in.
“No! You mustn’t travel alone!” The man’s voice had changed. It had an edge; all trace of the soft raspy sound was gone.
Kehyo inhaled sharply. “Why?”
“Why do you think the traders choose to travel together? It is not just for convenience. No, the desert is a harsh place. It punishes mistakes severely. A turned ankle or the poor placement of a tent can mean certain death. You have seen it yourself!”
“Yet, I must go! Thank you for all you have done for me,” Kehyo said assertively, and swung away to return down the slope. He needed to get away from this man who had just saved his life. Suddenly, Hobri was in his path, arms outstretched. Kehyo tensed, readying himself to run for it, but the elder man stepped back and dropped his arms. He shook his head and sighed deeply. After a moment, he spoke.
“We are approaching the mountains; the worst of the desert is behind us. Soon we will be turning east to follow the Trade Route to the Sanang coastal towns. The King’s men scout along the coasts it is said. They capture and enslave those who travel alone. I have never traveled that far. I am not so brave as you would think.” The Trader eyed Kehyo with an inscrutable expression on his face. Kehyo was a bit taken aback at this comment.
“But you are a Trader?” Kehyo was confused.
“Kehyo, I am no Trader. “
“But you are their leader, I see how the men look up to you. They listen to you, they trust you!”
“I am… I was trying to win your trust. All along that is what I was doing. Think! I told you things to keep you in your tent, to keep you out of harm’s way. I was looking out for you. Surely, you must have seen that? I just saved the life of your friend down there! Would the leader of a Trading party really do that? They hunt qeegogs. That is what they do!”
“All along I thought you were just being kind, concerned for one of your trading party…until just now. What you did amazed me, and I cannot understand why you did it.”
Hobri let out an audible sigh, half groan, half passing of air through the teeth. The two of them stayed apart for many minutes as the world turned beneath them and the stars wheeled above. Then, Kehyo broke the tense silence.
“Why do you play at being a Trader?”
“It is my disguise,” Hobri said. “I am wanted, Kehyo. I am in hiding. These men do not know what you know!” Hobri gestured toward the flickering light of the fire circle. Kehyo’s brow knitted and he had a grave expression on his face.
“I do not understand. Why would our people hunt one of their own?”
“You and I, Kehyo, we are isolates — alone even in the company of many. I see how you have kept apart at night, as you should. These are rough men we travel with. You have been right to hide that qeegog from them. But I have hidden something from you as well…and I cannot hide it any longer.”
“What are you hiding?” Kehyo asked sharply.
“My purpose in crossing the desert.” Then he paused and sighed heavily. “I am sorry,” he said quietly. “I did not want it to be like this.” His eyes fixed on Kehyo’s and suddenly welled with tears.
Kehyo’s mind raced. What did he mean? What was wrong? Why was Hobri crying?
“I am an Outcast. I can never return home.” Hobri was glancing at him askance and Kehyo could feel the other’s eyes upon him. “I should have found a better way...to tell you...” Hobri shifted his feet on the unstable sand, and looked down. When he spoke again, it was to Kehyo as though his words were blow darts.
“Kehyo, the truth is hard, but I must tell it. Hobri is not my name. My real name is Somi, and you are my son.”
“What?”, Kehyo said, stunned. He stepped back and began to shake his head. “No, my father left when I was just a babe!”
“I did go Kehyo, but now I have returned.”
”Why did you lie to me? What do you want?”
“To know you and to help you, that is all. It is what Nene always wanted for you.”
“Leave me, please…I need to be alone!” Kehyo said, as calmly as he could. He was angry and overwhelmed. He needed time to sort out his feelings, to make some sense of this stunning turn of events.
In answer, Somi turned and walked down the slope to the fire.