Going Home: Part 4

Another bell

Jun 21, 2024

Welcome to my little corner of the internet! I’m so glad you’re here. Below you’ll find part four of my fantasy short story Going Home. It’s about a young girl named Nani who gets tangled up in fate, tradition, and a giant hole in the ground that leads… somewhere else.

Want to start at the beginning? Here you go:

Going Home: Part 1

Daniel Jacoby

May 31, 2024

Read full story

Nani brushed her hand over the top of a small bush outside her home, enjoying the light tickling sensation. It was covered in bright blue flowers, soft little diamonds that swayed back and forth with her movement. She felt content to be here, the wind rustling her hair, the feel of the warm grass on her bare feet. They were simple pleasures, which were often the best kind.

“What are you thinking about, dear?” her mother, Annali, asked as she hung wet clothes across a line to dry.

“Nothing, really,” Nani answered. “Just enjoying the day.”

“Did Chief Liatu explain what is to happen next week?” She tied her dark hair back into a ponytail as she spoke.

“He did,” Nani said. “Or, I should say that he tried. I’m… I’m not sure how much he actually knows…”

“And does that worry you?” her mother asked.

“Umm… it makes me curious more than anything.”

Her mother nodded.

Nani liked talking to her. Their conversations had a sing song rhythm that put her at ease but still allowed her to work through her feelings.

“Did he also say that becoming a hero means you no longer have to do chores?” she asked sweetly. Nani stood still for a moment, processing her mother’s question. Then she ran to her other side and started helping with the clothes, wringing out the excess water before placing them on the line. Annali continued, “Curiosity is a good thing. Even worry can be wise. But be sure you know what you are worried about.” Nani nodded and squirreled away the advice for later.

“Mama?” she asked.

“Yes, dear?”

“What am I going to miss out on? I mean, since I’m going to, you know…” It was more difficult than Nani had realized to talk about what was going to happen. Her mother sat down on a nearby boulder, worn smooth by countless storms. She absentmindedly rubbed her belly, four months pregnant with child.

“What do you think you will miss out on?” Annali countered. Nani was caught off guard. The question had come to her randomly. She hadn’t actually thought about what she would miss. The idea of joining her ancestors had dwarfed any ideas of loss she might have considered.

“I don’t know. Maybe… marriage?” She made a face as though she had just eaten a rotten huma berry. “No, probably not that.” She looked around, feeling the fabric of her father’s shirt between her fingers, smelling Annali’s light perfume as the older woman sat next to her. “I think I will miss… this.” Her mother looked at her questioningly. “Times like this,” Nani explained. “Talking with you. And… and talking to my own daughter someday. Yes, I think I will miss that very much…”

Annali beckoned her daughter to come closer, gathering Nani up into a hug. “That is a wise answer, dear one. I will miss this as well. But what we give up we gain a thousand times again.” Nani nodded, emotion stopping her voice for a brief time. When she spoke again, her voice was small, a whisper on the wind.

“Do you believe the stories, Mama? About N’Uata and our ancestors?” There was a slight hesitation, a straightening of her mother’s back that Nani would have missed except for the fact the she was still holding on to her.

“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I do. But that is not important…”

“I know,” Nani said. “What’s important is do I believe them.” Annali smiled and nodded again.

“And do you?” she asked.

“Enough for today, I guess,” Nani answered. “Hopefully enough for next week, too.” She stayed there for a moment, enveloped by her mother’s arms. She did not see the single tear that ran down Annali’s cheek, nor had she heard the quiet sobs that her mother had hidden in Ru’an’s chest the night Nani had been chosen.

Chores finished, Nani decided to walk back to N’Uata. She didn’t know what she would find, or even what sort of sign she was looking for, but she felt unsettled. She got along well enough with most people in town, but she never minded being alone. It helped to focus her thoughts, like sunlight filtered through a piece of glass.

The day was still delivering on its promise of clear skies and warm winds. Nani would have taken a walk even if she wasn’t feeling conflicted. She passed Suli on her way to the hole. The two girls exchanged an awkward greeting, not making eye contact. They hadn’t talked much at all since Nani had been chosen. The awkwardness that had sprung up between them remained, a nameless tension you could almost see. Suli was heading back toward the village. She had probably visited N’Uata herself; many people did that when they needed a place to think or were looking to be alone.

That brought Nani back to her reason for coming out here. Her mother’s advice had been good. She needed to figure out what she felt unsettled about in the first place. Was it dying? No, everyone died. That was the only great truth. You learned that lesson often and early when you were surrounded by danger. The cold, the wolves, or Ki’Kiri’s call were constant companions. Even Suli’s mother had been lost when they were very young. That winter had claimed several lives. Giving herself to The Hungry One was the noblest way she could think of dying.

So what was it then? The great hole was in sight before she had an answer. Nani sat down again, dangling her legs over the side as she had so many times before. It stretched before her, great and silent. And empty, as though a fire had burned through a house, leaving only the walls and floor intact. Maybe that was the problem. The emptiness. The fear of what would greet her after death.

Nani picked up a handful of rocks that lay beside her and tossed them in, one by one. She sat quietly even though she knew she’d never hear them hit the bottom, if there was one. What would it feel like to fall forever? How would her spirit be raised to the heavens if her body fell? There were so many questions, but the only people that could answer them were on the other side of the veil.

Maybe coming out here had been a bad idea, Nani thought. She should talk to Chief Liatu again to see if he had any advice. As she moved to stand up, the sound of rustling wings made her pause. She looked up in time to see a flash of white circling above her. It was a crane, wings and neck outstretched as it prepared to dive. Nani felt a surge of excitement; cranes were very good luck. Her people called them Ki’Kiri’s Disciples, as they were said to have been left behind on earth to watch and report after Ki’Kiri himself ascended back into heaven.

Nani held her breath as the bird dove past her down into N’Uata, its crimson head making it appear to be ablaze. Was this the sign she had waited for?

Minutes passed, but the crane did not reappear. What did that mean? Nani’s brow furrowed as she waited. She sat on her hands, transferring weight from one to the other. She became increasingly uneasy as time continued its march. Her symbol of luck had disappeared into the darkness.

Ten heartbeats. Twenty.

A cry sounded from the black, loud and triumphant. The crane emerged like a ghostly arrow, its descent into the underworld completed. Nani grinned and clapped, then waved farewell to the bird as it travelled toward the waters on the other side of N’Uata.

She said a quick prayer of thanks to her ancestors for the message, her faith feeling renewed. There were still many questions that she didn’t have the answers to, but that was OK. She felt confident that someone was watching out for her. It was enough for today, and probably for next week, too.

Nani was halfway back to her village when she heard a loud noise coming from that direction. It sounded like a bell ringing. As she got closer, she easily made out the sonorous song of the Bell of Good Tidings. Something wonderful had happened, and the entire village was being summoned to hear the news.

Her brother met her just before the first row of houses. He had been running.

“There you are!” Talun said, nearly out of breath. “Papa sent me to look for you, Nani.”

“Why, what’s happened? What is the good news?”

“It’s about Suli,” he answered. “Her father is the one ringing the bell. She’s saying… she’s saying that N’Uata has chosen her.” When Nani didn’t answer, he added, “That’s a bad thing, right?”

“Yes, Talun,” Nani said, dark thoughts forming in her mind. “That’s a very bad thing.”

Suggested music for Part 4: The Widow by The Mars Volta