Return to the seasons of the old Kafagway,
Where feral horses roamed but were tamed by Taray,
And wild boars were caught by Sagubo, the hunter,
and the truth about them had been burned asunder.
----------------------------------------------------------
The smell of burnt wood, burnt meat and rice wine filled the village. The hut, where the dead rested, was filled with people inside and out. Outside were the villagers that came from afar to pay their respects to the dead. Meanwhile, inside the hut were the native priest, the elders, and the dead's family.
As per tradition, the dead was in its last day of purification. He was seated in a chair, with his arms across and knees touching his chest. His body coated with oil and herbs. The smoke rising from the continuous burning wood underneath his chair made sure that his body will be preserved the same way as his parents' before they were laid to rest in the mountain caves.
The young widow watched the fire dance underneath her husband's lifeless body while she rocked the newborn baby in her arms to sleep. The vibrant red and black stripes of her woven devit, that the women of the land usually wear, previously displayed a wife's beautiful face but now the colors displayed the face of a grieving widow.
It may seem that she was not paying attention, but she could hear the whispers behind her. Nothing was new about the gossips that she started hearing since the first day of her mourning.
'How pitiful. It has only been a month since Taray celebrated the birth of a grand-son.'
'Yes. And now Elder Taray is grieving for the death of another.'
'Oh what have this family done to deserve such misfortune.'
'Pitiful young Shaway, her beauty that surpasses other women has now been faded away by her tears.'
Not ignorant of the whispers, as well, was Taray. The old man was seated in a corner over seeing the purification process. Inside the hut was warm and yet his old, fragile body was feeling cold that three layers of woven blankets had to cover him.
Watching the flames dance reminded him of the times he had to watch the same being done to the people he knew that had gone before him. Many have commended that he was blessed by the Menos-oschong for giving him such a long life, but as he buried his wife, Aled-a, his first-born son Pakdit, his friends Sabjan, Sagubo and Sep-a, and now his grandson, Ba-diw, he considered himself not blessed but cursed.
Every time he buried someone dear to him, he would be reminded, as clear as that day, of the words that one blind girl once told him, 'You shall triumph over the war by taming beasts, but never shall you ever tame death, no matter how hard you attempt.'
The cry of the infant in Shaway's arms interrupted Taray's reminiscence.
"Shaway", a man with the same age as hers knelt in front of her and offered, "Pakjawan needs to rest properly, and you need it too. ". The man pleaded as he saw her face paler today than yesterday. It was obvious that she lacked sleep.
Shaway shook her head in refusal. She felt the man's hand gently tap her head, "Even my brother would not want you to grieve yourself to death. You even refused Kampolet's offer to nurse Pakjawan for the mean time."
Shaway shook her head once again, "Her hands are already full with Kandas. That boy can quite be demanding. Thank you for your concern Sunuadien, but please let me grieve for your brother this way."
Sunuadien let out a heavy sigh. He shook his head as a signal to his sister-in-law waiting outside of the hut. He knew that Kandas was only about a month old, but knowing his younger brother Ongbus and his wife, they would not mind taking care of another newborn for the sake of comforting their older brother's grieving wife.
Understanding that he cannot persuade her, he retreated and sat beside her.
The people inside the hut were oblivious to this interaction, but nothing escapes the eyes of the patriarch of the house.
The next morning, Ba-diw, the son of Pakdit, the son of Taray was laid to rest in the cave, beside his parents and his grandmother, Aled-a.
Days turned into months and into a year, and Shaway still was grieving for her husband. It was not unusual for a wife to grieve but not for this long, and Taray was worried for the well-being of her daughter as Shaway would frequently refuse to eat and would not be able to sleep at night. But his daughter was still sane enough to take care of her son, Pakjawan.
One night, he was comforting Shaway who was sobbing,
"When your older brother, Pakdit grew up enough to get married, I and your mother did not think that the Menos-oschong would grant us another child in our old age. Even the villages laughed at the sight of my old wife and my young daughter-in-law both pregnant at the same time. Then, Ba-diw was born and two full moons after, you arrived. How glad we were to welcome two children in our hut.
Then, Sunuadien was born and Ongbus the next year. It was satisfying to watch over all of you. It made me forget the loneliness of Aled-a's absence. The three of them adored you. It was not a surprise for me that Ba-diw asked to wed you."
Taray lifted Shaway's chin, "Rather than sending my beloved daughter away to another village to get married, I would rather have her beside me, being loved by a man I know so well. Do you understand Shaway what I am telling you? If you cannot cast away your despair for your own sake, will you please find the strength to live on for my sake, your aging father?"
Shaway understood her father's sentiments and hugged him. It was hard enough to bear the lost of her husband, she will not be able to bear it if her father dies worrying about her.
That night, Shaway, gradually tried to cope up. The change in her gave gladness to the people who cared for her, most especially Sunuadien who adored her the same way Ba-diw did.
"A year…" Sunuadien heard Taray say while the old man smoked his pipe, "Let Shaway grieve for another year, and if she desires it, then I have no choice but to permit it."
Sunuadien nodded and agreed. The reason that Ongbus, the youngest, got married before him was because he wanted only Shaway as his bride. When Ba-diw and Sunuadien made known to Shaway their intentions, no doubt they made the woman confused. For Shaway cherished them both. That is why Taray intervened and said, "Ba-diw is the eldest. The eldest must marry first before the younger one."
Although, Sunuadien did not truly accept seeing the woman he loved holding Ba-diw's hand, he genuinely wished for their happiness. He loved them both.
On the night when Sunuadien carried his brother's lifeless body after a dangerous hunt, his heart ached for the loss of his brother and for seeing Shaway's tears. But in the depth of his heart, he heard his desire whisper unto him, 'Finally, I might make Shaway mine'. And that whisper hunted him and reminded him how selfish he can be.
To reduce the guilt, Sunuadien did not mind waiting for a year, two years, or three years. He did not mind even if Shaway did not reciprocate his feelings. As long as the gentle Shaway is in his sight, that would be enough. Maybe this is the punishment for his selfish desires.
Ba-diw, as the first born, was the most responsible among the three grandsons of Taray. When his father died, he took upon himself to protect this family and prioritize their wellbeing first and foremost. But his lost childhood time would appear in his recklessness. He lost control of his Kowadja while on the hunt and lost his life in return. On the other hand, Sunuadien, was the obedient one. He respects Taray the most and was a great supporter for Ba-diw. Alongside Shaway, he cared for his baby brother when their mother died giving birth to the him.
"Pakjawan is growing up well. He would make a great father," Taray said in his dying bed. Shaway wiped her tears and held her father's cold hands. Taray gestured to Sunuadien to come near.
The old man took each of their hand and held them together, "Three summers had already passed. You both deserve happiness too."
During the rainy season of that year, Kafagway mourned for the death of the last of them that fought in the War of the Realms. Like how he lived longer than the others, Kafagway mourned for a whole month, longer than the days his peers had.
One more summer passed, then Shaway went and lived in Sunuadien's hut. Together they raised Pakjawan and on that same year, she became pregnant.
It seemed merry and it seemed that it would last long, but as the blind girl mentioned to Taray before, 'He will never be able to tame death.'