Chapter 11

“You make sweeping claims, Chief. Can you show them to be accurate?”

“You mean, kill a few of your men, just to prove a point? I see no value in losing warriors of either sex in training. I would much rather have them all trained well, and let their actions speak for themselves. The men in my tribe are happy to train or fight beside female warriors. That should tell you a lot. The warrior women are prettier to look at, too, even the pregnant ones!”

This caused a shocked pause.

“Your point is well made, Chief. Can I take you up on something you said, that a warrior could also be a healer. Surely we all train for a specific trade or calling?”

“Yes, but if you are a warrior, does that mean you are unable to hunt for food, or collect berries, nuts and fruit, for that is a hunter or a food gather’s task? Perhaps you cannot cook a meal, because that is a cook’s task? I can do all of these, as part of my own training many years ago. It made me better able to survive in times of warfare, without having to call in other experts for food needs.

If you can do all of these tasks, you can also learn how to save a man from dying through loss of blood from a deep cut, by bandaging his or her wound; making and using a soothing poultice to help the healing and keep infections out of the wound plus other health assistance.

You either do that by yourself, or bring a healer with you to deal with all injuries; not an easy task for a healer to trek all over the place just in case of possible need. Then you need to bring a hunter to find you meat, and a cook to cook the meat. It goes on and on.

You see where learning extra skills can be valuable?”

“As you say, it is adapting tradition to the new realities of life. I take your sage advice, Chief.”

“Thank you, Ferdo. It is nice to talk with a man who is so discerning. Far too often, men are wedded to tradition instead of reality.”

“Talking of wedding, Chief, I heard that you took on all those women that Gobango had nabbed for himself. Have you really wedded these damaged women? Is the rumour true?”

“It is true, Ferdo. What should I have done, go back to traditional ways? Dumped them and made them worse than damaged; rejected? I prefer rehabilitation to rejection.

I cured them of their bruises and broken bones, and used herbs to dispose of any Gobango seed that may have been left in them. They are now cured of their ailments, freed from the results of Gobango’s lust, and able to recover their social standing by being wives of the new Chief.

Which result was better for them: rejection or recovery?”

“I admire your decision, Chief. Putting it as you do, the second version is better for them and means the tribe does not have them as abandoned women unfit for normal life.”

“Indeed. I gave them the chance to choose between the two options, and they chose recovery. I did not even demand sex from them, or marriage. I left it up to them to choose what they wanted. They chose me, and husbandly sex when recovered, of their own free will. I wonder why?”

“All six of them?”

“All five, to begin with. The sixth successfully defended her virginity from Gobango, at the cost of a broken arm and extensive bruising to the body.That young woman put up with a lot of pain and injury to protect herself, so I was delighted to offer her a return to her parents, unblemished, or marriage to me when she had healed. It turned out she had more faith in me than her mother. She declared that her mother would not believe she had defended herself so strenuously and successfully; whereas I had attended to her wounds as a healer, and cared for her bodily needs while she regained her health That bit of caring effort by me, a man and a Chief, impressed her more than anything else I had done, including my defeating Gobango and his henchman.

Those two men had no worthwhile values, merely a desire to steal and rape. Instead, I offered values that Bravura respected and admired, and once she recovered, she willingly gave me her virginity and I gave her the elevated status of being my wife, the wife of a High Chief responsible ultimately for three tribes.

I foresee that she will gladly take on warrior training so that in future, any intending bully will suffer intensely, probably fatally, for his criminal attempts.”

Ferdo was impressed.

“Have I your permission, Chief ... sorry, High Chief; to pass on your thoughts about society to other senior members of the tribe?”

“You do, and ‘Chief’ is fine by me. Your helpfulness will save me repeating myself over and over again. I have important things to do with my time and in particular devoting thoughts to the future of the tribe. You heard about the latrine trenches I asked for, well away from the huts? And my insistence on the tribe sweeping the earlier poo into piles and burying it?”

“I did. At first, I was doubtful, but I soon smelled the difference in aroma, and your ladies tell us that as a result there should be less illness in the tribe, particularly among the youngsters. You must have made an impression on your women, to have them advocating your ideas so vigourously.

It was your designs for protecting the tribe in warfare that got through to me; the idea that you don’t just train to attack, you put effort into passive defence: protecting your village site. It is so simple in concept: why didn’t anyone see that possibility before?”

“Two main reasons: Everyone was so stuck on the idea that fighting was only for attacking, plus there was a lack of previous attacks on your tribe, to alert you to the problem. If you had been attacked without adequate defences, you might have been wiped out as a tribe, and probably enslaved if you survived. You were just lucky not to be in the track of any wanderer band so far. My first tribe had such an encounter, but my warriors scared them off. We even got them to release their captives to us, as the price for not attacking and killing the wanderers!”

“Could you have attacked and killed them?”

“Probably, but they had numbers on their side, so we would have lost warriors in that battle. I used thought tactics on them. When I summoned my warrior guard, they came out of the cave, one by one, spears in the vertical position, wearing frightening masks and in complete silence, forming a line in front of the cave. Then a drumbeat started, the drum banged loudly over and over. The leader of the wanderers asked me to stop the drum noise, and I told him, “When the drum stops, that is the signal to attack. Do you want that to happen?” He changed his mind, but the incessant drum beat helped him to decide to leave, at which point I demanded, “You leave your captives behind, unharmed. If any tell us you still hold captives, my warriors will follow you and kill you off, one at a time.”

They left all their captives, and I was able to get my warriors to stand down.”

“They must have been a tough lot, for you to think of chasing and killing the wanderers.”

“My girls are a tough lot indeed.”

“Your girls?”

“Yes. At that point, almost all my trained warriors were women. I was sure they could manage to engage that lot and win; but as I said, we would have lost one or two, so I was glad to defeat these wanderers by guile.”

“You surprise me more and more as I hear from you, Chief. You have a belief in your training plans.”

“I do, and I can do it here. I want to get this whole tribe into putting efforts into the protection task, and also to get the people as a group to see that protection efforts can save their lives. Stop your enemies getting into your camp site, and it is easier to defeat them. Use your defensive measures to do half your work for you.

You can’t stand alone in front of your family, defending them, and fight effectively at the same time. Fight your foes from behind the protection of earth barricades, and you can win. Your family can pass you more spears or arrows so you don’t have to leave your defending position during a fight. That is a good argument for making extra spears and arrows for the tribe’s warriors to use.”

After taking a breath, John continued with his advice.

“Fight infections in a similar defensive manner, using latrines to dispose of the material that harbours diseases, and your health will improve. That in turn helps you to make a better job of fighting invaders. If you plan your latrine positions, they can be incorporated into your defences. Let the enemy attackers fall into a latrine, and they will be very disturbed and less ready to fight you.

It is all linked together, Ferdo. Infections can be very debilitating to the body, and falling into a latrine is not much fun either!”

Ferdo laughed at the picture in his mind. The subject of infections lingered...

“I thought it was just meat that had gone off that was the cause of illness in the belly.”

“That is part of it, but meat can have disease particles in it while still edible. It goes through you and comes out in your poo, so dumping that in the latrine trench and later covering it with soil or sand helps a great deal with prevention of illness. You should also make sure that your pet animals don’t leave their poo lying around either, for that can carry infections too. Children can help by collecting it within large leaves and dropping it into the latrine trench, but warn them never to touch it with their fingers. Teach the children to wash their hands as often as possible; for that is wise advice at all times for good health.

Another factor to note: Did you know that if you don’t maintain your hut in good condition, all sorts of nasty beasties can hide in exposed cracks and corners? It is not only good practice to maintain your hut in good condition; it helps preserve your health too.”

John stopped and looked at the man, giving a weak smile along with this advice he was offering to Ferdo. Ferdo took up the challenge.

“Chief, you keep coming up with ideas and suggestions for improvements to the tribe. Our last two chiefs never said a word about improvements like these. One was too doddery, and the other was too self-centred: and evil with it. I like the change in approach to running the tribe.”

John had got his second wind, and resumed his teaching.

“On the subject of changes, my approach to marriage or concubinage, is one that I would like to spread around the tribe. In my humble opinion, women should always be treated as important people, and given their own chance to accept or refuse a man who wants her as a wife or concubine. You can no longer treat her as a father’s possession to be traded to other men for some benefit to himself. The only benefit to be considered is the woman’s future. A good future for a young woman is also a reflection of the father’s care for his family; it is not just a son who reflects his father, a woman does too. In some ways, a new woman needs a father to care for her even more than before.

A girl who has just become a woman is actually too young, physically, to marry, as she may very well die in childbirth within the year, as she has not matured enough for her body to be able to birth a child in safety. She with the advice and support of her parents, should defer any thought of marriage for a couple of summers, and she will benefit by becoming more developed and attractive to men. That can be observed if you allow a young woman that prize of a safer future, and her parents will become happy grandparents, not mourning for a lost daughter.

Once a woman has married, her opinion should be sought by her husband in any family matters. She has an agile mind just as her husband has, and often a woman’s viewpoint may be more considered, more practical, viewed in the longer term. I find it that way with my wives back at my other tribes. Their sage advice has saved me a lot of problems later.

That is all I have to say for the moment, but I can expand on my recommendations if anyone wants to ask more about my views at any time.”

“Thank you, Chief. I will pass that on to the other senior tribesmen.”

“That is another matter you men should look at: the selection of senior members of the tribe. One or two mature women may be able to offer wise advice and opinions in your deliberations, for they offer a female viewpoint that may save your lives in a crisis. The Farfarers Tribe had a Wise Woman who was consulted on many questions. She is now their Chief.”

“A woman is their Chief?”

“Yes. She is much respected by the tribe, so her word is listened to.”

“Does she not have a husband who will rule her decision-making?”

“She has a husband: me. She wanted a man she could trust, to be the father of her children, and she saw me as trustworthy. In turn, I trust her completely to make wise decisions for the tribe. This is how an efficient tribe should be: cooperative working for the general good of everyone.”

John bade Ferdo farewell, and went on about his business, checking over the tribe. He was getting friendly smiles, now that he was not a Chief to be feared, but he wanted them to come to him with their likes, dislikes, and wants, so that he could get a better feel for the tribe’s daily social interactions.

He got back to his Chief’s hut and his new women, to settle down and cuddle those that wanted a touch of reassurance. They were still ‘needy’ that way, even after all this time. They were desperately wanting a show of love: love not sex, though sex may come into it later, in the process of being loved. They wanted to feel loved and appreciated for themselves as people, instead of being treated as things to be made use of. He understood that desire and did his best to help them in that need; give them every opportunity to get him to do things for them, instead of to them.

Bravura was the one who asked for sex the most. It was still new and exciting for her, untarnished by being raped repeatedly as the others had gone through. These girls – to him they remained girls in his mind – were very cautious about how they now experienced sex. Their need was very much slow and gentle; nothing hard or adventurous. Staid and careful were the watchwords for them.

Gradually they would change, but it would take time. Their damage was to to their mental well-being as much as to their physical harm. The body can heal far faster than the mind.

Travana came to him the next day, hesitant about reporting to him.

“Chief John ... if I can speak about the tribe?”

“Travana, within the family, I am simply John. My title is for use in front of others, to give me authority. I don’t need authority with you ladies.”

“Sorry, John. What I wanted to say to you, my husband, is that I am unhappy about how some women are treated by their men; and sometimes their husband is closely related to them, so their position is a bit delicate.”

John was unhappy at this news.

“Tell me more, wife. Did the word not get out about women having rights just like men?”

“Yes, everyone was told by the senior men of the tribe, but this message is being read as applying to future marriages and concubinages.”

John frowned. “I thought I was clear. All women have such rights. They can object to a husband who is behaving badly towards them.”

“That fact is true, but applying that rule in practice is not so easy. If your husband who took you some years back against your wishes, and is also your uncle, how can you leave in a safe way? The family will most likely not back you if you complain about him, as he is a close relative of the rest of the family.”

“Oh. Damn.” John was stunned, and Travana left him to think about the problem. He had not expected that such actions existed. Did people not realise that inbreeding was a bad idea, or did the fact that it takes several generations to show up in genetic changes make them ignore the future?

As he thought more about it, he realised that some men think only of themselves and not about several generations down the line. Gobango had only thought of his immediate desires, and not about any children that might have resulted, never mind that they might hate him. Such stupid short-term thinking was certainly rife in this community.

What to do about it?

By rights, a forced marriage was now illegal within the tribe, so the wronged woman had the right to leave the marriage. However, if she was closely related, how could she fully escape not just him, but her relatives who made no objections when he first took her?

The only thing that came to mind was what in his previous world were called Women’s Refuges, but such things did not exist here.

He thought about that further, until it came to him that each tribe was a law unto itself. A tribe was its own jurisdiction, so that a woman coming to a new tribe could not be reclaimed by her old tribe if she did not want that to happen. Perhaps he could rule that a woman rejecting an abusive husband (define that as you will), had the right to move to another tribe as a free woman.

He liked the idea, and wondered if Chief Numa and Chief Maranga would agree with him. He cursed himself as he belatedly realised: they were women, so they would have sympathy for a wronged woman!

He took the next opportunity to discuss it with Travana.

“I have pondered your question and deliberated on possible solutions, Travana. Do you think that such a woman would be willing to move to another tribe as a free woman, to escape her husband and her own family who were complicit?”

“Most likely, John, but what happens about her children, if she has children?”

John had a clear answer to that one.

“Any boy or girl she has borne are her children, and therefore go with her when she leaves. Any child who is now a man or woman has the free choice of going with her or remaining, for that is the choice of an adult.”

“Sounds workable, John. There is another situation to consider; that where a woman was effectively forced into marriage or concubinage, but has slowly accepted her man and come to love him. I know it sounds crazy, but I am told that such things have happened. What should she do?”

“My rules give her a choice; a choice all of her own: stay or leave. She may decide to make her new status clear to her man, allowing him to accept her new terms of association or she leaves. Her other choice is to choose a new life away from him. If she has female friends, such as yourself, to talk it over with, that may be a good opportunity to examine her position more fully, but it remains her decision in the end.

That is the rule that I have decreed for the tribe: women make their own decisions, just as men do.”

Travana came closer to hug and kiss him.

“You are a wise Chief and a good husband, John.”

He wrinkled his nose before replying, “I have wives in my other tribe who might not agree with that assessment. I have been gone for weeks from them, Travana. A few are due to give birth around this time, and I will have failed to be there for them at that crucial occasion.”

“What? A man being with his wife while she gives birth? The midwives would not approve of that idea!”

“In my tribes, the equality concept applies to men as well. A husband should be able to be with his wife as she gives birth to their child, even if only to hold her hand as she goes through the pain of birthing a baby. That personal touch, of husband and wife being together on the occasion, is a great comfort to the woman, my wives from my home country tell me.”

“You mean you would help her to endure the pain by absorbing some of it yourself?”

“Not physically, of course, but mentally and emotionally. The mind can shut out a great deal of pain is someone is there to support her through the experience.”

“You are a strange man, my husband; wonderful, but still strange.”

“Strange is just lack of familiarity, Travana. Once you are used to it as being normal, it no longer is strange. In the same way, that is why some women who have been forced into a marriage or a relationship against their will, often come to love their captor eventually, if he does not do much harm to them. It is the mind’s way of helping her cope with her current existence. You should explain that to your captive woman who no longer feels she should leave. She must look at herself from the viewpoint of a free woman.”

“I get you. It is a strange concept, just as so much of what you are decreeing is strange and unusual, but all that you say to the tribe is for the tribe’s benefit in the end. I can see that. You have changed my own way of thinking, and that of many others.”

“As long as you can see it as beneficial, that is all that matters to me. Now, I need to speak to the elders of the tribe, to go over matters that I have deliberated on and decided. I am told that they are all men, but we need a women’s viewpoint there. Can you or any of my other wives suggest a mature woman whose opinion is valued? I mean valued by women. I don’t care what the men think of her.”

Travana was stuck for a moment. “There are two or three. I would like to talk to my co-wives to suggest the best for this position, if I may.”

“Travana, I hope you are just being polite, for I have already suggested a joint opinion.You don’t need my permission to go and discuss an important matter.”

“Sorry, John. This freedom takes a bit of getting used to, even after a few weeks of it. You have been very agreeable over sex, allowing us to just ask for cuddles or fondling from you. I was amazed at what you could do with your fingers in me, but you have remained very restrained.

It is just as well Bravura enjoys sex with you. I think I will discuss that with the others, to see if we are ready for full and proper sex now. Why should Bravura be the only one enjoying herself that way?”

“Make your decisions and let me know what you all would want. Some may be more hesitant than others, for rape is a terrible ordeal for a woman to have experienced, especially where Gobango was concerned: beating you all into submission.”

She went off to discuss the choice of a woman elder, and John went to tell the council of elders that they were about to have an additional member. They were surprised and puzzled.

An elderly gentleman aged about fifty, the leader of the council, put it to him, “Why do you want an extra member on our council, Chief? I would have thought that we had enough men to came to a good conclusion on any matter.”

John pounced.

“Ah, that is exactly the reason.”

“Pardon? What reason, Chief?”

“Enough men. That is the point. You have enough men for many decisions, but what can you do or say when the question is about women? You have no women on the council, thus none of you is qualified to talk on the subject. You need a woman to provide a female viewpoint to your deliberations. I am seeking such a wise woman now, and will let you know when I have found her and appointed her.”

The shocked man was silent for a while as he absorbed this challenge.

“Chief? You think that men cannot understand a woman’s viewpoint?”

“Not at all, my dear sir. I have great faith in you, but would the women of the tribe have faith in a decision about them made entirely by men?”

“Oh. I see what you mean. We need a token woman to make our decision acceptable!”

“NO,” John said with emphasis. “You have got that entirely wrong. What is needed is for you men to listen to the women’s representative, and take her advice. Do NOT ignore her advice, or you wil be in great trouble with your wives and daughters. Women are important people, as you will find out over the next few months as they assert their right to choose.”

“You expect us to be told what to do by a woman?”

“No. You should take a wise decision that incorporates the advice of the women’s representative. If you ignore her advice just because she is a woman, I will see that decision as contrary to my own ruling, and dismiss this council of elders. Am I clear?”

“You are, Chief. I do not like this imposition, but we will abide by your instructions as our Chief.”

“Thank you. My instructions are always intended for the good of the tribe; all of the tribe; not just the men. Please take my words in that way.”

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful, allowing John to take it easy. Two of his women voluntered to be beside him for the night, cuddled and cuddling him, and he slept well.

In the morning he woke up with a morning wood, causing one of his sleeping companions to remark, “A job for Bravura, I think, to take care of that stiffie.”

John corrected her, “In this case, I just need to pee, so I will go to the latrine and deal with that. I may afterwards be able to pleasure Bravura if she wants it, unless you others are volunteering?”

“Soon, John, just not yet. Give us a little more time.”

“As much time as you need, my dear. Your health is more important than my sex impulse.”

He visited the new latrine and gave it a shower of urine. The surrounding fields and forest were quiet this early in the morning, and he enjoyed the peacefulness of it. The fields of amaranth waved slightly, despite the lack of wind, and he watched as a jaguar peered out from between tall stalks. It’s gaze met his gaze, and they eyed each other up. John chose to stare it out. Deciding that John was not a danger or prey, the jaguar turned and left, with a short flip of its tail as it departed.

Pleased with this start to the day, John returned to his hut, where Bravura was pacing about.

“Good morning, Bravura,” he greeted her. “Were you looking for me?”

She stopped her pacing and strode over to him. She lifted her face to be nearer in height to him, and pushed her lips forward for a kiss after saying, “Good morning husband. Do you need your man member to dally with me for a while?”

“I would certainly be pleased to plant him in my young wife, if you are willing, Bravura.”

“You know I am always willing to be fucked by you, John. It is a pleasure I hope to experience for many years to come, interrupted only to birth you a son or two.”

“Your generosity is unstoppable, Bravura my love. Let us retire to my bed furs, assuming my bedmates have departed for other matters. You remain the only volunteer for full sex, but Travana indicates that may change soon. The other women are almost back to normal, I believe.”

“I must make good use of your time, then, my love, for I will soon be only one of six instead of your sole sex partner. I am ready now. Can I be on top? I like that position.”

John chuckled, “I have noticed your preference; you seem to use more energy with that option. I have to do my best to please you from below.”

Bravura smiled. “We will both have to do our best, John.”

“Can I play with your breasts and nipples before we make love, Bravura; like I fondle the other ladies?”

“You mean, they go together, the fondling and the sex?”

“Yes, they do. I suppose you did not link the fondling with the sex, as the others do not have the sex yet, but fondling like that encourages the body to get ready for sex.”

“I am always ready for sex when I come to you, John my love. I get excited just thinking of it.”

“I was aware of that, Bravura, but we really ought to get you interested in such touching, which was called foreplay where I come from; as in ‘before-play’ - playing before the actual sex. It can include stroking, touching, kissing anywhere on the body, not just the lips, plus of course telling your spouse how wonderful you think they are. For some people who like a little pain, it can include slaps to the rump, but anything that causes injury is bad practice. Gobango was entirely bad practice.”

“The others know well how much he abused them for his sexual gratification. I got injured protecting myself from him, thank the Earth Mother. You showed me what sex should be like. The other women will soon be happy too, when they have sex with you, my husband.”

John stopped Bravura from continuing by kissing her mouth, and then tonguing her, to her surprise. His hands wandered over her breasts for a while, and he teased her nipples, causing her to gasp. He kissed her face, her neck, her shoulders, and then her breasts, but before he could do more, she insisted on having his penis inside her, the way she liked it. She was moving against him immediately, encouraging him to pump in and out to her rhythym until she orgasmed.

They went on with their lovemaking until Travana interrupted them.

“John, can I ... can I try that?” she asked hesitantly.

“Try what?” he asked.

“The sex. Bravura certainly enjoys it, so I want to discover for myself what you do, that makes her happy; but carefully for now.”

“You are ready at this time? No more fears?”

“Very little. Please, do me gently when you have sex with me, so I can get used to your ways. I have only ever been forced into sex, so it was never a pleasure for me.”

“Bravura, have you had enough to satisfy you for now? Prepared to let your new sister Travana try a little sex?”

Bravura kissed her husband tenderly and waved a hand towards Travana.

“I will be generous and let her have a turn with you, my love. She is a brave woman, conquering her fears of what is in her past, John. That is an achievement to honour. Do what she asks, but very gently, like your first time with me, for she is not a virgin to sex; she is a virgin to lovemaking.”