Chapter 17

Saturday 31.12.2016

The first joint New Year’s Eve celebration was still urgently to prepare by my side. Lenya had repeatedly looked when she could address the doctor and me. The girls were looking for support from their maternal friend, our doctor, for the preparation of the evening. Not only the guitar players needed help, Isabella also wanted to celebrate a saxophone solo again and had questions about it. Only I had no idea how to contribute to the evening. What had I enjoyed the most during the last social gatherings? Actually, I couldn’t remember a real party anymore. At the end of our studies, I had the last big celebration of my life, more than ten years ago. And the highlight was a ‘Sirtaki’, a slow dance that turned into a wild staccato of moves. Then I held my right neighbour in my arms. The alcohol, the dance, the joy, and the heat of the night brought us together. It was a wild fire of love behind the rose bushes near the canteen. The very next day I left. I never saw the young woman again, I didn’t even know her name, but the evening was unforgettable. Only today I got a twinge of conscience as to whether the young student of that time had perhaps received an ‘eternal gift’ from me. We were young and full of fire and had no condoms.

With a Sirtaki for New Year’s Eve, of course, I did not want to repeat the case behind the rose bushes, but to bring everyone as much joy as I had at the dance repeated several times at that time. I knew I had seen a video on the architect’s tablet. It took forever to find it. Esther helped me cut the song together. We copied it to a stick three times in a row. Although it had nothing to do with the days spent in the valley so far, as originally planned by me, but the dance certainly could make everyone happy.

After dinner I asked Babette, Ananda, and Esther to accompany me to the village. The girls were all about 1.60 meters tall, almost the same size. That could work. They constantly asked what it was about, but I just smiled with the word “Surprise”. The saloon was empty. I quickly plugged in the stick, turned on the TV. Amazed, the three girls looked at the song and the dance to it. “Shall we?” Eagerly the girls nodded. At first the three tried. The third attempt was excellent.

Several women from the village came in and watched with interest. Florence, Leonie, and Cristina also practiced on the other side of the big table. More and more, the girls got into the swing. Full of exuberance, they finally crashed into two chairs placed on the side, but they were delighted. My three lovely girls danced again and again. I just danced with the village women. There were already ten of them. We had a lot of fun. Leonie and Cristina were about the same size as Babette. I got them to dance for five. It became a little more settled, but with it almost more beautiful. Finally, we formed a large circle around the table. Now everyone danced along except Alonso and Nuria. The villagers were on fire. I had not yet noticed that they could be so funny and exuberant. The eldest looked on longingly. I gladly took her on both hands and we moved measured to the music. She was beaming with happiness, although it certainly hurt her old bone. I gladly gave her a loving forehead kiss when she gave up breathing violently. To do this, I stroked her cool cheeks and pulled her to me.

Alonso had been sent to the casa to get Carmen. People wanted to know why we had practiced the dance here with them. There had never been a New Year’s Eve celebration in the village. I gladly invited all villagers to us for the evening. Carmen felt the need to get a few caresses. She wanted to pull me out of the saloon. I took her near to me for a very special hug; the villagers should calmly see how a man caresses a woman who is carrying a child from me under her heart. Florence looked on longingly. She had not forgotten our being together. I beckoned her to me, stroked her body and Carmen explained to those present that Florence was also having a child with me. A peculiar exultation burst forth, it was a mixture of joy and sorrow, as I felt. Florence snuggled up to me with her back so that my hands could embrace her body. She felt noticeably comfortable with me.

On the way home, the girls hummed the melody and clapped the beat to it. They promised to keep our surprise a secret. Finally, Esther asked me if I didn’t have something else to do in the container warehouse. At the headquarters would also be practiced for a surprise. Of course, I had something to do. The girls took the buggy. They should send Sula to us to the ore processing plant as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, I showed Babette our treasures in the ammunition box. For the evening I sorted three signal pistols with five different coloured cartridges each into a small ammunition box. While I was instructing Babette in the operation of the pistol, Sula was already here. They both knew the term ‘fireworks’ and were looking forward to hosting a light show. Sula also quickly understood how to load the gun and at what angle they should be shot up. We were well prepared for the evening.

The girls took me to Olivia and Alejandra at the Casa, and then quickly drove to the Palazzo. I had secured the box with the pistols and ammunition with a lock so that the girls could not make any nonsense when they took the three pistols to Ramona. With Sula, I wasn’t sure if she wouldn’t try the light signals. When I thought about it, I noticed that somehow, she was already more balanced. Did the tea work? It was certainly not possible that the tea already had an effect on Sula after about four days, right?

Olivia hugged me hard. Our kiss was still in progress when Alejandra came to us with a huff. Olivia’s eyes sparkled. Apparently, she had another phase with a great need for love, but from my point of view it was already too late for room 13. Olivia clearly showed me that she disagreed. Alejandra just shook her head when Olivia pulled me up the stairs. Of course, I first took a shower to cleanly approach my beloved pregnant woman. Full of restraint, I wanted to give in to her need only a little, but she just took everything and was active despite the visible tummy. We were happy together then. “It will be your child. Only you slept with me dearly.” Olivia said. I kissed her approvingly. The little Peruvian was simply the most precious pearl in the diadem of my beloved. It was all so natural when we were together; there were always minutes of absolute well being with me, apparently with her too. Under other circumstances, I would have asked for her hand now. My feelings for her were deep and emotional. We dressed only kissing and caressing. It seemed to me absolutely impossible to prefer one woman to another in public, and that was right and important. But here I liked to show Olivia my special feelings for her.

On the stairs down Olivia stopped. She put my right hand on her body. Either the foetus liked it, or it protested. The uproar was considerable, which I could feel. But Olivia looked adorable. Somehow, she had made peace with herself and the baby.

I walked towards the Palazzo. It was still raining, but that didn’t bother. The rain was warm and pleasant. The seeds had grown well everywhere. The trees and shrubs wore a lush green. The road was well paved. The rainwater just ran off to the left and right of it. However, tonight only one celebration remained ‘indoor’, in the house, if the rain did not stop.

In the distance I heard music. It sounded like “By the rivers of Babylon”, a stone-old song, which my mother had liked very much when I was a child. Smiling, I opened the secured gate. What did my girls and women have in mind for tonight? I was pleased that everyone was happy to participate in order to make our life here varied and joyful. The music was silent; my coming had certainly been discovered.

I quickly got my box of signal pistols from the doctor’s room. In my office I looked again at the numbers playing with the days, I couldn’t think of anything to do with it. Maybe I’ll make a riddle out of it or we counted up together when it came to midnight?

Dinner was Spartan today. I had arranged with Luisa that there were still fried potatoes and sausages about two hours before midnight. A few days ago, we also found mustard and ketchup in a container, which certainly enriched the meal. Great salads were Luisa’s specialty.

Ramona had told me that she would dress more festively today. “Finally wearing a good dress, that makes me happy.” It was like a request to dress well too. I did not want to wear the tuxedo from the dance competition, but I found a wonderful suit of dark blue velvet in the things inherited from Rus. Just at that moment it occurred to me that I had not yet looked in the four suitcases of the construction manager and the architect, which things and especially which shoes suited me. “Next year.” I laughed out loud, but since I couldn’t find any suitable shoes, I opened the first suitcase in their former bedroom. I found a pair of black shoes in very good condition, and they fit well.

Today I put some shaving water on my freshly shaved face. It smelled very good, but I had only used it here twice so far. Outside, the food gong sounded. Still without a tie, I shuffled through the door. What was that? Priya had beaten the gong. Through the microphone, she shouted, “Please take seats. Five more minutes until the start.” I was curious to see what you were up to. It was like being in the theatre. I quickly got ready and picked up my dear Luisa. She had also made wonderful arrangements. In the morning she had been with our star hairdressers. She was wearing a wine-red pregnant dress, of course still too wide, but it dressed her well. She proudly showed me her gold necklace. Obviously, it was special for everyone today. Priya led me to four terrace chairs, which stood in the direction of the staircase to the upper floor. The staircase was covered with a big fabric like a curtain.

Then Carmen and Alejandra appeared. Carmen also wore a beautiful, slightly gathered dress, along with the gold chain. Alejandra was dressed in the best Inca folk. I rose to greet both ladies.

Sula had let the two in and was already flitting back to the gate, the villagers were arriving. I quickly helped Priya and Sula to arrange our dining table chairs so that all the guests could sit down. I gladly extended my hand to each visitor and pointed to the seats. Then the last gong sounded at the beginning of the performance. A loud fanfare sounded from the speaker. Isabella stepped out from behind the curtain. She played on the saxophone a blues song that I did not know, full of fervour and love. A special touch of solemnity passed through the room.

Priya thanked Isabelle and wished us all a lot of fun. She quickly disappeared behind the curtain. The speaker had gone from soft music to a countdown. After “3 – 2 – 1 “ there was a loud thunderclap. The curtain fell. On the stairs stood 14 girls, even Olivia took part, in beautiful summer dresses. They clapped to the rhythm, shouting “Happy new year!” This was followed by a dance performance by Mayari, Ananda, Kira and Daja. Unfortunately, Isabella was not able to participate because of her arm injury in the alpaca hunting. But Kira and Daja sailed through the air several times, and Mayari and Ananda showed flashovers. Finally, Ramona and Lenya played a few bars of the song “By the river of Babylon” with the guitar and all the girls solemnly hummed to it: “Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm”. After about half a minute, the singing began:

By the mountains of Andes land

There we sat down.

Yeah, yeah, we stay

The future is in our hand.

But we’re alive.

Carried us away in captivity

Required from us our soul

Now how shall we serve the bad men

in a strange land?

But we’re alive

Let the words of our mouth,

And the meditation of our heart,

Be acceptable in your sight

Here tonight.

The stanzas and the refrain were repeated several times. When the girls finally hummed the melody as at the beginning, most of them had their eyes closed. You may have put yourself in your destiny or in your future here in the valley. Ramona had done a very good job. The text corresponded exactly to the fate of the girls. “The future is in our hands.” Yes, that line of the recast song was the real statement. I jumped up and kissed Ramona for the great song. The girls surrounded our doctor and me; somehow, we all had an intimate feeling of togetherness.

Priya had meanwhile started the video clip of “Contigo Peru”. The women from the village got up and sang along as far as they were powerful of the text. It was a beautiful song about Peru. Zarina and Fahsai joined in and played along with their guitars. It already sounded remarkable. Then Olivia took Luisa by the hand. The TV has been turned off. Luisa started singing the “Contigo Peru” as “Contigo Inca”, very different from the singer in the video. It was more worn and contained most of the words in Quechua. Olivia sang along quietly. Nuria sobbed loudly and began to cry, deeply shaken. Half the village howled along. Even Olivia could not continue to sing from tears. She clung to the sobbing Alejandra, her dear grandma. Only Luisa continued to sing unperturbed. She enjoyed every single word of her plaintive voice.

Later I learned that she sang about the destruction of Inca culture by the Spaniards and the discrimination of the Indians in present-day Peru. At the end, she added a sentence that would later become very important to me. Accordingly, she had said in the Inca language that she would give her gods a child, who would be called ‘Tupac Amaru’ after the last ruler of the Incas executed by the Spaniards. Her son will eliminate the injustice for the Incas. Soon Peru would be the land of the Incas again and an Inca descendant would then be the president.

Olivia whispered to me later that Luisa had said an Apu, a mighty god, who appeared in my form, and so greatly improved all the life in the valley, gave her son to her. If the Inca descendants talked among themselves, everyone would just call me ‘Apunchik’, the divine being. “Don’t shake your head. You are our Apunchik. Once the children born here in the Divine Valley have grown up, they will together revive the cause of the Incas. You’ll see. This prophecy of our people is coming true.” Olivia squeezed both my hands very tightly. “That’s why every Inca woman wants a child from you, too. A newly born son could be our Saviour.”

Now I was completely off track, I, a saint? Incredible. But this opened up completely new possibilities for me to influence people. If I did not take advantage of this maliciously, but so that we could expand our knowledge and stimulate people to even better achievements, that would be extremely helpful.

“Take me to Nuria and translate, please.” I told Olivia. The eldest in the valley was debased. Her face was drawn by her long life, but also by the efforts of the evening. She lay there as if half asleep. “Nuria. It is a great pleasure for me that you have taken the long way to us today. Thank you.” Carefully I kissed her cheek. “You are a smart, well-educated woman. Are you ready to pass on your knowledge to a descendant of your people?” There was more fire in her eyes again. She looked at me thoughtfully. Carmen translated the strange words. “Thank you, kind stranger. Who did you think of for the wisdom of our priests?” – “Nuria, only you can decide that. You know whom you can trust ... How about Olivia or Leonie?” Nuria looked at Olivia for a long time, put both her hands to her temples left and right. “You ... it’s a good one ... human. She should carry the message further.” Olivia bowed gratefully to the wise old woman.

Ramona came hurrying up. “What about you? It’s party time.” I just pulled her away from the two Indio women. “Too bad, Ramona. That wasn’t good, not even for you.” I carefully explained to our doctor that we had just made a big deal. “Olivia will learn all the wisdom about diseases, medicine, and life issues of the Incas from Nuria in the next few months. Nuria had just chosen her with my help. This means, I think, that one day you will be able to write a doctoral thesis on the healing art of the Incas with Olivia’s help.”

Ramona excitedly kissed me on the cheek. “Thank you, it would be great. You think of everything, my dear. That’s why I love you so much.”

“You have no right to me at all. I am the Apunchik, the divine being who will one day save the Incas.” – I smiled, but Ramona was a little bit angry. “You’re crazy, Michael.”

Carmen interfered. We hadn’t even noticed that she was sitting next to us and listening to everything. “He is o u r A P U, our Apunchik. You will all still experience it. His children, born in the Valley of the Gods, will change our country, including your child, Ms. Liebknecht.”

Incredulous, Ramona looked at us alternately. Superstition was alien to her, but I slightly tweaked her hip so that she was silent. “Ramona, let it be good. Those who are right will show themselves. I am willing to do anything to make Peru a better country if I get any chance.”

The often so emotionless interpreter knelt down in front of me, kissed my trouser legs and called out a few words in Quechua. It was like a triumphal chant. Priya had turned off the music. Everyone kept his or her eyes on Carmen and me. I helped the interpreter up, but there was a singing among the village women. Carmen led me to Nuria, who took both my hands. Apparently, at that moment I was called to the Divine.

Luisa rushed to me and clutched me. “I knew it, you are our Apunchik.” With all my might I prevented her from kneeling down, too. Our girls had hundreds of question marks written on their faces. What was going on there? Obviously, I had emphasized my mission to Ramona in such a way that Carmen was fully convinced that I was a God sent to them.

Quickly, I gave Priya my stick with the Sirtaki. When the music sounded, Babette, Ananda, and Esther wanted to come to me; they wanted to dance with me. “Wait. First me.” Somehow my blood gurgled with excitement. I didn’t move for how long. The steps went as if there are coming by themselves. I also danced the first tempo solo. Then I let my three beauties, who had practiced the dance in the saloon, get started in threes. They were also full of fire. In the meantime, I had brought Florence, Leonie, and Cristina to my place, which had already practiced the dance. We moved with our arms wrapped around each other like a single being. The hall raged, but especially about the three women from the village. Finally, we formed a real circle with Babette, Esther, and Ananda. Others also wanted to dance with us, but they had to form a second circle around us.

When the song sounded for the second time, everyone formed a large oval around the large dining table. I got Nuria into the circle and we just moved slightly to the left and right. My girls became more and more exuberant. From time to time, some crashed or crashed against the table. I had done something again, Ramona said later. Soon the song sounded for the third time. I led Nuria back to her seat and kissed her on the forehead. As if in humility, she lowered her gaze. That the forehead kiss was the greatest honour of the Incas, I did not know until then. For me it was a sign of recognition and honour. It was exactly the same with the Incas. Unconsciously, since our seclusion, I used an important symbol of the ruling priests, which the Incas also attributed to the gods. The villagers had noticed this attentively, although Luisa had been assuring them again and again for a long time how I was raising ‘my children’ with it.

It did not want to move any more rest. The girls were hyper-enthusiastic. I clapped my hands and whistled loudly. “Guys, we have guests. Not too cocky.” The girls tried to pull themselves together, to calm down, but shortly after that I had to turn off the music.

“Please, a short speech, today is the 153rd day since you, my beautiful ladies, arrived in our valley. It was not easy for you to find your way around here without your families. I am infinitely grateful how all of you have contributed to the fact that we could and can live together here so easily. I love you all as you are, and by the way, you are fantastic!” A many-voiced cheer followed a few gossips. Then I turned to the Peruvians. “Our dear women and men who have been living here for a long time. You have given us so much and helped us to find our way here. Every day I am happy how you make sure that we have enough to eat and those we can learn so much from you. You Indios are great. Thank you.”

I had to wait for Carmen to translate something. “But today I would like to thank Alejandra in particular. Your way of living and working with us deserves a huge recognition. She raised the wonderful Olivia instead of Mother, an incredible achievement to shape such a wonderful being for all of us. In addition, Alejandra is extremely hardworking. Washing, ironing, sewing, and repairing all clothes and other laundry, she does everything without much recognition, she does everything that is necessary, but also her organization of the shower day and cleaning afterwards is exemplary. You are a pearl, our very best co-worker, Alejandra.” After the translation, the guests also cheered. “One last thought. Florence, come to me, please.” Olivia quickly pulled the unsettled to me. “Florence wanted to give life to a child. I assure you, in the coming year she will give birth a child to us.” I pulled her to me, kissed her on the forehead and put a gold chain around her neck. The village cheered extremely. The sharp cries of joy from the women could have awakened the dead. My girls wanted to know from Florence how she got pregnant. Florence pointed to me, and said it was her Apunchik. I explained to the girls that Ramona artificially inseminated them. Esther confirmed this because she was there and had helped.

When Sula and others looked incredulously and made remarks, I jokingly said: “If you don’t believe that this is possible, if you want a child once in a few years, you will only be artificially inseminated.” Sula looked at me in horror. “No, I really want to.” I poked her on the nose, everyone laughed, and I again wished for the song “By the mountains of Andes lands”. They wanted to rush to the stairs. “No, here, around Ramona, Luisa, and me, please, I want to be very close to you.” The thirteen girls and Olivia gathered around us, around the adults of Palazzo, and sang the most wonderful song for us with a lot of feeling. I put my arms on the shoulders of one girl after another, looked at each of them very firmly and kissed her forehead. What a happy dad I was. By coincidence, Lenya was the last in the circle. She waited until the last buzzing was finished. Then she fell around my neck. “My dad is sadly dead. You are my daddy from today.” Carefully I pulled her to me. As always, she meant it seriously. Her eyes beamed at me. I was pleased that, obviously, today there was no reason for deep pain over the loss of her parents. I kissed her lips very tenderly and hugged her again. The girls understood how to classify it. They knew Lenya’s feelings and her deep grief for her parents.