Ch 6 - Children of Tegalupa

Stories, Stars & Tezufachi

The afternoon grows old and begins turning towards night. As the children break through the cover of trees the sun is on fire just dipping beyond feathers of purple and pink. The sky to the East is already blue and black twinkling with stars. There is something magical about the presence of the lights that calls the attention of the little boys.

Cloe is always finding stories and pictures in the sky. She is the one who spins the yarns that keep the flock entertained. Her small finger points as she slowly begins to describe what she sees, “Just on the horizon where the four stars form the cup. That is the belly of Tezufachi, the trickster and beguiler of men. He eats small boys who do not behave. He pretends to be many things that he is not. Never believe the words of Tezufachi. Always keep your eyes open. Never turn your back.”

Tezufachi is the boogyman of this part of the world. He is a story told to young ears to keep impulses for bad behavior in check. Tezufachi is said to appear as a young man to those who misbehave. As the story goes, Tezufachi will leverage your trust with kind words and willful gestures. When he is ready to claim you, his hair will be on fire. Look down and you might notice that the creature’s feet face the wrong way. You would most probably be lost deep in the jungle at this point. Fire is only one method that the beast uses to claim his catch. Be wary, the jungle is a treacherous place.

Cloe points to the stars as she looks upon her friends. Cloe and the boys begin to play a new kind of game.
The game begins with a question, “Palmier, what is Tezufachi’s favorite thing to eat?”

“Grown ups tell us naughty children are quite sweet. Yet, you claim that Tezufachi also has a love of jungle fruit.”

“That is correct. What is there not to love. So much to choose from. So many things that are truly sweet. But to the point here, what fruit does Tezufachi love the most?”

Palmier is quick to the answer, “It is the apple that he wants. This thing he wants more than all!” There is bright enthusiasm and pride.

“An apple? Now why is that?” Cloe directs her question to another boy.

“The apple is hard to find?” responds Pieto with a question in his tone.

Cloe encourages the young child, “Good response my young friend.” She turns to the crowd and asks a new question, “Someone tell me, where does the apple grow?”

Hands go up throughout the small group.

“Aresio, what do you think?”

The boy answers quickly, “The apple grows in cold places. Tezufachi’s home is the jungle floor. It is hot in his kingdom. The apple is difficult to find. Because it is rare, it is a treasure in Tezufachi’s eyes.”

Cloe addresses the group, “If Tezufachi does not get the apple then what happens?”

Pieto speaks up, “One story you have told us states that Tezufachi will be good if he has the apple.”

“Do you agree?” The girl pushes the small boy with the question.

The boy’s brow bunches while he forms an opinion, “Tezufachi is never nice. Once he has the apple, I do not think he will change. Mean things are always mean. Tezufachi will always want more.”

Cloe once agains asks the group, “So, we should never give in to Tezufachi’s wishes?”

Aresio jumps in with enthusiasm, “You tell us that Tezufachi is a trickster, that what he says at best is only half true. Then we must play the game. We must be more cunning.”

“Yes you must.” Cloe nods. “Your point is very true.”

Cleo looks to the crowd for another face. This time she calls on Dedric, “Who can find the apple? Who knows apples very well?”

The little boy smiles as he speaks, “Kokawai knows apples because of Sabio Neves.”

“And Sabio Neves knows apples well because..?” little Cloe lets the question hang.

Dedric finishes, “Because he is a magic cow. He has been to many places. Some say that he has even flown with the birds around the top of the Aconsagua Mountains.”

“He doesn’t fly! Sabio Neves is a cow,” interrupts Palmier.

“But he is a magical animal, just like the Adarna birds. If he is magical who is to say what he can or can not do,” insists Pieto.

“Who is stronger? Sabio Neves or Tezufachi?” inquires Aresio.

“Sabio Neves is stronger than Tezufachi,” concludes Palmier.

“Is he stronger or smarter?” asks Cleo.

“Savio Neves is smarter. The things in his head are his strength!” declares Aresio.

Cleo draws the game to the conclusion she had hoped for, “How does one defeat Tezufachi? How does one escape?”

The boys look to one another. Palmier is the one who speaks, “We trick him. We convince Tezufachi that we have what he wants then we hide it in a place where it can never be found.”

Cleo looks to Palmier and the other boys with a broad smile on her face. Her mouth is full of sound. A response forms as the earth begins to growl.

Her words are swallowed just as the explosion rips through the far north. The eruption is massive even this far away. The largest tree falling close might make the same cracking weighted sound. The explosive air is matched by the low grumbling earth.

Cloe closes her mouth and gathers the children closer. A growing cloud of fire rises into the sky. A mushroom made for the gods, a stem of grey smoke and fire, belches from the ground and climbs. Higher than the tallest jungle tree the column of fire grows. Broader than a baobab, the explosive column quickly expands. A rolling cap of yellow and grey dances with turbulent oranges and reds. The darkening night is violently transformed back into day.

The roiling clouds rapidly change shape. Faces form within the ring of fire. Some are animal. Some are not quite men. Faces of fire and smoke look out upon the land. They frown. They smile. Sometimes they laugh. Little eyes on the ground take close notes of the show. The boys look to Cloe hoping for stories to appear. The look that she returns is really quite sad.

“Brace yourselves!” instructs the little girl. Her mouth is tight. Her brow is now furrowed. The message is delivered just as the ground shakes. The air growls loudly as the wind blows.

The shudder grows to the point of full bounce. Children lose their footing. Feet fly up into the air. Smiles and shrieks give way to splashing thuds. Backsides of flying children land hard in soft dirt.

The flushed face of Cloe is sober and pinched. Simmering below the surface is bordering rage. The children understand that something is different. Laughter in their bellies turns to something cold. What was once magic is now something obscene. One small voice can be heard in the back. “Tezufachi, what have you done?”