posion 5

“Do they take revenge on you for what you did? As they think Brenda and her baby are evildoers and you saved them, turn all the horse and the entire livestock running lose. And Brenda even came back killed the Chief. “As the story come to this point, Wuma very worried.

“No, they didn’t!” Wuna tighter the quilt.
“How could they did not? I would think that man witch wouldn’t.”

“SAMAN? Even he does, but he couldn’t! Because I cutoff his tongue by the following night. Beside my family ancestors were relatives to the empire. In Mongolia, we not suppose to marry the person from same tribe. My parents and Bate’s parents arrange our marriage because my family came from another tribe. We came here, because my granddad was got big land from the empire’s special offer. So my family has very high authority in this tribe.”

“Who is my dad’s mother?”
“Victoria! “
“Victoria?”
“Yes, Victoria!”
“How? Where are they? Victoria and Gail?”

“After Brenda and her baby died, bate been killed by her as well. The whole tribe was in a very gloomy. The next thing is have to get a new chief. In aproper sequence Bate’s younger brother Badun Should be the chief, but he hasn’t confidence to take the duty. So the tribe leave as that, want to have sometimes to thinking and get more organize. I stayed with my parents. Time go pass by, winter arrived our land. One afternoon, another foreign lady came in with a very new baby. Yes, that was Victoria.” Wuna nods her head to her granddaughter wuma.

“She begged me take the baby. When I asking ‘why?’ She was shocked. I told her I learnt little bit of English when I was child, when playing with bate, he taught me. When Bate arrive here, he can’t speak any our language, except English. I am the one play with him, taught him Mongolian, although I was only 5 years old. Victoria Told me that her husband Gail has been captured by the Japanese. The motel lady pass the message to her, tell her ‘run, run….’ Victoria wraps her new born baby, found some cart drive came this way. So she get here looking for Brenda. But Brenda died. She remembers that Brenda had talked about me. Now she is here looking for help from Me.’ where are you going then?’ I asked.”

“I need find a way to rescue Gail. He was only get out the motel to buy some milk for our baby. “Victoria cried.” We should have go to the west, because I was pregnant, that what made us stay. That motel lady has been killed by the Japanese. I guess because she let I ran away. Please take my baby; I haven’t got anybody except you. I need go back find Gail, rescue him. Please.” Victoria keeps begging.

“I took the baby. When I ask Victoria stay for the night. She refused. I told her is too dangerous travel at the night. So many hunger woofs. If she gets lost in this empty land, she will be freeze to ice block. Maybe before get freeze, the woofs will get her. But she was in a big worry about her husband. She persists to go. All I can do is give her my horse, some dried meat, a bag of water and my long dagger. Some fire material. As I send her out the tribe camping land , I urge her to stay again. She jump on the horse said after she find Gail, get him out from the Japanese, they will come back to me get the baby.
But she didn’t make out. When the snow all thawed, someone found her cloths. I know is hers, because I remember the white lacy and my dagger. I have this foreign baby with me, make my situation very difficult. Also I can’t guarantee that they wouldn’t do the same to me as they did Brenda and her baby. So I took Benda’s passport and the baby, gone to Australia. Before I leave here, I plant those two trees for Brenda and Victoria. These two women have left very deep marks in this land.
As you know now, I told the Australia government that Brenda died after give birth to this baby. That baby is your dad.” Wuna turned her face to Wuma.

“Dose My dad knows about this? You raise Dad up and well educated him. Now he is a professor. You raise me up as well. Nan, You done all these to a strange baby has nothing to do with your blood relationship. 5 years ago, you came back here, because you think if any chance Gail survived, he will come here looking for his son. Is that right? Nan!” Wuma could not stop her tears.

“I have done my jenny.” Wuna said then she closed her eyes. Her hand stopped stroking Wuma’s hair.
“Nan!” Wuma whispered. She knew her Nan has past away. She gentle let her Nan laying down, try to make her looks as comfort as possible, then she pull the quilt up to her Nan’s neck. She looked her Nan said “If the entire world collapsed from cruel blood, if only one person will stand up, then it will be a woman, a mother!”

Wuma slipping herself into the quilt, hugged her Nan tightly; “It is my turn to plant a tree, tomorrow.” She said.




Poison has been complete.