The Lion's Binding Oath and Other Stories Read online

  Catalyst Press

  Livermore, California

  The Lion’s Binding Oath and Other Stories

  Copyright © Ahmed Ismail Yusuf, 2018. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written consent from the publisher, except for brief quotations for reviews.

  For further information, write Catalyst Press,

  2941 Kelly Street, Livermore CA 94551

  or email [email protected].

  An early version of “A Delicate Hope” was first published in Bildhaan, V 3, 2003: an International Journal of Somali Studies; Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota.

  An early version of “A Thorn in the Sole” was first published in Bildhaan, V 5, 2005: an International Journal of Somali Studies; Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota

  “Don’t Lose” originally published in Mizna: Prose, Poetry, & Art Exploring Arab-America, 8.1 (2006).

  ISBN 978-1-946395-08-5 (EBOOK)

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018930032

  Cover design by Karen Vermeulen, Cape Town, South Africa

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Raised as a nomad in Somalia, at the age of nine or eight (no one knows the exact year I was born) I surprised my mother at eight o’clock one morning, when I stood right in front of her and told her that I was tired of herding sheep and goats.

  Fast forward to several years later in Harlem, New York: a relative of mine dumped two dozen books on my lap and said, “Here, you seem to have a lot of free time in your hands. Why don’t you do some reading?” I was a high school dropout, my country was sitting on a hissing volcano that later exploded in the form of a civil war, and I was the only one in my family who escaped the nomadic life to the U.S.A. But I was hopelessly lost!

  Embarrassed that I had never read a whole book even in Somali, I collected the books, “a challenge,” from my relative’s hands, realizing that I couldn’t say aloud, “I have never read a book in my life!” Among the books was I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, which I picked for no particular purpose whatsoever. It took me two weeks to finish it but I must have absorbed it all, for I know that book changed my life and I am forever grateful!

  This book later led me to the door steps of Trinity College, in Hartford, Connecticut, where an academic advisor with a mission to teach and the will to match forced me to take an English class (my worst nightmare now) with a professor who, despite the maze of confusion in me, guided me and infused me with the love of writing.

  I forever owe a debt of gratitude to these three then: my relative, Abdikadir J. Dualeh, PhD; my academic advisor and professor, Diane Zannoni; Denise Best; Louis Fisher; and my professor, my late friend Fred Pfeil.

  Sincerely,

  Ahmed I. Yusuf

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  A Slow Moving Night

  The Mayxaano Chronicles

  1.A Man of Means

  2.Don’t Lose

  3.A Thorn in the Sole

  4.A Whip of Words

  5.Dissonance

  The Vulture Has Landed

  A Delicate Hope

  The Lion’s Binding Oath

  A Slow Moving Night

  On the high mountainous land of the Sanaag region in Somalia, jiilaal season showed neither compassion nor mercy on its inhabitants. The trees stood still, the boughs refused to sway, even slightly, and the reflection of the sun’s rays shone on rocks with flat surfaces.

  A herd of sheep and goats moved about in mad fury trying to seek sanctuary under the shade of a tree, which had shrunk within the past two hours or so from a sizable length able to provide shelter to a negligible hue. Once they got under the tree and into the shade, the sheep huddled in concert. Some sat, some remained standing, and some hid their heads under the others. But the goats butted one another, competing for better positions. The day progressed slowly beyond the zenith, yet the heat persisted, driving the herd to a delirious lust for water.

  One ewe finally had enough. Suddenly she broke out of the herd’s temporary huddle and moved on, westward. One by one, the rest of her family flocked behind. The goats, too, left the shade but, instead of trailing the sheep, chose to scatter about, scrub grazing.

  Thousands of years of experience, passed down from generation to generation, had taught herdsmen to recognize the behaviors of certain animals. Thus it was quite apparent to both my brother and me that the sheep were in search of water. It was my job and his, however, to keep them away from drinking, regardless. The reasons were many, but chief among them was that, in the dry jiilaal season as well as the xagaa, nomads in Somalia water-fed their livestock in a managed manner. We are able to weigh the severity of drought by estimating how much moisture the trees have stored in their roots and how much juice is left in their leaves. The data we gather help us decide how long a flock of sheep or goats can lust for water but continue to survive without it. It’s a matter of economic grazing, calculated by the amount of available food. Trying to control the amount of water our animals are taking in, we make sure that there is enough space left in their stomachs for fodder as well.

  Naturally, sheep are a bit slower and less adventurous than goats. Feeling safer in packs, they neither spread over nor ascend to the highest peaks of mountains. Goats, on the other hand, climb high on the roughest rocks, graze precariously on tilted slopes and cliff edges. Yet always alert, they rarely let a foe catch them off guard. If they ever stumble into a mishap and awaken a beast stealing a nap, they let out a high-pitched distress bleat. The sheep, however, may feast on foliage even while a coyote is goring them. And just in case you might ask, sheep baa mainly on two occasions: one, when they are looking for their broods and two, when they are in search of water. Yet both goats and sheep share a single misfortune: the need for a vigilant, tireless watcher, necessitated by a plethora of predators (hyenas, leopards, jackals, coyotes, lions, cheetahs, and men).

  For his size and age, it was not an accident that my brother instinctively saw fit to follow the breakaway herd of sheep, for he knew that I, the older of the two of us and thus the stronger, was going to make him do so anyway. I would try my best to avoid sweating more than he.

  From far off, the howling of baboons echoed through the valley-beds. And to the west, a falcon soared so high in the heavens, I wondered whether it was searching for a long lost companion or was just cheerfully flying for the joy of it.

  My train of thought was rudely interrupted by an army of ants approaching only inches away. I faced them as though they were an invading enemy and sized them up. I was rather disarmed by their ingenuity to serve the full circle of life. Some carried cut-away green leaves 10 times heavier than their own weight; others carried burdens weighing as much as themselves; yet some simply followed the rest in droves. I tried to trace back to their origin but saw only a tiny, dark line, snaking through the terrain.

  As I followed the trail, I saw a chameleon lashing a vindictive tongue, tossing ants into his mouth and gobbling them down. He barely acknowledged me before scurrying off. I rushed forward to survey the damage he had inflicted on the delicate, almost invisible path.

  The line was battered in several places. So a lonely ant, trying to go about her daily chores, appeared confused, stopped, ran, stopped and ran again. Another befuddled one ran back and forth, then left and right. Yet another, carrying a cut-away clump of leaves, veered off to the left, following an invisible map. Then a lonely one emerged from the dust and continued imperviously, as though determined to lead them all away. Alas, not a single ant followed. They no longer marched with carefree pride, and seemed to have lost that sense of
marveling at the natural beauty around them.

  Of course, I thought a human being should mend the mess, so I lay tiny twigs where I thought the line was broken on one end all the way to the other end where I thought that it had begun. Then I picked a twig and placed it in front of the disoriented ants. When an ant got on it, I transfered it to the line I had created with twigs. But each one declined to follow the line.

  “Let them doom themselves to their stupid death,” I consoled myself. “God helps those who help themselves.”

  Not more than a minute had passed when, to my dismay, two ants emerged from each end of the line, met in the middle, kiss-greeted, and then proceeded on their respective ways. In another minute, columns miraculously converged from opposing ends of an invisible line. A parade began on a single thread, with all now facing the same direction, as though nothing had disturbed the path.

  I was about to leave when I saw another group from the same colony drag a small dead gecko with a precision that human soldiers would have difficulty matching. The unfortunate creature was turned over, her white belly blue where multiple ant bites had injected poison into her blood stream.

  The army, many under the tiny gecko, latched on to the legs, transporting an eliminated foe.

  The ants’ ingenious, collaborative effort engaged my curiosity until suddenly the distinctive bleat of a distraught goat caught me off guard. And then it hit me that I had committed the cardinal sin that all herdsmen must avoid: you should never let your herd out of your sight. As I dashed off in the direction of the goat’s plea, I heard my brother cry out from the middle of the valley-bed. I knew immediately that he had fallen off the edge of a steep slope somewhere. Ignoring the cries of the bleating goat, I took off to find him.

  Frantically I ran down the slope, dislodging shells, stones, sticks and all. The cacophony of the tiny avalanche echoed throughout the valley below, causing the goats to stampede and climb the highest tip of the other side of the ridge. Heading down in a haze of confusion, I came upon Shammad, my favorite goat, who had just delivered twin kids. I could see from a distance that one of the kids was waddling, the placenta still swathed to him. I predicted a problem: that this could attract the most heinous, hideous creature of all, the spotted hyena. But I had no time to attend to them. The fear that I was going to find my brother with lacerations and broken bones besieged me. “God, please don’t let it be the spinal cord,” I pleaded over and over again.

  My legs were about to give out. And now as I charged through the thorny underbrush, my shabby clothes were torn to pieces. But I kept on pleading with God to give my brother a chance and not penalize him for my witless neglect. I solemnly swore that if he would heed my plea today, I would never, ever again be consumed with admiration and awe of those small creatures that had rendered me mindless.

  I was, as well, leery of how I was going to convince my mother later on that whatever calamity had befallen our goats happened because of “God’s will.” She was a severe disciplinarian and, worse, had already admonished me on numerous occasions to be vigilant to avoid all possible mishaps. I knew she was going to wail at me and bemoan my carelessness.

  I began to pray for a mild beating, or better yet, a harsh scolding.

  All of these thoughts collided in my head as I hurled down the steep slope. Fears for my own survival were interrupted by the cries from the sheep and my brother’s piercing howls.

  And then I spotted him! It looked like he was just sitting on the ground but as I came closer, I saw that he had a sheep by the leg and was pulling it away from something. When I was a few feet away, I realized that he was in a contentious tug of war with one of the most dangerous predators, the leopard. The elusive beast had strangled a thoroughbred ram and torn a slab of fresh flesh from its jowl. Blood was trickling from the wound to the ground. The leopard, crouching, looked ready to pounce. Every time my brother tried to pull the ram away, the leopard, claws fully extended, feinted to lunge but hung on with his powerful jaws. Whenever the leopard made his deceptive move, my brother would let go of the leg, jump back, and wail louder. Startled, the leopard would recoil, growling, and my brother would summon the courage to grab the leg again.

  My heart froze with fear as my brother looked back at me. Not knowing how I could save him, I ducked down. My petulant brother, however, was putting up a valiant fight and expected to be bailed out or, at least, assisted.

  It should not surprise you that I wanted to do just that, but could not wrench the tiniest bit of courage from my soul. Supporting my weight with one hand, I freed the other for defense and raised my head up from behind a bush. There was the leopard in full view. His sheer bulk forced me to wish that my brother would not play this game. I wondered what he was trying to prove and how on earth he was going to get out of this stalemate.

  Eyes bulging, my brother looked into the brush, as though that would hasten help. The leopard rose slightly, seized the ram with his claws, and tried to snatch it away. I quickly ducked down again, praying that the leopard had not spotted me.

  By now the silent ram had had enough of the pain. He baaed so loud that the rest of his family, huddled only a few feet away, felt compelled to join his plea. Contributing to the chorus of terror, my brother shrieked like a seiged soul. I yearned for the land to give way under me and begged God to deposit me back into my mother’s warm womb.

  “Doogle, where are you?” my brother called.

  Let me tell you, I was not impressed at all that Taahe had thrown my name into the ethereal air when all he had to do was let go of the ram. We had plenty of sheep, and losing one, even a thoroughbred ram, wasn’t going to make us poorer.

  But Taahe continued to call me: “Doogle, show me your bravery, show me the valor you mustered when you fought off that jackal long ago!”

  What my brother could not remember, because I had never told a soul, was how terrified I had been facing the jackal he was referring to.

  With the misfortune of hearing my name disseminated so generously into the air, I decided to come out to defend it. Yet it dawned on me that my brother was not fair, for he was inveigling me to face the “dean of danger.” This was not a jackal, and he knew it.

  He would not let up. He kept the heat on, furiously fanning it. “Brother Doogle,” he yelled. “The whole neighborhood knows you are brave. I know you are brave and the leopard knows you are brave. That’s why I’ve been waiting for you, so that when he feels your aura of gallantry approaching, he will unlock his jaws, rein in his claws, and slouch away!”

  I was ashen with fear and anger. Surely, the predator was going to take up his offer to challenge me at any moment now. Yet I wanted my brother to believe in me and I wanted him to keep calling me brave. And if you ask me, yes, I enjoyed it while it lasted. What I was objecting to, nevertheless, was calling me brave only if I confronted the leopard! Why could one still not be called brave if he chose a non-confrontational approach?

  I was not going to show my face, because I knew that this majestic creature would cast his spell on me and I would cave in, probably whimpering with fear. I also knew that my family would scold me, that if I let the leopard have this ram for a meal he would come back for another and another and another…

  I did not want to let my brother believe that I was not worthy of his praise, but still I could not move a muscle when, again, he called, “Brother Doogle, this fool leopard has not yet gotten a whiff of you. Please hurry, just come closer and he will vanish in fear from your mere presence.” My brother always spoke with the maturity of unmatched eloquence.

  I, on the other hand, the one who was devoid of wisdom, thought, No, little man, no. This is a leopard, the most resourceful, elusive cat of all. Once I come out of hiding, he will cast his spell on me and leave the ram, to feast on me.

  I forced myself to crouch on all fours, as though I were about to take off at full speed. But my legs were wobbling, my hands were weak, my heart was pounding like a bouncing ball. I grabbed my spineless soul and attem
pted to stand upright. I was not fully erect when I began to backpedal, hoping to hide myself in the shadowed field for a moment, before galloping away at full speed.

  Alas, my brother turned around and caught me in my compromising crouch. In that instant, he changed. He stopped chanting my praises and began to chide. “You coward,” he barked. “Where the hell are you trying to run off to?”

  Furious, I stood up, and, chin up, tossed up some phony courage. My brother was holding the ram by the leg while the leopard still clutched onto the shoulders, but once he began to shout at me, he loosened his grip. The leopard seized the moment to snatch the “meal” away.

  Completely letting go of the leg, my brother dashed over and pasted himself onto me so tight that I thought a spirit had possessed him. I let him cling to me, thankful that he had let the ominous enemy loose.

  In relief, my body let go. Sadly, I wet my pants just when my brother harnessed himself onto me, right after the leopard plunged his fangs into the ram’s throat.

  The poor ram had been instantly overpowered and was not able to manage even a minor, convulsing move. He shivered a few, feeble twitches. It was all over.

  In earnest, the killer began to tend his prey, letting go of the throat, licking the blood oozing out of gaping gashes where his fangs had penetrated, growling at us every now and then. He straddled the carcass, grasped its neck in his jaws, lifted it up, and sidle-dragged the body away—all the while, keeping an eye on us. Growling and dragging the body, he lumbered up the steep slope, behind the thick brush, beside the huge rock that seemed as if it would roll away if touched, past the dry weeds, and onto the top of the slope—where he disappeared.

  Taahe released me from his clutch and let out a sigh. He took a few steps away, and started to examine me. He stopped short as he became aware of his own strange discomfort.

  “Doogle,” he started, looking at his pants, first one leg, then the other, then at his palms, then twisting his pants from front to back. “What…?”