Ütãtica

“Many thousands of years of wisdom were within this place.” The old man wheezed to me. I was shocked. Here? Here, where the dry, parched seabed “Once,” He continued “Once, this place was beautiful. Over towards the rocks were the Intaïnten village, and under the cliffs was Ütãtica's hut.” “Ütãtica?” I questioned “Who was Ütãtica?” Here the old man stopped walking and turned to me, sadness in his eyes. “Was? Who was Ütãtica? I think you mean, who is Ütãtica.” I expected him to continue, but he didn’t. He just looked out to sea, lost in his memories. I encouraged him. “Go on.” I said “Really, I want to hear.” He smiled at me, and laughed softly. “They all do…” he said, “They all do.”
“Once, a long time ago, right here where you’re standing, there was a beautiful village. There were birds, land creatures, people, and magic.” “Magic?” I questioned. “Magic, yes.” He continued. “All types of magic. We had magic, and we had a lot of it… I guess that was the problem.” Here he sighed. “You, see, people came form all around for our magic. A few of the boys in our village started a sort of Black Market, selling our magic. But the Leaders forbid it. They called the boys outlaws and criminals; this was a crime of the highest offense. Then, before all of our eyes, the boys were hung. We were forced to watch…” Here his voiced trailed off, and I could see tears in his eyes. But he wasn’t finished. “One by one, they were led up to the platform, and the noose placed around their neck; but the last hanging was what changed this place forever. As he came up on the platform, he removed his hat and coat. We in the crowd gasped, as long golden hair fell over ‘his’ shoulders. “Ütãtica?” An old woman whispered, almost inaudibly. Ütãtica looked at the old, frail woman and her eyes flooded with memories. “Mom?” She asked. Tears welled in her eyes. “Mom, I didn’t mean to run away. I didn’t- I just, it was just that, Mom, I’m sorry.” The old woman sobbed and turned her face towards her daughter. “I thought you were dead… I … when the boat tipped, and you were captured by the raging sea… I didn’t think I’d ever see you again; now here you are… a criminal! My only child…” Her voice trailed off. Ütãtica was crying freely now. “Mom, please… forgive me… I didn’t mean to do this, I didn’t know how to survive and I just; it was desperate. Please Mom- it, I-” She pleaded “Please… please… I only wanted to stay alive so I could come back to see you; I travelled half around the world, I am your only child, please forgive me…” The old woman looked up, pain in her eyes. “You are no child of mine Ütãtica, you can die.” ”
The old man looked at me. “Ütãtica died that day, along with all the other boys. She was the only girl there, and… her mother… she… well.” “She… what did she do?” I asked. The old man sighed. “I guess she didn’t want to have a criminal for a daughter… she let her die.” I was shocked. “But… how? Why? I mean… I don’t know. It’s just not right!” “I know, I know.” He continued. “But that’s the way it was in those days. The parents had the right to kill their daughters if they disappointed them… I guess Ütãtica wasn’t good enough for her mother…” He sighed “Do you wish me to go on?” “Oh yes.” I replied. I did really want to hear Ütãtica’s story… it sounded so tragic.
The old man sighed, and went on. “Ütãtica was gone in body, but not in spirit. That night, her mother had heard banging in kitchen, and glasses of water smashed onto the floor. In terror, she fled. That night, she stayed at the magic mans hut; for protection. But it wasn’t enough. Ütãtica came back that night, and we all lay in terror as we heard our neighbors’ huts crash to the ground. We stayed in the forest that night, as the village was torn to shreds by Ütãtica; returned for revenge. We returned to the village in the morning, and it was a living hell. Bodies of the dead were strewn across the ground, amidst debris from destroyed houses. Blood, fear and hate were everywhere; you could feel it in the air.”
I was shocked. This place; here? ‘No,’ I told myself. ‘no.’ It didn’t seem likely… then I looked up. Over the dead grass, the parched earth, everything. I imagined what he had told me; about Ütãtica, her mother, the village. Suddenly, it all seemed possible; I could see the lush green fields that were once here, and the peaceful village; I could imagine the terror and destruction of Ütãtica’s revenge. “Wow.” I breathed. Here, all around me… a secret past. “So you see,” The man said, “Ütãtica is still here. On the clear days, she is the ripples the river, the clouds in the sky; everywhere. She’s not gone.”
I smiled to myself, as the old man turned to me and told me to leave. “You must leave me; I am not as strong as I used to be… it is my time to go.” So I turned and left, but when I got to the forest I stopped and glanced back. Out of the clouds came a shimmering golden light, then its’ features became clear. “Ütãtica?” I breathed; not believing what I was seeing. But it was. I watched as she took the old mans hands and together they rose up into the clouds; but for a moment she hesitated. She turned to me and smiled. I noticed a change around me, then I realized. The parched red earth was a lush field, swaying in the wind. Under the cliffs there was a small hut, and behind me, a village. Then I blinked and it was gone. With one last glance, Ütãtica turned around and walked up into the clouds, gone forever.