The Mother River by Austin Mitchell (Excerpt)

The Mother River

by Austin Mitchell

             Once, hundreds of years ago, there was a great river. It was called the Mother river. Some said that it was in the north of the island, others said that it was in the middle of the island, but others disagreed, saying that it was in the west. Although it was known as the Mother river, people called it the magic river, the golden river and many other names. One of the main villages the river passed through was reportedly called called  Dunklet. The people of Dunklet worshipped the river.  They depended for their very lives on this river. They bathed, swam and caught fishes in its waters. They often wondered at the size of the fishes they caught. They were so big and juicy. They used its waters to irrigate their fields. From their fields they got the finest crops. Nobody in Dunklet went hungry as there was always lots of food to go around.

            But there was a reason why the river was also called the magic river. Whenever it rained, and the river became flooded, a lot of precious metals and stones were washed upon its banks. These the people used to fashion into all kinds of jewelry to be worn by both men and women. People wondered where these precious metals came from. Some of them even tried to find the river head, but got lost and had to turn back.

            The first village chief,  Abucadizer, realizing how valuable this river was to his people

            appointed a man named Tull as the  caretaker of the river. Together, he and Tull

            fashioned out certain rules concerning the people and the river.

            The people were not to dump their refuse in the river, they were not to dig in the

             river or its banks looking for precious metals. They were also not the sell the precious

             metals.

            Some of the people were dissatisfied with the village chief, Abucadizer and Tull’s ruling.  At a meeting in the village a week later, a man called Neddy got up and asked.

            “They are people willing to give us good money for the precious metals. Why stop us from selling it and making money?”

            A young girl, Yashimaje, remarked.

            ”We need things to fix up ourselves. We can’t eat the jewelry.”

            But Abucadizer told them that it was the will of the gods that they not sell the jewelry they found in the river.

            Several of the villagers including Neddy and Yashimaje left the meeting dissatisfied. Just like how people wondered when the river came from they were also wondering where it went when it left the village. They found out that it escaped into some canyons. Some people believed that after it left the canyons it went underground and into the sea.

            The river also had healing qualities and people came from far and near to bathe in its waters. Some of the villages including a man called Lud, a woman called Selmaje and another young girl named Taroona were dissatisfied with what was happening. They said that all outsiders  should pay to bathe in the river. However Abucadizer disagreed and said that the gods would be angry with them if they prevented people from bathing in the river.