The Couple

The Nile Crossing

 

It is the middle of summer. The port is busy. Boats continue to come from the south, bringing fresh fruits and tea. I love to stand on top of the city wall and watch the market place. There is action. There is the noise from people trying to buy their merchandise and people trying to sell their merchandise.

Kiya stood behind her stall with different containers of tea. Her supply just came in this morning. She was busy sorting out the new arrival. She has been doing this for the past year. After her husband died, she decided to set up a stall at the market place. From a housewife to a market merchant, she learned the trade quickly. They did not have any children. It made it a little easy for her. As she used to say, when her stomach is full, the whole family is full.

Not far from her, near the gate into the city stood Wahankh. He has been doing that post in the last six months. He used to guard the entrance to the Temple of Ptah, but the new priest asked that he be transferred to the city gate. Wahankh is in his late twenties. He is tall, muscular and very strong. Someone said that he can carry a donkey on his shoulders.

My name is Akil. I am one of the many scribes in the city. My father used to hold that position. After he had an unexplainable illness two years ago, I took his place. I write every day, mostly about my observations of the daily life in the city.

As the sun was about to set that afternoon, Kiya put all the containers back to a little cart. She was ready to call it a day. When she put the last container on the cart, the lid fell off. She hurriedly bends over to pick it up. Something caught her attention. There was a little basket underneath the cart. She pulled it towards her slowly. To her surprise, there was a little baby boy wrap in a red cloth.

“How could there be a baby here without me hearing a cry? When did this happen?” She asked herself.

Kiya sat down and look around. Everyone is busy packing to leave. No one seem to notice that she just discover something special. She is in her late twenties. She and her husband tried to have a baby. Nothing happened after five years, so they gave up.

Kiya got home and immediately clean out a place for the baby. She unwrapped the red cloth and pick up the boy. The boy gave her a beautiful smile. She look at the boy for a long time. The stress of the past year seems to melt away.

Wahankh returned to the house after the day shift is over. He stayed at the barracks with the rest of the guards. There is something that he noticed at the market place that day. The tea vendor took home a basket with a red cloth in it. He wondered what was in it. It is part of his job to make sure that the market is safe. He made a note to himself that he should check it out the next day. For the meantime, he needed to grab something to eat.

I went back to my house. I sat down to write. I find it relaxing to write all my observations of the day once I get home. From my room and through the window, I can see the desert and the pyramid in the distance. As I pick up the pen, I heard a loud knock at the door.

I left the room and walked to the door. Three mean looking soldiers had already pushed open the door. They were standing there with their swords in hand. One of them, the taller and darker one, approached me and grabbed my neck. With my tiny body frame, I had no strength to resist. He pushed me towards the wall in the hallway. I put my hands on his hands trying to pry it open. Nothing happened. I was choking badly and gasping for air. Before long, I lay on the floor like a rug doll. Like what many people reported, I saw a big bright light on the ceiling.

When the guards were leaving the house, I heard one of them yell, “That’s for writing too much!”

As Egyptians, we believe that the sky is the covered by the body of the sky goddess Nut. We also believe that Egypt is the center of the world. As I leave my body, I see that there is more to that. Egypt is not the center of the world. There is more to the sky than the body of Nut. I see many spirits forming a big tapestry. We are all connected, no matter which social class you belong to.

Kiya name her little boy Ptahhotep. Ptah is our God. Ptahhotep means that Ptah is satisfied. Kiya believe that this little boy will bring joy to her life. Kiya continue to sell tea at the market place. She would bring Ptahhotep with her. Her friends and neighbors are very supportive. The lactating women will share their milk. Ptahhotep grew up to be a fine boy.

Wahank stayed in his post as a guard for many years. He got to know Kiya and Ptahhotep. Sometimes Kiya will give him some tea to bring home after a long day. When he is not working, he would spent some time with Ptahhotep at the river banks. They would catch some insects or just play. During the hot summer days, they would find a huge tree at the river bank to rest. They would look at the passing clouds, imagining the different size and shapes. They had found finding how many cattle would fly by. That was enough for them to spend the whole afternoon.

A few more floods came and went; it is time for Ptahhotep to go to school. Kiya was very excited. Her son can now learn to write. She is hoping that he can become a scribe.

The first day of school was not fun for Ptahhotep. He was used to be free, free to play with Wahankh, free to catch the insects along the river. Now he has to sit for hours and copy characters that do not make sense to him. He would peek at the window and watch the clouds, playing the games that he and Wahankh invented.

At one of the day dreaming period, he felt a sharp pain on his right arm. The school teacher had a stick in his hands. “Ptahotep, what are you doing?”

Ptahhotep was scared. He did not know how to reply.

“Ptahhotep, answer me. What are you doing?” The teacher asks again.

“I…I am counting cattle.”  Ptahotep replied.

“Counting what?”

“Cattle.”

Another slap of the stick arrived on his arm. “I want you to do what you are supposed to do in school, and that is to copy those characters. You understand?”

That second was a lot more painful, Ptahhotep had tear coming out of his eyes. In all of those seven years of his life, his mother never hit him. All she gives him was a warm hug and encouragement.

Ptahhotep picked up the pen. He returned his gaze to the paper in front of him. He copied the characters slowly. No, he did not want to get another slap from the teacher. He was so happy when they were told that they can go home.

He continued to go to school for another month. Then one day, when Kiya was getting ready to bring him to school, he ran out of the house quickly and disappeared. Kiya looked all over for him. When she was about to give up, she lifted her gaze and saw Ptahhotep hiding on one of the tree branches.

“Ptahhotep, come down! You have to go to school!” Kiya yelled.

“I don’t want to!” Ptahhotep yelled back.

“You have no choice! You need to learn how to read and write!” Kiya yelled back.

“No!”

Kiya sat down next to the tree. She knew what happened at school. Ptahhotep is a smart kid but it seems that school is just not for him. There are many choices for career. He does not need to be a scribe. She decided to leave him alone. As she walks back home, she bumped into Wahankh.

“Are you alright?” Wahankh asked. “It looks like something is bothering you.”

“Yes. It is Ptahhotep. He does not want to go to school.” Kiya replied.

“He told me about school, about how the teacher would hit him with a stick.” Wahankh said.

“Yes. I knew that.”

“So, what are you going to do about it?” He asked.

“I do not know. For now, I am just going to leave him alone. He is a smart kid. He can do something else.”

“I noticed that he loves to work with him hands. I would break some tree branches and make it into toys for him and the other boys.” Wahankh said. “I have an idea! Let him become a carpenter!”

Ptahhotep would remember that day for the rest of his life. Kiya and Wahankh brought him to the temple to visit the master carpenter. He is the person in charge of keeping the Temple of Ptah in shape. Under his supervision, every corner of the temple was clean and fresh. They have a shop at the back of the temple. Ptahhotep was so happy to see the different kinds of tools there. Other carpenters were busy working.

“So, you want to be a carpenter?” The master carpenter asked.

“Yes! I love to make things with my hands.” Ptahhotep replied.

“Do you know that there will be a lot of hard work here?”

“I can see. But I can also see that all of you make great wood products here.” Ptahhotep answered.

“Well then, as the newest apprentice, you need to be here on time. Your first job will be to sweep the floor. You understand?”

Ptahhotep nodded. He would do anything to have his hands on those tools. He would do anything to avoid copying those boring characters. He would do anything to avoid being beaten by the school teacher.

Ptahhotep quickly learned the rules. He would show up before any of the other carpenters. He would sweep the floor. After sweeping the floor, he would gather the entire used tools and sharpen them. The master carpenter showed him how to sharpen the tools once, now after one month, he is doing it skillfully.

Three months into the apprenticeship, Ptahhotep was allowed to use the tools. He worked an older carpenter. Both of them would do the project together. The older carpenter would also bring him to the temple and make the necessary repairs.

The older carpenter would sometimes stop and watch the ceremony conducted by the high priest.

“That is Setna, our high priest. Everyone respect him here.” The older carpenter said.

There is something inside Ptahhotep’s mind that he has not share with anyone, including Kiya and Wahankh. One day he overheard Kiya and Wahankh talking about the day he was found in a basket in the market place. He kept that to himself. He is now eighteen years old, a grown man. He feels that he should be able to keep that a secret. Since Kiya and Wahankh never talk about it with him, he did not want to confront them. From the way the story goes, they also do not know where he came from.

As he gets better and better with his carpentry skills, he was asked to go inside the temple by himself. Many times he would sit at the back of the temple and watch Setna conduct the ceremonies. One day, Setna stopped him as he was leaving the temple.

“Excuse me, young man. You must be one of our carpenters. What is your name?” Setna asked.

“I am Ptahhotep.”

“I see you sitting at the back of the temple watching the ceremonies. Are you interested?” Setna said.

“There is a peaceful feeling when I watch you perform those ceremonies. I guess I just couldn’t help myself but to stop and watch.” Ptahhotep replied.

Setna is one of the priests who come to the temple for three months at a time. He has his own family and his own business. In ancient Egypt, the job of the priest is to serve the Gods. They prepare the offering and take care of the sanctuary. Most people are allowed inside the temple. Ptahhotep was the exception.

Setna has a good feeling towards Ptahhotep. Now that they know each other, given a chance, he would sit down with Ptahhotep and try to know him more.

“Tell me about your family.” One time Setna asked.

“My mother sells tea at the market place. I do not know about my father. From what I know, someone left me in a basket.” Usually Ptahhotep does not tell this story to anyone, but Setna is different. It was easy for Ptahhotep to share the story with him.

“You are a nice young man. Aside from your mother, do you spend time with other people?” Setna asked.

“There is Wahank. He is a soldier who guards the gate to the city. He is like a father to me.”

“Well, I would like to meet them one of these days. Let me see if I can make some arrangements after my three month term is over.”

Three months went by. Setna sent a message to Ptahhotep. He would like to invite Ptahhotep, Kiya and Wahankh to his house.

When the day arrived, Ptahhotep was excited. Kiya and Wahankh were not sure if it is a good idea. In those times, the class system is still in place. Obviously, Kiya and Setna belong to different class.

There was an abundant amount of food on the table. Setna introduced his wife and son to his guests. As they were eating, a maid walked in.

“Aneksi” Setna called her. “Bring more wine!”

Aneksi is about Kiya’s age. She is beautiful but one can see the effects of aging on her face. Her hands were dry and rough from doing all the household work. As she pour more wine for Setna and Wahankh, she could not help herself but took a few looks at Ptahhotep.

She knows who he is. She has been secretly watching this young man for a long time. From the day she wrapped him in a red cloth and put him in the basket, she has been keeping an eye on him. It breaks her heart that she cannot take care of him. She was glad that she made the right choice to leave him with Kiya. She prays for him every day. All these years, she has never been this close to him. She loves his big round eyes and the dark curly hair. What a handsome young man!

Aneksi went back to the kitchen. She cannot hold her years anymore. She needed a good cry. She felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Setna’s wife. She knew her secret. She was the one who asked Setna to make the arrangement. Aneksi came to their home eighteen years ago. Aneksi was homeless at that time. They took her in, fed her and gave her a place to stay. Eventually, Aneksi decided to work for them.

The week after the visit was very hard on Aneksi. She finds herself staring into the sky. She asked permission to go to the temple and offer some fruits to God. At the Temple of Ptah, she put done the fruits on the steps. She kneeled and asked for help.

“Ptah, our God, I come to you today to ask for guidance. My son, Ptahhotep, has grown into a fine young man. I want to be with him but does not know how to proceed. Please tell me what to do.”

At the same time, Wahankh was helping Kiya carry some fire woods to the house. After he was done, he sat down and had a chat with Kiya.

“Did you notice something that day when we visited Setna?” Wahankh asked Kiya.

“About what?” Kiya said.

“The maid kept looking at Ptahhotep. One time, she was actually staring at him.”

“Well, Ptahhotep is a handsome young man! Maybe she wished that she has a son like him!” Kiya jokingly said.

“A son!” Wahankh jumped up and said, “Maybe she is the mother!”

“What? Don’t be kidding. That’s impossible.” Kiya replied.

“It can be! Look, Ptahhotep has big round eyes and black curly hairs, so is she!” Wahankh got excited about this. “Look, she is about our age. If you were to have a son, he will be Ptahhotep’s age too, right?”

“Wahankh, you had a long busy day. I think you should go home and get some rest.” Kiya still does not believe in the story.

As Wahankh walked away, he was mumbling to himself, “Hmmm, I need to look into this. That will be the biggest news in town!”

Aneksi continue to do her daily chores. She goes with Setna’s wife to the market to buy their needs. This day, they decided to go to the market by the city gate. As they pass the gate, someone familiar came to view. It is Wahankh, their guest one week ago. Wahankh nodded. They nodded too.

The market was busy. People were trading what they have for what they need. This market is different. There are more baskets and tea. As they stroll from one stall to another, another familiar face was noted.

“Kiya!” Setna’s wife said. “What a surprise!”

“Yes, indeed.” Kiya replied. “How are you?”

“We are well. Aneksi and I usually go to the market by the city center, today we decided to make a change. What a coincidence!”

“Yes. I have been doing this for the last nineteen years. It is good to see you again!” Kiya smiled and said.

Kiya also noticed Aneksi standing there. With Wahankh’s indication last time, Kiya decided to take a look at her. She is medium height, long dark curly hair, big round eyes, pointed nose and small thin lips.

“Aneksi! It is good to see you too!” Kiya said to her.

“Yes. We were thinking of getting some tea and here you are with a stall full of tea.” Aneksi said and smiled.

That smile reminded Kiya of Ptahhotep. It is a feeling. It is not only the smile on the face but the whole body language. Ptahhotep loves to smile and slight tilt his head to the right. So does Aneksi.

“But how do I ask?” Kiya asked herself. How do I ask about someone’s secret for so many years?”

Setna’s wife stopped her in her thoughts. “Kiya, please give me a small bag of these.” She was pointing to the newly arrived Hibiscus tea.

Kiya quickly said, “Oh, definitely!”

Kiya gave them their tea and they left. She was planning to ask but really do not know how to do it. At the end of the day, Wahankh came over and talked to her.

“Looks like you saw Aneksi today.” Wahankh said.

“Yes indeed. I think you are right. I took a closer look at her today. She does have some features similar to Ptahhotep. I just don’t know how to ask. Or, should we even ask and reveal the secret.” Kiya replied.

“I have been thinking about it too. I really do not know how to proceed.” Wahankh added.

There were rumors about the activities of the rebels in the vicinity. Wahankh was the first one to hear that. He shared the news with Kiya and Ptahhotep.

“What are we going to do?” Ptahhotep asked.

“I do not know. Our captain is adding more guards. He is tightening the patrol.” Wahankh said.

“Do we need to hide somewhere? “ Kiya asked.

“No. The last attack was 20 years ago. We survived. Besides, where would we hide?” Wahankh answered.

Tension can be felt in the city as people passed the news. The increased patrol of the soldiers also added some uneasiness. People still continue with their daily activity. One day, Kiya and Ptahhotep brought some offerings to the temple. They prayed for the safety of the city.

It was the crack of dawn when Ptahhotep was awaken by the noise. He run to the outside of the house. The western part of the city is on fire. There were people rushing into the streets. The was noise all over. He went into the house and woke up Kiya.

“Mother, we have to go! The rebels are here!” Ptahhotep yelled.

They hurriedly left the house and headed towards the eastern city gate. Wahankh’s barrack is located just inside that gate. From that gate, they will be able to escape along the river.

As they stumble towards the gate, Ptahhotep saw a rebel dragging a woman. It is Aneksi! He quickly jump on the rebel, put his arm around the rebel’s neck and pulled him down. After they hit the ground, Ptahhotep picked up a rock, smashed the rebel’s head many times until the rebel became unconscious.

He turned to check on Aneksi. She was laying there motionless. Ptahhotep used his left arm to cradle her head.

“Aneksi! Are you alright?”

There was no response. Her legs had blood on it. She was breathing very shallow.

“Aneksi!” Ptahhotep yelled and shook her.

This time, she opened her eyes slowly.

“My son. It’s you…” She weakly said.

“What?” Ptahhotep could not believe what he heard. “Why do you call me your son?”

“You are my son. I was the one who put you in the basket and left you with Kiya.” Aneksi replied.

“Why?” That’s all Ptahhotep can say. He was shocked. He cannot think. All he wants to do is just to stop everything. Stop the rebels. Stop the noise. Stop this new thought in his mind that he just found his mother. Stop this new thought that his mother is dying.

Someone grabbed his shoulder. It is Wahankh.

“Ptahhotep, let me carry her. I know a place to hide.” Wahank said.

This time, Kiya also came to help. “Ptahhotep, she will be fine. Let’s go”

Ptahhotep’s mind was in a fog. He did not know what happened next. All he remembered was that they were all running towards the gate. After they passed the gate, Wahankh led them to the river bank. There was a boat with big palm leaves covering it. They all went in and pull the leaves over them. Ptahhotep can feel his heart beating really fast. Everything stands still. All they can do is listen, waiting for the noise to stop.

It must be about the length of time to burn a candle, the noise stopped. The horn was blowing. Wahankh recognized that horn. It is the horn of victory. They won! The rebels were defeated! He slowly push away the leaves that were covering them. The sun was at its peak. It is high noon. From the boat looking towards the city, he can see people slowly moving back. Some were limping. People were helping each other and helping those who were injured return to their home. Smoke can be seen. It will take a while to put out the fire. It does not matter. We won! The city was saved!

He looked back into the boat. Kiya, Aneksi and Ptahhotep were laying there. They were all exhausted from the escape. Aneksi is breathing! Thank God!

Wahankh tore a piece of his clothing, soaked some water from the river. He cleansed the wound on Aneksi’s legs. The bleeding has stopped. He also tore another piece of cloth to cover the wound. He remembered that he hide a jar of drinking water at the end of the boat. He got it, lifted Aneksi’s upper body and try to give her some water. Aneksi’s eyes open, tears run down from both eyes, then a smile appeared.

“You will be fine Aneksi. You will be fine.” Wahank said.

Two weeks after the raid, the city has returned to its normal routine. The children went back to school. The farmers returned to the field. The fisherman went back to the Nile river. Kiya returned to the market. Her stall was run down by the rebels. With the help of Ptahhotep, Wahankh and her new friend Aneksi, she resumed business.

After the raid, Kiya, Wahankh and Ptahhotep went to the temple to give their offerings and thanks to God. Setna was there. He told the good news. Aneksi do not need to work for them anymore. Since the secret was out, they felt that it is best for Ptahhotep to be united with his mother.

So, Aneksi moved in to live with Kiya and Ptahhotep. Ptahhotep is overjoyed! He has two mothers to share his love and life. Aneksi decided to help Kiya at the market. At the end of each week, the new family, Kiya, Aneksi, Ptahhotpe and Wahankh gather for an evening meal. They treasure and look forward to that weekly thanksgiving dinner.

There will be more to their life. They fell that together, they can deal with it. The bonding is strong. The Gods have been good to them. It is a story that will spread throughout the city for years to come.