Tenac's family

The tent was spacious and had different rugs laid out on the floor. In the centre of the room there was a small fire. The smoke went out through a small hole in the centre of the roof of the tent.

In the part furthest from the entrance, there were pillows, cushions and blankets spread out. Still holding his box with candy, Tenac’s grandfather sat down closest to the tent wall and signed for the others to join him.

Mary looked at Tenac and he sat down slowly, showing her how to get comfortable. Mary copied him and found it surprisingly comfortable sitting in the pile of soft pillows.

There was a woman moving towards them. Mary hadn’t noticed her when they entered.

“This is Rehina, one of my granddaughters,” Tenac’s grandfather said as the woman put down a mortar in front of him and handed him a bag and a small pouch.  

“Hello,” Mary said, giving the woman a smile. The woman smiled shyly back at her and then watched her grandfather.

He had put what looked like black beans into the mortar and was now grinding them. Once they had become almost like a powder, he opened the pouch and pulled out cardamom seeds that he added to the mortar and mixed it quickly. He handed the mortar to Rehina that added the powder to a coffee pot and sat it on the fire. There was a lovely smell of coffee in the tent.

“Do you drink coffee, Mary? I apologise for not asking sooner,” the old man said.

“I do,” she smiled.

“Tenac has told me you are from Dermes. Do they drink coffee there?” he asked.

“I am. No, I hadn’t heard of it until I came here and Tenac showed it to me,” Mary said.

After a while, Rehina brought the coffeepot over to Tenac’s grandfather, together with some cups and a platter of dried fruits. Tenac’s grandfather poured the coffee and handed the first cup to Mary, then to his son, then Tenac and last, he put one in front of him.

“Do you want honey with your coffee?” he kindly asked Mary.

“No thank you,” she smiled, and he nodded.

“Rehina, can you ask Nontuf to come here please, then you can take the rest of the day and join your friends,” Tenac’s grandfather said. “Please, it’s not like the treasures you brought, but it’s sweet and tastes good with the coffee,” he then said, holding out the platter with fruit to Mary.

“Thank you,” she said, taking a fig. She glanced at Tenac, wishing that she could ask him what to do next without letting the others know.

As usual, Tenac seemed to understand. He looked at her cup and nodded slightly. Mary understood. She, as a guest, was to drink first. So that is what she did. She sipped the hot beverage. It tasted amazing, nothing like the coffee they usually drank in the market. Everyone else followed her.

“This is excellent coffee,” she said.

“I’m pleased that you like it,” the old man said.

The opening to the tent was blocked for a moment as a young man walked in. He looked like Tenac’s uncle, but he had the same eyes as Tenac and Tenac’s grandfather.

“Ah, Nontuf, thank you for coming. This is Mary, a friend of Tenac’s. Mary, this is Nontuf. He’s Cetu’s oldest son,” Tenac’s grandfather introduced them. Mary nodded at the man. He studied her for a moment before nodding at her.

“Nontuf, Mary has brought gifts for the entire clan. I want you to take them and make sure that they are distributed equally,” the chief said. Nontuf nodded toward his grandfather and Tenac stood up and handed him the pouches with candy.

“Tenac.”

“Nontuf.”

The cousins greeted each other. To Mary, it felt stiff and rehearsed. But then she didn’t know what relationship the two men had. As Nontuf exited the tent, the mood relaxed.

“It’s rare for us to have visitors from Domne, won’t you please tell us about your birthplace?” Tenac’s grandfather asked Mary. Mary nodded and told them things she thought they would be interested in hearing.

Tenac’s grandfather seemed genuinely interested and listened to her. He also asked questions. Tenac’s uncle, on the other hand, looked like he stopped listening after a while. When they had finished their coffee, Mary stopped telling her stories.

“I am truly grateful that you indulge me, Mary. I have a childish curiosity about other nations. Unfortunately, I could not sate it on my own. I have to make do with listening to others telling me about it,” the old man told her. Mary couldn’t help but like him.

“But you are not here to sit and tell me stories. Tenac will show you around and then we will have dinner at my son’s tent. You have not tasted Che’hul food before, I think?” he asked.

“No, I don’t think that I have,” Mary agreed.

“Then you have something to look forward to. My eldest son’s wife and daughters are excellent cooks,” the pride was clear in his voice.

“I look forward to it,” Mary smiled.

Tenac stood up and stretched out a hand to help Mary. Mary gave him a smile as he guided her out of the tent and into the crisp winter day.

Tenac showed her around camp and introduced her to some people. Bella noticed they had their own language. That sparked her curiosity.

“Tenac, is it just me or was there some tension between you and your cousin?” she asked as they walked.

“You picked up on that?” he asked, his voice had an unusual sharpness to it.

“Sorry, it’s none of my business,” Mary said. Family matters were sensitive things, she reminded herself.  

“It’s okay. I don’t mind you asking. It’s a complicated history,” Tenac smiled at her.

“My uncle is the oldest son of my grandfather by his first wife. His wife died shortly after giving birth to my uncle,” Tenac explained.

“How sad,” Mary said.

“His first marriage was one of politics. My grandfather married his first wife, that was another chief’s daughter. A year after she died, he met my grandmother and, according to my grandfather, it was love at first sight,” Tenac continued.

“They got married and a year later, my father was born. As the second son, he always knew he wouldn’t be chief, and he always said that he was happier that way. My father had always dreamed about joining the grey riders. He couldn’t have done that if he was the first son.”

“When he told his father he was going to join the riders, my grandfather wasn’t thrilled. My father was the favourite son. If it was because he was the son of his second wife, if it was because he looked so much like my grandfather or a combination of the two, no one knows. I don’t think even my grandfather knows,” Tenac said with a faint smile.

“Anyhow, my father leaving caused a rift between my grandfather and him. It got better when my father came home and introduced my mother to his clan. Having the Lady in the family gave the clan prestige. Then I came, and I had my father’s and grandfather’s looks,” he said.

“It is a strong resemblance,” Mary agreed.

“My uncle got married before my father, but his first child was a daughter.”

“Women can’t be chief?” Mary asked.

“No, the title is inherited by males. My cousin Nontuf is my uncle’s second child and is about six months younger than me,” Tenac explained.

“That didn’t matter, as he was the first son of my uncle’s. But then my father passed away. My grandfather called for my mother and me to come and talk to him. He suggested my uncle adopt me, his reasoning being that it would give me a father figure,” Tenac said. Mary could hear that he still was upset by the offer.

“Do the clan recognise adoptions in the same way they do blood children?” Mary asked.

“There is no difference made,” Tenac confirmed, and Mary understood the tension in the family.

“As you have figured out, my uncle and cousin took this as my grandfather trying to hand me the position as chief before Nontuf. It didn’t go down well. But I didn’t accept. I love my grandfather and I love my clan. But I already knew back then that I would go the same route as my father. I wasn’t interested in being chief, I wanted to be a rider,” Tenac said.

“I’m guessing they can’t let it go?” Mary asked.

“No, the offer caused a rift between my uncle’s family and myself. I don’t think we will ever get past it. We are civil to each other, but nothing more,” he confirmed.

“I’m sorry,” Mary said, placing her hand on his arm.

“Don’t be, Mary, none of it is your fault,” he smiled at her.

“I know, but it is hurting you and as your friend, I’m sorry that you are hurting,” she told him.

“Thank you, Mary. That means a lot. Now let’s get over to my uncle’s tent. Dinner should be done any minute,” Tenac said, leading the way.