A Timetraveler's Tale

Discussion in 'Tall Tales & Fabrications' started by Ted Richards, Nov 8, 2017.

  1. Ted Richards

    Ted Richards Veteran Member
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    In another place and another time I have been called Timetraveler for that is what I do. I am always curious about the lives of those who came before us. On this journey through time, I visited an old, old man and this is his tale.The setting is 85,000 years ago on the seashore of Arabia. The old man told me of the adventures of his middle-age, how his band came to be the first of our kind to leave Africa.


    Two men rushed at us screaming and throwing rocks. Amu reacted instantly, shooting an arrow into the shoulder of one. Jared was almost as fast, but his arrow missed although it was enough to stop them short of spear range. They seem puzzled by the arrow; one pulled it out of the shoulder of his companion and they examined it. Behind them I saw their fresh kill, a small animal, a goat of some kind.

    I motioned my nephews back and we left them to their kill, moving back the way we came. I believe they feared the range of our arrows. I have never heard that tongue before; it was strange to me. They too are strange, a lighter color, shorter, very heavy muscled, with heavy faces and big noses. I supposed they were people, but they were not like us. They have heavy spears but did not seem to have a bow and arrows as we do.

    Jared spoke then, "Uncle, why do we flee from them? We can easily kill them and have their kill." "Jared" I reply, "I am sure that we could overcome them. I do not think they have the bow and arrow. Did you see how puzzled they seemed to be by our arrows? We are here to scout out this land, to see if we can live here. If they are to be our enemies, then we must know how many of them there are to fight. If it is only a few, we can handle them, but if there are many, they may overrun us. I do not think it wise for three of us to start a war in a strange land when there may be many to come against us."

    Amu seldom speaks, but in this, he did “ Uncle is right, let them go home and tell others of their kind of our great weapons, then they will fear us. Surely their story will make us seem mighty and to be feared.”

    We watched them from behind the ridge, we were curious; could we hold this land if we came here? Are these the monsters of the tales told around our fires? For two days we have wandered this new land and this is the first time we have seen any people, or even any tracks. I think they are few in number and perhaps cling to a refuge in the mountains and do not venture to the seashore.

    Now we must avoid an ambush, but today we must find water and something to eat. We have followed this wadi inland from the sea because it comes out of the mountains to the north There is another wadi nearby and we will follow it instead. We are getting close to the mountains now and I think we will find water soon. Where there is water, there will be game animals too.

    I remember the speech I made, by the fire to all our people: “I, Raj, will go, and I’ll take my sisters sons. We will go across in the boat that is too small for fishing. We can see distant hills where the monsoons rain, so there must be fresh water to drink and game animals. It is said that there are monsters there; some say they have seen campfires. I do not believe there are monsters there, we will go and see, if there are monsters there, we will kill and eat them!”

    “Tomorrow, then, Amu and Jared will go with me. They are young men now, strong warriors and skilled hunters. We will see if this land is good for us. I have listened to the women, I know what they need in the land, I know we need better seashores to gather shellfish and crabs, we need places to get fresh water to drink. I have listened to our men; I know they need game to hunt and new shores to fish. I have listened to our young men, they need new adventures, not wars with others of our people.”

    “It is better that I go, for my wife is dead, my daughters are becoming women and will stay with my sister and learn the ways of women. I am wise in our ways, have the judgment of experience, and yet I am young enough to explore a new land and I am still a warrior! My sister’s sons are strong warriors too and not yet with wives, they need this adventure as much as I”.

    This was the beginning of the story of our new adventures on the eastern shore of the Red Sea. We found the camp of the other-people; people we now call the Others, and indeed they are few in number. They seem to stay in the mountains, seldom venturing to the seashore; they may be the monsters of our stories but we have little to fear from them. We will avoid them for we prefer a life along the seashore, gathering shellfish and fishing. We hunt inland for larger game but I think we can live peacefully with the Others.

    When we returned to our home on the African shore, we talked much of this new land and it was decided. Four families will cross The Gates of Grief with me to the new land. Two of the young men from our tribe plan to take wives soon from another tribe up the coast and they will join us soon. My own pretty daughters hope to marry and perhaps will join us too. It will be a small band, but I think we can hold this new land.

    These are my stories for I am old now; my eyes grow dim, but I remember those days well! For many years we have wandered the seashores, moving toward the rising sun; we still do. Over the years others of our kind joined us and my daughters came with their new husbands. Life is good, the sun is warm, and we have plenty to eat, the sea provides all we need. Our young men seek new adventures, ever eastward, so we move on. Sometimes, a few stay in a favored location or river valley, but most of us dream of what is down the shore, around the bend.
     
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  2. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    Good story. It reminds me of "The Clan of the Cave Bear" by Jane Auel, one of the best books I ever read.
     
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