Chapter 1
Pamela stood listening to the huge waterfall and looking over at the twin mountain that her daughter was not allowed to visit. She shook her head, closed her eyes and opened her arms to welcome the wise spirits of her ancestors.
There was no organized religion in the Rahjah Rastafarian culture, but Sunday was their day of worship and everyone wandered all over the mountain meditating and communing with nature. They always gave thanks for every blessing bestowed on them. Today, Pamela gave thanks for her daughter and asked for guidance for her in her quest for peace among their people.
“We’ll all be a family again, you know,” Tim said, quietly coming up behind her.
She knew the sound of his voice, the curve of his bearded chin and the beautiful, unusual blue ring around his gray eyes. Tim had been her best male friend almost all her life. She smiled, finished her prayer and looked at him. He put his arms around her shoulders. “It bothers you, doesn’t it?”
“What?”
“Dissension among the tribes. I know what the children are saying, especially your little one.” His voice was deep and almost always somber.
She shrugged. “Gracie and the other children have been talking about someone they call the ogre. What’s your take on all this?”
“Pam, children make up stories about things they don’t really know about.”
Pamela sighed. “I guess you’re right, but I want to know exactly what happened to separate us like this.” She pulled at her twisted brown locks.
“Why don’t you know about all this?” Tim asked.
“I think because when all this was going on, I had lost a husband and was busy with a toddler. I heard but didn’t hear, if you know what I mean.”
“But it’s been years, Pam.” He began walking with her.
“I know, I suppose I didn’t really care before.”
“And now you do?”
“Yes.” She looked at him with querying eyes. “Are you following orders by not talking about it? Somehow, I think you know all about what happened.”
He laughed but still said nothing as they crossed the small bridge and walked back to the village.
As with all Rahjah residences, the cottages were built in a circle with wraparound verandahs. The village was painted in an array of colors. The roofs were either dark brown or green, blending in very well with the flora of the island.
Before going to the circle for breakfast, Pamela left Tim’s company and walked to her cottage to collect her cushion. The meal circle was established by the first Elders when they’d conquered the Blue Mountain on the island of Jamaica. It was their way of communicating with each other what they intended to do during the course of the day. At supper, they’d talk about what they’d actually accomplished. It was also family time for everyone.
Mary, Pamela’s neighbor and closest friend, walked beside her to the circle. A very long, low table was set on reinforced dirt in the meal circle. Everyone ate and drank with coconut and bamboo utensils and flatware.
Sitting in the circle, Pamela kissed Gracie’s cheek as her father, Ishmael, a tall, lanky man with long gray locks flowing down his back, stood and gave thanks for the meal while everyone held hands.
Huge platters of ackee and codfish, fried dumplings, boiled bananas, fruit and vegetables were passed around, then set on the table for anyone who wanted a second helping.
Pamela noticed that her daughter ate slowly, as if deep in thought. “What’s on your mind, little one?”
Gracie shrugged.
Pamela smiled at her daughter’s pretty little round face. She had her mother’s freckles across her nose and the same colored hair. She hugged her. “Come on,” she said. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Gracie looked up at her mother’s face. “The Elders teach us that all Rahjahs are related, all are from slaves and we must be honest and not judge, right?”
Oh boy. “Right.”
“Well, why do we judge the ogre on Misfit Mountain without talking with him?” She kept looking into her mother’s light brown eyes.
Pamela took a deep breath. “Why do you say we judge him?”
“I’ve always heard that he was a bad person and we shouldn’t talk about him or even go close to his mountain. I’ve never heard of anyone giving him a chance to clear his name.” Again, she held her mother’s gaze. “And why do we call him an ogre? Isn’t an ogre an ugly, horrible creature? And why do we call the people on that mountain misfits? Do you know there are children like me living there?”
For the first time in her life Pamela felt dumb. She didn’t know how to answer her daughter without letting her know that she’d been too busy being a mom to pay attention to what was being said of the man they called the ogre. “Yes, an ogre is a horrible creature, but sweetheart, who told you that he was an ogre, and that the mountain was called Misfit Mountain?”
“My friends. Are they lying, Mama?”
“No one is perfect, honey, but I don’t think the man you speak of is an ogre. As to the villagers being called misfits, we are all Rahjahs on this island, sweetie. No one is a misfit. The mountain is called Jahyah Mountain, everything on this mountain is identical to that on Jahyah Mountain.”
Gracie nodded. “Then may I visit them?”
Pamela thought that was where the conversation would lead. She laughed and squeezed her daughter’s shoulder. “No.”
“Why, Mama? You just said...”
“I know what I said, but I can’t give you permission, honey, only the Elders can.”
Gracie smiled and leaned into her mother’s embrace. “Then I will ask the Elders tomorrow when I go up for history lessons. Thank you, Mama.”
Pamela held her daughter close. She was not going to let this go anytime soon. “Oh, Gracie.” A horrible rift had been made and the Rahjahs turned against their own. It was time to repair the rift, and her daughter was determined to be the one to do it, even if she had ulterior motives.
Saul slowly walked from his cottage on Jahyah Mountain to the small bridge close to the waterfall. This was his favorite thing to do after being away from home for a long time. For him, no place on earth compared to this island.
He leaned against the wooden rail with one foot propped against the post and listened to the soothing sounds of the waterfall mixed with the sound of the slow rhythmic beating of the drums. The Rahjahs were steeped in tradition; no motorized vehicle was to be found on their island. Saul thought of his two beautiful children playing in the meadow on the other side of the mountain and smiled. Suddenly his ex-wife crossed his mind in a violent rage. His eyes flew open as his back stiffened. His mood became dark as he ground his teeth. Wanting desperately to rid himself of her image, he crossed the bridge, quickly stripped himself of his clothes and took the deep plunge off the cliff into the cool river water below.
The morning had become quite warm. The sun slowly burned the mist from the forest. At the end of breakfast, Pamela realized her daughter had awakened her interest in the lives of her family, whom she had not seen or spoken with in years. She, too, needed answers. She watched as her mother walked away from the circle, and then she got up and followed her to the community kitchen.
She caught up with her mother and touched her shoulder. Esther turned and hugged her.
Unlike Pamela’s slightly darker skin, Esther had very fair skin, with hazel eyes and long, salt-and-pepper locks that hung loosely down her back. Her full lips almost always smiled.
“Gracie asked me at breakfast about the people on Jahyah Mountain.” She moved from her mother’s gentle embrace and looked into her eyes. “Do you know that the kids call the people misfits and one of the men an ogre?”
Esther laughed. “We never speak of them, so I’m not surprised that they would make up stories about them.”
She held her mother’s hand. “We really need to talk. Let’s go to my cottage.”
Esther allowed Pamela to lead her towards her pink and white cottage with roses, daffodils and crotons growing on either sides of the walkway. Like all the Rahjah cottages, there was an encrusted emblem on the front door that read The Lion of Judah shall break every chain.
Pamela walked through the verandah, pushed open the door of her two-bedroom cottage, and stepped into her living room with her mother in tow. She sat on a huge green cushion on the highly polished wood floor. Her mother sat beside her on a yellow cushion.
There were four huge green and white cushions on the floor, and a mahogany center table with cut flowers in a coconut vase. No other furniture was in the living room. The windows were open and bare of curtains. On the walls were paintings done by different artists in the village, including Pamela, who was considered one of the best on the mountain.
“So, Mama, refresh my memory of what caused the rift.”
Esther smiled her motherly smile and leaned back into the cushion. “We promised long ago not to speak of them, but I can tell you this: the man they call an ogre is far from being one.” She shook her head. “You know that no Rahjah is tied to these mountains but encouraged at the age of sixteen to see the world if they so wish.”
“Yes, I know all that.”
“Well, Saul—by the way, that is his name—Saul went away for a long time. He attended university in Jamaica and then went to the United States, where he got his doctorate in geology.”
“Why geology?” Pamela interrupted.
“Is that important?” Esther asked with a frown.
“No, not at all. Go on, please.” She rolled her eyes at her mother.
“Anyway, he got himself a foreign wife, which was the greatest mistake he’d ever made. There’s nothing wrong with marrying out of our culture, but he barely knew her before he moved her into his home. She talked a lot and smiled a lot, but behind closed doors she was the devil. I don’t know much because he’s an extremely private man, but she almost drove him crazy even after the twins were born. She was extremely jealous and made mischief on his sister. It was after she’d turned on his parents that he sent her packing. There are many holes in my story, but as I said, he is a very private man.”
Pamela leaned forward, her elbows on her knees and her hands under her chin. “That doesn’t tell me why there’s a rift between the two mountains.”
“You weren’t following the story, were you? The woman told lies on everyone. She wanted him to send everyone away and keep a few as servants. She’d never had a real family life, so she didn’t know what it was like to be a part of one.”
“Oh, Jah,” Pamela whispered to herself.
“As I said, the rift came when Saul actually tried to please her by keeping himself from his people and believing all the lies she’d told him. Some were so angry with him they left and came to this mountain. To cut a very long story short, by the time her lies had reached his parents, things had gone beyond repair. Have you ever spoken to Myah about it? After all, she is his sister.”
Pamela shook her head. “No, I’ve never spoken to her about any of this.”
“She’s the only one who can fill in the holes in my story, and she hates talking about it. The lies that woman told...”
“Why don’t you say her name, Mama?”
Esther sighed, and the smile left her entire face. “Her name is Raquel. Anna Raquel, but she loves to be called Raquel. When Saul finally got rid of her, the hurt was so deep that we...” She stopped talking.
“But it wasn’t his fault, Mama.”
“Rahjah men are supposed to be strong. They are supposed to make good decisions. He should have asked questions instead of believing everything that woman said.”
“Oh, Mama, he’s a man. Rahjah or not, they are weak. You once told me about the power of a woman’s thighs and...”
“Never mind that. He didn’t come to us. His Elders didn’t meet with our Elders, so we just went on with our lives.”
“Did it ever occur to anyone on this mountain that he might have been too embarrassed? All that is expected of a Rahjah man is too much, Mama.”
The smile was back on Esther’s face. “Pride in who you are, love, trust, and self confidence is not too much to ask. It doesn’t matter what they do as long as it’s honest. We have a strong family tie, you know that.”
“He sent her away. If he sent her away, then the marriage is finished. Wasn’t that enough?”
“Pammy, I didn’t start this.”
“How can you talk of family ties being strong when we don’t speak with the other half of our family? If communication breaks down between each mountain, the Elders step in. Their main responsibility is to keep the people together. The hierarchy is not only because of age but wisdom.” She shrugged. “So, basically, they are partly to be blamed for this thing going on so long. Mama, is there more?” Pamela looked into her mother’s eyes.
“You will have to speak with his sister. I’ve said enough,” Esther said, not very pleased that her daughter had laid blame at the Elders’ feet.
Pamela nodded. “Okay, Mama.”
Esther smiled at her daughter, got to her feet and walked to the door. She turned. “The Elders are really not to be blamed, you know. After all, they try to stay out of people’s business as much as they can. Then again, the good book says a child shall lead them.” She left Pamela to think of what she’d said.