The Feather of Glory ( a Novella )
By David Aoloch Bion
Chapter Eight
As soon as the three days had finished, Madut appeared at the home yard of the girl. The girl took him inside the hut. She greeted Madut warmly
“Tell me your name” Madut asked
“My name is Abuk Deng Kuel Dan Ayuel Dong Abuot”. I am a girl of big clan – the Tiit clan. Our family branch is Pagal lineage – our god is Mayual. We also obey cobra snake. Cobra snake is our relative. We are related to him”. The girl said her name, her clan, her lineage and the god of her religion.
“My name is Madut Kuol Madut, form Riet clan, Abaar lineage. Our God is Ringdit. We also obey river and we obey femur. We do not break femur when we are eating meat”, Madut narrated.
“Tell me, what do you want? Why do you come to our home?” Abuk asked.
“If a man who is not related to you comes to you, what comes to your mind?” Madut asked.
“Nothing at all”. Abuk answered.
“I want tobacco from you” Madut told her. Tobacco is a cultural configurative name for introducing an engagement to a girl.
“I cannot give you a tobacco” Aduk said.
“Why?”
“I don’t want you!”
“Tell me the reason”
“No reason.”
Madut and Abuk made a long joking argument until Abuk said that this word would finish between two of us. That madut should leave and come back with your brothers after four days. Four days came and Madut had come with Abung Kuol, Abung was a tall huge man with a good tongue and a good heart of making good decision. He was the chief mediator. Mac Joh, man of foolish jokes when people are tired after long argument. He was tasked with entertainment but made no good point. Madut Mayen was to answer back anything bad with anything bad. The rest were Bior Kuol, Mathiang Kur, Manut Biel. The group was comprised of bad and good guys to reflect the society they were coming from.
Abuk Deng came in the hut with his group that was made up of Ayen Nhial who was a good talker. She could talk as if she were a man, she became a chief mediator of Abuk and Amuor Bul, Yar Garang, Achol Mac.
After each of them sat on the mat, Madut Mayen the chief mediator cleared his throat and said “please girls, tell us your names”
“No, the person who was got in the place asks the names first, not the comer” Ayen Nhial argued. Both sides refused to tell their names first. However, Ayen has just given in and said that their names are colors that would differentiate people, there were no colors of knowing people. So Ayen introduced all the girls of their names and their relations to Abuk. Madut Mayen also introduced their names and their relation to Madut Kuol.
Of course, Madut Mayen said that, you daughters of Tiit clan, we came to your home for engagement – an engagement was the normal affair among youth – male or female.
“If we come like this in number, there was one person who led the way to this home. This word (engagement) had started between two and had involved all of us today. Our aim was to engage Abuk”.
Ayen Nhial said that it was the plain truth, nevertheless, she had just seen Madut then and that he could not engage her sister – Abuk.
Manut Moyen said that “you said that you had not known Madut before, that was a weak excuse he said Ayen had to give a concrete reason for her objection to madut engagement to Abuk.
Madut Biel said that an engagement was one of he most important issues in our lives, so the girl should be specific. In fact, when we were coming we had two options in our minds that if we had proposed and engagement there would be rejection and admission.
Yar Garang said that she didn’t know the Madut family background whether they were good or bad and they needed to make a research first before they could admit him.
Mathiang Kur said that there were vices that people were refused, these included the evil eyedness, gluttony, theft, unended family diseases. And if you knew any of these vices they should tell them.
Amuor Bul said that most men had been hiding their vices and seemed as if they were just wise and loving, but rather they had proved bad people, and that was why you should learn one another very carefully. Last but not least, Ayen Nhial said that nothing would have been finished in one day – thus it was a day of introduction to them. The girls gave four days for the ment to come back. After four days they came back and the argument went on as fresh as it was five days earlier
At last Ayen Nhail concluded by saying that “the word has been understood, the word (engagement) between Madut and Aduk ahs been tied by a strong rope, and the two ends of the rope have been burnt short to avoid any unnecessary loosening. We (sisters) have honorably handed over the whole affair to Madut and Abuk. If the word end up in happy marriage, many thanks very much indeed to all of us. If the word stops on the path between the two families, no blame so much. It is just a youth affair.
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