Part 16 (2/2)

'Four thousand people have been moved out,' said David. 'Surely your time will come too.'

Matthew looked at Charles. 'The dams? That's the biggest threat isn't it?'

Julie turned to Chitra. 'What dams?' she asked.

But before Chitra could reply, old Tuai Rumah Jimbun began thumping the floor and shouting in poor, but very understandable, English, 'We will not move! Come what may! We will fight, as some of the Penans fought.'

'But they still lost their land, their forests are logged, highways eat into the jungle and their way of life is gone. The animals are gone. The politicians, the men in the suits in the cities and their friends get rich,' snapped his son Tuai James.

Charles put a calming hand on his father's arm on one side and his grandfather's on the other. He also spoke. 'It is true. The dams will change Sarawak. Hydro-electric schemes and underwater cables to take their power to the rest of Malaysia, smelters and mines are planned. Long-houses like ours may also be flooded for more dams.' He shrugged. 'The old people do not want change.'

'Is there anything that your grandfather can do?' asked David.

'He is keeping his fingers crossed. He hopes that the petara, the demi-G.o.ds will protect his family. He will ask the manang, the shaman, to call out to the dieties, Prince Kelieng and Princess k.u.mang in a special Gawai ceremony. They will kill a fat pig and smear the blood over his longhouse and family members to enable the G.o.ds to protect them!' He paused. 'This is my grandfather's wish. But there are those who think that this is not enough and would like to take more action to fight the dams. But to fight the corruption, the political plans, the big business, the outside influence and investments is beyond simple people like us.' He turned to Barry. 'But it is a story I hope you will tell people. Show them what is being lost.' And with that Charles rose and walked into the darkness.

The tuak was pa.s.sed and the old women also began talking and it was obvious to Julie that everyone was talking about what the old headman had said.

Soon the music and singing began. The old songs, which told the stories of their past, the legends and the battles, echoed through the wooden longhouse. Children fell asleep where they were and the dipper went into the rice wine barrel to refill the jugs.

Julie was feeling lightheaded even from a few sips of tuak. David, who had had Julie's share of the rice wine as well as his own, was certainly starting to enjoy himself. Julie decided that she needed to step out onto the tanju for some fresh air, so she shuffled to the rear of the circle and, picking up her torch, quietly left the party.

She stood at the railing, gazing at the outline of the jungle across the darkened river. What animals were about, she wondered? Would she ever be brave enough to sit out there, sleep in the jungle at night as her Great Aunt Bette could have done? Suddenly the jungle seemed too close and too confronting. But the laughter and singing behind her, the glow from the oil lamps, were comforting. She walked to the end of the open verandah and looked up at the mountains etched against the dark night sky. It was the first time she'd seen the stars clearly since being in Malaysia.

She felt the bamboo slats beneath her feet shudder with silent footsteps and she was about to turn around when a monkey, quite close to her, let out a screech followed by squeals. Julie shakily turned on her torch and swung it around but she could see nothing out there in the night. As the beam of light swung back onto the tanju she let out a small scream and jumped.

In the beam of the yellow torchlight faces leered and gaped at her. Empty eye sockets, grinning mouths, open in silent screams, a row of heads strung along a beam of light glared back at her.

'Do not be afraid. They are old and harmless.' Charles stepped forward. 'They are trophies my forebears took in battle.'

'Tuai Jimbun? Your grandfather?'

There was a flash of white teeth in the gloom as Charles smiled at her. 'Yes. He was one who took heads. Did you notice that the backs of his hands are tattooed? It is the sign that he has taken a head. It was a ritual to set one apart from other men. The White Rajahs tried to stamp out the custom. Like many things, it took some time, but the heads that were taken long ago are still highly prized and respected.'

'What you said in there, about the future with the flooding from the dams, the development, the changes that will come, does that make you sad?' asked Julie. 'My family's home is threatened by development, too, which makes my mother and me sad. But we are fighting to stop it.'

'Sadly, it seems too late for us, the power of money is too strong. And many people think the change for the modern world sounds good. An easier life. I feel sad at the loss of the jungle for the creatures. And for us. It holds many secrets we are yet to learn.'

'Like medicines?'

'For one, yes.' Charles began to walk back along the verandah in the darkness.

Julie walked beside him. 'And what about your grandfather's faith in the spirits and G.o.ds? Will that be any help?'

'Who knows? We believe in summum bonum good fortune, a sign of favour from the G.o.ds. Tuai Rumah Jimbun hopes we will be blessed with luck and I hope for as long as he lives he has that hope. For me, I know that the Iban will have to adjust to changing times.' He paused. 'But we try to keep the traditions alive, no matter where our longhouse may be.'

'That's good,' said Julie softly.

She was thoughtful. 'I had an aunt, my grandmother's sister, who lived in Malaysia after the war. She was married to a Chinese man, which is why she was ostracised by the rest of the family. But she spent time among Iban people, I'm not sure where abouts in Sarawak, and she wrote a book about it. That's the reason I came here.'

'What did she tell you?' Charles was interested.

'I never met her. David found the book she wrote during his research. It was the first our family knew about my great aunt's adventure.'

'A lady adventurer! There have been many white ladies coming to Borneo to do extraordinary things. Sometimes for themselves as much as for the people and the jungle animals,' said Charles. 'Maybe my father or grandfather has heard of your relative.'

'She wrote the book in the early seventies,' said Julie. 'Do you think Tuai James, your father, might know anything?'

'I shall ask him in the morning. For now the dancing is starting. Come and see how the hornbill comes to life,' said Charles cheerfully as they went back into the ruai.

Julie was taken aback by the escalation in the festivities. Two of the men had donned elaborate feather headdresses and were dancing to the beat of drums and gongs, their arms mimicking the horned beak and the swaying of a large bird. Julie was instantly reminded of seeing films of Aboriginal corroborees where the dancers perfectly mimicked the kangaroo or emu.

Some of the girls were pulling the visitors up to dance, and Matthew and David, both very merry now, staggered about in an attempt to follow the lithe male dancers. Barry refused to join them, but lifted his camera to capture the action. Julie just felt exhausted from the very long day and wanted to go to sleep.

Charles sat back down by his elders but was swiftly pulled to his feet by one of the pretty young women. The women didn't dance but clapped their hands, laughed and cajoled the men to get into the spirit of things.

While David and Matthew were making what Julie thought was something of a spectacle of themselves as they stumbled and swayed about, everyone seemed happy and they were enjoying themselves.

Chitra tapped her on the shoulder. 'If you want to go to sleep that'll be okay. Where did Indai Tuai, the old lady, put your things?'

'She put me over there. I'll just sneak away. See you in the morning.'

By her torchlight Julie saw that there were two teenage girls sound asleep on mats on the floor and her bag was sitting in a corner near a mat that was covered with a blanket. In the darkness she undressed, wrapped herself in a sarong and lay down, pulling up the blanket as the night was surprisingly cool.

The music continued, but the shaking and movement of the floor subsided as the dancing tapered off and a chanting, sing-song began in its place.

Julie wasn't sure if she'd slept or not but she was aware of shuffling as someone else came into the bilek. She rolled on her side and stifled a gasp as a hand touched her shoulder.

'Hey Julie ... You awake? Come on, you wanna dance?'

'David, no. Go away,' said Julie firmly, tightening the blanket around her.

'C'mon, then let me get warm.' He started to lie down beside her, stretching out and dropping an arm over her shoulders. 'Did ya like the dancing? Hornbill, it was.' He started to stifle giggles.

'David, you're p.i.s.sed. Get out. Go away,' snapped Julie.

'I did you a favour, drank your tuak.' He leaned over trying to kiss her.

'Well, you shouldn't have. C'mon, stop it. This is disgusting.' Julie sat up. And as he started to talk, somewhat incoherently, she pushed him away from her. 'I don't want you in here.'

'S'orright. Iban very relaxed 'bout s.e.x. Very healthy, very natural,' he slurred.

'Maybe, but I'm not. I'm choosey.' She pushed him hard and yanked her blanket away, leaving him lying on the floor. She grabbed her torch and, wrapping herself in her blanket, debated about sleeping in the far corner of the room, next to the girls or curling up outside in the ruai. She stepped outside and closed the loose-woven apartment door behind her. A few figures were moving about at the far end of the ruai, and the coal embers of a small fire burned in a metal ring. The b.i.t.c.h and her litter were stretched out beside it. Julie curled up in her blanket by the soft warmth of the dying fire and promptly went to sleep.

She slept very soundly, and when she stirred just before dawn she wondered if she'd dreamed that a figure had stooped over her in the night then continued past her. Her sleep had been heavy and she felt quite stiff. Several women were moving around. Another woman sat breast-feeding her baby. Two of the women picked up some water gourds and a plastic bucket and headed outside to fetch water. Julie followed them to freshen up and find some privacy.

The morning was coolly crisp, mist swirling away over the jungle, and the sun not yet up. The world was utterly peaceful.

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