The Good Oak

Thirteen: Hamahiru

thirteen I hamahiru The setting sun turned the world from gray to red as we approached the first row of houses. There was no glass in any of the windows, and tumbleweeds filled the empty doorways . "Guazen fite, " Aitatxi said. "Go quickly." "What's the hurry? There's no one here." "We go." Aitatxi raised his walking stick to drive the sheep forward. The houses were so close to each other, it was easier to go through their unfinished frames than between them. We moved past empty swimming pools lined with cracks. Wires and pipes stuck out from the pools' walls. "Why didn't they finish them?" I said as we stepped onto the cement floor of one of the houses. I picked up a piece of broken board and held it up. "Did something happen?" "Mamu happen," Aitatxi said. "The Mamu?" I dropped the board onto the cement. "Guazen." Aitatxi cut through a house that was more complete than the rest, with solid walls and the beginning 91 of a roof. Something darted past a doorway off to my right. My head swung around expecting to see a long hairy arm, but instead I spotted a fat rear end and heard a long baaaaa. It was Rollo. Aitatxi heard the sheep as well and said, "You get" and waved his walking stick toward where the bleating came from. "Go Jite-fast." And before I could tell him to send one of the dogs, Aitatxi was out the back doorway. I saw him scramble over a half-built wall as he followed the rest of the flock into the next house. Great. I was left to get the sheep on my own. Not that finding Rollo was that big a deal. Not usually, anyway. Only here ... Why did Aitatxi have to bring up the Mamu? The day's light was almost gone. It could turn to night at any moment. And then where would I be? Alone, walking in the dark with the Mamu. No thanks. I needed to find Rollo fast. "Rollo!" Images of the Mamu's scarred face floated through my head as long shadows slipped into the house. I moved toward the doorway Rollo had passed by. A startled bird flew overhead. My heart matched the quick beats of its wings. "Rollo," I called again-not that calling him was any good. He didn't know I'd named him Rollo. Still, the sound of my own voice made me feel less alone. I sneezed and used the back of my arm to wipe my nose. Which didn't help, since a layer of dust covered my skin. I sneezed again. Dust was everywhere. It was like I was inside some Egyptian tomb. I hurried after Rollo, keeping my focus on finding the sheep and getting out of there. That is, until I heard something move-something big-in the next room. I held my breath and listened. But there was only the barking of Atarrabi and Mikelats. The dogs sounded far away. 92 "Don't be such a baby," I told myself and stepped into the room. It was large, like a cave, and the lost sheep wasn't in it. The only other door in the room was on the far side. Rollo must have gone that way. "Get out here, you stupid sheep." I was angry now as well as scared. I rushed across the room and in doing so almost fell in the hole that was cut in the middle of the floor. My foot was halfway over the edge before I realized it was there. I jumped to the side to keep from falling in. "Geez!" I gazed into the manhole-size opening. Why would anyone put a hole in the middle of a room? I peered into the darkness. How deep was it? Had Rollo fallen in the hole? I leaned over to get a better look. Cool air rose up over my face. It smelled stale, like a room that hadn't been opened for a long time. And I wasn't thinking months but years. There was no sound. Since I couldn't see the hole's bottom, I decided to spit and then listen for it to splat against something solid. Only it never did. "Deep hole." Mywords were repeated as they fell. "Cool." "Cool, cool, cool, cool," echoed back from the depths of the hole...