Yosio - short story

I fear Alito is going to be confirmed. I hope I am wrong. Here is another short story to take your mind away from this travesty.

February 2:
I have been living here in the village for exactly one month and in my new house for one day. It's a fine little house with the floor and walls made of woven cane and a roof thatched with grass. It's going to be quite comfortable. There is a large kitchen area with a built in table, a nook for my desk and typewriter, a small bedroom and another nook for the bucket shower. Almost the entire population of the village is presently standing outside watching everything I do. So far everything has gone well and they seem very friendly. I remember Professor Read's last words before I left: "Remember, they really are savages you know."
Strange, but they don't seem like savages. In most respects they seem to me very much like people I know back home. It's true they're still in their traditional dress and mostly naked. And they don't bathe often. And they still carry their bows and arrows everywhere. The villages and the womens' houses are still inhabited by dogs and pigs as well as women and children and there are animal feces strewn everywhere. The water is filthy and you dare not drink it unless it is boiled. Of course they drink it. Even so, except for their teeth they seem remarkably healthy. A few of them even have nice teeth. I must get started on the language. In the meanwhile Pidgin English seems to work pretty well.
February 5:
Change has affected them in strange ways. They are no longer cannibals (although I think some further back in the "bush" may still be) and they are not constantly fighting as they were before pacification. The last male initiation was held four years ago. They are due for another but say they won't do it anymore (we'll see). Other than that they seem to still practice most or all of their traditional customs. They certainly do things that most Europeans would find repugnant. For example, this morning I saw a woman suckling a piglet just as though it were a child. Having the pigs in the houses is not so charming either. They have no toilets but just squat down out in the grass and assume the pigs will clean it up (which they do). Some of the children are literally covered with sores which I'm certain would go away if they were properly bathed. The children have constantly running noses. Even so, I think they are nice people: friendly, helpful, and certainly fascinating. One simply has to remain objective.
February 10:
I am really quite pleased with my house and the vantage point we have from this ridgetop. Sitting outside on my little patio last night I looked directly across at Mt. Michael. There were storms with great bolts of lightning striking all around the top of it. Much better than TV! During the day I look out across the valley floor. It is quite beautiful with the rolling grasslands dotted here and there with stands of casuarinas and bamboo. You know when you see the casuarinas there are people because they have to bring the seedlings from the river and plant them by hand. The river winds through the middle of the valley and on the far side the montains tower over everything. There are so many different shades of green and the sky is so incredibly blue the scene is almost artificial. It must have to do with the light and the air which is so unbelievably clear. No one could ask for better surroundings.
This new Council system has them confused. The newly elected Councilor thinks they need to meet every morning so he can tell them what to do. He doesn't really have the authority to do this, nor can I see any particular need for it. They all know exactly what they have to do - work in their gardens, build fences, look after pigs, etc. The only thing the Councilor needs to worry about is getting them to work on the road one day a week (and they are very resistant to this). Actually, it works to my advantage, as they all gather in front of my house every morning - a great opportunity to observe all kinds of things. It will be interesting to see if these meetings continue for very long or if the people will eventually rebel and stop coming (which I predict will happen).
Vississe was here this morning with his two-year-old daughter, Yosimi, holding her on his lap and being extremely nurturant and loving. She is a beautiful little girl with clear chocolate skin and unusually large brown eyes. She adores her father but is terrified of me. She runs to hide behind him whenever she sees me.
February 20:
Most everyone came to "line" this morning. The Councilor harangued them for a long time about cleaning up the village, fencing it, and keeping the pigs outside (the Patrol Officer instructed him to do this). They don't want to do it of course as their pigs are their most important valuables and naturally they don't want them left out in the grass where they will almost surely be stolen.
I watched Vississe and Yosimi for a time. He calls her Yosio and is extremly demonstrative with her, holding her and kissing her all over. When she cries he immediately picks her up and soothes her, whispering her name and cuddling her in his arms. When she is happy she has a smile that would easily melt ice.
Little boys, unlike the girls, run absolutely wild. No one seems to discipline them at all. This morning a group of them were chasing Katagupa's pig, throwing rocks at it, and trying to catch it. No one, including Katagupa, said a word. I was told yesterday that some of them had pulled all the tail feathers out of Bore's chickens. Yatama, who told me this, thought it was terribly funny. When I asked him what Bore did about it he said, "Nothing. What could he do?"
The meeting broke up earlier than usual this morning. Everyone is working to get their gardens fenced and planted before the rainy season. Men work together fencing and digging garden ditches, women tend to work alone or at least in smaller groups planting and weeding.
March 1:
No "line" this morning. Two of the men are killing and butchering pigs to present gifts of pork to their maternal kinsmen (I don't as yet know exactly what for). They hit the poor creatures on the head with hardwood clubs and seem to delight in making them squeal as much as possible. After taking out the intestines and the backbone they hang the carcass up on a post and singe off the hair with grass torches. They clean out their earth ovens and heat the stones until they are white hot. The pits are lined with grass and banana leaves and they put in sweet potatoes and yams, greens and corn or beans. The pig goes in last on top. The whole thing is then covered with grass and leaves and dirt with a couple of bamboo tubes inserted so they can pour in water to generate the steam. A great way to cook except they don't let it cook long enough. The pork is never completely done. Also, if you watch closely, the entire procedure is totally unsanitary because at the last minute they throw in grass and leaves left over from previous occasions, apparently oblivious to the fact that in the interim dogs and pigs (and perhaps small boys) have urinated and defecated on it. It must work in spite of this as they've been doing it for hundreds of years. It is a bit disconcerting, however, to have someone spit on the sweet potato they are offering you!
Vississe was present the entire time with Yosio. She no longer runs from me but still doesn't allow me to approach too close.
March l2:
As I predicted, people are beginning to skip the morning meetings. I can't blame them as they are totally unnecessary except to give the Councilor a chance to berate them for not cleaning up the village, working on the road, or whatever. Vississe and Yosimi still come pretty faithfully although Vississe's wife no longer comes. When I asked him about it he said she was busy in her garden and didn't have time (sensible!).
Yosio, like all the children here, is given to tantrums. This morning she had a beauty. Vississe tried to hold her but she just squirmed and yelled until he finally put her down and left her alone. She eventually stopped. They never punish their children. If they do something they don't like they simply distract them with something else. Both men and women are terribly fond of their children, the men even more so than the women it appears.
Yesterday, during the butchering, a pig's bladder was given to a boy who played with it just as you would play with a balloon. I also observed two boys playing with a sleeping pig. They played with its penis until it urinated at which point they laughed and one of them kicked it in the belly. Aside from a grunt the pig paid no attention. Boys will be boys. I can't help but like these people in spite of some of the strange things they do.
April l5:
Cultural relativism be damned! I had a terrible experience this morning and I am still disturbed by it. Iron (yes, that's his name) somehow caught a little songbird. He tied a string to its leg and went about playing with it for a long time, releasing it to fly and then jerking in back over and over again. He thought this was very funny. Then, when the bird was too exhausted to fly anymore he built a small fire, plucked the bird (ALIVE!), threw it on the fire for a short time and then proceeded to eat it (WHOLE!). All of this right here in front of me. I couldn't help but be absolutely horrified. Of course I feigned indifference and managed not to say anything but I confess it truly upset me. I thought for a moment I might actually be ill. I have no doubt the children do this often. I've just never seen it before. Aaagh!
Early this morning when I was walking through the village Yosio actually came up and held on to my leg. When I tried to pick her up she started to cry. But I am making progress.
May 2:
Success! Yosio allowed me to pick her up and hold her. She has to be about two and a half but she is so small it is hard to believe. Although I do see her with her mother from time to time she is obviously her father's pet.
These people do have a sense of humor. Today, for example, while we were at the funeral (for the fifth straight day!) two little boys about four were playing with their miniature bows and arrows. There was a large pig nearby. One of the men suggested to the boys that they shoot the pig, which they tried to do. Even though they were only five feet from the animal their tiny arrows either missed or hit the pig and fell harmlessly to the ground. When they both had exhausted their arrows one little boy, obviously frustrated, walked up and hit the pig over the head with his bow. The whole gathering exploded with laughter (in spite of the funeral). Actually the funerals are terribly boring. You just sit there day after day waiting for various kinsmen to arrive to claim their gifts of pork. On these occasions a small ceremony is performed (to placate the ghost) and then you wait again. Fieldwork is mostly like this.
June 3rd:
Yosio comes to me regularly now whenever she sees me, holding out her little arms to be picked up. It's easy to see why Vissise is so captivated by her. I confess I am too. She is so tiny and has the most remarkable smile. Vissise or her mother must bathe her regularly because she is always cleaner than most of the other children. She wanders around from person to person in her little string apron acting very important indeed. They all pick her up and hug her and give her little morsels of food. She is only just now being weaned and is not too happy about it.
Another repulsive custom. I know I shouldn't be saying this what with my vaunted scientific objectivity and all. But really! When they are feasting the women are given the intestines which they wash in the stream and "clean" before cooking. When they come out of the earth oven (underdone as always) an older woman will sometimes carry a length of them to the assembled men (men and women always sit apart). She also carries a sharp bamboo knife. As she approaches each man in turn he is required to bite at the length of intestine and she then slices off a bit so he can eat it. Unfortunately this custom is extended to visitors. And, in a culture where people who eat together are friends and those who don't are enemies it is difficult to decline. I don't know why they do this on some occasions and not others. Sometimes I genuinely hate fieldwork!
August 6:
Most of the people, including the children, have very bad teeth. Lots of cavities. Naturally they don't brush. This morning I observed Kagiya digging with a splinter into a cavity in his son's mouth. He kept at it for quite some time and the boy, obviously in pain, fought back his tears. They are a stoical bunch. Just like last week when Opat split Bulo's head with his axe (a most unusual event that has everyone terribly upset) and cut him badly behind his ear. He displayed no sign of pain whatever even when I cleaned and bandaged it (the bandage, of course, disappeared a half hour later!). They are really quite amazing. In spite of all the things they do that I personally find revolting I still find them likeable. Most of them anyway. And I still believe that underneath this cultural veneer they are basically the same as all other people. I suppose it's true that in some sense they "really are savages," but in many other ways they are really fine people. In the months I have been here nothing has been stolen from me even though my house cannot be locked. They provide me with a constant supply of fruits and vegetables at a very nominal cost. Although it is impossible to make appointments to see them (they only show up when they feel like it which may be a day or two later than you expected), when I do see them they answer my questions patiently no matter how foolish they must sometimes seem to them. They obviously care for their children and each other (but absolutely despise their enemies). There is no crime (within the clan itself). No one goes hungry. There are no orphans. They help each other (and me) faithfully and take good care of the elderly. They are good citizens albeit perhaps of a culture that could stand some improvements. I know I will miss them when I leave. I will certainly miss Yosio whom I have grown genuinely fond of.
September l:
An old woman wandered off into the grass outside the village and died there. The pigs had eaten part of her by the time the body was discovered. This woman was so old no one here knows where she came from. They don't know if she came as a bride or if she is really a clanswoman who returned from her deceased husband's clan. She was ashamed, I was told, because there was no one to kill pigs for her when she died. She tried to raise pigs herself but became too feeble to continue. She gave the pigs to Kagiya's wife. Finally she just wandered off alone to die. The Councilor wrapped her in a dirty piece of cloth and buried her where they found her. Interesting, because they did take care of her. Mumugefa brought her firewood, repaired her old house, and made sure she always had food even though he was not related to her as far as anyone knows. Someone always takes it upon themself to look after an old person or adopt an orphan. No one ever starves. Not bad for "savages."
October 29:
I totally blew it today! I am still so angry I can barely write this. God damn it! They truly are savages! At the moment I can't stand the sight of them. This morning when Vissise came with some bananas he was carrying Yosio. She had rolled into the fire while asleep and burned her foot. BADLY! The flesh is all burned black and the raw flesh is visible. You can even see the bones in a couple of her toes. It is so bad it was all I could do to keep from throwing up. And all this happened THREE DAYS AGO! When I asked that stupid bastard Vissise why he hadn't brought her to me he just shrugged. And he refuses to let me take her to the Aid Post even now. Not that I think much could be done at this point other than perhaps a bandage. In addition to all the damage you can see dirt in the wound. How can he be so goddamn stupid? She is obviously in pain and will certainly lose at least three of her toes. I can't believe it! I can't believe Vissise could possibly be so unconcerned. I completely lost my temper and yelled at him. I told him at the top of my voice he was a dirty savage, a "kanaka tru," among other things. But he seems to think nothing of it. Just sits there as if nothing happened. Doesn't even change the expression on his face. It's true that it happens fairly frequently here but its not usually this bad. Goddamn it! You'd think they would be more concerned about it. I know they love their children. I just don't understand these people. I don't think I ever will. And Yosio just clings to Vissise and buries her little face in his shoulder and weeps.