Wisdom in the Dark

Chapter 5 - Jak

Jak hadn’t thought his wedding would end in disappointment.

The wedding itself had been perfect. Everyone was smiles. Jak had done his part without issue, and Myra had been breathtakingly gorgeous in her green wedding dress. Mytla had told Jak after the ceremony that it had been hers when she married her late husband almost five cycles before.

Jak had held Myra’s calloused hand the whole ceremony, his heart racing all the while. The priest’s words were a blur as he talked about the union of man and woman, and Wotuos’ blessing. Jak had fought to keep his hands stead as he and Myra planted a small tree before the Ting, a ritual representation of their relationship sprouting and growing. Jak was thankful for something else to focus on to steady his hands when he slaughtered a goat as on offering to Wotuos in thanksgiving.

When Jak and Myra had kissed she had held it for perhaps longer than was necessary. Was she just putting on a show for her family and the Wodniki, or was part of her as excited as Jak was? He forgot why he had been so anxious before coming to Callisto and the Pyc Village.

Alcohol flowed freely at the reception within the Pyc Family Ting, though Jak’s family and friends had attempted to keep most of it away from Jak.

“You want to be able to perform your husbandly duty,” Jan had said with a grin, digging his elbow into Jak’s ribs.

Though there had still been revelers within the Ting well into the sleeping period, the Pyc and Wodniki Family members had ushered Jak and Myra toward Myra’s home – a small, square metal hut not far from the Ting. Callisto was on the dark side of Jupiter, and Jak and Myra had shuffled through the dark Pyc Village with the calls of friends and family following them.

“Get yourselves to bed, now.”

“Have fun.”

“I doubt you two will get much rest this sleep period.”

It wasn’t until Jak and Myra were in her bed, clothes forgotten, when Myra’s words hit Jak like a kick in the gut.

“I’m not ready.”

Jak hesitated. “What?”

“I said I’m not ready.”

“No, I heard you. I just. . .I don’t understand. . .” Jak fumbled over his words as he tried to comprehend why Myra didn’t want him.

Myra rolled away from him towards the edge of the bed, hugging the sheets close around her body. Was she ashamed of Jak seeing her naked? In Jak’s mind Myra had nothing to be ashamed of as far as her body was concerned. Was it him?

“Is there something that I-“

Myra shook her head. “No, no. You’re great. Really. Everything about you.”

“I see. Then-”

Myra’s voice became quieter. “It’s just been a long day.”

Jak reached out to place his hand on her shoulder, but the moment he touched her, Myra jerked away.

“I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Myra didn’t protest.

Jak lay on the metal floor with only a light sheet and pillow for comfort. Sleep alluded him as he stared at the ceiling of Myra’s home and wondered at all the reasons as to why she rejected him.

Had Myra figured out that he wasn’t worthy of her? Had she seen past his mask of confidence and into his timidity? Did she actually find him repulsive and had to work up the courage to force herself to sleep with him?

Fears and insecurities swirled through his head as he lay alone in the dark on the cold hard floor. Jak wanted to wake Myra and ask, but the sting of her rejection silenced him, and instead he lay there, dejected. Jak had no idea how an arranged marriage was supposed to work, but he hadn’t counted on this.

After a while Jak thought he might actually fall asleep – until the communicator laying on the nightstand next to Myra’s bed buzzed and blared to signal the start of another wake period. Myra reached over and shut the alarm off, only to turn over and fall back asleep.

With a sigh Jak stood, dressed, and trudged out of Myra’s hut toward The Pride of Wodniki. Jak wanted to change from his dress suit into normal clothes. Some of the Pyc had mentioned there was decent hunting in the area – birds and larger rodents, mostly, about the same as around the Wodniki Village. There had even been mention of an elusive badger which had escaped the Pyc Village greenhouse dome. A hunt is what Jak needed to clear his mind and perhaps soften the sting of Myra’s denial of him.

“Odd to see the happy husband leaving his bride so soon.” Jak’s father stood in the opening of the shuttle as Jak ascended the ramp.

“I’m going hunting,” Jak replied, ignoring Jan’s comment.

Jan eyed Jak for a moment before responding.

“I’ll join you.”

Jak changed into comfortable pants, a light shirt, and soft shoes in his cramped cabin on the shuttle. He retrieved his bow, quiver of arrows, and hunting knife from the slim locker there, then strode out of the cabin and down the metal stairs through the guts of the craft. He ran into Ivan on the way.

“Give me a minute and I’ll join you,” Ivan said after one look at Jak.

Did he look that dejected?

Jak worked to straighten his posture and put a neutral look on his face as he, his father, and Ivan stomped down the ramp of The Pride of Wodniki and ranged outside of the Pyc village.

The three men said little for a while except about where to go. Jak welcomed both the camaraderie and the silence as they crested hills and looked for signs of wildlife. Jan said even less, and Jak caught his father watching him from time to time as they ranged further out.

After what must have been about two hours Jak ascended a hill and stopped short at the scene that greeted him.

“Trees,” Jak said as he continued down the other side of the hill.

“Not very big ones,” Ivan replied.

“How many trees do we have outside our village?”

Ivan didn’t have a response for that. Jak knew the answer: none.

Jak was still gazing in awe at the sight of the squat, chest high trees when a rustling not far off made him freeze. He crouched, Ivan and Jan immediately doing the same. Jak waited. He was pleased to note that he was upwind of whatever it was moving through the foliage. With slow, careful movements Jak notched an arrow to the bow string and waited.

A deer strode into view not twenty five meters from where Jak crouched. Jak had never outside of the greenhouse domes of a village. At first Jak thought it was a faun, but the antlers on its head marked it as an adult male. It must have been some smaller breed of deer, or perhaps it grew smaller due to its environment.

Jak felt his heartbeat slow, his breath become more shallow. His muscles flexed as he drew back the bow string the way he had hundreds of times before. He sighted the shot – he couldn’t miss. The deer still hadn’t noticed him.

At the bottom of one of Jak’s breaths he released, and the arrow flew the short distance in the air to stick the deer right behind the front leg. The deer jumped, surprised, and leapt twice before collapsing to the ground. Jak stood and whooped with exhilaration.

Suddenly the small forest was alive with movement as a handful of other deer skittered through the trees, startled by Jak’s voice. Jak could see at least one other male and five females dart away from where he stood with his father and Ivan.

“Great shot!” Jan slapped Jak on the back. He was clearly as excited as Jak about the kill and the discovery of deer.

“Flawless release,” Ivan said.

Jak frowned then. “It’s the only release I’ve had since I’ve been here.”

Jan and Ivan looked at one another, then to Jak.

“I take it last night didn’t go as planned,” Jan said.

“I slept on the floor,” Jak replied as he walked toward his kill.

Ivan grimaced. “Ouch.”

Jak reached the small deer and knelt next to it. He placed his hand on the deer’s still warm side. The brown fur was soft, and this close Jak could see white speckles along the back.

“Thank you for your sacrifice,” Jak said to the dead deer. “Your body will nourish our people.” Then Jak touched his forehead and heart.

“The Pyc will be happy to learn about this,” Jak said. “If they didn’t already know about it before.”

“Doubtful,” Jan said. “The trees alone are boast worthy. But deer? I’d be parading that all around the moons of Jupiter and daring anyone to fight me for it.” Jak felt Jan place a hand on his shoulder. “And now you can take this to your wife as a fine wedding gift.”

Jak stood and faced his father. “I don’t know if-“

“Jak, this is an arranged marriage. Sure, they may happen throughout the moons of Jupiter, but not in our family, and I’m sure not in the Pyc, either. This is new territory for both of you. And Myra lost her lover, Vlad, just fifty rotations of Callisto around Jupiter ago. Yes, that’s a long time to mourn, but who do you think she’s thinking about on her wedding day?”

“Vlad,” Jak replied.

“All of this is probably dredging up things Myra thought she had buried long ago. Be patient with her. You may not be happy now, but continue to do the work she deserves of a husband and the joy you will find will last a lifetime.”

Jak nodded, but said nothing more, then turned to pick up his kill. The deer was surprisingly light, and Jak hefted it over his shoulders.

“Now let’s go show your bride your prize,” Jan said with a broad smile.

As Jak made his way back to the Pyc Village he mulled over his father’s words about the hard work of a husband and the joy he should find – and hoped his father was right.