3
THE BLUE FEATHER
unmoving man and woman. They were dressed casually in shirts
and even had their sandals on their feet. Tital called out “Hóla!”
once more; there was still no movement from either figure. Tital
then went over to the prone man, and shook him gently at first,
then more vigorously. There was a soft moan from the man, so
at least he wasn’t dead. Tital rolled him over gently onto his
back. He could see a large, dark, blood red mark on the man’s
forehead. Tital then carefully checked on the woman, and she
too was alive.
Tital’s heart raced, as he ran getting the man and woman a
drink from his water canteen. The woman was first to respond to
his help. Upon seeing Tital bending over her, she was at first
afraid of him.
He asked, “What happened here?”
The woman looked around, frantically, with even more fear
showing on her face. “Where are my children?” she demanded
of Tital, as if he would know.
He moved to give more water to the man; it was all he could
do before answering such a question. “I have not seen any
children, only the two of you in days,” Tital replied as he gave the
man more water. The woman slowly stood up, and dryly yelled,
“Bardala!” Then she collapsed next to the man. A few moments
later, she weakly called out, “Viviana! Jonathan!” Silence was
the only reply for more than a quarter of an hour.
The lifeless man was slowly coming to; he was trying to make
sounds as he was fed cool water by Tital. His strong hand
grabbed Tital, with a powerful grasp.
“Tomás!” the woman said, “this is not the man that attacked
us. Let him go. He is only trying to help us.” With that the man