“It is nearly time, Itef!” Men shouted. The barque of Amun had been on its journey around Thebes giving blessing to the resurrection of Kemet and to its people. Men and I were eager to catch a glimpse of the divine vessel before the priests carried our lord Amun back into the heart of the great temple. I attempted to elevate myself by rising on my toes. Unfortunately my limited height served me no justice.
“Itef, you go ahead! The crowd is becoming impassable!” I looked at him with an uncertain expression. “Go boy!” he shouted sternly. “We shall meet at the forum tonight. Go and enjoy yourself.”
I gave him a quick smile and slipped between the congestion of Thebans like an Ibis through a blizzard of fish. After I crawled through the forest of legs, I emerged at the very edge of the crowd. Not far behind I could hear unpleasant voices call after me. Over time I had learnt to ignore such obnoxious remarks aimed at me. My gratitude went to Pasi for this ignorance I now possessed.
The great stone pylons of Ipet-sut now towered before me. They obscured most of the eastern sky. The sense of awe and wonder was overwhelming as their mighty shadow darkened the earth, covering everything like an eclipse. The grand monumental pylon entrance displayed the double-plumed figure of the god Amun and the falcon headed god Montu. The flamboyant artistry and superior handiwork put into the colossal figures gave them an incredible lifelike pose which demanded respect. Their commanding portraits interpreted the power they bestowed upon the people of Kemet. Both gods exposed their masculine torsos, portraying might and strength. Their solid arms were tightly draped beside their flared kilts, the left hand holding the symbol of life, the ankh. Beyond the boundaries of the divine entrance was a mystery to me. We were once told that the world of the gods consisted of a collection of chapels and shrines linked by a procession of pathways, creating the greatest religious complex the world had ever seen. It was quite evident that each succeeding ruler had attempted to outdo his predecessors in the scale of their own embellishments, to impress the deities. However, Kemetic temples were not public places: they served as the home of the gods. Made of Byblonian cedar, the great gates of the temples were thrown open only during the time of festivals. Priests and the king himself were permitted beyond the pylon entry, no one else. The remaining population was restricted to the first court before the great gates. I stared amazed at this grand achievement. Perhaps one day I shall learn to read and write the words of the gods. Perhaps things will change in this new world and even a commoner like me may be offered an opportunity to excel. But first I shall marry Tawri and she will bear many sons for me. I shall then join the priestly circle of Amun and impress those close to her. We will serve the gods well and carry our heads high. Their blessings will fall upon us from clouds of gold. All shall gaze upon us as we walk the streets of Thebes. Such a pleasant fiction. Just as my heart began to wander further away a sweet fragrance of burning incense caught my attention. Its divine taste cleansed me as it left a spicy but pure layer within my nostrils. It signaled the approach of the barque of Amun and his priests. From afar one could hear their deep murmur and chanting as they neared the mob of pilgrims. The resonation of prayers sent blessings to the god himself. I leant out to catch a glimpse of this long awaited moment.
Just then I heard a voice break the frequency of prayers.
“Itef!” It was a familiar voice but I could not place it. My eyes eagerly searched for its source.
“Itef … it is I, Peti!” I saw an arm waving out from the crowd. I gave a quick smile and without consideration I acted upon my instincts. My legs leapt onto the path and scurried towards him. Not only was I heading in the direction of my old friend, but also the forthcoming order of priests and offer bearers. Still I ignored the obstacles in my path for my attention was fixated on my old friend Peti and not on the high priest of Amun who at that point was right before me. I was only five paces away from Peti when a large shadow appeared in the corner of my eye. As I glimpsed ahead, the muscles in my legs froze stiff and I came to a grinding halt, falling hard on my back. My mouth dropped open as my lungs emptied in a gasping rush of air. I looked up, attempting to regain my breath through the cloud of dust. Thus my breath quickly filled with a combination of air and grains of sandstone, clogging the air route to my lungs. But my mouth could not issue a cough or another breath. An expression of horror crossed my face and paralysed my entire body. I had interrupted the sacred procession - Amun’s journey had come to a temporary standstill. The world around me grew silent as everyone awaited my fate. Blood began to pulsate hard in my temples and I slowly gazed up in fear. The high priest of Amun glared down at me like a vengeful demon. His stony complexion and scowling, thick eyebrows vividly showed his raging fury. He lowered the suspending thurible in his hand and cynically twisted his mouth as he spoke words of anger and curses at me. The tone of his words were powerful and enraged. I had never heard such a terrifying sound from any living thing. Just then a hand gripped my upper arm and hauled me to my feet, dragging me into the jungle of pilgrims and their disgraced faces. Their piercing eyes followed us until we vanished out of sight. The further into the crowd we scrambled, the less they knew about our mischief. Finally a clearing, and we stopped, hitching our breaths. We looked at each other for a moment, listening to any commotion that may be pursuing us. Finally we could hear the gradual rise of prayers again, signifying the continuation of the procession. I issued a sigh of relief and closed my eyes. Peti threw his arms around me, embracing me as a good friend would. He stood back and burst into laughter.
“Itef, the mischievous one! You have not changed, my good friend!” He was like a brother to me, I was truly glad to see him. We were attractive young men and very much alike with straight black hair down to our jawbones. Our frames were slim and tanned although Peti managed to obtain a much lighter tone to his skin than me. “May the gods give you life, prosperity and health,” he said.
“And you, my friend.”
I noticed his expression slightly alter. He gave me a curious look.
“Tell me, when did you arrive?” he asked.
“This morning. A barge carried us from Tjaru. It was a long and tiresome journey.”
“You must have been close to the war … did you see Hapu?” He sounded eager.
“No, I did not!”
Peti lowered his head, watching his sandaled feet brush over the white gravel. “He has betrayed his people, you know?”
I looked at him puzzled. What shameless act could have Hapu possibly performed to disrespect his people? After all, he was one of us. I waited, slightly impatient for Peti to continue. “He became a soldier for our king Ahmose and served his people well. When the Hyksos were driven out of Avaris, he was no longer Hapu son of Pa-anuket.”
I could not help my curiosity. “Why isn’t Hapu anymore the son of Pa-anuket?” He looked at me. I knew from his dark, troubled eyes that what Hapu had done was severe. After all, his own father had disowned him for it.
“He gave life to a satiety woman when it should have been otherwise taken from her. He asked a general for permission to wed her, and it was granted.” Foreigners had infected our land for many years and for that we despised them. I began to understand Peti and Pa-anuket ‘s anger. Hapu had taken a foreign woman as his bride and thus could not return to Thebes - he could not face the inevitable disgrace from his family.
“Let us speak of pleasantries now,” I suggested. There was a burning question in my heart. I spoke rapidly before any other subject came to be. “What of Tawri … have you seen her?”
Peti saw the enthusiasm in my eyes and nodded slowly, smirking. “I see you have not forgotten her, Itef.” He chuckled.
“Is she still as beautiful as she was?” I asked.
“Oh