“Listen!” whispered the father. “A ptarmigan is calling from up there!”
“Where?”
“Up there!”
“I’ll go look… Listen to it calling! There it is, up there! I’m going to shoot… Missed! It flew off.”
“Let’s go! Time to get on our way again.”
They came to the river and set their net. One of them waded across and the other stayed on the bank. They stretched the net from one bank to the other but there was not the slightest sign of any Arctic char.
“Looks like there aren’t any,” said Irsutualuk. “Let’s make sure by throwing some blubber into the water upstream. The wind is making the surface quite dark.”
“Don’t seem to be any around!” concluded Angutikallaaluk. “Just to be sure, ai!, I’ll pitch some stones into the water and see if I can flush any of them out… Now I’m sure! None at all… I really feel like heading back. So what if we go home the same day… They probably haven’t got this far upstream.”
His father agreed. “Let’s head off! Time to go home! But first let’s make a cache and stash away our provisions. We’ll be coming by here later.”
They both headed back to their camp. As they walked, the father began thinking, “I’d really like to have Sanaaq as a wife, even though I’m a bit old…”
They soon arrived back at the camp. There were others: Sanaaq’s family, Irsutualuk’s family, and the family of Ningiukuluk, who was Sanaaq’s relative.
3 A DAY IN THE TENT
We are now back with Qumaq and her mother. Their sleep had again been disturbed, this time by several visitors. Sanaaq lived with Arnatuinnaq, her younger sister. All three had been outside for some time when they saw the men come back from fishing for iqaluppik. Sanaaq shouted, “Look, they’re back from fishing for iqaluppik. They probably caught some!”
Hearing this, Qumaq asked, “Mother, those men out there, what have they been doing?”
“They’ve been fishing for Arctic char!”
Qumaq went back to her games, saying, “I’ll draw something! I’ll draw little dog teams, Mommy!”
“Daughter,” said her mother, “come and I’ll wash your dress, because the water I put in to heat is almost boiling. I’ll give it a good wash… Sister, get busy. Tomorrow you’ll be sewing some sulluniit. So start cutting some seal skin to make them!”
She poured the water she had been heating and began her wash.
“Aa! Aaah! I scalded myself! Aa! Aatataa! I must have a burn. My hand’s throbbing with pain. Qumaq! Daughter! Cool this water down a bit, so I can wash your filthy dress… Now I’ve got it clean. But where’s my shirt? I’d like to wash it too while I’m at it.”
“It’s up there,” replied Arnatuinnaq, “in the kilu.”
“Go get it if you see it! I really feel like some tea but it takes too long to prepare. I’ll make some when I’m done washing this. Here we go, time to wring it dry… Uuppaa!” She was squeezing hard. “It’s probably not as dry as I’d like.”
“Mother,” said Qumaq. “I’m hungry! Apaapa!”
“I hear you. Fetch my ulu! It’s in the aki... You’re going to eat some nikku.”
She cut off a chunk of nikku.
“There you are! Dip it in the misiraq... Be careful not to spill any down the front of your shirt.”
“I won’t!” replied Qumaq.
“And sit down!” added her mother.
Just then Ningiukuluk walked in.
“Ai! Ningiukuluk ai!” exclaimed Sanaaq.
Her daughter cried out, “Anaanatsiaq ai! Look! I’m eating some apaapait.”
“Iii! There’s oil running down all over her hands,” said Ningiukuluk indignantly. “Sanaaq! Lick them clean and give her only solid food to eat! I’ll get you eating right, little girl!”
“I’m done. I don’t want any more!” said Qumaq.
“Clean your hands with this willow ptarmigan skin,” said her mother.
Qumaq responded by wailing, “No! Ii Iiii! Ia-a!”
She was afraid, the poor little girl, of this big feathery thing she had been given for a hand towel. Her mother added, “Well then, I’ll clean your hands with this piece of a coal bag. No feathers on it. Otherwise you won’t clean your hands properly… Ningiukuluk! You and I let’s play cards while the tea heats over the oil lamp! We’ll then melt some blubber over the lamp… Sister! Get the pieces of blubber we’re going to melt. Pound the oil out of them, there, in the little bowl. Let’s go! Ningiukuluk, let’s play cards. You’re dealing! We’ll each put five matches into the pot. Is it my turn to throw away a card?”
“Yes!”
“I beat you! Iii!” She burst into laughter. “It’s mine!”
“Let’s call it a night. I’ve got to go home!” said Ningiukuluk.
Qumaq called out, “Come to me, Mother, I’m sleepy!”
“Go lie down on the sleeping platform. I’ll put you to sleep. Take your boots off!”
The little girl was soon asleep. It was evening and time for Sanaaq to fetch some water. She took a dipper with her. When she got to the nearest stretch of water, she began filling the dipper.
“It’s full of insects! There are even diving beetles… I’ll draw my water elsewhere, preferably from a pool higher up.”
She began filling her dipper again. When it was full, she noticed some clouds and thought, “That big one is a rain cloud. Even dark enough to be a storm cloud.”
She walked back. When she got home, she said, “Looks like we’re going to have thunder. The clouds are really dark now.”
“Ai!” said her younger sister. “If it thunders overnight, it’s going to be all the more scary… I wish there were more of us!”
They tried to fall asleep, everyone except Arnatuinnaq. She remained fully dressed and stretched out on the bed, for fear of thunder. It did thunder during the night and loud claps rocked the air.
“It’s thundering something awful!” cried out Arnatuinnaq, awaking her older sister.
The rain became a downpour, so much so that a steady stream of water dripped through the tent lining.
4 FISHING ON THE FORESHORE
Everyone awoke at daybreak. Arnatuinnaq said to her niece, “Qumaq! Let’s go fishing, the two of us, on the foreshore. Tomorrow we’ll be moving to Ujararjuaq for good. Let’s go fishing on the foreshore here one last time! Ai! Qumaq! It’d be a good thing to bring along a digging tool, in case we come across any ammuumajuit.”
Sanaaq spoke up. “Daughter, take this little pail to put them in. Sister, you can dig with a kiliutaq.”
“Let’s go! Let’s go to the foreshore!” said Arnatuinnaq.
They began walking. Qumaq shouted, “Auntie! Wait for me! Give me your hand!”
When they came to the foreshore, the aunt said to her niece, “Qumaq! This pool is probably full of kanajuit. It has a lot of stones that can be lifted up. Let’s have a look! I’ll start with this one!” She lifted it. “Yes, look! A sculpin! It’s slipping out from under. There it goes… I’ll catch it!”