Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk - Sanaaq - An Inuit Novel

“She’s not telling the truth! I simply said she was always taking a break from her work. I only said that!”

“ Ai! ” said Ningiukuluk.

Qumaq no longer liked Akutsiaq. Hardly surprising. Akutsiaq tattled on others, complained all the time, and would not tell the truth. Qumaq too went home. And there she said, “Akutsiaq left behind the things she was washing. They’ll probably be torn to bits by a dog because she left them in the pool!”

“But why did she leave them behind?” asked Sanaaq.

“Because she went home!”

“Did you make her angry?”

Qumaq made no reply. She did not wish to repeat what the other girl had said. It was not worth it. So she changed the subject.

“Let me eat too! I want some meat from the kujapigaq and also some dried small intestine that’s been pounded!”

Qumaq’s little brother woke up and began walking about barefoot. He asked again and again for someone to put his boots on, but everyone turned a deaf ear. Qumaq said, “ Irq! He’s going to hurt his feet, the little one! I’ll put his boots on.”

“Go ahead,” said Sanaaq, “but take good care of him! Don’t let him wander off anywhere. He could fall into the water again!”

“I’ll take good care! I feel bad about not looking after him properly… If he had drowned, I would’ve deserved being scolded by you.”

“His breathing is still not back to normal. It’s probably because of the water he swallowed… I dread the moment when his father comes back… I feel like running far away, for fear of having to face his anger.”

“Why?”

“Out of fear… It’s true! I’ll run away because I’m terrified of facing him!”

Her son began to vomit water continually… as Qalingu walked into the tent. Seized by fright, Sanaaq told him, “My son fell into the water today… I’m frightened because he’s still not fully recovered… He slipped while playing with the little boat and was in the water for a long time… Qumaq and I realized too late…”

“Why are you so scared?” said Qalingu. “Is it because you let him fall into the water or is it because you’re afraid of my anger? The umiarjuaq is about to arrive. His only chance of pulling through will probably be for him to leave… I’ll go and see the Qallunaat at the trading post ai! I’ll go and talk to them, for his condition will probably get worse!”

“But couldn’t he get better without having to leave?” protested Sanaaq timidly.

Qalingu got ready to visit the Qallunaat at the trading post.

“Let me soften your boots quickly!” offered Sanaaq, starting in earnest.

She did not dare oppose Qalingu. He went straight to the employees at the trading post and to the iksigarjuaq. Sanaaq was unhappy. She feared seeing her child leave. She thought over and over, “If he goes, he may end up crying a lot, especially if he’s among people he’s never seen… If it takes time for him to recover, he’ll be gone for long… I can’t accept his having to leave… He’ll probably get better if he just stays here… I don’t want to be separated from my son because I love him very much!”

Qalingu spoke to the trading post staff. “My young boy fell into the water while playing with a little boat. I’ve come for his sake because his condition is getting worse. He’s throwing up water all the time!”

“If he fell into the water,” answered the chief factor, “he should leave on the big boat. He’ll have a chance of recovering!”

“He will go!” concluded Qalingu. And he immediately went back to his family.

“The chief thinks he should go,” he said as he arrived. “Here are some niaquujait for him, for the trip!”

He gave them to Sanaaq, who responded heatedly. “He won’t leave! I’ll run away and take him with me. He can get better quite well just by staying here! If he goes, he will suffer all kinds of troubles… No way is he going. He isn’t even old enough to think for himself! I don’t want to be separated from him!”

Sanaaq tried to have the last word. She fought to make her view prevail. Qalingu, for his part, refused to waver, concerned as he was to see his son get better.

“Accept it,” he said, “or else his condition will get worse!”

“He certainly won’t leave! I absolutely cannot accept it! I insist! I’m going to run away with him… I’ll get up very early and, while you’re all asleep, I’ll leave and take him with me!”

“He’s going to go! Accept it!”

“He won’t go. He’s my son and I love him! If anything, you’re the one who’ll leave… He will not go!”

Both of them stuck to their guns, so much so that Sanaaq had used up almost all of her strength and resistance… Everyone now went to bed… and to sleep.

Sanaaq woke up very early the next morning. She rubbed her eyes and began to prepare to escape with her son. She dressed carefully in order not to wake the others. She did everything very slowly, so as not to interrupt their slumber. She dressed without making a noise, and they all remained sound asleep… She took hold of her sleeping son and placed him in the back pouch of her coat. He certainly was able to walk, but, out of affection for him, she was unwilling to make him walk so soon after awaking.

No sooner had Sanaaq placed the child in her back pouch than he began to cry. Qalingu stirred. But he was too sleepy and dozed off again right away. Sanaaq rushed out to keep her child from crying. Once outside, he stopped crying and she was on her way. Some dogs started following her, but she threw stones at them, thus deterring them from coming any further. But they continued to watch the direction she was going in, for they were accustomed to following their mistress. A little later her son awoke and began to cry once more, for he was hungry and not feeling well. She explained to him her intention not to take him far.

Back in the tent, meanwhile, Qalingu and Arnatuinnaq had woken up. Qalingu said to his sister-in-law, “Your older sister has run away. She’s gone!”

“ Ii autualuk! ” said Arnatuinnaq. “I wonder where she could have gone! Let’s both go looking for her, Qalingu! Aikuluk! ”

“I have trouble believing she did that just to keep her son from leaving… It’s as if she didn’t want him to get better… Let’s go, Arnatuinnaq! Let’s look for her with Maatiusi’s help!”

Qalingu went to his camp mates and said, “My wife took our son and ran away without my knowing… Maatiusi! Join Arnatuinnaq and me in searching for them. Qumaq will be minded by my sister Aqiarulaaq.”

“I will!” said Maatiusi.

All three went looking for the runaway. The dogs sensed they were looking for someone and bounded ahead, in the direction taken by Sanaaq.

“The dogs seem to be on Sanaaq’s trail!” remarked Qalingu. “All we need do is to follow them and start searching!”

They searched all day without spotting Sanaaq.

Meanwhile, Sanaaq was beginning to think of going home, for her son was crying from hunger.

“I love my dear son so much,” she thought, “and I’m making him suffer… At home, there’s lots to eat while here there’s nothing… If I love my son, how can I make him suffer from hunger and prevent him from going away and getting proper care? I must go home. I’ve acted with no regard for common sense. If they want to take him away, I should accept it, even though it makes me unhappy… I know it’s for his own good… I must accept it, if I truly love him!”

And Sanaaq headed home. Her folks were still looking for her.