Patoo's Promise

A Story by Harry Phan

A boy sets out on a quest to save his father.

Patoo’s father was sick with the Deathly Heat. Since his family had no honors in their village, he could not obtain the heavily guarded medicinal herbs. His father, Pata, knew where to find the herbs from the jungle, but the journey was filled with Jaguars, Panthers, and beasts Patoo can’t even begin to imagine. Knowing his son, he would try to steal from the medicine hut and risk his family’s execution. The jungle was definitely the safer route. He gave Patoo directions to the herbs under the condition that he would not kill anything on his journey, out of respect for the spirit of the jungle. And so with a pouch full of dried boar meat, water, and small stone dagger, he set out to save his father.

The big tree with a branch that looked like a snake, the river with stepping-stones, marker after marker, he followed his father’s directions. From a distance he heard a strange snoring noise, like when his neighbor, Jakoo, slept, only louder. Walking towards the sound, he found a giant wild boar, the size of a full-grown warrior in his village, with tusks twice the size of his dagger. Patoo had heard stories from the warriors about how tough this beast was. One boar had skin so tough that spears bounced off it like raindrops off the roof of a hut. One killed 2 warriors before the others could discover its weak spot right under its jaw.

If it woke up, Patoo knew he would surely die. “I wish I didn’t promise my father I wouldn’t kill,” he thought. He slowly stepped across the jungle floor, keeping an eye out for twigs that might snap under his foot. After making it past the boar, he let out a sigh of relief while leaning on a tree. The light nudge was enough to scare a flock of parrots from their perch. With his eyes wide open, Patoo looked back at the boar, hoping it was still asleep. He let out another sigh of relief, not leaning on anything this time.

The boulder that looks like his hut; he knew he was close to the herbs. The tree with vines wrapped around it like green snakes. “The herbs should be right under there!” He looked all around. All he could see was torn up leaves, and over turned dirt on the ground. It looked like an animal had eaten all the herbs. There has to be more around here somewhere, he thought. He frantically searched for hours. At last, his shoulders fall, and eyes welled up. “What will my last words be to my father?“

Not knowing how much time his father had left, he rushed back to the village, passed the boulder, through the river, and the big tree. Suddenly, Patoo stopped in his tracks. Fear overtook him. The wild boar was in his path, staring him with furious eyes. Patoo tried to step out of its path, but the boar would follow, aggressively guarding its territory. Without any warning, it lunged its sharp tusks at him, but luckily Patoo dodged it, barely. He might not be so lucky next time. He didn’t want his last words to be “I’m sorry but I broke my promise,” but saying something would be better than no being there at all. With his eyes locked on to the boars, the thought of seeing his father again silenced his nerves and fears. He patiently waited for it to attack again. Here it comes. The boar charged with great force. As the tusks came, Patoo stepped to its right, grabbed its tusk, and plunged his dagger deep under its jaw. The beast struggled a bit as life slowly faded from its eyes.

Patoo returned to the village. One of the village elders spotted him. Bewildered, he asked why he was covered in blood. Patoo said he killed a boar not too far from here. “Impossible,” the elder thought as he sent out 2 warriors to confirm. When they returned, dragging the boar behind him, the elder was impressed. This was enough for the rest of the elders to award him and his family honors for their contribution to the tribe. Along with it, access to the herbs to save his father.

He entered his meager hut, with his father lying on a bed of straw. “Am I too late?” He was still breathing. As he fed his father the herbs, he thought about how to tell his father about what he did to get the herbs. He also thought about the scolding he will get for breaking his promise, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was that his father is still around to do it.