Second Visit: The South

Yaroslav stayed with Eleanor for many months. He performed and made Eleanor laugh so much that she almost forgot about her imprisonment. The day came that Yaroslav said he must return to his princess. Eleanor felt more alone than ever.

Eleanor was beginning to lose hope that anyone else would visit. After Yaroslav left, months passed without any sign of another guest. Finally, a visitor came. His dark skin contrasted with his brightly colored clothing. He was tall and carried himself proudly. Eleanor was not surprised when he told her that he was the chief of his tribe. Eleanor had always heard marvelous stories from Africa, and she was excited to hear what this chief had to share. He was direct and wasted no time. Once they went to her chambers, he began speaking before she could sit down.

My name is Swarmi. I became chief of my tribe ten years ago. At that time, my younger brother, Buite, was useless. He had no wife, no children, and wouldn’t work to help sustain our people. I told him he had two choices: marry or be exiled. He went to find a wife.

I heard nothing from my brother for almost a year. I assumed he had died in the jungle since he couldn’t have survived on his own. One day, a small child came to my home. She claimed to be my niece, but that was impossible. Buite had only been gone months. The child insisted I go with her to visit her family.

We arrived at a home tucked away behind the brush and many trees. Children played outside. We went in to find more children, and a beautiful woman was cooking lunch. She said she was Buite’s wife, and all the children were theirs. I told her there must be some mistake.

“The gods saw Buite in need and sent me, this beautiful house, and all these children who grow more rapidly than your average child. While in your time it has only been a few months, it seems to me that we have spent years together. The gods granted us more time than most couples have. For that I am grateful.” She stared longingly at the door, as if willing Buite to come home. “I miss him while he goes out fishing. Such a good husband! We get to stay together forever! Well, as long as he chops the heads off of the fish. I can never see the head of a dead fish. That is the one condition from the gods.”

I spent the day with my sister-in-law and my many nieces and nephews. Then, off in the distance, we could see people approaching the house. It was Buite and even more children carrying baskets of fish. “My husband! He has returned!” His wife leaped up and ran toward them.

I began walking to my brother. Suddenly, there was a scream. One moment, I was looking at my brother surrounded by his children and wife. I blinked, and my brother now stood alone, holding one fish in his hand. It was dead, its eyes staring accusingly at him.

“Buite, what has happened?”

“I needed to know. Why could she not look at a fish? What have I done? My wife! My children! My home!” I turned back to where the house and other children were. Now it was only trees.

“What happened to your brother?” Eleanor asked.

“He now wanders the land, searching for his wife, though he must know she is gone.”

“Thank you for sharing your story. You are welcome to stay as long as you want before you return to your home.”

“I appreciate your hospitality, Queen Eleanor, but I must return immediately. I have already been gone too long. I didn’t want to travel so far, but when Pierre told me about your situation, I had to help somehow. Your husband truly has imprisoned you here?”

“I am afraid so. I aided my son in his attempt to take the throne, and for that I am being punished.”

Swarmi stared long and hard. “This punishment seems severe, but perhaps I understand. I can tell you are a strong woman. I can only imagine how much your husband must fear you.”

Eleanor accompanied Swarmi to the stables where he had left his horse. “Queen Eleanor, I hope that you receive many visitors while you are kept here. Know that you are always welcome in my home. Let me know if you ever need anything.”

Eleanor watched him disappear over the horizon. Though her heart still ached, she felt stronger than ever. She refused to be a vanishing wife at the mercy of others. Something must be done.

Author's Note: The original story of The Vanishing Wife is similar to what I write about in Swarmi's story. In the original, Swarmi and Buite are brothers, though Swarmi is not chief of the tribe. Swarmi has many servants, but Buite is so alone that he goes off by himself. The gods do not grant him his wife and all he has. In fact, in the original story, there is no explanation for why the wife appears. He dreams of her, and then she is real. In the original story, there is more about the children. Buite keeps asking the children if he can show the fish with its head still on to his wife. When they start crying that he shouldn't, he cuts the head off after all. However the last time, the boy gets away with the fish before Buite can cut it off and shows it to his mother. Swarmi does not arrive until after everything has disappeared, and he doesn't believe Buite's story about having had a wife, children, and house.

I made Swarmi a chief because I wanted someone in power to show concern for Eleanor. I wanted someone who has power to want to help her, which would hopefully motivate her to do something. I see Eleanor as a strong woman in history, particularly at a time when women were not in places of power. I want to show her strength, even if it comes from my imagination.

The Vanishing Wife: Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort by Richard Edward Dennett (1898).