The Ex-Mallku

The ex-mallku* was listless. I don't think I'd ever seen anyone with less list. I could tell he was listless because one moment he was laying horizontally across three chairs, and the next he was making paper aeroplanes and flying them across the room at me. I didn't know what to do with the paper aeroplane that had aerodynamically flown straight at me. We were after all in a community meeting, and I naturally felt it disrespectful to fly paper aeroplanes across the room when the community leaders were speaking.

I folded the aeroplane several times, waiting my moment. The moment didn't come. I folded and re-folded. This sure was going to be one aerodynamic plane when it got the opportunity to spread its wings.  Eventually I could wait no longer. I made aim, and like a dart I hit my target: bullseye; right on the ex-mallku's head. There were giggles from the rank and file community members. The ex-mallku had been in the act of launching another plane in their direction. He continued in the act, unabashed.

The next day the ex-mallku would ask me: “I was powerful, wasn't I?” I had to agree that he had been. Two weeks previously, he had been the leader; the figurehead of the province's highland communities. Now what was he? Retired from office at 32; a simple alpaca farmer.

In the meeting there was no doubt of his potency. He knew it was no longer his place to direct the meeting; and yet... there was an air of expectancy when he spoke. All awaited his sage advice.

What is the next step for an ex-mallku? I'm happy with the simple life now, he told me; looking after my alpacas; taking produce to market. This is the life for me. 

* A mallku in the Aymara world is a leader of a groups of communities (ayllus) known collectively as a marka. A mallku is also the Aymara word for "condor".