the wrestlers who came from nuba

two circles of chalk had been laid down, one within the other. and around those circles was yet another, this one made of metal poles and pieces of cloth. and between the chalk and the makeshift walls were yet more circles, circles of people, packed close together.

all of their eyes were directed toward the center, for at the center of this bull’s eye, were four men. two were there to fight. two were there to enforce the rules.

the wrestlers bent at the waist, their eyes on one another. they reached down, scooped up fistfuls of the powdery earth and bathed in it. they ran the dirt along their arms and their thighs. they moved it, like kindling, quickly between their hands. what was left of the dirt, they let fall, like soft rain, back to the ground.

everybody watched. everybody was quiet.

the refs circled, caught up in an orbit around the wrestlers, and the two nuba fighters began their own rotation. moving to one side and then another.

it was slow at first.

one man cautiously raised his hand, the other recoiled. one man extended his hand and tapped the other man’s head. they grabbed each other’s shoulders, then released.

a feint. a taunt. always rotating. it was slow at first. but only at first.

suddenly, they were upon one another. an arm around a neck. a leg around a waist. they became a jumble of limbs, a knot of flesh.

then, just as quickly as the action had begun, it ended with one man standing and another on his back.

it did not take long for the crowd to erupt. arms shot up into the air, and so did voices.

the victor stamped the ground with his foot and sent dust flying. he took a lap around the circle of people, offering a smile to all, collecting money from some.

this happened again and again, more times than anyone, except the referees perhaps, bothered to count.

when the wrestlers were spent and the matches decided, the makeshift walls were pulled down and the crowd exploded outward. they wasted no time leaving; it was time to pray.

soon, all that was left were the two circles of chalk, one with another, and inside them, two young boys.

the boys faced one another, bent at the waist, scooped dirt into their hands, let it fall and began to wrestle.