Chapter two

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My fear woke me up trembling early that morning. It wasn't long before my mind recollected the events of the previous day.

I was scared, tired, angry and alone. I grieved bitterly for all that I had lost in one night. My home, Mom, My brother and My whole village. The village that I had watched burn to nothing from a distance. I had Mom's chain in my hand which I held on to tightly. It was the only thing I had to remind me of the life I once had. I stood up from the grass I had fallen asleep on and wore mama's chain around my neck.

Fight. I had promised her I would fight. No matter what it took...I would fight for what was right.

'The god's let this happen for a reason.' I thought to myself.

I was just a child. I didn't know if I was ready for the uninevitable ... I looked around me. There was nothing but green grass. The world seemed too big and in that moment, I was it's only resident. I had only myself to look after. No family, no friend...nothing. I looked down at myself and the rugs I wore that had once been the prettiest dress I owned until last night.

''You only have yourself.'' I said out loud. I had no time to weep. No time to mourn my loved ones. And besides, crying was a sign of weakness in my country. It was something I couldn't afford to be....ever. I had to keep moving.

I balled up my fists and run. My pace slightly slowed by the fact that I hadn't had a meal or drink in a while but that was a little price to pay. I didn't need a map...I didn't need an adult- all I needed was nature to guide me.

It had been the way of our people. Something that had been passed down for generations. We could navigate the country with such ease. The changing features of the land hadn't altered our skill. The land was printed on our hearts....In graved in our minds to stay forever.

My bare feet grazed the ground. The soft wind telling me I was moving in the right direction.

I came to a halt after what should have been an hour and a half. I needed water. A lot of it if I was going to manage running under the searing heat that was slowly making it's way out. There were no water sources I knew of near by so I decided to use what my people had taught me.

There were a few scattered trees around me. I followed the one with the greenest leaves and thickest trunk. The process was simple but I was so out of breath that each movement felt like too much work.

I begun drilling a tiny hole in the tree's huge trunk with the strongest stick I could find. The tree was thicker than I had thought and so when the stick I was using to drill finally broke...I looked for another...and another....and another. Until...Water at last poured out of the small hole in the tree in a slow current.

I hurriedly opened my mouth and pressed against the little hole in the tree trunk to suck the water that slowly made its way out. The relief of the liquid soothed my tired limbs. I drunk as much as the tree could provide because I knew I would need it if I was going to make it to my destination which was still a good five miles away. When the water stopped flowing, I thanked the tree even though I was still thirsty and then started moving again. I didn't have the time to drill another hole. Every second counted.

My feet moved as fast as they could...which wasn't much. I was growing tired and out of breath but before I decided I couldn't make it, there it was a small distance ahead of me. The village I had to protect.

The more I run, the further away it seemed. I don't know what compelled me to keep going but I did. I run until I made it.

The sun was almost setting by the time I made it there. People stared at me from all directions. I had known about that village. It had been the closest to ours but I had only ever seen it from afar. Now, however, I was in it's confines. Surrounded by staring people who didn't know they were in danger.

I must have looked like a wild dog. I was exhausted and hungry. The stench coming from the sweat dampening my nasty looking dress was awful. I opened my mouth so I could try to introduce myself but all that came from it were a few groans right before my eyes shut and I collapsed.

The memories after that are blurry. What I do remember vividly was that I awoke in a small hut. My eyes tried to decipher the place but I couldn't keep them open long enough. They hurt so bad.

"Please. Let me help her.'' A woman's voice reached my ears. I wondered who she was talking about.

''No- '' A man answered her. "She's not from here...she may be a danger.''

''She's only a child. Look at her!" The woman pleaded. "She needs food. Only the heavens know how long she must have been out there...all alone.''

It was clear now who they were talking about. I was the subject of there conversation.

'I'm not a danger!' I wanted to scream but my week muscles wouldn't let me. The woman was right. I needed food.

"Fine. You can feed her." To my relief, the man finally agreed. ''Keep her too if you'd like.''

The lady sat herself besides me, laying my head on her lap. She rubbed my crusty cheek with her soft thumb. Her skin smelt of Marula oil. An oil that had been used for decades by many people as a lotion.

'Could this be Mom?' I asked myself. 'Maybe the gods have brought her back to me.' I opened my eyes a little so I could see her, although it took a while for them to come back to focus.

To my disappointment, it wasn't her. 'She's gone Zara!' I scolded myself for even entertaining the idea.

The lady I looked at wasn't my mom but, she was definitely pretty. Her afro hair...it looked silky soft and it's shiny black colour reminded me of my own hair before it had been stained by grass and dirt. Hazelnut brown. That was the color of her eyes. She had a brown complexion but you could tell that it was slowly being darkened by the growing heat.

"Hey dear-" She whispered to me. "My name is Nandi. I brought you some food and water okay?"

I didn't answer her. Not because I didn't want to but because I didn't have the energy for it. Nandi didn't seem to mind though. She reached for the plate on the floor and begun to feed me it's contents.

I tried to chew the sweet potatoes that had been mashed for me as best as I could. It seemed like a simple meal but after running such a great distance on an empty stomach....I relished every mouth full.

When I had emptied the plate. Nandi poured some fresh water into my mouth and then set me down again. The sun was finally making it's way back over the horizon, leaving only the darkness to fill the room. Nandi was still there with me. I fell asleep and then... I dreamed of it all over again. The exile of my village.