Chapter one So there I was walking amidst a mass forest with a man I had just met a few hours ago. Pacing and heavily breathing the dry air of an unfamiliar place. That’s it I have completely lost my mind, what if this is a ploy to finally get rid of me? I don’t know what made me believe I could trust an old woman who has made it very clear to anyone who cared to listen that she despised me? Even so, I don’t know what was more petrifying, the fear of stepping on a snake or the thought of this strange man turning and slicing off my head with his gigantic knife. My entire body tensed up to the possibilities of my own fears .It’s as if he was reading my mind cause he immediately turned to assure me that there were no snakes at this time of the year, startling me in the process. He gave a slight laugh and I felt somewhat relieved. We had been walking for close to two hours in this dry forest and not once had this man uttered word. I was even drawing all sorts of crazy ideas in my head which I’d rather keep to myself for fear of being crucified. Some things are best left unsaid. I kept thinking of my parents, would they be proud or disappointed in me. It was hard to decide because I myself was unsure of why I was doing any of this. I have to admit I was very excited and scared at the same time, I knew very well the dangers of this. I had become someone I swore I’d never be. Instead of staying and fighting for a better life, I was being a coward, joining the masses that had fled as well. I knew very well that should anything go wrong I’d end up in prison or worse shot and killed on the spot. But because my stranger guide seemed so sure of him self and looked like he knew what he was doing it helped calm the nerves. He gave me the feeling that I could trust him with my life. I was however not naive also, from a young age I have heard of stories of people getting killed and arrested and it would be foolish of me to think this was a smooth sail mission. The though of life imprisonment at 20 years hurriedly silenced any further “what if’s” thoughts in my head. The further we went into the forest the more arid the atmosphere felt. I guess its true after all Botswana is a dessert of some sort. Because even though it was winter, the heat was proving to be too unbearable. I was glad I had chosen not to wear any heavy clothing too. I had on me long cotton leggings which proved to be useful against the thorny grasses and a knee length woven dress. I had taken off my sweater and tied it around my waist, after which it had served as an umbrella during the course of the trip. Looking ahead the sun was fast setting and I was really starting to get very anxious if we’d ever reach the Zimbabwe- Botswana border fence. Like a mind reader again he paused and said the fence was about two meters away and we needed to stop until further instructions. I just stood there in confusion which he then explained that soldiers patrolled the fences at around six and once they had passed it would be a long time before they passed there again. That would buy enough time to safely jump over the fence into Botswana. So there we were lying beneath the bushes in wait. Every second feeling like an hour, I could feel my heart beating so fast in my chest. My stomach was tied up in knots, this was it. The price to freedom was hard earned. The red-golden skies had been quickly engulfed by the glittery night sky. The moon sat alone in the Far East and the eyes of the man on the moon stared directly at us, exposing the terror that sat on mine. Suddenly there were voices in a distant. A lump slided down my throat, it was do or die. He signaled to get down low and instructed me not make a sound even if there was a snake on top of my head. I nodded and sat as comfortably silent as I could. The voices drew nearer and their tall shadows fell on the ground. Out of no where there was a bark! A dog if not two where coming directly at us! My heart stopped, literally!
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:07:54 +0000
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