Dear Ara

Kalanje pov

1200 years ago.

The village of Mubaila sits quietly surrounded by forests and a stream whose flowing waters are interrupted by the sound of children running around naked and playing.

And I live here. I was watching the people work from my own workstation as I made bows with our village craftsman whose attention was fixed on a broken string, when we heard the noise of men running towards our village and a band of cattle being chased our way rising steadily from the trees that surrounded us.

First thing I hear is the swish sound of a flying arrow. fly past my face and my legs act on their own, they pull me away to safety into my mother's hut.

I enter and find her on the ground, mama! Mama!!

I call but she does not answer, she lays there still and at peace with an arrow standing on her chest, I run outside to look for my brother and sister but they are nowhere to be found.

Just then someone pulls me from behind and covers my mouth, he points to a direction and says to my ears, run to borrankama, my father's voice rings in my head.

I tried to look at his face but he shouts "run!

And I run, I run and I do not look back, but before me I can see the pile of kids, and thier parents on the floor, the smoke from the burning huts covering my sides as I make my way west from our village into the woods as my father had instructed.

Tears flowing from my eyes as I struggle to keep my pace.

My father, the head of the village, had died.

I wonder what had happened to my brother and sister?

Did they end up like the rest?

"Will I be alone?

If I run to borrankama there will be others, someone will have made it to her cave, someone will be there, maybe some people.

I hear legs running towards me, and I try to speed up.

I try to run away from them but they are just as fast and strong as the wind pulling me back.

Running to the edge of the rock that our home stands on I see a rift before me and I stop and turn to see if they were close, I search for my pursuers and see no one, run backwards and the then turn forward, increasing my speed I make my mind to scale the rift, I leap into the air with my arms aiming for a hold as my body swings to the other end.

But I fall and roll like an amateur, it is my first time making my way across this large rift.

And as I roll I hear the sounds of arrows raining down in pursuit, as one grabs my thigh.

I don't turn back. I limp continuously, not able to recognize my way as my vision blurs and the white and red tattoos of the gbali people come in view.

I am seated on the floor watching my blood trickle and my body grow weaker and weaker, as the colors on their bodies fade gradually.

Am I dying?

Is this the end of me?

I try to move my hand a bit forward but my eyes close finally.

When I opened my eyes I found myself in her cave, the seer of our village had come to save me.

I don't see her but I call out to her in low groans "borrankama?

Borrankama?

I am here the voice of a young lady replies,

Your body is burning up here, take this and don't move she instructs.

I hold my head up a little and drink from the koko(calabash).

After I drink a bit of it, I lie back and then my eyes slowly adjust to the darkness.