When I reach my village I see there are still a few families still preparing to leave. In the distance, further down the long wide valley there is an orange glow in the late afternoon sky. It is fire from the next village. Maybe tomorrow the soldiers will come. Maybe tonight I am safe. I say hello to the other children and run into my hut. Next to the fire is my book. I pick it up and hold it to my chest. My future is safe. But what now? Should I sleep in the hut or try to catch up with my parents and brother. In this region there are no dangerous animals, but the night is a scary time, even for me. I decide to stay the night and leave at sunrise. I chase some chickens and catch and kill one. I gut it, pluck its feathers and start a fire to cook it. A little while later, as I eat, it's difficult not to feel very alone. This is the first night in my life I have not slept with my parents. I even miss my father's loud snoring. The night is very long, but eventually I fall asleep.
A loud voice, 'Get up! Get up
now!'
I am very sleepy and confused, 'Father? Is that you?'
The voice laughs, 'I am not your father but maybe I will be your
husband,' the voice laughs again.
I begin to feel scared and open my eyes. A man is standing in
the doorway, and the bright light behind him means I can't see his
face, but I know he is a soldier. They have come and I am in big
trouble. He has a gun, and it is pointed at my face. 'I should shoot
you now, but you are too pretty. Yes, you are a very pretty girl. I
think we can have some fun.' He smiles at me, and I see his front teeth
are missing. He looks the same age as my father. 'If you come near me,
I'll kill you!' I say to him and spit on the floor in front of him.
He laughs. 'You? You will kill me? You? A pretty young girl!' He laughs
again and moves towards me. Just then, another man walks through the
door. 'What are you doing?' he asks the first man.
'I... I... I am questioning the girl. She might know where everyone has
gone, sir.'
'Bring her outside and put her with the others... Now!'
'Yes, sir.' says the soldier. He pushes me through the door, and out
into the morning sunlight. There is a group of adults and children
standing
together in the middle of the village. I join them.
When the soldiers are satisfied
that they have everyone, they take the boys and men away. I am left
with a small group of five girls and three women. The leader of the
soldiers looks like a cruel man. He is a big man: tall and fat. He is
wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigarette. He smells of sweat and
alcohol. He walks up and down the line of us girls. 'Very nice, very
nice,' he says. 'You are all country peasant scum, but you are pretty
girls. You will serve the army very well.' Two of the girls are only
six and eight years old. The leader stops in front of me. 'What is
that?' he asks.
I look at him and spit on his sunglasses. 'His mouth looks so angry but
I do not care. I'd rather die here in my village than go with the
soldiers.
'You have strong spirit little woman,' he says smiling. His mouth is
full of gold teeth, but his breath is bad. 'What are you holding?' he
asks again.
'It's my storybook.' I say, with hate in my voice. I don't want to show
him I am scared.
'A storybook? You can read? Where did you learn to read?' he asks me.
'My grandmother showed me. I can read English like her. I am going to
be a teacher, and you cannot stop me. I am better than you.'
He laughs and turns away to speak to one of his men. Pointing at me he
says,
'Take the others away, but bring her to General Tomba. A soldier takes
my arm and puts me in the back seat of a Jeep. I am sitting next to
some
of the things they have stolen from my people. We drive away back down
the valley but after ten minutes the driver stops the Jeep and smiles
at me. 'I think we should have some fun before you meet General Tomba,'
he says. He tries to grab me but I punch him hard in the face. He is
surprised and drops his gun. It falls onto the seat next to me and I
pick it up. He says, 'Don't be stupid, little girl. If you hurt me,
they will find you and kill you. Give me the gun.'