The Lion
The girl that Salva had turned around to had little hair the same color as her almost black skin. She was a bit taller than him. But only a bit, as he had argued back in the past, and wore a ripped and teared red cloth that was bound over one shoulder, with a headband made of the same material tied over her head.
While Salva had taken all of this in his sister had rushed forward. But then stopped just as quickly, and studied him. Akit peered at him, looking up and down, barely glancing at his slightly swollen eye before staring at his belly.
Salva looked down as well, his belly, that used to be covered by his clothes, which were now full of taters, clearly revealed a ribcage. Of course. The last time Salva had been full was the bee hive. And it’s honey was nice, but that had been some time ago. Now his stomach was once again shiveled and small.
Salva looked up when Akit started moving again, but this time her movements were more careful, not wanting to pain him while he was in a fagile state. She offered him her hand, which he shook. Her hand felt rough and calloused.
“How are you feeling, brother?”
“Tired, can you walk with us?” He didn’t need to ask about where she had been, Akit had always been brave and strong. She could fend for herself well, one time even escaping a pack of wild dogs, and looked, felt, alive and moving. That was what mattered most when it came too her.
The group of refugees had continued walking while the two had greeted each other. Marial had slowed down a bit, but also kept walking. He faced the same criticism as Salva about being too slow and had to endure the trip just as quietly as him.
Akit nodded and Salva resumed his walk, this time with a part of his family.
“Do you know anything about the rest of our village?” Salva asked.
His sister stayed quiet so Salva turned back to her. Akit’s normally strong air had taken on a weaker shift after her travels. With her back slightly slumped and arms smaller then before. Her face looked worn out and spent, but not all of her strength had left her, after all, she was still standing.
“The village was used as war ground for the fighters. Some people were not able to make it out fast enough. A couple of boys tried to save their cows...”, Salva understood what she implied.
When he had been walking on his first trip, with his own village. He had not thought to ask what had happened to the others, at least, not before the group had decided to continue on without him.
There had been so much going on before that. Soldiers. Shouts. Skreaming. The crowd. Bombs and guns.
“Do you know anything about our parents?” Salva asked. Please let them be alive, he hoped.
“I am not sure, mother was with me for a bit. Then she was gone, heading back for brother Ring.” Salva lowered his gaze. He was frustrated, but with what and why he didn’t know. Maybe life. But, his sister was now with him. So, why...?
“Lion!“, Came a voice from up front.
Salva tried too see what was going on ahead of him, but the distance was too far. The heat forced even the ground to ripple in his vision making it even harder too see. Around him, Dinka people were just as confused and alarmed.
Ahead, there was another shout.
“Come on,” Akit started running ahead. And Salva began picking up the pace as well. As they neared the front of the line, He saw people being spurred into action, running, some forward, but others moving back, the way they had come for a bit before stopping and turning around to look at something.
Salva strained too see what they were looking at, he was so close, but could never see more than other people.
Akit finally slowed down a bit and he moved around her in order to get a better look at what was going on. Men were gathering, shuffling closer and closer together.
ROAR!
The were a couple more yells. And then it went quiet. The people started moving away from the thing that they had encircled, but not enough for him too see it. His sister moved inbetween some boys in order to get a closer look, Salva followed.
“We got a lion, ready the fires!” Came a grim voice from somewhere in the crowd.
That night people filled their bellies to the brim once again. Salva ate with his sister and Marial near the back of the refugees, next to some small trees.
People had found an injured lion. It had been a big one, but was weakened from the big wound on it’s side. The men had been able to bring it down. However they had also sustained a few injuries in the process. One person even had a long, but thankfully, light scratch on his arm and was getting help from one of the women, his wife, Salva concluded, who was carefully tieing it with a bit of cloth.
Lion meat was not the only thing that people were eating, a woman had recogized the round brown berries on the shrubs as edible ones and people were eating them to their hearts content. Which was, also as much as their bellies could hold.
Salva smiled, his sister was back and they were both full, that was enough for now.
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