THE SHE WHO SURVIVES THE TURBULENCE

      CHRONICLES OF TATRA----EPISODE 1 

She took a leap into the forest upon setting her eyes on the belligerents who were approaching from all sides, singing the songs of victory. To them, it was a nice song to feed their ego but to her, it is a soar to the ear keeping in mind her spotting would be her end. She hid behind a thorny bush mumbling her prayer so that if it were her last, the supreme power would consider her in the wagon of eternal lifers. The modified pick-up trucks dance in the mud on the paths leading into the forest and connecting to the village three miles away. She watches the militia shout on top of their voices and gesturing to the sounds of the songs from the wrecked voice of one militant who seems to be satisfied pointing a sniper gun towards the forest ready to scatter some unsuspecting brain onto the innocent trees that form a canopy spreading a roof over her head. Some fear bite her deep into the bones having in mind that if spotted by the hawk eye lenses of the sniper gun she would be reduced to a tale among the lips of those who mourn their lost ones. She slowly tucked her body together and lay coiled and stiff on the ground not wanting to provoke a single twitch from the leaves or branches of dry shrubs under her feet that would otherwise attract attention to her side.
  

The singing and revving engines sounds were now cooling down, the tension was now condensing in her stomach. She raised her head quietly to gaze in the beyond the bush but what she saw slowly started diminishing her hope of returning home safe to her husband and children. Hope was slowly trickling down to the negative. Attempting to escape without being spotted was not possible at all due to the many fallen dry leaves under the canopy. Silence was brewing, all the militants assembled after parking the stolen Humvees and the Modified trucks to strategize on their next move in running down the village that the path led to (Tatra’s village). Tatra was hearing all this but she couldn’t have that chance to save her family without going down first. They split in groups of five to set a camp just inside the forest meaning they would be her neighbors until they or she leaves. 


They were seemingly hungry and set up fire to roast their loots of cattle and goats that were killed and tucked inside the truck and feast on the aid food grabbed from the humanitarian organizations giving food aid to the affected. It seemed they had enough supply to cater for their needs well no wonder they were happily singing after all that bloodshed. In twenty minutes the aroma of the roasting meat started filling up the air, another celebratory sparked in and now Tatra was sure this was the time to run really fast back to her people and warn them or at least escape with her family. One of the combatants started shouting to a colleague to bring forth booze from one of the trucks so that the celebration could be complete. Tatra thus regressed on her plan and waited for the booze to be brought so that she could escape after the idiots are all drunk.She kept on watch, seeing them feast and drink to their full. Her stomach was now becoming impatient as it started reacting to the aroma of food flying around from the direction of these savages. It was now becoming late as the last sharp yellow rays of the sun were setting in the west. Instead of creating a therapeutic environment, all they brought to Tatra were memories she did not want to relieve in this moment. Darkness was approaching fast and she had to go or risk being shot at while spotted walking in the dark but it would be a risk worth taking to her.  

Before she could rise from her hiding place to make her move, she heard one of the militants speak to another to take watch and cover for him as he needed to take a piss. The language he used was clearly understandable to her, he was from her community where she came from before getting married in this village miles away from home to another community. Could she try to talk to him? And if she did, would he really give a damn about whatever she would be trying to tell him? Getting executed by your own kinsmen would be the most painful death. These are men who had sworn loyalty to their new found master and she couldn’t risk being handled brutally by someone she possibly knew. The footsteps were enclosing nearer towards her direction. Her heart was now pounding profusely capable of moving the branch of a plant her chest leaned on back and forth in a rhythm. The thudding of the boots stopped just behind the bush. The guy unzipped and pulled out his terror buddy and started emptying his bladder which seemingly had stayed hours long before being attended to. Tatra was on the receiving end of this unwanted bath by urine. 

She was helpless. She kept calm within those five minutes and even received the last bit that was shaken from the barrel of this ‘shower head’. After zipping up, the militant retreated to his duty Tatra was now fully aware that she had to leave without further waiting so she……………………………………………………………….to be continued.