Sitting in a room looking around me, the only things I could notice were bottles, cooking pot, oil can, chair, cup. The room is actually almost empty. The wall was painted in bleue and door build with wood. No paint on the door. The lock was rusted.
I was inside with the door closed. Hold on; I just awaken in that room, I don’t even know how I fell in. Trying to get out, It was impossible. I shake so hard the door that the key broken. I was locked inside then, no way to go out.
At that moment I’ve been thinking to break the door to go out, nature remind me my weakness (not so strong it seems). Suddenly, I heard a noise behind. Was I in trouble?
Developing a myopia, I can’t see far away without my glasses. My glasses was at 5 meters about from me.
I can see that glow in my back. I was thrilled; I can feel - I don’t know how to explain that - like a wave going from my feet to my head. What was there? I start thinking that I wasn’t alone. I figure out that, the room was way much bigger than I thought. Reaching my glasses in a haste, I saw a dark snake right in font of it. Accepting all risk, because without my glasses I was anyway in trouble and a big mess, I gently hang my hand and pick quickly my glasses and roll off. And then begin my exploration of that scary room to find my way out.
Everything was so hermetically close that only one hole in a corner of the room brings light inside. Now that I have my glasses set rightly on my face, my vision is quite clear. My fear was so great that I was already shaking while walking. I double check everything in my pocket. I was looking for my cell phone. But, nothing to do with it - It wasn’t there. My white shirt - my girlfirend just gave me as a present - was completely dirty and it’s right sleeve’s was torn up. I can imagine how she will look after me seing it in this state. Anyway, the situation don’t really let me thing about all those details. Going out of that room is my first objective. Everything else is secondary.
On my right side I saw a door ajar. On my left hand though was a long hallway. Which one to choose? What was I going to see at each? Too many questions start dangling in my head - I was sweating, it is really hot inside indeed -. From the other side of the hallway, I heard some low noise; like whispering. I then decided to face my fear like a man and choose to go through the corridor. My heart start beating so fastly that I could heard it in my hear. One foot in front of the other, I came closer and closer to the noise. On my way in the corridor, it was at each side, old dirty doors all closed. I was too much afraid to open all of them. But the noise was comming from the antepenult. As I was touching the door, it opened immediately. So, I could see that huge, dark and sleeping dog. His size make me think of a hunting dog. I was trembling of fear. I used my left hand to shut my mouth - preventing myselft of crying - and hide my breathing. Any brusque movement could awaken that dog; and that is my last whish.
I pull back carefully and patiently the door and continue my way; hoping that I could find an exit as soon as possible. After exactly 7 steps - yes I’m counting my steps; listenning around; smelling and keeping my eye big opened - I was in a big room. It seems like a living room but not livable no more. There were dust everywhere. One more step and I could leave remarquable footprint on the ground; and that could be bad for me - It is only then that I noticed that I was barefoot -. Staying on my feet, I look carefully around. The two windows I saw was condemned with solid iron beam. This room look abandoned for a very long time. I get it late; It seems like I choose the wrong direction. No way out by here. A big sweat rool off from my forehead. I have to back off and check the former direction.
I was walking back quite fastly. Then, the dog’s door start opening slowly with a creaking. I stop immediately and hold my breath with the intention not to breath again - I haven’t do as good as that even during my swimming exercises -. After fifteen long seconds, I have a glance in the room and see the dog still sleeping; “lucky you this time”, I thought. I then speed up my walk and reach my initial room. I open the door ajar: it was a complete all dark. No light! I couldn’t see 5 centimeters in front of myself. It was like an outage voltage inside my head. I could feel my fear growing up and my mind in alert. I could feel the danger around me and being aware of that is more scary.
I went on my knees to try to find anything - I wasn’t thinking rationnaly of course - to help me out. Tasting the ground with my hands, I felt wastes under my fingers. I could feel as well ants, cockroachs or may be it was differents insects. I can’t really rely on my touch to identify insects. I found a nail somewhere as well. And then the picture of the black snake I saw earlier go through my mind; I suddenly got up and come back to my woodmade door. I tried to push the nail over the lock so hardly but trying not to make too much noise to awake that dog sleeping over there. Suddenly the door opened an I could feel a wave of fresh air fondle my face. Stepping out of that strange house, I understand that, this is just the begining of my trouble. It seems like I’m in nowhere in a forest. As long as I can rely on my sight, there are trees everywhere around. I don’t know where I am, I don’t get a map. I don’t have a compass. I don’t even know what is going on here. What a crazy situation? Usually, I’m the clever one but I did need a hand - I need a miracle, “It is the right moment, God, to show me your existence” I thought -. I was scared and afraid of the unknown.
What I did know is that I should move away from my current position - the front of this strange house - and go under cover. I climbed rapidly that facade going through trees. After ten or thirteen minutes of climbing I reached a clearance field fool of bushes. I could recognise some of them; my parents used to treat malaria and differents diseases with them. From there, as I’m turning around to see behind, the shock was complete. No words come to my mind for a while, I just stop breathing instantanly. Many bad thoughts start portraying in my head. There is no other house on sight. Only forest on the horizon and that house I’m whilling not to go in no more. It is clear now, I’m in a big problem and either my smile or my pretty face will help me on this.
I take off slowly my glasses to get tem cleaned with the inside of my shirt. I needed a neat view to comfirm my situation. I sad down on the ground to shedule all my move. I had to be carefull and precise. As repening those thoughts, my stomach remind me that I should look for something to eat - I’m in a forest somewhere without weapon and without hunting experience, this is certainly why the word improvisation exist -. But hopefully, when you are in a forest, hunting is not the only way to have something to eat. You can go fishing or find some fruit to eat as well. I started then looking for some fruit around, it was a discovery session too. Going on my way, I was looking everything twice and with attention - At least, it is one of my greatest gift, I’m able to memorize everything I want as necessary - I saw so much animals that I started wandering how a hell I’ve been here.
(need to complete some animal name and descriptions)
I saw a big soursop tree. Gracefuly, there were some on the tree and then I found my meal. I quickly climbed on the tree and start eating it without more interrogations. On habit, I’m keen on tidiness; but for now, I don’t really mind. As long as I could get my stomach full, any others hygienes rules are secondary. After satisfaying my starvation, I just get a thought on my familly, and my girlfriend. Some fresh air hitting me on the face made me forget my anxiety for a while. On top of that tree, I was relax and fairless. I found, I think a place of safety. I was secured and my face got illuminated.
Let me tell you some about me and my familly. My name is William DANOU and I’m 24 years old. I grow up at Cotonou, a big town of Benin - a west african country -. My father is a fisherman and my mum a housewife - She is a retail traider -. My familly is not wealthy but I’m proud of our situtation - cause many people know worse -. Using the greatest part of their money to get me to school, I’m doing now my best to make them proud of my work. Our house is not really large but we like it very well. I’m the elder of a familly of three children; I’ve got one sister, she is 15 years old and a young brother which is 9 years old.
With their little incomes, ours parents take care of us and are always there when needed. We live in a house with 3 rooms. One living room where we eat, watch TV and tchat with parents; two bedrooms, one for parents and one for us. We’ve got a bathroom and this is usualy the source of morning quarrel. As always, ladies took all their time when they go into the bathroom. You can imagine then the queue forming in front of the bathroom. We argument sometimes because of that. To avoid that, when I’m not too much exhausted, I wake up earlier to have a shower. When occasionnaly my sister goes into the bathroom first and my mum want to go in as well, I found that usually funny, cause the spectacle is just wonderful. “Series of nock” from my mum saying hurry up, and series of “one minute please” coming from inside. Just too much funny and pleasant; they can taste out how others feel then about their long time in the bathroom. Anyway, that is the ambience at my place.
Suddenly, I heard a big noise behind. Oups!!! It was a bird flying apart.
Quite skilful, I’ve learned so many things in parallel with my studies. Then I know some of mecanics, woodwork and, sewing - needlework -. So, I generally keep myself busy.
On the other hand there is my girlfriend. Ohh! that lady. I can say so much about her to you without even being tired. Quiet and peaceful, she is the better thing that happen to my person. My greatest support on hard day, she doesn’t need to ask questions before knowing whether something went wrong or not. It is such a chemistry that I can’t explain - just to remind you, I usually do explain almost everything -. She is able to communicate her emotions, her state of mind. So, I can understood her as well effortless. She is confident, mature and accurate in her actions. Standing up at her side make me feel … (happy).
We used to go sometimes at the beach to have great times together. A game called ‘Guess’ is our prefered. The purpose of this game is to look in the eye of each other and gess the other’s thoughts. Bare with me it seems a strange game but I undertand that the aim was not to get right or wrong; but just to look each other in the eye - Cause inside our eye is our soul in his purest nature and hold all truth about our person, our personnality - On our spare time at night, we watch occanionnaly movies together; have some drink together or better, sing togeter - when we are alone right? We don’t want curious around. Anyway, she sings great -
While all of those feeling were flooding in my mind and making me feel safe, I just saw a group of four indigenous coming on my way. Each of them were armed. The first one got a spear; the next one was holding something like a sword; the third one was a pygmy with a cudgel in the left hand - he is certainly left handled -; the last one got a bow and a quiver with many arrows in his back - He looks really strong and seems to be the head of the group -. Those people seem coming from hunting. They were pulling something with great effort. I could not believe my eye. It was a person at the other side of the rope. Actually, it was a girl. Curly hair, wearing a bleue jeans - like the one youngs people used to wear, those one torn up everywhere -. She seems wounded on her head, there were blood on her face. But she wasn’t crying. She was making just some little groan - she look exhausted, strengthless -. I could feel despair inside my heart. I couldn’t move even a toe. A picture of me being caught keep stacked in my head. I was petrified of fear.
They was walking slowly and carefuly. Like they knew something was going on here. They just stop instantanly under the tree I was on and sniff. I was tensed and hold strongly the tree. I was able - don’t ask me how - to quote seven times the Lord’s prayer even if I’m not really a faith man.
(to be continued …)