One day I, mama and Fomba were returning from attending a birth in
Kinta. Fomba carried the pail; I carried fruit on my head while mama carried water
skins and her birthing kit. All these items except the birthing kit were given
by the village, before leaving they told us to be very careful. We were walking
along when mama started telling me “If
strangers come upon us, Aminata” she didn’t get much further. I looked ahead of
us and saw four men come out from behind the trees, mama told me to drop the
fruit and run but I was frozen in place.
Fomba grabbed the man with something odd in his hand; he hit the man on
the head with the chicken bucket. The man stumbled and then Fomba grabbed his
neck and twisted it hard. Fomba was about to grab me and run when all of a
sudden one man came up behind him and hit him on the head, Fomba didn’t move.
Mama tried defending us
but nothing worked, one man grabbed me I was able to get free and hit him
between the legs. After trying to escape I got captured again I was pushed on
the ground when I looked up I saw mama get hit in the back of the head really
hard and not moving. After walking for a long time we were walking towards the
village, when I looked up I could see through the trees that Bayo was burning.
After walking for a little
while more 5 strange men joined us with 3 other captives. I recognized one of
the captives as Fa; he rubbed his hands together until they slid free. Papa
fought a couple of the captors, when one captor raised a stick at my father. My
father stopped doing what he was doing and raised his hands, all of a sudden
fire came out of the stick and I saw my father fly backwards not being able to
move after the impact.
We walked naked for hours.
That is when I noticed Fanta had joined us, we eventually we came across a river;
it was the Joliba river father had been to. We were canoed across the river, a
boy had joined us and he always had a smile pasted on his face no matter the
situation. When it was time to eat the boy had brought me a banana, Fanta
wanted it badly. I fell asleep next to Fanta, I had figured out the boy’s name
was Chekura and that he was from the village Kinta. He continued to bring me
food and water.
We walked for many days, one day while I was walking
blood started to run down my leg. Mama told me this day would come; Chekura
kept asking if I was okay I only told him the next village to get a woman for
me. He did as I said and 2 women came and helped me clean up, after eating when
they offered me food I went back and joined the captives. I had stepped on a
dead corpse and started screaming but Fanta told me to calm down and only
pretend it was a goat’s body. I had helped a lady named Sanu give birth to baby
Aminata.
We
walked for many days, until one day we came upon the big waters. We crossed the
big water to an island where there were boats waiting for our arrival. When we
were boarding something hit our canoe I looked over and saw Chekura sitting in
it. I had told him to escape when he had a chance but didn’t. We boarded the boat;
women and children were separated from the men. We all had to get a hot iron pressed on us, we
were all had become branded. Hopefully my talent will come in use to the captors
and I will not be killed so soon and maybe I may be able to live longer.
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