HOME
When the cold, sullen morning dawned, and my people began to load the camels, I almost felt loath to give back to the waste this little spot of ground that had glowed for a while with the cheerfulness of a human dwelling. Those people caused this. I wish last night never happened. If I hadn't heard their voices, I wouldn't know we had to leave because of them... When I rolled in my sun-warmed bed into my hut, I heard soft wisping voices flying with the wind. Slowly and quietly I slipped the soft camel-skin covers over my body and tried to ignore the voices. It would be dark soon. I must go to sleep I told myself, but sleep would not come. Gaining courage to disobey my parents I took my covers off and crept towards the door. As I grew closer the voices became more distinct. I peeked around the door curtains trying not to make any noise. The beads tinkled at my touch and I was afraid that someone would hear, but no-one took any notice. Observing the group, I noticed that there were people I didn't know. They were all wearing long red and brown drapes, the colour of the sand and sky. They must be travellers I thought, just passing through to trade and then continue on their journey through the desert. As I was about to go back to my bed I heard words come from an unfamiliar voice. "THIS IS OUR LAND NOW!" I froze in fright. I had never heard such a loud and demanding voice. What was that person going on about? This is our land. I kept on listening to see what else was to be said. In a much quieter voice one of our villagers said "but where will we go?" I was shocked. How is it possible for these people to just tell us to leave our home? The louder voice spoke again "BE GON..." Someone grabbed my neck and threw me across the room. In a loud, harsh whisper my Hut mate said "you should have been asleep hours ago. How dare you disobey your parents." I climbed into bed and snuggled into my covers and watched him go back to bed. I listened, trying to locate where the muffled footsteps were going. The wind changed from soft wisping over the sand to a harsh blow, rattling the door curtains throughout the village. It took away my hope of following the intruders in the morning. Slowly an unsettling silence came over the village. Sleep came only with the memories of days before. So now here I am, helping the last elder of our small settlement onto the camel. Checking that no one was left, I heaved myself onto the golden camel and we started moving. I edge closer to the camel where my mother is sitting and ask her where we are going. She whispers in her soft comforting voice "never mind dear, we are moving to a new home." I start to move back to the end of the line when I remember what those people said last night. I quickly go back up to her and say "I was awake last night." She stares at me in shock, her eyes wide in horror. Then she hisses back at me "We will be safe there, now get back in line." A strange kind of feeling welled over me. I had never felt this way before. We got punished for anger and impatience. This was never allowed there, but now we are not there. We travelled for days on our camels the steady moving laying my fears of the future to rest. The oasis loomed out in front of us with a new hope for the future, and we were told to drink as we had quite a fair way to go. The spring had quenched my thirst yet it seemed to rehydrate my fears for the future where are we going, why did they take us from our home, what was to happen to us? The thoughts spun around and around in my head till I thought my head would explode and with none to voice my fears to I felt I was drowning. The dark gave way to night and I lost track of the days, they seemed to stretch on forever. Days turned into weeks and weeks to months. As a boy, I was punished more for falling behind and I would get whipped for my insolence of speaking up for others. After many long days and nights we reached our destination and were thrown in to what I now know as a slave labour camp. My mother was sent away to live with an old man and I never saw her again. I was bought by a rich powerful family and have lived with them for many years. I believe that I have served them well and one day, I hope to buy my freedom. However I will always have a place in me that belongs to the rich warm sands of the desert. My true home of child hood, a place that I will never forget.
When the cold, sullen morning dawned, and my people began to load the camels, I almost felt loath to give back to the waste this little spot of ground that had glowed for a while with the cheerfulness of a human dwelling. Those people caused this. I wish last night never happened. If I hadn't heard their voices, I wouldn't know we had to leave because of them... When I rolled in my sun-warmed bed into my hut, I heard soft wisping voices flying with the wind. Slowly and quietly I slipped the soft camel-skin covers over my body and tried to ignore the voices. It would be dark soon. I must go to sleep I told myself, but sleep would not come. Gaining courage to disobey my parents I took my covers off and crept towards the door. As I grew closer the voices became more distinct. I peeked around the door curtains trying not to make any noise. The beads tinkled at my touch and I was afraid that someone would hear, but no-one took any notice. Observing the group, I noticed that there were people I didn't know. They were all wearing long red and brown drapes, the colour of the sand and sky. They must be travellers I thought, just passing through to trade and then continue on their journey through the desert. As I was about to go back to my bed I heard words come from an unfamiliar voice. "THIS IS OUR LAND NOW!" I froze in fright. I had never heard such a loud and demanding voice. What was that person going on about? This is our land. I kept on listening to see what else was to be said. In a much quieter voice one of our villagers said "but where will we go?" I was shocked. How is it possible for these people to just tell us to leave our home? The louder voice spoke again "BE GON..." Someone grabbed my neck and threw me across the room. In a loud, harsh whisper my Hut mate said "you should have been asleep hours ago. How dare you disobey your parents." I climbed into bed and snuggled into my covers and watched him go back to bed. I listened, trying to locate where the muffled footsteps were going. The wind changed from soft wisping over the sand to a harsh blow, rattling the door curtains throughout the village. It took away my hope of following the intruders in the morning. Slowly an unsettling silence came over the village. Sleep came only with the memories of days before. So now here I am, helping the last elder of our small settlement onto the camel. Checking that no one was left, I heaved myself onto the golden camel and we started moving. I edge closer to the camel where my mother is sitting and ask her where we are going. She whispers in her soft comforting voice "never mind dear, we are moving to a new home." I start to move back to the end of the line when I remember what those people said last night. I quickly go back up to her and say "I was awake last night." She stares at me in shock, her eyes wide in horror. Then she hisses back at me "We will be safe there, now get back in line." A strange kind of feeling welled over me. I had never felt this way before. We got punished for anger and impatience. This was never allowed there, but now we are not there. We travelled for days on our camels the steady moving laying my fears of the future to rest. The oasis loomed out in front of us with a new hope for the future, and we were told to drink as we had quite a fair way to go. The spring had quenched my thirst yet it seemed to rehydrate my fears for the future where are we going, why did they take us from our home, what was to happen to us? The thoughts spun around and around in my head till I thought my head would explode and with none to voice my fears to I felt I was drowning. The dark gave way to night and I lost track of the days, they seemed to stretch on forever. Days turned into weeks and weeks to months. As a boy, I was punished more for falling behind and I would get whipped for my insolence of speaking up for others. After many long days and nights we reached our destination and were thrown in to what I now know as a slave labour camp. My mother was sent away to live with an old man and I never saw her again. I was bought by a rich powerful family and have lived with them for many years. I believe that I have served them well and one day, I hope to buy my freedom. However I will always have a place in me that belongs to the rich warm sands of the desert. My true home of child hood, a place that I will never forget.