The Colonial Heart

Chapter 31

                                A M A

As the sun rose over the horizon, we prepared to embark on a journey that could be our last. The other groups had already left for their own task, but we lingered, bracing ourselves for the unknown. I couldn't shake off the feeling that my past actions would come back to haunt me. The memory of the two enemy soldiers I had killed still lingered, a weight on my conscience.

"Ladies, let's get moving," I said, my voice firm but laced with a hint of uncertainty. "We have a long journey ahead of us, and we don't know what dangers lie in wait." The silence that followed was oppressive, punctuated only by the soft rustling of leaves beneath our feet.

I broke the silence again, "What are your names?" The responses came hesitantly, and I committed them to memory: Thema, Abina, Adzo, Afua, and the tall, striking woman who had spoken first whose name was Kwame.

"We're six in total," I observed, my gaze sweeping across their faces. "We'll be trekking through treacherous forests for two nights, and there's a good chance we'll run into British soldiers. We need to be on high alert, ready to run, hide, or fight at a moment's notice."

Thema's voice cut through the silence, "Fight? You mean die?" I nodded grimly. "We can't take on their guns, and I'm no doctor. We need to be prepared for the worst.

Thema's words cut through the air, "So, we're likely to perish, then?" I halted, my patience worn thin. "You were doomed from the start, so I fail to see the issue," I retorted, my voice sharper than intended.

Thema's hands rose in a sarcastic gesture of surrender, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "Forgive me, oh fearless leader."

I rolled my eyes, her theatrics grating on my nerves. "If you wish to survive beyond a day, heed my counsel."

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the landscape, Abina's voice rose, laced with exhaustion. "I'm spent!" She collapsed against a tree, gasping for breath.

I turned to her, my expression unyielding. "You'll toil far harder as slaves to the enemy, so save your breath and keep moving." Abina groaned, and I pitied her genuine fatigue.

"Fine, we'll take refuge in the tall, bushy trees," I declared, surveying our surroundings. "If we're lucky, the enemy will pass us by."

Thema's voice rose once more, laced with concern. "What if I fall?"

I shot her a withering glance. "Then you'll meet your demise. How tragic." Thema scoffed, and I wondered if I'd erred in bringing her along. Her entitled demeanor grated on my nerves.

As we settled into our arboreal refuge, I rested my head on a branch, feeling the discomfort of our makeshift beds. Thema's voice pierced the night air, "This is unbearable!"
I groaned, my patience worn thin.

"Thema, dear, shut up! Do you want to alert the enemy of our presence?" I whispered harshly, followed by a soft apology. These girls were trying my nerves, but their company was preferable to solitude.

As I gazed up at the star-studded sky, I envied the celestial bodies' harmony. They existed in perfect synchrony, unencumbered by the petty divisions of race or ethnicity. Theirs was a world where love and heartbreak were unknown, a world I longed to inhabit.

But as I closed my eyes, seeking respite from the day's trials, my mind betrayed me. Memories of that scoundrel haunted me, refusing to let me rest. His face, etched in my memory like a scar, taunted me with every passing moment. Sleep eluded me, leaving only the bitter taste of heartache.

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"Rise, ladies! Give thanks to the heavens for our survival through the night," I declared, my voice ringing out in the early morning air. Yawns and groans greeted me, followed by Thema's languid protest.

"It's barely dawn, can't we rest a bit longer?" she drawled. I shot her an exasperated glance. "Thema, sleep if you wish, but we press on. Now, come!"

As I strode ahead, the others trailed behind. I turned to them, inquiring, "Have any of you eaten?" Silence answered me, followed by shaken heads and accusatory glances toward Thema.

Thema's voice rose in defense, "I was famished! I would have perished if I hadn't eaten that mango. Do you want me to die? I'm too young!"

I groaned, my patience worn thin. "We're all starving, Thema, yet we abstain. Why must you always disobey?" I quickened my pace, seeking solace in the distance.

Thema's whisper carried on the wind, "For goodness' sake, it was just a mango." I rolled my eyes and halted abruptly.

"Since Thema has eaten, it would be unfair to deny the rest of you. If we encounter a mango tree, you may gather and eat your fill," I declared, before continuing on my way.

As we trudged through the forest, the hours ticked by like countdowns to our demise. Every step felt like a surrender to the abyss. Soon we stumbled upon a mango tree its branches heavy with juicy fruit. The girls descended upon it like famished birds, devouring the mangoes with reckless abandon.

I watched, my guilt simmering like a cauldron. I had forbidden them from eating, and now their hunger was a palpable thing, a living entity that gnawed at my conscience.

Adzo approached me, her eyes sparkling with concern. "Aren't you eating?" she asked, her voice soft as a breeze.

I shook my head, my voice barely above a whisper. "No, I have no appetite." It was the truth. My stomach churned with a queasy sense of foreboding, as if I was slowly poisoning myself from the inside out. Each breath felt like a struggle, my lungs constricting like a vice

As the sound of thundering hooves filled the air, the girl's hands froze, their mangoes suspended mid-air. I beckoned them closer, my whisper urgent. ", ladies. We must run, but with restraint. We want them to catch us."

Their faces contorted in shock, Thema's voice barely above a whisper. "But Ama, you told us to avoid them at all costs! Why would we deliberately—"

"I was blind to the obvious," I confessed, my eyes locked on theirs. "Why flee from the very thing we seek? Capture means a free passage to our land, a painful but preferable fate, just trust me."

Kwame's voice trembled. "What if they kill us?"

I held her gaze, my response stark. "Then our journey ends before it got to begin "

With reassurance etched on my face, I urged them on. "Now, ladies. Let us embrace our fate."

As the horses burst into view, a commanding voice rang out. "Halt!" We sprinted, our pace calculated, neither too slow nor too fast. Enough to ensure capture, without arousing suspicion.

As the horsemen closed in, a chorus of cries erupted from our midst. Afua's wail pierced the air first, followed by Thema's and Kwame's anguished voices. Abina's and Adzo's cries soon joined the fray, their desperation echoing through the forest. My own voice rose last, a mournful sigh that seemed to surrender to the inevitable.

The horsemen surrounded us, their mounts' snorting breaths and pounding hooves a deafening accompaniment to our distress. Strong hands grasped our arms, pulling us back, as the forest seemed to darken around us. Our struggles were futile against the grip of our captors, and soon we were dragged, stumbling, into the heart of the enemy's lair.

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