Jayla and the jungle

Jayla Corbeni

Jayla often wondered what life would be like if her father hadn't gone missing. She loved to lie in bed at night, imagining all the wonderful things that they would have done together. They would go fishing in the river, and walk side by side in the trees, the dappled sunlight warming their browned skin as they laughed together, in their own secret paradise of the rainforest. He would teach her all the bird songs, show her colourful plants and flowers, and tell her the stories of the forest every day. He would take her to the tribal colonies and they would learn their ancient chants together, his hazel eyes sparkling with excitement.

She rolled over in bed and sighed. How she wished she'd known him.

Her mother, Magda, crept through her bedroom door and said "I can't sleep either- let's have something to eat and start the day early." Jayla followed her into the cramped little kitchen, ran her hands through her wild, thick, auburn hair and began to ask the same question that she'd asked since her father had disappeared. "Mum, today can I go into the for..."

"No, you're not going into the forest Jayla, you know the jungle is dangerous and I'm not losing you too. Now, put on your shoes and come to the market with me- we're selling fruit today." Jayla groaned, slipped on her sandals and clambered into the small wooden rowing boat that was once her father's.

They arrived at the dusty, dry, overcrowded town and approached the market, Jayla pulling the tangles from her hair and sighing with every step. "I wish you would stop sighing Jayla, it's not that bad. Now, help me set up the stall and unload the crates of food, and I'll let you buy something from the other stalls."