ESCAPE to Africa

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER ONE

BEEP BEEP BEEP sounded the alarm clock on the bedside table. Sarah instinctively shot her hand out of bed and slammed it down in the general direction of the sound. She rubbed her eyes and looked around her. In her semi-awake state she felt disorientated, like the feeling she got after a heavy night drinking when she woke at her friend’s house instead of her own.

After a few seconds reality sunk in and she realised she was in the Learning for Everyone (LFE) lodge, her new home for the foreseeable future. She threw back the covers and slowly sat up, tangling herself in the mosquito net in the process – something else she would have to get used to.

She could hear her house mates, Tracey and Paul moving about. They were obviously already up and ready. Sarah scanned her room and spotted her bags, still piled in the corner where she had abandoned them when she had arrived late last night. She walked across the wooden floor and started to root through them for her wash bag.

After grabbing her towel she made her way to the bathroom. Walking down the corridor she was surprised by a man coming out of his room as she passed his door.

“Oh, hi there,” He said startled. “You must be Sarah. I’m Rich. Tracey told me we had a new recruit!” His blue eyes stood out against his tanned skin and his cheeky smile made Sarah blush. He was everything Sarah was attracted too and everything she had run away from in the UK.

“Hi” said Sarah, slightly embarrassed as she realised that she was dressed in her Whinny the Pooh pyjamas and her hair was in a tangled knot on top of her head.

“You’d better hurry if you don’t want to be late. We’ll meet you in the common room, Whinny!” he smiled, glancing at her attire. Sarah looked at her watch. It was already 7.00am.

“Oh, I hadn’t realised the time!” she exclaimed as she hurried past Rich and into the bathroom. She went over to the sink and ran a little water in the bowl.

Luckily the water seemed to be behaving and she had clear running water to wash in. She splashed a little on her face and looked in the mirror. It was tinged with brown around the edges but she could just make out her reflection. After finishing in the bathroom she threw on some clothes she ran into the common room.

Everyone was already waiting for her as she entered the room. “I’m sorry I’m late.” She gasped, slightly out of breath.

“Awww,” Rich said looking at her with a disappointed look on his face, “I much preferred the Whinny the Pooh outfit!” He joked.

Sarah blushed as she looked at her outfit and pulled at the white linen shirt she was wearing.

“I thought this was more appropriate.” she answered, slightly disappointed that she couldn’t think of a more witty come back, but it was too early to put her brain in gear!

“Right, let’s go” said Tracy taking charge after giving Rich a stare that would stop a speeding train. As they stepped outside the door into the warm air, she had to admit this weather was a lot nicer than the rain she left in London, but the dust which shot up her nose, she could do without!

They began to walk down the dusty track and to the school as Sarah looked around her, trying to soak in her new surroundings. Already there was lots of activity, adults and children had obviously been up for hours working, which made her feel guilty. Sarah looked around, the dusty streets were dotted with tined roof huts, straw and mud huts and kiosks. Cows and sheep were roaming freely everywhere as were children and adults going about their business. Cars, buses and trucks rattled up and down the road. Sarah stared at one car rolling past in disbelief, its wing mirror was hanging on by a few wires, it had a big dent down the side and the back of the car was shunted in.