The Book of Literary H'Enjoyment.

S is for Slave.

"Dala, run!" I heard my Mama scream at me, while the men approached speedily.

Dark skinned, large and muscular men, trotting on black stallions. The stallions neighing loudly as they neared the village. I was rooted to the spot. Shaken.

"Dala! Hide! Now!" My elder brother, Njani, screamed at me, from the corner of my eye I could see Njani and Papa run out with their sharpened spears dipped in poison from the red fruit, the same one that Mama had hit me in a form of reprimand to prevent me from ingesting. I wasn't gifted with the spirit for discerning roots and berries, and I'd had skin rashes and multiple diarrhea occurrences as proof.

I felt myself being flung to the ground at great speed by fleeing children, as I scrambled to my feet and followed after them. A familiar scream drew my attention and I looked back, a gasp escaping my lips, seeing my closest friend Ayira being snatched by one of the men in white swaddles clothes clothes and white turbans. Man stealers.

I'd heard my Papa call them slave traders. I'd also heard stories of how they raided villages, killed men and stole women and children to sell to the Arabs. Now one was in front of me. The stallion raising its two front hoofs as it neighed loudly. I fell shielding my eyes from the blazing sun.

"Swahili trash." I heard him say before I felt the cow tail whip on my skin.

I let out a piercing scream as the pain travelled from my upper arm to my neck, and down to my newly budding chest. Mama said I was a late bloomer, so my oranges were still unripe and seeding. I still had only a nipple and very little fullness. I grabbed them moaning in pain.

"Take this one and chain her. I will get the others." I heard him say as my sight became blurry.

"Stand up!" I felt a slap on my right cheek before jolting back to life. I instinctively raised my hands to hold my face, but they felt so heavy. I let out a cry as I saw the chains on my hands and feet, the chain lock on my neck digging into my soft flesh and heating it up from the rays of the sun.

"Get up child. Before those animals come back here and eat us alive!" The elderly woman next to me said.

"Mama, what will happen to us here?"

"Child, our worst fears have been realized. They will sell us as slaves to the Arabs. Ah Allah save us." She wailed and I trembled looking around for my Mama, Papa and Njani.

"My family...where are they Mama?" I asked quietly, the man stealers had arrived and began to look us up and down.

"I'm sorry my child, but they are no more." She said looking down and I let out a pain filled cry.

"Be quiet!" A booming voice let out and my mouth snapped shut. Only letting quiet sobs and tears cascade down my face. Before us were the man stealers and the strange looking men I deduced to be the Arabs, speaking in hushed tones as we all watched.

"Bring them forward." The Arab said and my arm was snatched by one of the man stealers. I saw the other men undressing everyone and I was shocked.

Was my gift I had been preserving for the dusk of my wedding day going to be taken from me? The man that held unto me began to fiddle with my wrapper and I yelled.

"Shut up or I will beat you." He said menacingly.

My gaze rested on the zigzag scar that traced from his eyebrow down to his chin. I nodded as he tugged my wrapper off. My bareness exposed. The Arab walked up to me and inspected me like I was an animal for sale, before pushing me forward to the rest of the stripped villagers.