A day in my Drought stricken village #the bookshop

A regular dry day.

I wake up from sleep. I'm sad, sad because I went to bed hungry yesterday. Why? Because I refused to eat my mud cake. I'm also sad because I have to eat them today. Mommy told me I have to feed my tummy's monsters or they'll kill me.

It's not mommy's fault we have to eat mud cakes, the 'god of drought' cursed my village with a terrible drought this year. As a result, our crops had no water to grow so they died. Our animal's also died of starvation.

I stand up from my bamboo bed and walk over to the place in our compound were drops of water flow incessantly from a crack in a big rock.'thank you rock' I mumble in gratitude as I pick up the bowl placed under it and I pour the water into a small bucket. Off I went, to brush my teeth.

I brush my teeth lazily.I'm also worried because I could feel my tummy monsters growling inside of me. I have to find mama quick.

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"Good morning mama! Are the mud cakes ready?" I ask as I run into our mud kitchen to meet my mother.

"Muabe," my mom acknowledged my presence and hugged my bony frame with her equally bony hands.

"Are they ready yet? My monsters are hungry. " I asked again this time looking at all the women in the kitchen.

"You silly child, we're on it already. Can you stop distracting us?" My very mean aunty replied me causing me to pout.

"Go outside and play child." My elder sister, the first born of my parents spoke.

"No! there's no one and nothing to play with! Even the animals are dead!" I screamed stomping my little feet on the ground.

"Oh but there is my son, look outside;" mom said. I look outside just like she said and all i see are dried up grass, leafless naked trees, dried leaves on the ground and lizards playing under the sun.

However, one more thing caught my attention ; lion ant holes every where on the sand.

"I'll go play with the lion ants!" I announced as I run out of the kitchen to the part of our compound where there were so many lion ant holes. I pick up a regular black ant and drop it into a lion ant hole, waiting for the show.

As the ant began struggling to get out of the mini sand dune, I bet the lion ant was alerted. The dune began quaking. In the middle of the sand, I could see the head of the lion ant. It grabbed the regular ant by one of it's leg's.

The battle was so fierce and alas, the lion ant prevailed dragging the regular ant into its hole where it will be devoured. The mini dune became calm again.

"Wow." I muttered in a giggly voice. I decided to do it again.

As I bent down to reach for another ant, a lizard beat me to it and ate the ant.I pouted slightly.

"Shoo you bad lizard!" I said as the lizard scampered away but as soon as it left, I felt bad. Maybe the only thing it has to eat are these ants. Just as I have only mud cakes.

"Lizard?" I called out to the lizard when I saw it afar off.

"You can eat as many ants as you want, I won't drive you away."

The lizard was nodding its head so I assumed it heard me.

I'll go now, so you can eat as many ants as you want. With that, I left to the kitchen once again.

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I sat on the ground munching on my dreaded mud cake with my ten siblings. I'm the youngest if all because I am four years old.

The adults were discussing in a small group too under our withered mango tree. I like eavesdropping on adult's conversations so I began moving my bum towards them stealthily. Mom looked at me but ignored me again. My siblings were playing while eating. So I had no one paying attention. When I was certain I had reached a good spot, I bit down on my mud cake and set my ears on their conversation.

"We need to do something. "

"Yes, but what?"

"I dont know kuama, we need to think of What we would do. The 'god of drought' is really angry this year, even The neighbouring villages are completely dry too."

"Look at our children, they're all malnourished. Thry eat cakes made from mud! The only thing that isn't mud is the salt and vegetable oil. "

"Look at little Muabe, he isn't even five yet and he has to suffer the fate of his elder ones."

At the mention if my name, all the adults looked at me. They didn't even look for long before they gave my father their undivided attention again.

I finished off my mud cake. Standing up, I dust the sand off my clothes.

"Hmm, what should I do now? " I asked myself.

"Muabe, come take a bath !" I heard one of my sisters calling.

"Coming sister!" I shouted back running toward where she was patiently waiting for me.

We take our bath in a bathroom made of mud. I know, our lives revolve around mud. Mud makes the world go round for us. I laughed at myself.

"Why on earth are you laughing Muabe?"

"I just thought of a really funny pun sister. Besides, can't I even have the freedom to laugh? if the freedom to eat good food has been taken away by our angry 'god drought', at least I have the freedom to laugh."

"For now baby brother, for now."

"What do you mean for now?" I said raising my voice a bit.

"Shhh keep it down baby brother, I'll tell you what I mean. Come."

We went into sister's room and she sat me on the bed.

"What do you have to say sister?"

"The truth baby brother. "

"What is the truth?"

"Promise me you won't tell mommy first."

"I pinky promise." I said lifting up my pinky which she locked with hers.

"Good. Now listen closely. We are dying Muabe, all of us in this village and in the villages around."

"Why?" I asked shocked and scared.

"Because we aren't feeding our tommy monsters properly. They would never be satisfied with mud cakes. And when we don't feed them with something better, they begin to eat our flesh and that's why we are growing skinny.soon, all our flesh will be eaten and we will all die."

"What will happen if I don't eat my mud cakes?" I ask sister.

"Then you'll die faster."

"So we just have to keep eating till the day we die or the day the 'god of drought' lifts up his curse?" I asked.

"Yes," sister answered.

"Is that why everyone is So sad and gloomy all the time?"

"Yes. Now come, I have to give you a bath."

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"Laura! Have you given muabe his bath? " Mom asked from somewhere outside.

"Yes mother, we just got out of the bathroom. "

"Then come over here and help us put these mud cakes out to dry."

"The mud cakes again. " sis said rolling her eyes as she helped me into my knicker-bockers.

"Coming mom."

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I sat on the sand, the exact place where I met mr lizard. I had eaten my evening mud cakes. It will soon be time for me to sleep again. And then tomorrow, I'll stuff myself with mud cakes all over again.

Mr lizard came around me and started eating the regular ants. "You're way better than I am, at least you won't die even if the drought continues, you got this nutritious ants to fill you. But as for me, the future is not so bright.

"Muabe, bed time."

"Bye lizard, help us pray to the 'god of drought' to lift his curse up from our heads.

_RiRi