Seventeen Imagines III

#23 "Water" (one shot story)

   Africa is the second largest continent in the world with approximately 30.37 million km2 area. There I've met a girl who wanted to find the purpose of her life.

I was sent to Democratic republic of the Congo, Maneima to check the residence's health. Since I have no family in my real country, I decided to stay here for a long time. Although it was hard to adjust because the weather here is equatorial, very hot and humid all year round, with no real dry season, I was happy to help everyone.

One day after I went to the capital, Kindu, I saw a woman who maybe shares the same nationality as mine. I could tell it based on her looks: Her small eyes and her pale skin. She's talking with African kids at the road side.

"Hi. Do you know where's Kabambare village?" she asked. Of course, kids didn't understand her because their language is Swahili.

"Je! Yeye ni mnyama?" (Is she a monster?) one of the kids asked to his friends.

The most common facial features of people in Congo are oval facial shapes, intermediate size noses with a down-turned septum tilt and intermediate size mouths with a flat V-shaped upper lip notch (cupid's bow). Their eyes were mostly situated closely together and their skin varies from bronze tanned or brownish black. When I first came here, kids were afraid of me because I look different.

"Hapana. Anaonekana kama daktari Mingyu," (no. She looks like doctor Mingyu) other kid explained.

The girl then got something from her pocket. It made my eyes wide opened when I saw candies on her palm. "Here. I'll give you this if you..." Before she could give them away, I held her wrist to stop her.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked with a frown.

This clueless girl showed confusion on her face.

I looked back at the kids with a smile. "Ninyi watu, mnapaswa kwenda nyumbani." (Kids, you should go home)

"Sawa!" (Okay!) the kids chuckled before they ran away.

My face stiffened once again when I turned back to this girl's side. "How could you give them candy when it's so hard to get water here?"

"Ahhh," she gasped. "I'm sorry." She pulled back her hand from my grip then bowed her head. Is it because of the weather that her face are all red?

"What's the matter miss? Are you sick?" I asked.

"No. You're handsome."

Ohh. I see. It's been a long time since someone told me that. Clearing my throats, I changed the topic, "So what's your name?"

"(Y/n)." Her eyes were downcast.

"I'm Mingyu," I introduced. "I heard you're looking for Kabambare village. Actually I was going there too."

She lifted her eyes to me. "Really?" Then she pointed the owner jeep at the back. "We can go there together," she offered.

And so, I drove her vehicle on the bumpy road. It's not good to trust stranger but weirdly, when you meet people with same nationality in different country, it feels like reuniting with your sibling.

Miss (Y/n) was so quiet. She just kept on looking outside the window without saying anything.

"I came here to volunteer," I shared. She cocked at me then. "My team volunteered here to help people with water-borne disease. In the end, I decided to stay a few more years. What about you? Why are you here?"