'Ouch,' I rubbed my face where a loose oak tree branch had rudely slapped. I quite hated hiking. I only agreed to this torture because my mother was excited; about plucking some blueberries from a valley in the woods that our neighbor, Mrs. Shane bragged about over dinner.
'Are you okay honey?' said my mother, as she stumbled two steps toward me. 'How much longer till we get to the mulberries?' I was itching to leave the vicinity as quickly as possible. The serenity of the area frightened me.
'Not much longer I suppose darling. Mrs. Shane said it was a little ahead of the line of oaks and pines' her face, inches away from mine as she inspected the red patch on my cheek. 'It's fine mom, let's just keep going' I pushed her hand slightly off my face and marched ahead of her.
I walk like a broken soldier toy when I'm not in the best of moods. My mother has told me countless times. Often more when she sends me on baseless errands that she could do herself. My reckless march was interrupted by a few slippery stones on the pathway, that made my balance waver. But I was able to regain myself.
'You're going to hurt yourself,' she warned me.
Ahead was a slope that curved into another side of the woods. You couldn't see past the fog or the thickened trees either. It would be hard to find anything or anyone if they ever got lost there.
How could she not pity me? I was the one being the good daughter by following her to get some dumb berries for a pie. I don't even like pie!
'I'm fine mom. I'm 12. I can walk perfectly fine, by myself. Leave me alo-' I was cut short by one of the wicked rocks deceived me into mistaking it for soil. I tumbled roughly down the slope into the foggy area of the woods. A few broken sticks and dirty particles clung unto my shirt and grazed my skin a little. The tree beside me where I laid hung sadly over me, blended with the silvery fog that clogged the air.
I stood up and searched the area for any sight of my mother. The only things visible were the few shrubs and tall trees that seemed to be all there was. 'MOM!' I yelled, hoping desperately for a reply. No sound was made. I yelled a couple more times until my voice began to deplete. Tears welled up in my eyes as I imagined the possibility of never being found. What if she had left me? What if she would never find me? I remembered the advice she gave me if I'd ever gotten lost. 'Just stay right where you are.'
I cried and sat under the tree for what felt like a lifetime, watching a line of black ants proudly carry leaf particles into a crack in the trunk of the tree. They moved like zombies. None of them deviated from the path. I consecutively intruded with my finger once in a while, playing a terrorist, blocking the hole, and flicking the line. After a few seconds of my retreat, they found their way back to the hole.
I soon heard an echo of my name through the fog. The sudden sound jerked me up. "SALOME!" It was my mother!
'MOM' I yelled back. A figure appeared through the thick fog. I ran toward it without identifying it. As I got closer, I could see my mother's red eyes, from crying. We sobbed while I hugged her. She grasped me tightly, kissing my forehead. There, in her arms, I was safe. That was all I needed to be.
Pela Eden | About the Author
I’m Eden Pela and I’m a 16 year old from the plains of a Federal Republic in Africa called Nigeria. Writing has always been my way of communication due to my speech defect. I stutter. Blessings to anyone who comes across any of my works, Jah rewards you.
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