Post by Hadjara on Mar 5, 2013 18:33:51 GMT -5
Children were exhausting, Hadjara had decided. The youngest two, the three year old Suhail and the four year old Ramla were constantly clinging to her, both nervous of and frightened by the world they had found themselves in. The older three were handling it in their own ways. Zayn was openly dumbfounded, and so was Amira, while Hamza tried to act like it was nothing special even though he was just as mystified. The novelty of the sun had worn off after they ignored Hadjara’s warning and found up with sunburns but Zayn had become obsessive of the plants he found and he and his sister Amira were constantly catching (and eating) bugs.
Hadjara had run down a young buffalo cow in the early hours of the morning and the children had taken up the project of skinning and cooking it themselves. It kept them off her, at least, as she lounged under the shade of a tree on her stomach, sprawled over her crocodile. Suhail was curled up next to her, sleeping with his fist in his mouth. It was just starting to become spring, around the time Hadjara had been born, but the savanna was baking with noon heat which was keeping the children to the shade of the small grove of trees.
”We could make clothes for all of us with this!” Amira said excitedly as she pulled the massive shaggy hide about her shoulders. How she could stand it when it was so hot was beyond Hadjara but she did smile slightly as Ramla picked up the other end of it and declared that it was hers. Rather than laugh it off Amira tugged the hide roughly away from the younger girl. Hadjara looked up, still groggy as the two of them started to shove each other. It seemed harmless enough, up until Amira shoved the younger girl a little too hard in the direction of the cooking fire . . .
Ramla landed in the coals with outstretched hands. Luckily she was next to Hamza who had been spit turning a length of buffalo and was fast enough to grab her by the collar and yank her back, singing off the little hairs on his arm in the process. But it had been long enough and Hadjara scrambled up, darting over and scooping up Ramla after Hamza let go with a sharp cry to cradle a burn on his arm. ”Zayn,” Hadjara said sharply enough to jolt the horrified looking boy out of his stupor, ”Go keep Suhail calm.” Zayn nodded and ran over to where Suhail was waking up on Levent’s back.
Ramla had started wailing, and her hands were curled up and pressed to her chest although Hadjara could see burns going up her arms. ”Hey, it’s okay, shh, Ramla it’s okay let me see,” Hadjara was muttering, knowing she could heal her arms in a matter of seconds but Ramla shook her head and just sobbed harder. Hamza had just started to blow on the small pink burn on his arm and Amira had started sobbing that it had been an accident.
Hadjara had run down a young buffalo cow in the early hours of the morning and the children had taken up the project of skinning and cooking it themselves. It kept them off her, at least, as she lounged under the shade of a tree on her stomach, sprawled over her crocodile. Suhail was curled up next to her, sleeping with his fist in his mouth. It was just starting to become spring, around the time Hadjara had been born, but the savanna was baking with noon heat which was keeping the children to the shade of the small grove of trees.
”We could make clothes for all of us with this!” Amira said excitedly as she pulled the massive shaggy hide about her shoulders. How she could stand it when it was so hot was beyond Hadjara but she did smile slightly as Ramla picked up the other end of it and declared that it was hers. Rather than laugh it off Amira tugged the hide roughly away from the younger girl. Hadjara looked up, still groggy as the two of them started to shove each other. It seemed harmless enough, up until Amira shoved the younger girl a little too hard in the direction of the cooking fire . . .
Ramla landed in the coals with outstretched hands. Luckily she was next to Hamza who had been spit turning a length of buffalo and was fast enough to grab her by the collar and yank her back, singing off the little hairs on his arm in the process. But it had been long enough and Hadjara scrambled up, darting over and scooping up Ramla after Hamza let go with a sharp cry to cradle a burn on his arm. ”Zayn,” Hadjara said sharply enough to jolt the horrified looking boy out of his stupor, ”Go keep Suhail calm.” Zayn nodded and ran over to where Suhail was waking up on Levent’s back.
Ramla had started wailing, and her hands were curled up and pressed to her chest although Hadjara could see burns going up her arms. ”Hey, it’s okay, shh, Ramla it’s okay let me see,” Hadjara was muttering, knowing she could heal her arms in a matter of seconds but Ramla shook her head and just sobbed harder. Hamza had just started to blow on the small pink burn on his arm and Amira had started sobbing that it had been an accident.