Sandstorm

I am alone in the desert with nobody except Cal, my camel. We have been traveling for a couple days. I can tell he is getting tired. He has carried me many miles with little rest. He is starting to walk slower through the hot sand. The sun is high in the sky, cooking everything underneath it. There is no shade as far as the eye can see and I have very little water left. If we have been going in the right direction, Mehaires should not be far away. I squint at the horizon. Up ahead the sand is getting stirred up by the wind. It looks like the beginning of a sandstorm. As we get closer the sand climbs higher and higher until we are in a cloud of sand. Sand gets in my eyes and my mouth. I cough and sputter, but more sand gets into my mouth. I keep my eyes and mouth closed and trust Cal to carry me in the right direction. I want to cry but I still can't open my eyes, so instead I lay down on Cal's coarse fur wrapping my arms around him and burying my face into his neck. I stay like that for what feels like forever. Then suddenly the sandstorm is gone. I spit the sand out of my mouth and rub my eyes. I cautiously open my eyes and look around. Behind us the sandstorm is still raging. On the horizon I see what looks like Mehaires! My stomach growls and I remember that I have not eaten in a while. I get a piece of bread out of one of the packs on Cal's back. The bread is stale, but it is much better than nothing. I eagerly take a sip of water, and I give the rest of the water to Cal who slurps it down thirstily. Mehaires is much closer now. I decide to walk the rest of the way there. I slide off Cal's back and on to the ground. I'm thankful that I have shoes, the desert sand is really hot. Soon we get to Mehaires. We walk through the bustling streets. Eventually we find the shops, where I buy food for me and Cal. Then we head to the town well to get water. After that we go looking for an inn to stay the night at. I find an inn and set Cal up in the stable and then I go inside to get a room. That night I eat a hearty meal, take a much-needed shower and have a good night's sleep. In the morning after breakfast, I grab Cal and head back into the town to explore. We go to an old temple, and I check out some smaller shops. In one of them I find a blanket that reminds me of the one my mother has at home. I take the blanket to the front. The man at the front table looks at me with a queer expression.

"Have we met before?" he asks me.

"I do not think so." I answer.

"What is your name, boy?"

"My name is Ajani Akintola"

"Are you the son of Chimalsi Akintola?"

"Yes"

"Oh! He was a good friend back when we were kids. How is he doing?"

"He is doing well."

"Good. What brings you to Mehaires?"

"I just stopped here for a day or two before continuing onto Tifariti."

"Why are you going to Tifariti?"

"I am going to work for a mistress in Bir Lehlou."

"Interesting. Would you like to buy that blanket?"

"Yes please"

"Alright here you go.

"Thank you"

“You're very welcome. Say hi to your father for me, will you?"

"Sure"

"Goodbye Ajani"

"Bye"

I leave the shop with the blanket and put it on Cal who is waiting outside. Then I climb on his back, and we go back to the inn to collect my few belongings. I load Cal up and we pass through the shops on our way out of the town. Tifariti is only a day or two away. Hopefully we don't run into another sandstorm. The scenery doesn't change much for the next couple hours. I start daydreaming about home, my family and the mistress. I hope she is not too strict. She is supposed to pay well. I keep reminding myself that I only have to be there for four months and then I get to go back home. I also get to keep Cal with me during my time there.

Map of Ajani's travels.