Meant to be

Meant to be.

Am I mad? Am I losing my mind? I walk relentlessly during the day. The sun has dried up all but the occasional ever-decreasing waterholes. The whole area is a sea of cracks that have become deeper in the dried-up mud that was once a flowing creek.

Yet I carry on. Seeking shelter here and there under an overhanging rock, or a dried bush.     I have to move by day. Night time brings terrors unimaginable. I often hear the screeching of unwary animals being taken before their time. I hear the sporadic males around a campfire gloating about their conquests. They speak loudly for all to hear as if they are the almighty leaders of criminal activity, crimes that should never occur. They drink from bottles that make them act stranger that normal, and sing stupid songs that don’t have any meaning.

I must stay hidden, I dare not risk the chance of capture, for I know that I would not see another sunrise if this were to happen.

So here I sit in my small but cool hidey hole. Sleep overcomes me and I drift into oblivion.

It’s early, the sun is just peeping over the horizon. It’s too early for the group of hunters to be up and about. I sit in wait, hoping that they may leave some remnants of their water and food lying around. It hasn’t rained for many a week, and the sun is relentless with its heat.

The outlook here is a little greener than I have seen over the past week or so. Maybe there is a water hole nearby?  Not much longer to wait, I can hear the men stirring from their sleep. One of them reignited the fire and starts to cook something over the flames. He then passes around cups of steaming liquid that smells disgusting. But it’s wet. Beggars can’t be choosers. I will take whatever they leave behind.

I doze of for a short while and am awakened by the noise of horse’s hooves galloping away and cheers of laughter as the men move on to their next adventure.

Slowly, I creep out of my hiding place and move towards the empty camp site. There is plenty to pick over. A flat pan has been left to one side with a weird tasting liquid in it. I drink it up and gag as I swallow it. This will hydrate me for the rest of the morning. There is a raw egg that has been dropped to the ground and abandoned. I eat this with gusto, good protein to keep me nourished for a short while. Further on I find a plastic bottle that is half full of clear water. This is a God send. I drink the whole amount in one go. Now I can resume my journey, knowing that I am able to live another day.

The sun is beating down persistently. The terrain is hard core. The huge cracks are unceasing, not even a trickle of water to be found. On and on I go, determined to survive until I reach my destiny. A place where I can start a family of my own and live peacefully until my dotage.

Over in the distance I see greenery, or is it a mirage? Never the less, I have to aim in that direction if I want to find water. 

As I reach the brow of a hill, I can see clearly that there is bushland in the distance. I can also see smoke. Is it from a fire that has been lit by the men I encountered previously? Yes, I think it is.

I’ll head that way but stay out of sight. Maybe I can scout around their camp, giving it a wide berth, and seek my own waterhole. Maybe by the time I get there, they will have moved on. All these maybes. Best that I play it safe and find shelter. There is a rock over to one side that is giving shade from the sun, I will rest up for a while and regain a little strength. It’s been hours since I rested.

When I awoke, I was astonished to see that night time had crept upon me. Drat! Now I am stuck here for the rest of the night. I can still see the glow of the fire in the distance, indicating that the group was still around. 

They could even be hunting for anything that travels by moonlight. I need to stay put and try to sleep a little longer, safe in my hiding place. 

I thought about the food and water that they had left behind the previous morning. Hopefully, if I’m lucky, they will do this again, giving me yet another day’s sustenance.

I dreamt of my family. I had become separated from them over a week ago. Will they be looking for me? Will they care whether or not I am surviving out here alone?  They have themselves to care for, and they have each other for company, and safety. Food and water will come easier for them as a group, they can lean on each other and share ideas. 

I have no one. My thoughts are my own and my decisions are my own. I have to stay alert and carry on as a day time traveller. Though, I do have memories of a township when I was with my family. Those days, we had to be very careful of who we mixed with. 

Why is life so complicated? Why can we not learn to all live together in peace and harmony. There are always obstacles put before us. Challenges that have to be overcome. Survival of the fittest, or the cleverest!

I think of myself as an above average being. I am always alert, thinking ahead and treading carefully. I wouldn’t have lasted this long if I were stupid!

I have lots of pent-up anger for one so young. I feel that I have been dealt a rough hand from birth. My siblings always got the lions share at meal time. They always got the praise for achieving what I had passed their way. Finally, this wore me down. One morning I made the decision to go it alone and walked away from them all, not looking back once.

The first couple of days had been fine, but as I travelled further and further away from my comfort zone, I began to think that maybe I had taken on too much.

I didn’t realise that providing a simple meal and water was such a difficult task. As the days progressed, it became more and more difficult.

Startled by a noise close by, I woke with a sharp intake of breath. I held my breath for what seemed like and hour. I’m sure it wasn’t.

Suddenly a small face appeared in front of me. Right there in the opening of my sanctuary.

It was a female, and she was alone and scared. She came closer and asked if she could share my hiding place. I was dumbfounded, and stared at her in bewilderment.

“Er, yes. Please come in further before someone sees you.” I was stumbling over my words, totally taken by surprise.

She came closer and shivered with fear. I dare say that she was scared of me. For all she knew, I could have been a predator, someone who would take advantage of a lonely female. Lucky for her, I’m not like that. I assured her that she would be safe. 

“I’m just waiting for the men to leave their camp over there. They should be gone in the morning and I can go over to look for left overs. You can join me if you wish?”

She seemed to think this over for a few seconds and then nodded in agreement.

“I’ve been following you for the past two days. I figured that you seemed to be a decent sort of fellow and took my chances coming over to you. My name is Sybil and I am most grateful for your company.”

“You’ve been following me? You must be pretty sneaky, because I never got an inkling that you were in my radar!” I said with bewilderment.

“However, it will be nice to have some company. It’s been a lonely journey. My name’s Basil by the way.”

We chatted for quite a while, and before we knew it, the sun had risen and it was now safe to venture out.

I went first, with Sybil close on my tail. We set out with caution to the edge of the tree line. There was no one to be seen, but there was plenty of debris left by the campers.

“Yes, we’ve struck gold. Look at all this food they have left behind. Help yourself Sybil and fill yourself up. Looks like water in that dish over there. I’m glad I found the trail of these fellows, but I dread to think what they would do if they found us.” I babbled on excitedly, feeling good that I was not only catering for myself but for my new friend.

“By the look of this area, there is bound to be a water hole nearby. Then we can forget the campers and make our own way.” Said Sybil, flippantly.”

“Have you any plans for the future Sybil?”

“No, I thought maybe I could pair up with you, once we find a safe place that is close to our needs.”

I must have looked stunned at this suggestion. I could not believe my luck. This was a great idea that she had come up with. After all, our species was becoming rarer every year!

As if it was meant to be, the heavens opened and the rain came tumbling down.

“Do you think this is a sign?” I asked with a smile upon my face.

We were so happy, we danced away in the rain, two Bilbies happy that the drought was over!