SOFT VOICES DRIFTED in and out of Shelly’s dream. She couldn’t understand what they were trying to tell her, but suddenly the fear of being discovered woke her. She opened her eyes to discover a soft light illuminated the room. She lay there bewildered for a second. Then she heard the whispering for real. She sat up in panic wondering,
Where am I?
Who’s there?
What’s going on?
Why is it still dark?
Then she realized where she was and that it would always be night in this room. She discovered that Tom and Faith were talking softly to each other as they went about putting things on the bench. With a sigh of relief, she realized they were safe and alone in the shelter.
“Good morning Tom. How are you, Faith?” she asked as she stretched. “What are you up to?”
“We are getting some things together for when we leave,” Faith said in a big girl voice.
“Oh,” Shelly said as she realized that’s exactly what they all should be doing. “I wish I knew what time it is, my watch is broken.”
Tom pulled out a pocket watch and said softly “Its 20 minutes past ten.”
“In the morning?” asked Shelly in shock.
“Yes,” was all that Tom said.
“Where did you get the nice watch?” she asked, trying to gather her wits and get out of bed.
“It’s my daddy’s watch. He gave it to me on my last birthday,” Tom said as he showed it to her. “It belonged to my Grandpa too,” he said sadly.
“What a nice thing to have, Tom,” She replied gently as she realized he knew too well what had happened yesterday and was grieving the loss of his parents.
“Let’s get something to eat. We can talk as we eat,” she offered as she got up, took a wash cloth, got it wet and helped to wash the faces of the children, as well as her own. They didn’t have toothbrushes, but they did find an old hairbrush in a wooden chest. She did her best to clean up and re-braided her hair. Next, she checked out the clothing the children were wearing, they seem to be dressed all right for the trip. At least they are wearing sturdy shoes, thank goodness, but we’re going to need a lot more things before we can leave.
Tom set the table, took out the jerky, crackers, and then fruit from his mother’s jars. Sitting down at the table, they prayed for a blessing on their meal and then discussed what to do. They drank water and peach juice, while chewing on the jerky. This juice is so refreshing on an empty stomach.
Then she turned to Tom to discuss their options.
“Tom, do you know where we can get help nearby?” she asked the quiet, subdued boy.
“No, I don’t think so. Everyone we know is gone,” he replied.
“Don’t you have any relatives or friends here in Africa?” she asked.
“No, just my Grandma Madison in Portland, Oregon,” was his answer.
Then she asked, “What about a police station or something like that?”
Tom’s eyes looked alarmed and he responded, “Daddy told me not to trust the police in this area, not to trust any strangers,” he replied as he looked back down at his breakfast.
“Oh,” she said with some astonishment. Well, that’s just wonderful. Now I can’t trust anyone in this country.
Then she thought about Uncle Jumo, Mrs. Omondi and Mattie. Dear sweet Mattie. She sighed and decided not to be too hasty, but she would have to be careful, especially now that she had the children to consider.
We’ll take it one day at a time, one person at a time, at least any person without a gun.
“Well then, north it is, I guess. It’s going to be a very long walk. Do you think you can walk that far,” she asked?
Tom looked reserved and said, “I don’t know. We’ll have to try. We can’t stay here.”
What a mature thing to say, she thought with fondness for the boy.
“All right, we’ll just have to do our best,” she offered. “If we can make it to the American Embassy, somehow, we should be able to find help. I’ll look for my husband and then I’ll be sure you and Faith are delivered to your grandmother in the states.”
They discussed what they would need for the trip while Tom quietly went about the storage room looking for the items. A canteen was found and Shelly filled it with water. Tom brought out a large bowie knife in its leather sheath, which she attached to her belt. A box of matches went into her pouch, even though she doubted she would allow a fire. It would be too dangerous with the smoke and smell attracting unwanted visitors of the two-legged variety, possibly with guns.
More iodine and dehydration tablets were located in a first-aid kit stored in a chest in the corner. She tucked the medications into her fanny pack. They took the jackets and hat off of the wall. Shelly could wear the large jacket and Tom could use the smaller one. It was too big for him, but it would keep him warm at night and the hat would help keep the sun off of his head during the day.
Now, we need some type of jacket for Faith. Maybe her daddy’s shirt that Tom wore last night. But, she’ll also need a hat.
“Tom, Faith will need some type of hat. Do you know of anything we can use?” she asked him.
Tom went to the chest. He pulled out an old baseball hat his daddy had brought from the states. It had a faded Oregon Ducks logo on it.
Shelly knelt down and adjusted the hat to fit Faith’s head. It sat loosely on the child, but it would have to do. They packed the big shirt, jackets and a towel in a backpack that was found in the storage room. They emptied out the crackers from the tin and filled it up with as much jerky as it could hold. Tom took what was left of the jerky and put it in a plastic bag, and then placed the crackers in another plastic bag. The crackers would get stale, but they would do just fine when their stomachs were empty. Shelly craved to bring some fruit with her, but the glass jars weren’t practical. How delighted she was when Tom found a few cans of peaches hiding on a back shelf. A portable can opener was located along with some utensils.
Then Tom found an old white laundry bag with a drawstring. In went the cans of peaches and the plastic bags of jerky and crackers. Then another bag full of knives, spoons and forks were placed in it, along with some plates. Too soon, the bag was full and very heavy.
This isn’t going to work. I need to carry Faith as much as possible and Tom is too young to carry such a large, cumbersome, heavy bag.
Shelly sat thinking how she could relieve the bag of some of its weight.
The only thing we need the plates for, are the peaches and we can eat those out of the cans. And we can share one knife, fork and spoon between us. I’ll try and keep them clean.
Out came the plates, and the extra utensils. Then, on second thought, she took out the cans of peaches and placed them in her backpack. She could carry that. At that point, she placed one of the towels and a face cloth into the bag.
I wish I could put the blanket in there, but it won’t fit. Besides, it’d make the bag too heavy again.
As she stood there, looking at all they had accumulated, she realized how blessed they were to have so much, at a time when people were losing everything. She mentally checked over what they had. They had water, food, first aid items, clothing to keep warm and hats to protect their head. They had a flashlight and matches and a walking stick and a big knife for protection.
“Well, I think we’re ready,” she said with resolve, as she looked around the room once more.
“You stay here while I make sure everything is alright outside.”
The children didn’t say a word as they walked over to the cot and sat down near the things they were to carry.
Shelly walked down the passageway and opened the door as quietly as she could. The brightness of the sun blinded her. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she stood listening. Then instead of pushing through the bushes, she poked her head out looking around to the best of her ability.
All seemed quiet except for the birds and monkeys out in the forest. If someone is out there, they wouldn’t be so active and noisy, I
would think. I guess it’s safe. I hope so.
She went back in and joined the children. Before they left, they agreed to not talk at all, when they were outside, unless it was really necessary. They had to be as quiet as possible. Looking around once more to be sure they had everything, they left the shelter.
She regretted having to leave its safety, the extra food, water, and the soft, warm cot. But they couldn’t stay. Time was against them and they had to get to real safety in Nairobi.
With determination and new resolve Shelly pushed her way through the bushes and took out her little compass, her trustworthy tool that she had come to rely on, and turned north. They walked away from the house and away from the little haven in the hillside, into an unknown future.
This journey north will probably take forever, she thought with resignation, but what else can we do, short of giving up to murderers and cutthroats? Never did those terms seem so real and appropriate. It chilled her blood to think what a human being could do to another, let alone a whole army of them, killing and looting wherever they went.
Shelly watched the little needle steadily pointing northward. How true and dependable this little compass is. Why isn’t God that way? As soon as the thought came, she regretted it, but the question lingered. Is He true and dependable? I’d like to think so. Something deep in her soul told her that He was, just that she didn’t understand. Well Lord, help me to understand someday and please be with us now as we try to find some safety. And please be with my husband, she added fervently, Amen.
They walked on in silence, the leaves making a soft crunching sound under their feet. Now that she had the children with her, she found she was more diligent looking for danger. It was hard for Faith to remember to be quiet, but she tried.
They hiked through the sparse forest, listening to the monkeys tell each other off, fighting over their food. Tom told Shelly in a soft voice how his daddy had taught him to watch the monkeys and birds in the forest. If danger was near, the monkeys would scream in alarm. It was always safe if you heard them talking to one another. And the birds would take flight if something was wrong. Only when the forest was completely silent did it really terrify him.
After a long hot walk, they stopped to rest. Shelly was carrying Faith and the child was getting heavy. It felt good to put her down as they sat in the shade. Taking out her map, she realized that they should have come across the highway by now. It looked like a four-mile journey from the end of the road on the map. But the Mombasa Road, indeed any road had not appeared. The sounds of the forest continued, but she couldn’t hear any traffic noise at all. The terrain was becoming hilly and they would have to start climbing to continue north.
Are we lost? Did I take the right road, yesterday? What if this isn’t the road on the map? What if I get lost in the wilderness with the children? Panic started to take hold of her.
With firm determination and resolve she stopped herself from going to pieces and looked at the map again. There’s no way I’m going to miss the Mombasa Road when it’s traveling northwesterly through the mountains. If my little compass is right and I continue to travel north, I can’t fail to find it. We’ll eventually come to it. We have to come to it. It’s the only marker I can follow out of here.
Shelly gave the children some water, and took a small sip herself, careful to conserve what they had. Then they started hiking up the hill, still trying to follow the little compass. Shelly was getting ready to carry Faith again, when she climbed to the top of a ridge and stumbled through some bushes.
She was shocked to be standing on the shoulder of the highway. She looked left and right. No traffic. The silence was acute. No trucks, cars or transports. It was strange and eerie to be standing on an empty freeway in the afternoon’s hot sun with the only sound coming from the forest.
“Quick,” she said. “Let’s cross to the other side while we can.”
They all dashed across the road and stood listening, still no traffic. Shelly turned and looked up the hill.
It’s going to be impossible to continue traveling north. The ground is rising steeper and steeper until it ends at that cliff. It’s a shear rise to the top.
She looked along the road to the northwest. The paved roadway climbed slowly around the mountains, which rose through the forest canopy into majestic jagged peaks, piercing the sky. Shelly’s heart sank when she realized they could no longer travel off the road. They would have to follow the highway somehow.
She didn’t need to be told that this was going to be the most dangerous part of their journey. She knew that this road would be the easiest mode of travel for armies needing to move over great distances, at the greatest speed. It was unnerving to find it so empty. When would that change and how fast would they come? She stood there for a few seconds more, frozen in uneasiness and experiencing an eeriness she tried to understand. They walked up the road a little further and found a place to hide. She needed a place to think.
Maybe we should travel by night. We should be able to see a little with the moon being almost full, and we have the flashlight, but should we use it? We can easily come upon someone in the dark, unaware or be attacked by a hungry animal. And I’m not eager to sit here and waste hours until it gets dark.
But, traveling the road in broad daylight is crazy. We could easily be seen by anyone sitting in the hills or by a lookout stationed on this road somewhere.
Shelly exhaled, No... I think we’ll have to walk this in the dark, but what about the wild animals? What am I to do, Lord? I have no idea what is best. Jim, where are you? Her heart yearned for his arms, his comfort, and his presence.
As she sat there discerning, she gave the children a little more water and a piece of jerky to chew on. She got out her map and studied it. Following alongside the Mombasa Road was a little black line with tiny hash marks on it. Glancing at the legend, she was surprised to find it was a railroad.
A railroad! she gasped in surprise. Could we take that instead? It seemed to run nearly parallel with the highway, wandering away every now and again.
I wonder if we can find it. Will we be more hidden on it? It looks like it comes near the highway further up this road, if we’re in the correct place on the map. Dare we walk on a little further now, in the hopes of finding it? Dear Lord, what if we are caught?
The fear of discovery was so real in this place.
A soft, gentle, voice in her heart prompted her to try.
If the rail line isn’t there, we’ll find a hiding spot and just stay there for the rest of the day, until it gets dark, she decided. But the idea of walking this highway, day or night, didn’t settle well with her at all. She decided to ask the boy.
“Tom, look here,” she said as she pointed to a place on the map. “I think we are here, but I’m not sure. This line is the railroad. It may be safer to walk along it than this highway. We’ll have to be very careful to listen for any trains. And if we have to cross a trestle or something like that, we’ll need to be sure a train isn’t coming. What do you think?” she asked him. “Do you think we should try it?”
Tom stood next to her, with his hand on her shoulder and studied the map. “I think God would want us to stay away from where the soldiers might be. They may be on a train, but we can hide if one comes. The trains only use the track once or twice a day, I think. But there is always traffic on the roads. There should be cars and trucks on it all day and all night,” he said very wisely, as he looked out at the empty road with a worried look.
Shelly noticed his look and said, “I know. I don’t like it either.” as the road remained quiet and desolate in the hot African sun.
Tom said in a soft voice that gave Shelly chills down her spine, “We need to find the railroad tracks. I have a bad feeling about the road,” he said as he looked her in the eyes with such conviction that it moved her spirit.
The Railway
A Tale Of Choice Page 12
