"So Bantu what will you do now?" I asked.
"Once the rainy season begins I will be assisting with the RAIN squad."
"What's the RAIN squad?" Teddy asked. "Are they a bunch of super secret superheroes?"
Laughing Bantu replied, “No, they are not super heroes. RAIN stands for Rescuing Agricultural and Indigenous Natives. They help rescue and evacuate residents that live in the flood zones. Once the rains set in, it will be very difficult for them to remain safe, so the RAIN squad goes in and helps them get to the safe zone."
"Wow, that's so amazing," I said. "But why don't they just live in the safe zone?"
"The safe zone is not very good for crops. There are a lot of rocks, and farming is very important to the people of Fort Portal."
"Oh, I get it. Whenever there's too much water and you have no place to go, it's RAIN squad to the rescue," Teddy said pumping his fist in the air.
"Yes, something like that," Bantu said smiling. "Here we are everyone: The Fort Portal Welcome Center," Bantu pulled into the parking lot of the hostile the foundation had set up for us to use as home base.
My dad shook Bantu's hand once we were out of the minibus. “Thank you so much, Bantu, for helping us with everything."
“You are most welcome. And I do wish you all the best of luck with the FISH award."
“Thank you so much for everything," My mom said wiping a single tear from the rim of her purple glasses.
I waited to say goodbye after everyone else. I've never been any good at it. I usually ended up blubbering like a baby. Looking at me with a smile Bantu reached out for a hug.
For a second I hesitated, not wanting to seem weird, but then I jumped into his arms. "Thank you for everything," I managed to croak out without shedding any tears.
"No, it is I who should thank you. You are the one who changed your parent's minds about revealing the Maji to the world. Thank you for saving my people. You are a good friend and honorary Maji."
"Thank you," I said trying to wipe tears before Bantu could see them.
"Keep working on your gift. You will do great things with it." Nodding, I straightened my medallion and whispered goodbye to Bantu.
As the late evening sun floated slowly through the sky, I watched Bantu get into the minibus and drive away. I couldn't help but feel like I was saying goodbye to someone I had known my whole life, even though it had only been a few days.
“Come on, Nadia, everyone is going to the dining hall to get dinner,” Charlotte said holding the door open for me.
I walked through the entrance of the hostile. The smell of stewed chicken wafted from the down the hall, making my mouth water. Everyone except Mrs. Haynes, who was checking emails at the WiFi stations, was already seated and eating the soft bread and goat cheese. Taking a small slice of bread, I spread the warm, soft cheese across the middle and watched it nestle into the tiny air pockets. Just as I was getting ready to take a bite, Mrs. Haynes walked in and sat down.
“I just got a very interesting email,” she said picking up a piece of bread from the basket.
“Who from?” Mr. Haynes asked.
“Dr. Evan Spence,” Mrs. Haynes replied. "Dr. Evan Spence? Isn't he on the nomination panel for the FISH awards?" Mom asked. "Yes, he is.”
“Well, what did the email say?” Mr. Haynes asked eagerly.
“He said that he got our contact information from the foundation and would like to speak with us as soon as possible. He said it was urgent,” Mrs. Haynes said.
“Well, what does he want? Is that all he said,” My dad asked.
“He didn't really give a lot of details in the email. He just said that he needed our help in finding something.”
“What kind of something?” I asked warily. “He didn't say. He said that he would be in touch soon with more details of what he needed, but he would like to discuss the whole thing in person.” Mrs. Haynes said.
“That's strange,” my mom said. “You would think that he would have given you more details in case we aren't able to help him.”
“Well, he said he's catching a flight to Kasese, a city outside of the Ruwenzori Mountain Range. That's nearby. He asked if we would be willing to meet with him, to see if we had any information he could use.”
“What did you tell him?” asked Charlotte.
“I told him that it would be okay to meet since we're already so close.”
“How exactly are we getting to these mountains?” I asked. “We don't have to fly do we?”
Chuckling, my dad answered. “No, we're not flying. The receptionist said that the foundation had transportation delivered. We can use that.”
“Is it an RV? Are we going in an RV?” Charlotte asked excitedly.
“No, not an RV. Our very own minibus,” My dad said trying to sound like a game show host.
“Oh, great. And here I thought we'd seen the last of the minibus.” Charlotte said rolling her eyes.
“Don't worry dear; it's only 180 miles,” Mr. Haynes said looking up from his map.
“Oh, it'll be fine,” My mom said patting Charlotte's hand. “We've only got about two and a half months to find some footage for the FISH nomination deadline. This one might be something we can use in good conscience.”
After dinner, all of us stood outside the hostile while my dad and Mr. Haynes went to get the minibus. They pulled up in a slightly rusted, silver minibus.
“Looks like the old girl has seen better days,” Teddy said patting the hood jokingly. “Do you think it'll make it all the way to Kasese?”
“Of course it will.” Mr. Haynes said laughing. “We don't have any time to waste. We've got a FISH nomination to get.”
And so we packed into a minibus once again—this time one that looked like an aging silver bullet—and headed towards the mountains in search of a FISH. The adventure was just beginning.
Afterword
The author hopes that Nadia’s fictional adventure will make you want to do some real life research! What better place to start than hearing directly from Ugandan people? So if your teacher, parent, or guardian says it’s okay, check out the links below to get started.
* * *
For facts about Uganda from Ugandan YouTuber Emma Hurly, visit:
https://youtu.be/rFgzVXnCsgA
* * *
For videos of Uganda made by Ugandan Youth, visit:
http://www.Our-Africa.org/uganda/people-culture
About the Author
Florida born and raised, Jessica McDougle currently lives in Mississippi with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, two cats, and a host of other animals.
As a teacher, Jessica has spent much of her time collecting ideas for adventure stories that lead readers on a hike through the imagination.
You can find Jessica at:
www.PlumStreetPressBooks.com/JessicaMcDougle
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Nadia Knox and the Eye of Zinnia Page 10
