MIGRATION. (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER 1

I knew they'll be back , they'll be back and now they're back .
"Go and wake Zakir up ! " Momma said to me , her voice still sounding husky.

I wanted to stay and help Momma to park our clothes due to the fact that she's always stressed out as a sick patient but i knew that waking my twenty year old brother is more important than staying to help Momma , he has to wake up and park , we have to migrate !

I walked out of the narrow room me and Momma share feeling the coldness of the cemented floor against my barefoot. I walked as fast as possible to reach the small but comfortable living room that Zakir always sleeps in .

Its not so far from my room so reaching there was so easy for me . As usual , I saw Zakir cuddled up on the mat , sweats was dropping from his light skin but he didn't show any discomfort as he sleep and I'm sure it's because he's already used to this lifestyle , we all are used to it .

Zakir slapped his right cheek as a way of killing an annoying mosquito that I couldn't really see.

"Zakir ! Zakir! Up now ! " I said to Zakir , my own voice sounded strange to me , it was not so courageous again , it sounded so low that o had to clear my throat before i continue to speak "We have to migrate ! " I said much louder this time.
Zakir opened his eyes opon hearing my last sentence.
He stood up and stretched his long hands . "What about Momma ? " Zakir asked with his huge eyes staring at me alarmingly . His cheeks has thick mat lines probably because he has been laying on the mat for hours .

"She's parking , you should also park so that we can leave soon . " I informed my brother of what i was asked to inform .

"We are leaving ? " Zakir asked me as i stare at him even more , I mean of course we are leaving , what was he expecting ?
"Are you planning on staying ? " I asked sarcastically yet my brother didn't take it as a sarcasm, he's always so mature , that's one of the differences between us .

"I thought we will fight them , I can fight then just like Baba Aliyu did . " Zakir said to me as his face harden even more .
"Zakir no ! We don't want to loose you just like how we lost Baba Aliyu , if the rest of the families in this area want to stay and fight , let them do so but we are migrating. " I responded unable to control my fear , the fear of loosing my brother, even Momma .

Zakir merely replied me as he matched to where his valuables are and starts to park them , I then turned and walked back to Momma to help her .

"Momma , I told him , now let me help you park . " I said to Momma who is already properly dressed in a long hijab.
Momma passed my Maroon hijab to me and replied "I am done already, carry this now , lets go . " Momma said to me pointing at my clothes that's arranged in a thick black leather .
I carried the clothes which didn't feel heavy at all and followed behind my mother to the living room to meet Zakir who is probably done parking by now .

"Zakir , are you done ? " Momma asked my brother who then quickly put on a clean brown shirt and replied "Yes , I've parked everything. " Zakir replied.

I knew that parking everything wouldn't be hard because we didn't have much. I stepped out of the house already feeling like i will miss the warm homely atmosphere it provides anytime i enter it , it was my birth home so I'll obviously miss it .

There was a fire set at the center of the area , its not an intensive fire , it's just a fire that the neighbors put everyday to indicate that it's night time , usually the children gather around the fire but because it's around midnight there was no any child outside nor any elders.

Momma quietly locked the door of the house trying her best not to make any sound with the mettalic structured key while Zakir and I stood beside her like guards, she's the only parent we have in this life, of course we have to value her.

"Hopefully we will return one day when everything is over " Momma said after she has finished locking the door . Now the problem is that we don't know where to follow, but right now whatever way that'll lead us far away from the incoming thugs is what we are going to follow .
Momma turned to the sourthen direction before turning to face us again.

"Let's go north. " Zakir suggested while pointing at the northen direction that's a straight passage with an invisible ending.

"The sound was from the north , let's follow there . " Momma responded pointing at the opposite direction that's full of trees and tall grasses , it's either we follow it or stay and die just like Baba Aliyu.

I walked with fast steps just like my brother and Momma as we start to make our way through the thick bush , it looks like this migration will never end.

We were running and running and running till we couldn't see the traces of the fire light , that's when we started slowing our steps as we try to catch our breath .

The migration has still not ended , we have to reach somewhere, somewhere safe , somewhere to breath freely .

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That was the first chapter of migration.

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