Camera which is just an another invented device for others but for me it was my only lady guest and companion that I had ever waited to be alone with. I was a freelance photographer. After finishing my academic studies, I started working on freelance journalism and photography. I worked with various fashion designers and magazines. My main suffering was models that I was worked with. Nudism is a very normal thing in this industry. Normal people might get furious but truth is, in this industry it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's personally models choice, to make themselves available for every single projects. As less as they can be problematic, it would be the kindest thing to us who were working as a photographer. So, whenever I got chance of working on natural beauties, I jumped onto it. That gloomy day, I did the same thing, took the opportunity to take an exotic pictures of birds of paradise which is also called crane flower, as rare it could be it would be nicer for me. I was so excited that I needed to travel in South Africa between September to May. This rare flowers blooming time was then. It looked like a bird in flight so far as I read but to me it was a dancing gypsy girl. I packed up my things to travel for my exotic pictures.
Magazine that I was working for featuring on that flower, was taking care all my expenses. It was as usual another freelance job. They paid my travelling expenses and for further payment I just needed to claim it from them. I was a well known photo journalist that's why these facilities was to ease my pain of travelling to Africa. I like to travel lightly, as less expensive it could be, it would be great savings for me. Clients that I worked know these things, experienced, knowledgeable, hardworking people, so they understand the importance of doing so. I took my every possible transportations and ride to be in my desired place on time.
When I was arrived there, it was a dusk, this exotic flower was on the river banks in the coastal area around the garden route within the Western Cape provincial boundary. Not that easy to get in to take pictures. I stayed the night with nearby people for a night that day. In the morning, I started to relocate my subject. It was in eastern coast which could be seen of forest in shades. After a whole day spending with local authorities and people, I got the permission to make my, one man camp around the flowers where we had located that could be seen. I was at the blooming time of my subject, good grace of my luck, the company did the hard part to ease my pain. It stays a week, so, I needed to take my pictures at that moment. We chose the perfect suitable place to make my camp, under the trees, surrounded by wild forest, took away my inner peace. Local authorities said I would not have to go through wildlife or animals. Local people nearly killed all worried about those things. I would like the place and locals were nearby so, I should not be afraid. Though, I heard a lot but still not satisfied with the fact. I rented a hunting dog from locals to give me an extra security. I didn't even noticed that I already spent two days, I was totally exhausted, went to my bed early at about eight o'clock. In the middle of my sleep, I felt the presence of someone, trying to have comfort on my grasp, sometimes on my arms or my chest, it was like someone was sleeping with me but couldn't find the comfort as desired sensations. I didn't cared about it at all. Whatever it was, I probably slept with it.
On the next morning, I spent the whole day with the locals, was talking with them, playing with them, it was a good day, still I couldn't understand what was it? Last night, dream or reality? I was feeling the whole day that someone or something within my arms that I had hugged and slept with. Afterwards, as usual, I went on sleeping that night I was really frightened, same thing happened but that time I was awakened by the rubbing nose and cheeks on my face. Smooth, silky touch of a cold skin and hair. I was so afraid with the fact that I was checking with my torch over and over and my rented dog started to cry without barking, whole area was darkened with blackness. I was horrified and surprised a little then went to my sleep.
Next day, my luck shown the bright face to me, the flower was blooming. I sat my cameras around them so I couldn't miss a thing. I was relieved that my travelling and camping days were ending, another day was passing by. I tried to know if there was any urban legend incidents around the locals but nothing. They never encountered anything like that. That night I slept well. It'd been one week already but nothing happened like that night, few sounds of wild animals at night though, my rented dog turned in to a cat in front of me but I didn't cared a less. When I was leaving the locals, they gave me a departure gift, a handmade flute and foods to carry on. I loved the fact that they were so friendly and helpful to me or it could have impossible for me to do my work on time. I was on my end of travelling when I was checking my night vision video recordings. For a while, it seemed to me unnecessary then I saw that two nights videos, my camera caught a white some kind of a ball or an animal small like a cat thing, running around my camp, smudging, then it made my dog to cry. At first, he barked a little then my dog started to cry. Then I saw that thing entered to my tent, I was furious and worried what was that? Before I lost my mind, my plane reached the airport on time. With that urgency despair, I came to my home. I was very tired that day, I couldn't even unpacked my things before that, my company called me to show the footage. On my office studio, I had finished my work to submit my photographs. After finishing my work then I could relax to think about what I saw on my plane. I took a cold shower, ate my dinner and sat back to relax on my armchair and watching the rest of the video recordings to understand what was it, I felt those two nights? It turned out that ball was not a ball or a cat or any animal, it was a head!! A head of a beautiful young lady that turned into a white after her death. Whenever I realised what I grabbed that day on my arms, with what I spent my nights with, I shocked and stunned there. Then at sudden glimpse of my senseless nightmare, I felt a silky, soft shiny hair on my hand, I got more frightened, to even look on my lap that I was feeling. With the all grace of God, I looked at my lap that beautiful lady's head. I probably fainted on the chair. Next morning, I woke up by the soft touch on my cheek, that silky smooth skin and hair all around me. Out of fear, I couldn't even open my eyes to see the time because my friends supposed to call to meet with me. My phone was ringing but my manly pride was not allowing me to face the horror of my life. I probably fainted again.
I couldn't remember when I opened my eyes but I saw my friends took me to my bedroom, taken cared of everything and the flute that I was being gifted by the African locals, was on my neck. My body couldn't feel the soul until I saw my friend smiling in front of me. She was my high school friend, she explained to me, how was I founded by them, I was on my armchair, sleeping a deep sleep, at first they thought probably I was sick but then doctor said I was in deep sleep like a coma, not a single bruise or anything been founded on my body that could explained my state. So, that's why they laid me on my bed. I was listening to her but not a single word could make me calmer or relaxed from my horrifying experiences then my friend went to make a bowl of hot soup for me. She was on my bedside table just gave me the soup, she made, then the horrible incident happened that I was waiting for, that silky hair grabbed her neck and made her senseless. She probably could have killed my friend if I had not use the flute of the locals to whistle her . I was feeling numb so I could able to do that to save my friend. I saw that head feeling jealous of my friend, she was trying to please me all these times but I was so afraid that I couldn't appreciate her love and devotion. When I understood her feelings, I got the courage, I sent my friend to hospital for caring, I forgot every fear, went back to my usual life. However, I was not alone, my loneliness was gone, I accepted the fact that whole life, I was learned to live alone but that time was over then, whenever I went back home, I got someone that's been waiting just for me. She woke me up by her sweet kisses, she never made any sound as far as I had seen, just I need to allow her to spent time with my cheeks, face on face because she loved it, the best way for her, to show her unconditional love to me, sleeping with my cheeks or within my arms, felling in sleep on my chest, as long as my heart was beating she was there, trying to do everything as loyal lover could do, pleasing each other, me and my soundless aly.