The walk in the forest was dreadful. There was no food or water. Imagine that! Imagine being in a forest and not even coming across a bustling stream to sip some moisture from. Maybe if we were stuck in a desert I would have garnered the power to ignore the absence of water ,but what fuelled my frustration was the fact that I had no idea where I was heading. I was just following like a lost puppy. I now had the vantage point of dismembering this duo,but for some unbeknownst reason to me I did not fall through with it .
As we were trekking I suddenly stopped . I could hear rustling. The breeze bouncing of the leaves of trees,swaying branches ,felt sensational against my skin . I began to get goosebumps. I than knew that this breeze was not just an ordinary breeze. It was a breeze summoned by the aquatic gods to rescue me . All this was courtesy of my subconscious mind. Hell a few seconds ago I could not even make out the path I was on, and just trudging about. I was so entranced that I had not noticed that 'he' had also frooze in his tracks.
We both were whisked away by the aquatic gods fine tunes. We looked like two toddlers gobsmacked by discovery of the chocolate factory. After a brief minutes of shock we both pinned our knees to the moist ground and began slurping up the water. The question of whether it was safe for consumption was saved for later .
I sat back on the ground after having satisfied myself. I looked over to him and he still pinned his face close to the water ;as if whisper an ancient secret. Whilst in my storm of confusion his hand went steadfast into the water like an arrow and boomeranged back to land as precisely. He had in the clutches of his hand a frog. He came over , requested for my hand ,and with as little reluctantance as my pride could permit me, I handed it over to him . He placed the slimmy create on the ground and used my hand as a lid .He gathered some twigs and began generating a cough of smoke until it spat fire. He came over and skewed the frog with other twigs and placed it over the flame to roast.
In a couple of minutes the frog was as crispy and enticing as a chicken nugget. He brought it over ,right next to me,on a leaf ,and it was accompanied by a curved piece of wood that would function as a drinking utensil. He offered me the mouthwatering roasted frog and I turned it down ,using my injured right hand as an excuse. He didn't seem to challenge my protest as he placed it back at it's pivot,broke off a long leg ,but instead of stuffing it into his mouth he went straight for mines. He of course was met with a puzzled face and stitched mouth. He explained that he would feed me since I said I could not possibly feed myself with my left hand. When I protested and told him that I had made a mistake and would be able to feed myself with my left hand he shoved the curved wood into my free hand and used that as an excuse to feed me. It was back and fore for an appropriate amount of time. As a soldier I was instilled with the quality of persistence 'til perseverance.
The end of the meal called for the continuation of silence.It was broken when he asked for my name and where I was from. I reciprocated,what I viewed as his act of benevolence.I must admit it created an atmosphere of comfort . He now had clarification that I was not a threat and so did I .
I learnt that he has been serving for nine years . He basically grew up in the Army . He has never had any other aspirations except being in the Army. I was quiet perplexed that at twenty seven he had already made it as a major . It grinned my ego in a bad way ,but also served as added motivation.
Morning did not miss it's appointment and off we continued.
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