3. I'm pregnant?

I was laying on the simple makeshift bed with my eyes fixed on the thatched roof above me.

The five women were also in my hut, keeping an eye on me so that I wouldn't escape and to top it all off there was a guard just outside the door also keeping watch.

It was almost dawn and today was the day I was officially going to get married off for fifteen cows!

I was thinking about the various ways I could get out of this but the only way was to either die or fake having a stomach ache and stay in the toilet the rest of the day.

The first option was a big fat no because I loved myself too much to even think about death and second, I'm a terrible actress everyone would know I'm faking it.

The only option I had was to wait a bit then run for my life or when the old man tries to touch me, I could just push him away and run out of the hut screaming in horror.

That will make him feel embarrassed and deem me as a little child who doesn't understand a thing. Yeah I will do just that!

A shuffling sound caught my attention. The five women were deeply asleep and didn't hear a thing.

Me being the curious kid I was, decided to leave the hut and go check it out.

 I wasn't afraid of anything. The village was in a remote area close to the game park and most of the times lions, Hyenas and  other wild animals  would come close to the village  but luckily the men always chased them away.

  

Anyway, I opened the hut door made up grass and saw mama standing there with a chitenge ( a material African women wear to cover themselves up ) that was folded nicely.

The guard was sleeping soundly and I suddenly grew suspicious of her,

"Take this," she whispered handing me the chitenge, "go this way and run okay! don't look back and once you reach the bus station, board the bus and Aleena will be at the destination waiting for you, I have already informed her." She instructed and I nodded

I tiptoed back into the hut, grabbed my clothes which were already packed up since I was going to my 'husband's' home, then tiptoed out again and after giving mama one last hug and kiss, I darted off into the direction she pointed.

I kept on running without stopping until I reached the Zambezi river. By then, the sun was almost out. I looked behind me and luckily there was no one coming after me.

My throat felt dry and so my legs instinctively carried me towards the river but before I could get any closer, 

" splash!" I heard a splashing sound that startled me.

'Oh no it's a mermaid!' I thought and knowing full well that mermaids were evil creatures and killed people, the thirst I was feeling instantly vanished and I started running again but a loud cry for help stopped me dead in my tracks.

My brain was telling me to continue running before I get caught by the mermaid while my body turned around on it's own following the cry of help.

"Help!" The voice grew even louder, it was a girl's voice and she was crying for help in English.

 The only reason why I knew the word help was because Joshua had taught me the word and what it meant.

Could it be that it wasn't a mermaid but one of the tourists had fallen into the river and was now drowning?

"He--" the cry of help became muffled and all possible scenarios ran through my mind.

Oh no the woman is probably being eaten by a crocodile!

I dropped the clothes I had and jumped into the river, swimming towards the girl.

Once I got close enough, I held her hand, pulling her towards the surface.

She was so damn heavy but I had to keep pulling if I wanted her to survive.

Luckily I managed to pull her up towards the river bank.

"Thank you." The girl said coughing out all the water that had entered her.

I became a creepy person and kept looking at her admiring her beauty.

I had never seen someone this beautiful in my entire life!

I was beautiful but her, she was perfect!

She had long straight blood like hair

 and light skin, even lighter than mine and papa's

"Uh, what are you doing?" The girl asked but I kept on poking her face to see if it was real or not.

"Look over there she might be close by!" I heard a male voice shout orders and that's when I remembered I was supposed to be running away from my wedding!

Oh for goodness sake! 

I totally forgot all about the woman and grabbed my bag of clothes, running again. 

Before I could even have a chance to escape,  

"Grab her!" I heard someone yell  followed by a strong hand coming out of nowhere and  grabbing my arm stopping me.

 

Even though it was nearly impossible to get out of the death grip, I still thrashed around trying to free myself.

I wasn't going to let them take me, no way! I kept  on thrashing around but uncle dan had a strong grip!

"you little brat!" He raised his hand about to slap the shit out of me and I closed my eyes ready for the slap.

Seconds passed and the slap never came, I opened my eyes and saw the girl who I had just saved, holding uncle Dan's large arm.

Everyone was looking at the girl in shock! Uncle Dan was well built with muscular arms and yet this small looking girl stopped him from slaping me?!

But-----how?

The girl angrily removed uncle's hand from my arm and she started yelling at him in English while my mouth just hang wide open.

 I had never heard someone speak such fluent English before and all I wanted was to hung out with her in hopes that her good grammar might rub off on me.

"Uncle Dan." Joshua grabbed everyones attention and we all turned to look at him.

" I completely understand what the girl is saying and I will translate." He began, "You see this girl's name is Anna from America and she came here to get Melissa."

All the other men who were around gave him confused raised eyebrows while I looked at him wondering where he was going with this.

"Why?" Uncle Dan asked  equally confused.

"Because she is two months  pregnant!"