Story: TARASHA – Prologue

The leaves spread out widely, gladly receiving the heat from the sun as they stuck firmly to their respective branches on the different trees. The wind contributed to the happiness of the living things as it blew heavily across the forest occasionally, making some of the lighter branches collide against the stems of taller trees and other unmoving branches.

Danjuma cleared the way for his wife who followed him happily as they took a stroll around the forest, he stopped when he got to a cleared path and waited for her to catch up with him. They smiled at each other as they continued walking through the forest hand in hand, recalling how they met for the first time in that same forest.

Ten years ago, Danjuma and two of his colleagues had come for a research on wildlife in the forest, they were inspecting a special breed of lizards when they noticed a movement at a thick bush opposite their direction, they paused to observe properly. At first, they thought it was a wild animal that hid behind the bushes and they brought out their defence weapons, ready to attack whatever it was. However, it didn’t take long before a young lady in a Doctor’s coat appeared, three of her colleagues who appeared to be Doctors  too followed. Lydia and her team had come to collect some special herbs for the manufacturing of drugs required to cure an epidemic disease that troubled the village close to the forest.

Danjuma got happily married to Lydia in Lagos two years after they met. They had their first boy in the same year they got married and had given birth to two other boys after. After living in Lagos for eight years, Danjuma relocated with his family to Borno State.

Nine years later, Danjuma brought his wife to that same forest on their wedding anniversary hoping to bring back good memories of the past to her which he succeeded at, as Lydia clearly showed her delight while they walked through the forest together.

‘Wow’ Lydia released her hand from Danjuma’s grip and ran forward playfully, turning round a spot. She laughed happily as she looked at the sky, making her long hair fall backwards.

Danjuma followed after her and wrapped his hand around her body. He looked straight into her eyes, and placed a kiss on her cheeks

‘Nine years ago, I was standing here when I …’

‘Shhh… Quiet’ Danjuma hushed, ‘let’s just enjoy this silence and the cool breeze’

‘I …’ A cry interrupted her and she paused to listen carefully. The cry became louder, it was the cry of an infant.

The couple looked at each for a moment before they traced the sound carefully. They saw a woman lying helplessly under a tree with a baby laid on a wrapper spread beside her. The couple quickly rushed to the scene.

The lady, actually a teenager was almost gasping for breath when they got to her. A faint smile appeared on her face as she saw the couple, she turned her face to look at the baby and looked back at the couple.

‘Her name is…’ She coughed out heavily.

Lydia knelt beside the teenager and gently placed her back on her hand, trying to calm her down. ‘What happened?’

‘I named her Omotara’ the teenager struggled to speak.