A Continued Legacy: Maji's Quest

A Continued
Legacy:
Maji's Quest

By: Kyle

Prologue
My name is Maji. I have had to overcome unexpected tragedies. Life is
what you make of it, and you have the choice to make it what it is. I
have had a difficult time in the past year. I have had to overcome
tragedy, and woe. It has been a sad time. However, I know I must live
up to the legacy of one man, William Skyrun.
Dear Maji,
You have been a great son to me. You have taught me important and
interesting things in life. You are a great son to me. Remember you
have meant the world to me. When I first saw you, I looked into your
eyes and saw the happiness, and joy in your eyes. Ever since then you
have meant something to me. All I ask of you in my final days is to
continue my legacy, and help other people. This is what I want from
you, however if you don't want to fulfill these duties I will
completely understand.
In this will I will give ownership of all my belongings, everything,
to Maji Skyrun, and Kaido. They will both own all possessions. Maji
remember I am getting old and I will no longer be able to be your
father. While it saddens me to know this, I know life must move on to
death, and the afterlife. You are a great person Maji. Always remember
that. This letter I will keep safe you in an envelope. Maji I will
always be in your heat, I will always be there. Remember that always
and forever. You mean the world to me. Do not feel sad the day I pass
away, feel what you want. Continue the legacy for there is nobody else
to. Spread joy, and save lives much like I have. Goodbye Maji. I will
miss you, and remember you forever. "William Skyrun, Dad"
That is the letter he left me. It makes me cry sometimes. It is hard to
handle death, but I am trying the best I can. It always seems horrible
when you lose a close person. I agree it does, but the death as only
brought me closer to him, to William. I know that I can live with a
sense of pride for my father. I will try to keep the legacy
going.

Chapter 1
The Special Note

I am so happy. My wife is going to have our first child. Have we
decided on a name? Well not yet. We know it is going to be a girl. I am
happy about that. Maybe Anna Marie Skyrun is a good name. My wife likes
that name. I guess I will tell her tonight. Cool, Kaido is here, he
lives with me, in Will's house, but he was on an errand.
"Hi Maji, how are you doing! Are you coping well with the fact of
death? May I please see the letter Maji? I have always wanted to do so.
I think you know that too," Kaido said this, but not in the usual
gentle, kind natured tone, but in a harsh, more serious tone. I just
didn't want him to see it. However I knew he should.
"Kaido, you will read it. Just don't share it with anyone else! It is
very personal to me," I said to him in quite harsh tone. I knew I
should have been nicer to him after all he did so much to me and I
should be forever thankful.
"Now Maji, you know I would never show it to anybody else," Kaido said
softly in the usual gentle tone. I handed him the letter gingerly with
a moment of hesitation. I wanted him to see it, but deep inside I knew
I didn't want to.
He slowly went over to sit on the couch, and began to read the letter.
After what seemed like ages, he glanced up, but quickly buried his eyes
back on the sheet of paper. He was thinking about something, and I knew
it. After another few minutes he told me to come over here. I
reluctantly did so.
"Maji that was a great letter I don't understand why I couldn't see
it. I know it is personal, very personal. My only question?.will you
continue William's legacy?" Kaido said quietly, tears were almost
flowing out of his eyes. He quickly got up, and went to the bathroom
and he quickly came out.
"Kaido, that letter has meant a whole lot to me. I know I should have
let you see it. Will I continue the legacy? This question I have asked
myself from the time I received the letter. Only today I have made a
decision. After showing you the letter, I am finally able to make a
decision. I believe I will continue on the legacy of William," I said,
get slower as I came along. I have always wanted to keep the legacy
going, yet I have always not wanted to.
"Kaido one question I ask of you is, Will you accompany me on my
quests, wherever I may go?" the question was a bombshell, I am not sure
what Kaido would answer. It took a few minutes for Kaido; he seemed
awestruck, and confused. Did I frighten him too much? Was it a major
shock for him? I thought he was about to speak.
"Maji, Maji," he said slowly, and then paused, "Of course I...I will
help you on your adventures. It?it would be an honor to work with the
person I know best," Kaido replied in a very quiet, feeble tone. He
almost stuttered on the first few words, but relaxed as he continued
on.
The big question for me now was the place we should go. I didn't think
I wanted to go back to Africa, yet. I thought I will go back before I
die. When would I die, that is always a question that haunted me? I
thought I would go to Venezuela, or some other South American nation. I
could also go to the Middle East, a very poverty stricken, unfortunate
region of the globe.
I badly wanted to go to the Middle East to see how it was, I have
heard stories, and seen papers of it, but I had not yet seen it. It is
would be a trek, a long trek, and a very dangerous one at that. Where
would I go, Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, or another country. Should I go
to all of them, I thought, and thought, the silence lasted for minutes,
and minutes, and then it was broke, broke, like a knife cutting
butter.
"Kaido, I have chosen a region of the globe to go to," I paused, and
continued on. "We are going to the Middle East Kaido, but first we will
make a short stop in Africa, to the region we once lived in, and spend
a few days finding our old tribe. I have decided to go to Afghanistan,
Israel, and India. These are places I want to go, and you can add any
places if you want," I stopped, and waited for a response, and then
within a few seconds it was there.
"Maji, I will agree with you on those places, it will be nice to go
back?back to Africa??..I would not like to go anywhere, those places
are quite enough for me. Maybe in a few days I will think of
something?something else." He said this, pausing, and stopping
occasionally as to think of what to say next, or to hold back emotions,
or other thoughts. He then said "Good night" and went to bed.
I tried to fall asleep, but I could not, the letter, and the journey
was in my head. I went to the letter, and read it. I then realized it
to be so thick, as to another page was sticking together; carefully I
pulled them apart, and found another letter.

Dear Maji,
It seems that my end is nearing, this is message I put together with
the other message, and it is for you and you only. I want you to read
this read of what happens when death is here, but this death will be a
quiet one Maji. I have not been taking my medicine always. I don't want
it; I want to die naturally, not died all drugged up. Death is
something you cannot put off, and I feel if I put it off longer the
pain will only feel worse. I have lived for roughly 75 years Maji; it
was a good, good life. I feel my time has passed, and a new person must
take my place. That person happens to be you.
Listen to this phrase, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but
what you can do for your country.' I have listened to this phrase; I
was plenty old enough to understand it. I actually listened to it
before it was said, like I was anticipating it or something like that.
Whatever you do try to listen to these words, and understand
them.
I wanted the best of life for you, and I think I provided it. I tried
to give you food, love, shelter, and care, and I tried the best I
could. I gave the best I had, and I tried the hardest I could. I once
read a book, one for children, and I was an adult, it was called Walk
Two Moons and I can't help but remember one of the messages: In the
course of a lifetime, what does it matter? You must choose what matters
in the course of a lifetime, my decision too take you mattered in the
course of a lifetime. It was the best thing I could have ever done for
myself, and for you.
Maji, continue the legacy. I have a feeling you have already made that
decision. Be sure to visit Africa, visit your home again, and may your
travels be good. Do not let the grief get to you, do not feel too much
pain, and do not forget me, you are forever in my heart, and I will
always guide over you, no matter where you are. Take care of Kaido and
take him with you. He can spread the joy with you too. I love you, and
my time has passed, and the passing of yourself is in the cycle of
life, only new lives will emerge to fill the old ones. New kindness
will emerge. You are my pride and joy, the one I will always forever
remember in my heart. &;#9829;
With love, William Skyrun

That letter took all the strength out of me. It snatched it away. I
lay down, and quickly my eyes closed. I remember that dream, a memory
in fact, I remember falling asleep, and waking up to find him dead in
the hospital bed. His body so quiet, and peaceful, and then I notice an
envelope. I take it, and in it, it contained the first note, the one I
showed Kaido. I remember crying, and that is when I woke up in the
morning.

Chapter 2
Realizing Why?

All the time until I saw Kaido in the morning, I wept softly. I can't
believe what my father had said, yet it made the most sense. More sense
then ever I have heard before. I am glad I got to know him, and it is
good to know he cared about me, not like I didn't already know
this.
Last night I had gone to bed pretty late, and I woke up early, so I was
quite drained, and worn-out. I was so sullen, gloomy, and I just felt
terrible. I went on, I moved forward, just like William would have
wanted. He brought me strength and happiness at the same time. He gave
me the will to go on, without him I would not have lived another day.
Not another second, hour, minute, week, month, or year. He was my
inspiration.
Enough about that, come on, lets get on with my life. My wife, Mrs.
Karen Skyrun, was the most beautiful person I have ever seen. Her eyes,
and her face brightened up any room, and her smile was so great. She
had an amazing personality, and was a successful congress woman. We
actually met one day when there was a rally nearby, and she happened to
be there. When I first saw here, she lit up my heart.
I hope that she can make some contact with the government as to
sponsor, and support me on my trek, make it a diplomatic/humanitarian
mission. Maybe I would get to talk to some officials of other
countries! I have always wanted to meet a world leader.

-------------------About 1 hour later------------------------
"Honey, can you by any chance get a hold of a government official, to
sponsor me, or officially declare my mission a humanitarian mission," I
asked her kindly. I stood for a second waiting for an answer.
"I thought this was to keep the legacy going Maji, it doesn't need to
be sponsored by the government, but of course I will call. I will
probably be able to hook you up with someone," she replied, she did
make sense.
I suppose I didn't need to be sponsored by the government, but she
would call anyways, how nice. Another thing I must talk about, kindness
is important, Kaido has been kind to me, my wife has William has, and I
have in return. That has made us so close and so happy when we are by
each other. We are forever tied together, no matter what happens.

------------------About 3-4 hours later----------------------
"Maji, Maji I just talked with a government official, he wants to
speak with you about this trek. I will hand you the phone," Karen
hollered from the kitchen. Why would an official want to talk to me? I
don't know I guess I have to find out.
Phone conversation:
ME: Hello, who is this?
GVT Official: Hello Maji, my name is Steven Richardton, and I am in the
government, I made several diplomatic efforts in some Middle Eastern
Nations, and I was wondering if you would like to go over to the Middle
East, and perform not only a government sponsored humanitarian effort,
but a diplomatic peace keeping effort as well.
ME: I suppose that would be great, can I bring along Kaido too. He is
my friend. Did you by any chance know of a man called William Skyrun?
He was my father, and this quest is about preserving his legacy.
GVT Official: Yes, I knew the man; he was a great person to look up to.
A great man indeed and yes you can bring along your friend. More help
the better.
ME: One more thing, can I stop in Africa for a week, because that is
where I was born, and I would like to see my people again.
GVT Official: Yes of course you can. I know you have a private jet, I
will be sending a worker along with you, to help with negotiations, and
then you are free to do the humanitarian effort, with another worker as
a helper.
ME: Sounds good. One more thing, can I wait just 2 weeks longer before
my wife has her baby in 2 weeks?
GVT Official: Yes, in one week the two workers will be sent to your
house. You need to prepare for the trip. Good bye, and have a nice
day.
ME: Bye!
-------End of conversation------

I was excited, and happy. I was going to be a diplomat and a
humanitarian at the same time. I knew I was going to make a difference
for my country, and that made me proud. Pride swelled up in my heart,
the legacy of William would prevail.
"Honey," I said, she came by me, she had a smile on her face. "Thanks
for getting a hold of who you did, I leave in two weeks. Do you think
the baby will be born by then?" I asked in an enthusiastic tone.
"Honey the baby will be here soon. I am sure it will be born before
you leave, or at least I hope it will. What is her name? Let me guess
first though, I think the name is Anna Marie Skyrun!" she seemed so
happy and upbeat, and not tired at all. She continued to smile the rest
of the day.
I was happy too, and why shouldn't I be, I was going on an adventure,
and my baby was about to be born. That day I want to get some supplies
I thought I might need, a canteen, and other various items, William had
a lot of stuff too that I could use, but it was a little out of date. I
used some of the stuff anyways. Kaido was at work today, he had gone to
college not that long before we got here, and became a teacher of high
school. He was a great teacher; I had heard his own students say
that.
That night I slept peacefully, and I dreamed of being erased, just
meditating, floating off, and being one with the land. I went to bed at
10 o'clock, and then I awoke the next day refreshed, and energized. I
was ready to do anything I put my mind too. That day I just sat, and
sat, just thinking praying, and hoping. I hoped that everything would
go okay. I didn't want anything to go wrong, nothing, not one single
thing. I wished everything could be perfect, but I knew it
wouldn't.
Two days flew by, and nothing happened. It was smooth sailing from
there. I have talked to Karen much more then I usually do, and I have
spoken to Kaido a lot. We are so close, closer then we ever have been
before. We were one and we were not divided.
The next day I received a letter concerning my journey. I had no idea
what it would be about, so I opened the envelope and it read:

Dear Maji Skyrun,
I was a great friend of your dad's; he was such a kind, generous
person. You were such a lucky person to know him, and for him to be
your father. I hope you continue his legacy, spread the joy to
others.
You are remembering your father, do not forget him, and always
remember him. You must remember that the greatest thing is love. Love
is what guides us all. It makes us feel like we are cared for and that
we are welcome.
This is just to encourage you to make you feel welcome, and that you
are to continue the legacy. It must be gone, for you will forget your
father that way. It would be sad to forget, forgetting is not
living.
Yours Truly,
Mitch Winterson
Long Time Friend of your father
Wow is all I could say, another that said to continue the legacy. I
must, and then it struck me, the legacy was a lot more then I had first
thought. It was bigger then I had thought. Why was I going with
somebody from the government?

Chapter 3 ?
Mitch and William

Why did I need the government? I wanted to go alone with me, and
Kaido, and maybe if I could find Mitch too. Maybe he would want to
come, so I looked him up in the phone book, and I found he lived not
very far by, that was probably why they were such close friends, so I
gave him a call, and he answered. I was talking to Mitch.
Phone Conversation:
Me: Hi Mitch.
Mitch: Hello Maji, it is nice to see that you have called.
Me: Oh, no problem, I was here to ask you of something, something
big.
Mitch: I know you want me to come along on your trip, and don't ask how
I knew; I just know a lot of things.
Me (in an enthusiastic tone): So will you go?? Will you?? (I sound
silly, and almost like a child.)
Mitch: Don't get impatient there, of course I will come, when will you
go?
Me: Well within the next two weeks, after my wife has our baby, who
will be called Anna.
Mitch: Oh that is so nice you are going to have a child, and better yet
you have decided on your name. Just give me a call a few days before
you decide to go.
Me: Okay, I will make sure I do, well I better get going off to work.
It is time for that. Have a nice day.
Mitch: Okay, have a nice time at work. I hope to talk to you soon; you
know my number, but if you forget it, and if you are unable to find
your phone book, then my number is 522-4563. (He chuckled at the end of
saying this) Bye!
----------End of conversation-----------

I was even more excited then ever before, energy raced through my
body, but I was also quite antsy too. More so then I can remember is
ages. I was excited, nervous, antsy, and happy at the same time. I
managed to get a hold of the government, and say I didn't need help.
They were disappointed, but they gave me some things to do anyways,
they said they were sending me quite a powerful gun, just in case,
whatever that meant. Why did I need a powerful gun, was it that
dangerous?
My job was so fun, I was a scientist at a local university, and I was
fairly respected at my job. I really liked my job, but it required a
lot of schooling to get it, but I thought it was quite worth it. Kaido
got his college at that university, and so did I. He went well before
me, but that is okay. I had to go to more school then him; well I
started at a lower level too.&;#9830;
The baby was due any day now, and boy was I excited. I was looking
forward to seeing my little girl's face, her beautiful eyes, and maybe
she would actually have hair. I just wanted to hold her, and love her
before I left. That is what I wanted more then anything. I needed to
give her as much love as I can. She needs to trust me. After all, I am
leaving, and sadly enough I may never return. That thought saddens me,
but I know it may be true.
The next day I called Mitch, I just wanted to see how he was doing,
and who exactly he was, I learned a lot from this call:
ME: Hi, Mitch, I just wanted to see how you were doing today. The trip
will start soon; I know the baby will be here soon.
Mitch: Great, good. Are you ready to leave yet, or do you just want to
know more about me? I know which one it is. (He said this slyly)
ME: No I am not ready to leave yet, it is just that I need, need to
know more about you, exactly who you are, and stuff like that. Not to
be nosy or anything, just as a comforting feeling.
Mitch: I completely understand. I know I would be the same way
myself.
ME: How do you know my father?
Mitch: I know your father from college and we went on a few
explorations together also.
ME: That is really neat; you and my fathers were partners. Do you have
any children, or a wife?
Mitch: I have a boy, but he is big now, I see him sometimes, but not a
ton, he has a lot of business overseas. Sadly (voice sad, and pauses),
she died about two years ago of cancer. I felt so sad when she died, I
loved her so much, and so now I am alone, I wouldn't want to lose
anybody else would I? (He questioned himself at the end)
ME: Well that is sad to hear. I hope you are getting along fine now.
What else should I ask, what are some of your hobbies, because I just
to see if we have anything in common.
Mitch: I am getting along fine. I like to read, go camping, I like to
write, and of course Maji, I like to explore!
ME: Cool, I like some of the same things as you. By the way did my
father send you a letter when he died?
Mitch: Yes Maji he did, I could stop over and you could look at it
today. That would be nice. Well I have to get going now. I will be over
in thirty minutes. Bye!
ME: Sounds good, bye!
-----------End of conversation-----------

Chapter 4 &;#8721;
Anticipation

I paced around the house for at least 20 minutes, and then I ate a
snack, but nothing could keep my mind off of this visit. It seemed like
it was going to be an interesting visit to me. I swear William must
have sent a letter to all of his friends, but I wasn't particularly
worried about them at the moment, I was just worried about Mitch.
Finally after all my pacing and eating he arrived. I heard a ring of
the buzzer, I rushed to the door very quickly, and my heart was beating
a mile a minute.
This is how I would describe him, a tall (6' 4"), and he looked kind,
and he had a big smile on his face. He looked like he was about 60, but
I knew in real life his age in years was older. He wore blue jeans, and
a sports jersey, I guessed it was of his favorite player. He wore
tennis shoes. He was of average weight, and somehow looked like he was
once an athlete.
"Hello Mitch. Nice to see you," I said quietly, and quickly. I don't
know why there was a sense of wonder in my voice, but there was. It was
like I was seeing people for the first time, but I had seen so many, so
I didn't know what it meant.
"Hello, Maji. It is nice to see you for the first time. I have always
wanted to see you before," his voice was comforting, and enticing. I
was drawn to him.
"Please come on in. I really want to see that letter, I am curious to
find what it says," I added. My voice was quite normal now and I have
gained composure. I beckoned him to walk inside the house and he did.
There still seemed to be some uncertainty or hesitation when I did
this. I thought it strange to be happening.
"I knew you would want to see. Anyone could have guessed it. I will
show it too you very shortly. Again it is a pleasure to meet, you look
different then I imagine," he replied back in that same quiet and
enticing voice. I guess I would just have to wait.
We talked and I really got to know him. The talk flew by and little
did I know it, we had talked for two hours. I had been so enticed and
distracted I had not even thought about the letter. I guessed that was
his plan.
'Maji," he said, "Come on, lets stop talking. It is time to look at
the letter now." He took it out of his pocket and handed it to me. It
looked like a poem to me.
Dear Mitch,
Life must go on,
People must keep living.

Death is inevitable.
Something that must happen.

I am going now.
Gone, gone, gone like the leaves in fall.

Passing quickly.
Without pain.
My time has come to say good-bye.
Good-bye to all my friends.

Life must be continued on by the children of today.
They can make or break a legacy, or start a new one.

Life is opened up for another great soul.
I must be brushed away, and brought to a new life.

You may think of death as dark and frightful.
Gnawing at your body, pecking you away.

It is not like that,
It is quite warm and delightful.

My time has passed.
Let new life come.

My time has passed.
Watch over everyone.

Good
Bye.

Watch over Maji, Mitch. Watch over him. Guide him. This is the end of
my life. Good-bye.
I read it slowly. I read it softly. I read it to myself and I read it
aloud. I read many times. I tried to make it?sink?, yeah that is the
right word, in. I stare blankly for a few minutes. Emotions flood
through my body. I sit, and stare. Then emotion sinks in and I started
to cry softly.
"I better get going. I shouldn't have showed you this. Sorry," Mitch
said. It made me feel even worse because I didn't want him to think
that he had done something wrong. "Okay, see you soon," I muttered back
at him. He stood up and walked quickly and quietly away.
I just sat there for a while and thought. I went through the poem word
by word. I didn't have it with me, but strangely I knew the words. How
I knew it was a mystery to me. I did, and that was that. I felt bad for
making him feel sad. I felt happy at the letter, but a little sad at
the same time. I really had mixed emotions. After a while I went on
though. I knew I couldn't let it trouble me for too long.
It was getting late, and I still needed to eat dinner, and get ready
for work tomorrow. It was a nice weekend off but I had to go back. I
had a meeting tomorrow. It was on a very important company matter, and
a very large sale with another company. So I have to go to bed early,
and leave work earlier tomorrow.
It was getting to be about 10 PM and I realized I should go bed. Have
a nice night. I know I will sleep soundly. Good night.

Chapter 5
Flip Sided &;#8486;

I awoke refreshed and ready to go the next morning. I had an important
meeting to go, and I knew I had to be in a good mood and look
good.
"Bye Honey. Kaido or I will call you if anything important comes
about. I love you a lot. Bye honey," she called out from inside. I
didn't really know what she meant by, 'Kaido or I will call you if
anything important comes about,' I knew I had to think about other
things.
I got to my meeting and my mind was right back on work. The lasted a
long time, at least four hours, but we finally got done with it. Thank
god for that, I was getting very bored, even though the subject wasn't
a very boring one. When I turned on my cell phone, I found a missed
call and a message on there. I got to the message and listened to it.
It said:
Maji, this is Kaido. Karen has gone into labor and is in the hospital
now, she is in room 143. She probably won't have the baby for a few
hours, but try and come as soon as?you can. Bye
I went into my boss's office and told him I had to leave. He asked why
and I said because my wife was in labor. He said I could leave right
away and then I darted out of the door. I tripped and landed smack dab
in the middle of my face. It hurt, but I didn't worry about it. I
rushed down to the car and sped off.
IF you can guess my luck, I was pulled over by a cop. He was a state
patrol officer, wearing a brown khaki color uniform, and slick and
shiny badge. He came over to me and started to speak.
"Sir, did you know that you were going 25 over the speed limit?" he
asked sounded a little annoyed.
"Yes officer, I know I was. It is just that I am trying to get to the
hospital where my wife is in labor with our child," I responded,
embarrassed. He looked at me and smiled.
"Oh I am sorry. I didn't know. I will let you off this time. Try to
slow down, but get to the hospital quickly. Good luck," he replied
happily back. He went away and sped off. I just sat in my car for a
minute before leaving again.
I finally got to the hospital exactly 45 minutes and 34 seconds after
I got into my car. It took me another 2 minutes and 26 seconds to find
her room which was all the way up on the 7th floor. When I finally got
in there, I saw a grim expression on Kaido and my wife's face.
Something didn't look too good.
"Hi," I finally splurged out, "Is there anything wrong, there appears
to be a grim expression on your face?" I said again. Kaido looked at me
and was about to speak.
"Oh honey, the baby's lungs, the doctors tell me are not in very good
working condition right now. They are trying to delay the birth a
little while until they can find out exactly what is wrong." My wife
said, it just didn't sound like her. Every word was slow, sad, and
down. I didn't like that. I buried my hands in my face and a tear fell
down.
"I know it isn't inviting or welcoming Maji, but be strong. There may
not be any major problem at all. Stay hopeful and strong. Maji you
must," Kaido said so humbly and in such a voice it sounded as if he
were a therapist, or some other mental health doctor. His voice had
changed to one that had a tone similar to Mitch, "SHE WILL MAKE IT.
MAKE NO MISTAKE. SHE IS STRONG AND SHE IS YOUR CHILD. GIVING UP HOPE IS
LOSING YOUR MIND AND NOT THINKING THAT YOUR CHILD WILL MAKE IT," Kaido
ended, sounding exhausted.
"I know Kaido, I know," I replied back, at the end of those words, the
doctor cam darting in. His face seemed tried, exasperated, but it was
not aged, it was ageless. You could deep into the wise black pools of
his eyes. He was old, but his face did not look it. Even through this
look in his eyes, he had a humble smile.
"The lung problem was really not a problem at all. Her lung due to the
size of her, just momentarily went out of whack. She should be fine. It
is has been noted though that on both sides of the family there is a
history of asthma. She may also have that. We will have to inspect her
when she gets out," he finished and left the room. I was confused, but
somewhat relieved that her lungs were developed. I sat down in the
chair and fell asleep.
I awoke and looked at the clock. It read 10 PM, and my wife was near me
and she appeared to be in some pain. It looked like she was pushing and
breathing heavily. She must be in labor. Shock came to me, our child is
about to be born.
I pressed the button and the nurses rushed in. They then with my help
picked up my wife and moved her on to a stretcher. They then wheeled
her away. I waited there for as long as I can remember, I didn't know
what to do. After what must have been 3 hours, the doctor signaled me
to come out.
"Everything went well. Your wife has been moved to a different room.
Room 342 B. Your daughter was a healthy 7 lbs. We are awaiting some
blood test results," the doctor said.
"Sounds good," I replied, "It's nice to know everything went well."
The doctor nodded and went off. I went up another 2 flights of stairs
to floor 9. There was the room. I walked in.
"Our baby isn't she beautiful!" my wife exclaimed. Her voice was weak
but happy. I looked at her and her eyes showed a joy. I have never
seen?a happiness never surpassed.
"Yes she is very beautiful, may I hold her?" I asked. My wife nodded
and handed my Anna. Her skin was soft and her eyes so green, that it
looked as if she were the jungle. They were furious, but gentle at the
same time.
"Thank you for all your support honey. You may go now. Please go on
your adventure. Get packed tonight and leave tonight if you want. You
must go now?have a good time," my wife said unexpectedly. I was
startled but I simply nodded, and then got out my phone. I phoned Mitch
and told him to be packed and ready to go tonight to Africa.
I stayed for another few hours and then said my goodbyes to my wife
and to our child. It was a touching moment. Kaido left with me. My
wife's sisters and mother were coming. She was have company and be
okay. With that thought I left the hospital and drove home. I packed
quickly and brought my stuff downstairs. Within an hour, I called up
Mitch and told him to come over.
We drove in my car to the little private airport and there was his
plane. I was driving because I had been to flight school, and I was
certified. It was a good thing I was. I checked my watch and saw that
it was 9:45 PM. It was definitely time to go. So I started up the plane
and we closed the door. Off to Africa we were. Hallelujah!
It was a thrill to be back in a plane again, the same one my father
flew. It was a very moving and breathtaking experience for me. It
really was amazing and moving. The lights from the cities were
beautiful. The wonderful clouds were so close, and so real. It was a
touching moment that I hoped would never end. Sadly it ended as we were
flying over Atlantic Waters. A new saga of our journey has just
begun.

PART 2

Chapter 1: Desperation ?
Things were going well. We were only 5 hours in a long flight,
however. We were flying over the Atlantic Ocean, and there was nothing
but wide open spaces and a bunch of cold, deep, dark water. Endless
seas of fish were swimming in dark water, yet they could not see them
in the plane.
The plane flew on. Clank, clankity, clank could be from somewhere in
the plane, it scared by little. Little conversation happened in that
time. When it did happen, however, it was quite uncomfortable and
strange. The few times the silence was broken, it was mainly by Mitch.
He tried to clear up the uncomfortable situation but it just didn't
work. I myself didn't speak much either. I just don't what it was but I
couldn't talk.
About 2 hours later, Kaido said there was some problem with the right
wing. I became very frightened. I twitched and almost threw up. I
didn't want to die already. It wasn't something that I was looking
forward to. I asked him a question, a very important question.
"Kaido, will we be able to make it to some sort of island airport or
place to land before we are put in grave danger?" This was a difficult
question and I know it wasn't something that could be lightly answered.
He didn't look at me, but he responded, "Yes we will make it but we
have to land on the Grand Canary Island. There..." His words were cut
short when the plane began to rattle and shake. It began to dip, and it
started falling toward the ground. Kaido managed to gain some control
of the plane.
I saw an island in the distance and so did Kaido. He tried to ease the
plane but nothing would happen. The controls were down and it was going
to be a hard landing. My heart was racing a mile a minute. Beat, beat,
beat. The plane was not loosing speed but rather gaining it. We
wouldn't have enough time to get off in time. The ground was getting
closer and closer. My heart was beating faster and faster. I was
sweating. There seemed to be such loud noise coming from the
sputtering, broken engine.
The loud noise stopped and there was an eerie silence. It chilled my
heart. The silence did not last for long, however. The ground was
coming closer and closer. I shouted out. "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP MEEEEEE!"
Nobody came, and nobody was nearby. My screams echoed out in the silent
sky. Then THUD! All went black.
Ahhhhhhhhh?...my head ached with pain?.I drifted in and out of sleep. I
was very weak?..couldn't move well. The crash I couldn't remember
well?it is all in a haze to me. I hoped Kaido and Mitch were alright.
Where are they?
"K-Kaido," I called out weakly. I heard nothing, and I saw nothing. A
fear ran down my spine and numbed every inch of my body. The icy cold
blast woke me up. "Kaido," I called out again, this time a little
louder. I still saw no movement, and I heard no response. "Kaido," I
called out one last time, as loud as my weak voice could possibly
speak.
"M-M-M-Maji?" a stuttering voice called out weakly. Where was the
voice coming from? I looked around and I saw an outline in the brush.
There was no movement, but there was an outline. I saw the face. It was
Mitch, and not Kaido.
"Mitch, you're okay?where's Kaido?" I asked, gaining strength and
volume to my voice. I felt better already, but my body still ached and
I was quite weak. I waited in the eerie silence, the heart numbing
silence for a response.
"Maji?I-I am okay. I am weak but okay. I am not really sure where
Kaido is. I can't call out very loud, so he probably c-can't hear me,"
Mitch said in a quiet, scratchy, monotonous voice. It was not a welcome
sign. I hoped Kaido would be okay, I hoped he would make it. IF he
didn't, it would be awful.
I slowly got up, and I could feel my limp left arm hanging at the
side. It appeared to be dislocated and broken at the same time. My
knees ached and the rest of my body hurt. I also felt a very painful,
sickening sensation in my sides. When I walked, I tottered and limped.
I tripped and smacked into the hard ground. My head was cut open and
the blood ran down. I got up, however, and went to see if I could find
Kaido.
I searched, moving slowly because of my aching body. The dim moonlight
provided little help in the search. I looked ahead and a few yard up
there appeared to be some sort of body. I didn't know if it was Kaido,
but it looked like him. I moved closer and fell again. SMACK! This time
I got a bloody nose. The blood from the other cuts still leaked down
the side of my face. I made it to the body and I knew it was
Kaido.
His appeared weak and nearly lifeless. It was hard to tell if his eyes
were open and if he was alive. I bent down and checked for a pulse.
Luckily there was one, but it was very slow. I looked to see that his
eyes were closed and his face was cut badly.
"Kaido are you okay?" I asked comfortingly. I waited for a response
but heard none. I was about to give up and say that he was a lost
cause. Then I saw his eyes open, slowly to reveal his true face, the
same one I had remembered from before.
"Ma?.ji" he said so slowly. His voice was lifeless dull. He was alive
but in bad condition. I knew his voice was somehow comforting and heart
ripping at the same time. I didn't want to hear it yet I wanted to.
Strange thing the mind is.
"Are you okay, Kaido," I replied back, sounding worried.
"I?.am?.fine?Maji but?.I am?.in?.quite bad?.shape," he replied back,
again very slowly. I felt the anguish gush from his voice.
"What hurts?" I asked now. More questions began popping into my
head.
"Everything, especially?.my?.legs," he said, but quicker this time.
His voice sounded better and he appeared to be getting better. I sat
there, taking everything in.
"You probably have broken some bones and gotten lots of cuts," I
myself broke some bones as well," I replied back.
"Are you?.okay?" Kaido asked.
"Yeah I am fine. I am more worried about you!" I answered back. I
wanted for him to be better, so what about me.
'I will be okay and so?.will you. How's Mitch?' he asked back. Kaido
was stubborn sometimes and I really didn't want to deal with that right
now. So I agreed with him that I was more important.
"Mitch is fine, he will be okay. There is nothing to really worry
about him," I answered back, my eyes sparkling. At that moment,
emotions flooded through me and I began to cry silently. Why did thing
have to happen like that, why did it have to be this way?
My silent crying grew into a trembling that rattled the ground and
shook the earth. My tears cleansed by heart and healed my wounds. I
would not give up. I would not stand up to this kind of treatment. I
did not like but I would accept it.
"I don't like this Kaido. I don't like how things are going. Why did I
have to go on this adventure?" I asked him pleadingly.
"Neither do I but I have to deal with it. I?.am in worse shape then
you are in. Why did we go on this adventure? We?..did it to preserve
the legacy of William and to help people out!" Kaido replied back, his
voice sounding harsh.
Other questions buzzed through my head but I knew I wouldn't bother
Kaido anymore. I just wanted to go to sleep to get rid of my
desperation. We are in a desperate situation and in a strange place but
I guess that is where we worked best. Who knows? Let us just wait until
tomorrow when the bright sun shines.
-----Narrator Viewpoint-----
The crash had occurred on the island of La Palma, which was part of
the Canary Island chain. The Canary Islands were known for very lush,
dense forests. The crash had actually occurred just outside the Parque
Nacional La Caldera de Taburiente.
Maji, Kaido, and Mitch were all injured. Kaido was in the worst
condition. It was nightfall and there was nobody within 3 miles of
where they crashed. As the moon rose up in the sky, clouds began to
fill the sky. It was about to rain, which was a common occurrence on
the Canary Islands. This was the first time that William's plane had
been in a major crash.
The condition of the plane itself was not a good one. Both wings had
fallen off and the fuselage was badly twisted and contorted. There
seemed to be no hope for the doomed group. Perhaps there was someone
looking over them. Perhaps they would be all right.

Chapter 2: Anguish, Hope, and Setbacks &;#9618;
As I awoke the first thing I remembered was a sickening pain. I felt
like I was going to throw up what little I had in my stomach. I looked
at my body and I saw some large gouges in my skin. My hair was totally
a mess and my body was soaked. The vivid feeling of complete fear
flooded over me. My left arm was now back in place, however, but it was
still broken. My ribs I knew were broken because every time I took a
breath, it hurt. I looked next to me and there I saw Kaido, His body
was much worse then mine. It was even hard to tell he was alive. I went
over him, and I tried to tie some leaves over his wounds. I thought
that that would help. I felt his legs and sure enough, they were both
fractured. This was a compound fracture so the bone was protruding the
skin. It was a chilling site. I wouldn't wake him now. I would let him
sleep.
I got up and headed towards Mitch. I could walk but if I started to
walk too fast, my knees and ribs ached. Mitch did not look like he was
doing too badly. Maybe one bone was broken, and he had a few deep cuts
but he would probably be able to walk just fine. I wonder who was going
to hold Kaido. I was in no shape to hold him, so I knew Mitch must be
able to. I nudged Mitch and he woke up startled.
"Hi. I was surprised to see you for some reason," Mitch replied back
quietly.
"Strange. I felt the same way for some reason. You seem to be doing
pretty good but Kaido is not the best. We need to find some medical
attention pretty quickly," I replied back, panting for a breath at the
end. I was tired now and I needed to rest for a little while.
"How bad is Kaido?" Mitch asked. His voice was full of worry.
"Both legs are broken and he had some pretty deep cuts. If we can find
a hospital, I am sure he will make it. The broken legs are compound
fractures, which is even worse," I replied back quickly. I was gaining
breath and I was trying to relax.
"That isn't good. I have some medical background and we may have some
supplies left in the wrecked plane. I am actually quite fine. I don't
think I have any broken bones. Let's hope we have some medical supplies
though," he intoned quietly back. He got up quite easily and walked
over to the charred wreckage. I slowly followed and when we got there,
I sit down. Mitch started digging through there. He seemed to have
found something because I saw his face light up. He stopped and then
dug a white box. It was in perfect condition.
"Yeah Maji the box is here! It is in perfect condition too!" Mitch
shouted enthusiastically. A smile beamed on his soft face. He looked
back in there and found two pairs of crutches, some spare food, some
blankets, more cloth, and more medical supplies. I thought that it was
going to be alright. There were also ponchos and I put one on right
away. I was protected and I was ready to go back to Kaido now.
When we got back to Kaido, we say an animal looking intently at him. I
glared at it and yelled shoo. It didn't go away and I went over to it.
I knocked it away with a crutch and it scurried away. I nudged Kaido
and he woke up slowly. He was also startled by our presence, but
possibly more so by all the stuff we had.
"Maji, Mitch, where did you get the stuff?" Kaido asked puzzled.
"It was still in the plane wreckage in very good condition. Mitch dug
through the wreckage for me. We are going to dress your wounds. Mitch
is going to have to help you, as the crutches will be no use to you. We
are going to try and find someone, Actually, I was thinking and Mitch
might have to go find someone by himself and we could just stay here,"
I said back, panting for breath at the end.
So over what seemed like a few hours. My chest was wrapped, and my head
was bandaged tightly. Other small Band-Aids were put on other small
cuts. My knees were also wrapped and my arm was put into a sling. I
felt much better and much more relaxed now. I knew that there was some
hope and some chance that I would survive now. Kaido looked like an
almost mummy as his legs were elevated and the bones were put back into
the skin. They were wrapped up at the moment because we could not put
them in a cast. His face was also wrapped as well as his chest. His
arms were fine and he was eating some of the dried food that we had.
Unfortunately, we couldn't make a fire because it was raining very
heavily. Setbacks were to be expected I suppose.
"So, how is everyone?" I asked.
"Fine," replied Mitch, smiling.
"I wish I could say the same. I have been a lot better." Kaido said.
His face was lined and tired. His eyes, once sparkling, were now dull,
and almost lifeless. He lied down and went to sleep.
'I think you should wait until tomorrow to go, Mitch," I said after
uneasy silence. He looked at me and smiled.
"I thought the same thing. We have to make some sort of camp now. I
don't want to sleep on the wet ground," Mitch replied back. He got up
and then picked up the large knife in the bag.
He went over to some branches and started cutting them down. He
motioned to me to come over. I got up and walked over to him without
any crutches. I was feeling better already but my arm still throbbed in
pain. I picked up the wood he had chopped and brought it over to a
flat, cleared area of land. I continued taking wood to that spot until
he said stop. HE then collected lots of leaves and brought them over.
He began thinking of a design to make some sort of hut.
The sun was beginning to sink into the sky, but it was still far from
the sunset however. Mitch and I helped to bend the branches and shape
them into the form of a hut. It was a primitive simple hut, with
straight sides and then a curved top. It was very large and could hold
all of us easily. Leaves were beginning to be put on the top to cover
it. We were finally beginning to finish when a bold, fiery red sunset
enveloped the sky. It was the most beautiful sunset I could remember.
Maybe sunsets were more beautiful in Africa though.
So as I laid the final leave, we both picked up Kaido and place him on
the blankets we had put in the hut. The sun had now set and I was wiped
out. My body didn't ache as much, but it still hurt. I needed to sleep
and lay down. Perhaps tomorrow I would be a lot better. Mitch said good
night and then silence came alive. The only thing I could hear was the
pitter-patter of rain starting again and the buzzing of insects.
My dreams were not peaceful ones. They were filled with the memory of
the plane spinning and my screams ringing out in the night sky.
Strangely, however, I never hit the ground in them, but rather I
floated up into the sky and drifted away. It was strange, but I guess
better then having to relieve the worst part, impact. Impact was, by
far, the worst part of the crash. I remember the sickening, crunching
thud and then waking up in such a state of pain. I didn't want to
remember it, but I knew I would. I had to get over it.
When I woke up it was not light out. It was still dark and I felt that
strange weight on my legs. When I looked up, I realized that the hut
had collapsed and it had buried Mitch. I frantically got up and started
to lift the branches off Mitch. They were big and heavy, however, and
it was taking me a long time. Finally I got enough branches off so he
could breath. I hope he hadn't been under there for too long. I felt
for a pulse and breathing and he had both of them. He was fine,
thankfully.
I walked over to the big and took some food out that had to be cooked.
I gathered some branches that were lying on the ground and I set them
on fire with the matches. A roaring fire was quickly going, and I began
to prepare the food for a nice hot meal. We were going to have some
bacon, eggs, and toast. The bacon and eggs were in the mini cooler and
were, thankfully, still good to eat. So as I cooked the breakfast, an
unimpressive some began to rise and the blue sky could be seen once
again. It was a nice site, even though it wasn't out of the
ordinary.
After everything had finished cooking, I nudged Mitch and Kaido to get
up. Mitch got up quickly, but Kaido worried me a little. Kaido had a
fever now and paleness to his skin. Kaido had gotten sick, and that was
the last person we wanted to get sick. Lots of his cells and antibodies
were going to be repair damaged tissues from the crash. Therefore, his
immune system would be weaker and it would take longer to fight the
illness. Kaido said that he was sick, and I knew at that point, Mitch
was worried too.
As we ate, we talked little, but we thought a lot. There was a little
conversation and thanks, but that was about it. After we ate we began
to plan for Mitch to leave as soon as possible. I would stay back with
Kaido, because my condition was not as good and we needed someone to
stay with Kaido. After a little planning, we oraganized and made a sack
for him to take with him. Just as he was beginning to go, the rain
started to fall again. It was not a good sign, I thought.
'Good bye. Good luck and thanks for going," I said to Mitch. He looked
up at me, and see good bye. He smiled and then started walking away.
Now all we could do is waiting. Waiting would be the hardest part, but
I knew that he would make it out okay.

Chapter 3: Sorpresa &;#9689;
----------Mitch Point of View----------

I said my last good byes, and then I was off. Off through dense forest
for who knows how many miles. This sort of thing had never happened to
me once before. It was completely new, unusual. It was strange living
Kaido and Maji behind but I knew I had ta do it.
The first step was the hardest. I remembered that a journey of 100
miles began with a single step. This was my journey, and it had begun
with a single step as well. I had an odometer type device on me that
would record how far I had indeed been traveling. I also had a compass
so I could know about what degrees I was traveling and later locate
where Kaido and Maji were.
The thick, sticky air was all around me and I felt a sense of
heaviness. I knew I was the one that had to be burdened with this task.
It wasn't a burden though but rather a helpful thing. As I walked
hoards of angry mosquitoes and gnats swarmed around my seemingly weak
body. I could also see other animal tracks that lead into the deep
woods. I definitely did not want to ruffle with any of the animals. I
didn't know what they would do with me.
As I was walking, I thought I heard a hissing sound. I just ignored it
for some time but it kept coming back. I look down and saw a monstrous,
blue green scaly snake. It was patterned in a tile pattern. There were
also vivid shades of orange and red mixed in. The beady red eyes looked
at me with such fury it nearly knocked we down. Within a split second
it began to crawl up my leg. I tried to remain calm but I just
couldn't.
Within a few seconds I panicked and I shouted out for help. It
agitated the snake and then it started wrapping around my leg. The
blood flow was cut off and I began to go into a state of shock. I began
to perspire and twitch. I remember feeling the pain and then my body
going silent. I had blacked out and I was in grave danger.
When I awoke the eerie quite darkness was around me again. My leg was
numb and my throat was dry. I was perspiring heavily and then I heard
voices, they were speaking in rapid, low voices, and were talking to
each other.

"Prisa, prisa. T?melo. ?l mira como ?l consigui? la mordedura, y ?l
necesita ayuda. Me pregunto de adonde ?l vino. ?l parece alguien que
aeroplano se estrell? e intentaba encontrar ayuda ," the man said. The
man was very
"S?, ?l necesita ayuda aprisa. Consiga algunas bayas e hierbas. ?l
necesita salir de tiempo y interior h?medo donde ?l seco y fresco.
Envu?lvalo en hojas y p?ngalo en el cot. ?Hay un doctor en la
vertiente? Espero as? que... no quisiera que ?l muriera. S? que ?l est?
con alg?n otro ," A woman replied back in a significantly higher
voice.
-------------Narrator Point of View----------------
He fell asleep from sheer and utter exhaustion. He was lifted up and
carried to a small rickety hut where he was set down. They let him
sleep for a very short time before they awoke him again. His life was
at stake and there was no telling what could happen. A doctor was
rushed in very quickly.
The doctor was a short and gentle man. His skin was weathered and
wrinkled and his old eyes gazed deep into somebody's heart. He was
dressed in nothing more then a pair of shorts and a tribal type shirt.
When he saw Mitch his eyes and nose drooped so low, his face looked
like a blob of mush.
"'El dolor (cualquier dolor-emocional, f?sico, mental) tiene un
mensaje. La informaci?n que tiene sobre nuestra vida puede ser notable
espec?fica, pero baja generalmente en una de dos categor?as:
"estar?amos m?s vivos si hici?ramos m?s de esto," y, la "vida ser?a m?s
encantadora si hicimos menos de eso." Una vez que consigamos el mensaje
del dolor, y sigamos su consejo, el dolor sale.' Este hombre no est? en
buenas condiciones, que yo la voluntad necesita porciones de hierbas
incluyendo un poco de palo de rosa. ?l necesita ser tratado
r?pidamente. ?l morir? si ?l no es. Se?ale a equipos del rescate para
salir y para explorar un radio de 3 millas al sur, al norte y al del
este. Tratar? ahora, voy; consigo los hombres y las hierbas. ," the
wise doctor said. He also appeared to begin with a quote every time he
spoke. He was tough and began to work immediately on Mitch. Within a
few hours he seemed to have a smile on his face, which is when Mitch
woke up.
Mitch was dazed and his body was sore but it definitely wasn't numb
anymore. That was a relief. Mitch looked around at his surroundings and
he wasn't surprised at what he saw. It was simple but somewhat modern
place, there was an air conditioner and modern jars. Right as words
were about to pour out of his mouth, the soothing voice of the doctor
spoke.
"El p?jaro con alas vuela arriba solamente las ca?das quebradas del
p?jaro bajo. Los sue?os cons alas de los alcances del p?jaro pero el
p?jaro quebrado cae a la piedra. El p?jaro con alas es fuerte y
confidente, pero el p?jaro quebrado es d?bil y no seguro de s? mismo.
Hola, mi amigo. He descubierto que usted es un p?jaro con alas. Usted
debe decirnos que d?nde encontrar sus amigos, porque la gente est?
mirando ya y necesitan ayuda r?pidamente. Usted tendr? ?xito. Usted no
morir?," the man spoke in soothing, quiet voice. Mitch stood intently
on listening to the wise man, even though he didn't know what he was
saying.
"What?what is he saying?" Mitch asked everyone else in the room.
Finally somebody looked at somebody, and they seemed familiar. She was
not white, but a small black woman, possibly it was someone I had seen
in Africa with William. It was something about those eyes that reminded
me of Maji. Possibly it was an unknown relative of his.
"Hello. Mi nombre es Juana. Anyways, what he was trying to say is 'The
winged bird flies high but the broken bird falls low?The winged bird
reaches dreams but broken bird falls to stone. The winged bird is
strong and confident, but the broken bird is weak and not
self-confident. Hello, my friend. I have discovered that you are a
winged bird. You must tell us where to find your friends, for people
are already looking and they need help quickly. You will succeed. You
will not die.' Le bendicen,"
"Gracias, fue apreciado mucho. So how many people around hear speak
English?" Mitch asked back and speaking in some Spanish after hearing
her. He was obviously blessed and he had a good aura around him.
"A good number of people do in the city. This is the brush area and
many people are more traditional, Spanish and African customs are
common in rural areas," Juana finished saying. Her English was pretty
good but occasionally she spoke in Spanish.
"I know where?Maji and Kaido are!" Mitch exclaimed. Juana had a sad
look in her eye before Mitch and spoke, but it quickly turned happy. It
looked like the rest of the world was dark and the sun was her beaming
face. It was a very strange look, and it was even frightening, in a
sense, to Mitch.
"Mitch and Kaido, I can't believe it! Oh my, I have been waiting to
see them for many years! I am surprised Maji hasn't come to look for
me," replied Juana (or not) enthusiastically. Mitch was very confused
and puzzled by this. It made his minor headache turn into a larger one.
It was head splitting, just like a cataclysmic earthquake dismantling
the ground.
"Who?might I ask?do you think you are?" Mitch blurted back harshly. He
didn't intend to be so harsh but he was anyways. His words were crisp
as fresh lettuce. They dripped with as much confusion and thought
possible by anyone. Mitch was not the person that liked people that
made allegations and pretended that they were someone they weren't,
Mitch was a kind and compassionate person, he just didn't know what to
expect from Juana.
"I?I?I?am-m Maji's mother," Juana cried back, stumbling over words and
sounding very apprehensive. She burst into violent sobs that caused the
rest of the people in the room to stare at her. She quickly demanded
that everyone but Mitch leave. They listened to her and then left the
hut quietly. A chatter could still be heard from outside, but it was
ignored. Mitch and Juana were alone, that is when Mitch grew
angry.
"HOW DARE YOU PRETEND YOU ARE SOMEBODY YOU ARE NOT? Maji's mother has
been dead for years," Mitch boomed. His voice lifted over the clouds
and reached the heavens. He had scared Juana, and she began to cry. He
looked at her with fierce eyes and for some reason. She stopped crying
entirely. She had a confident looked in eyes, like she knew she could
prove she was Maji's mother.
"I am his mother even though you don't think so. I know their tribe
was the Kikuyu Samara. My name is really Shukuma. Kaido said I had died
in a leopard accident but really I didn't. He made it all up! Ask me
more questions if you want!" Shukuma replied, practically screaming at
the end of this.
"Okay. I'll test your knowledge. What happened to Maji's father, or
supposedly your husband?" Mitch said quite fiercely.
'It pains me to think about it. He left because he wanted to get away
from the tribe and work in the mines to help his country. It wasn't
because of Maji like you all thought it was before," Shukuma replied
back, sadly. At that point Mitch knew that it was really her. How else
would she have known all that?
"Okay. I am sorry I doubted you gentle one, amiga. Why did you leave
though?" Mitch said, very calmly and warmly. It sounded as if he was
enjoying himself on the balmy beaches of Oahu.
"They suspected me of doing things with evil spirits, though Kaido
never believed it for one second. He kept it hushed as to never shame
our family name, Wadangu," she replied back, very lovingly but with a
fierce resentment to the other villagers who thought she was a witch.
She was so much like Maji, Mitch saw.
"Why did you come to La Palma though?" Mitch asked. He didn't expect
an answer right away but he was surprised to get one anyways. He
guessed it was a pretty easy decision for her to make then.
"I guess it was a nice place, full of beautiful vegetation. It was a
place to get away from it all. It was hard speaking espanol though,"
Shukuma said hurriedly. She was very good at Spanish, because she had
been there for over ten years.
"Let's go to sleep amiga. We can look for Maji and Kaido in the
morning," Mitch said yawning as loud as a tigers roar. It was late at
night, and Mitch was still a little sick from the ordeals of the past
few hours.
"Sure. Buena noche, y pozo del sueno, Tenga Buenos sue?os, amigo. Good
night," Kaiko said softly. Within a few minutes, gentle snoring was
coming out of both people. The rest of the people soon were asleep
outside as well. Tomorrow was to be a very big day for both Kaiko and
Mitch.
The ground stopped shaking as well. The trees stopped crying, and the
animals, except for a few, lay dormant on the ground. At that point the
world quieted down. Its true colors had finally shown out.

Chapter 4: Jumamosi, Sabado, Saturday &;#9788;
----------Maji's Point of View------------

I awoke feeling much better. I cooked some breakfast, and awoke Kaido.
He also appeared to be getting better. He didn't have as high a fever
and his house wasn't as stuffy. I was anxious though, I didn't know
when or how Mitch would find us. I knew though, that we needed some
medical treatment to get some bones in place. My sling on my arm was
working well though. Still Kaido's legs looked like they were in bad
shape. I continually put on fresh wrappings and I kept them somewhat
elevated. At least Kaido's cuts, scrapes, and bruises were beginning to
heal too.
"Jambo Kaido. How are you?" I asked Kaido after I did waken him up. He
appeared to be rejuvenated at least a little.
"I am feeling much better then yesterday, Maji. Thanks for asking. You
seem to be doing a lot better yourself," Kaido replied, happily. I
liked to see a smile on his face. It was good to hear he was doing
well. I am sure he was worried about Mitch, Karen and Anna though. I
was worried too though, so I didn't pay a lot of attention to it.
"Ndiyo, I am much better. Hakuna matata, I'll cook more if you want,"
I replied back, proudly. I was talking a littler in Swahili. It was a
great, exciting, vivid language that I loved. I didn't get the chance
to speak it a lot though.
"Hapana, you don't have to cook anymore. I am plenty full," Kaido
replied back, heartily. He gave me his empty plate and I knew I had to
find some source of clean fresh water. All of our water had finally run
out, so I got up to look around and see how things were. I never had
seen so many things that beautiful.
Rugged terrain and mountains surrounded the area to the north, and
vast rolling hills surrounded by dense, thick, and luscious brush. The
beautiful green grass and the dashing shades of vivid, intricate red,
orange, and purple were nice to see. Just off in the distance I could
see a beautiful, flowing spring making a sweet and gentle babbling
sound. I walked a short distance, and saw it was a brook, with purest
and most blue water I had ever seen. Off in the distance on the
horizon, I could see the coastline and some whitish, brown sand. It was
truly moving.
As I finished washing the dishes in the pure water, I cleaned myself
off and took a bath. I also filled up the canteens. I went over,
refreshed, and picked up Kaido and carried him to the water. I
unwrapped his wounds and poured water over them. It was cold and
refreshing and it made them feel better. After the little bath, I
rewrapped my wounds, and then his in fresh bandage and I just walked
around surveying my surroundings. Some of the time I brought Kaido
along with me, other times I went alone. It was pretty boring day. I
tried to do something, but there wasn't much to do.
"So what is there to do Kaido?" I asked him shortly after the noon
hour. He seemed bored too, and I expected him not to know what to do as
well. I was ready to take a nap, but I didn't know if he wanted
to.
'Let's take a nap. I have nothing better to do, and I am a little
tired anyways," Kaido said back. He did look pretty tired; he probably
was either bored, or just didn't have as much strength as me. We went
into little hut and then feel asleep quickly. I remember the vivid
dream?I suppose I can explain it.
My mother, a leopard, and I were in it. I remember I and my mother
were playing outside and I was very little. I remember my mother
getting a worried look on her face and shouting, "Kwenda! Kwenda!'" A
leopard was coming towards us and I ran inside. The next thing I
remember is me seeing William in the hospital after he was
attacked.
I never remember my mother being attacked, or anyone discussing what
happened to her, not Tendai, Kenai, Kaido, or Keeko. It was strange
that they never did and when I woke up, it raised some real questions
for me, if my mother was actually killed by a leopard. I thought that
maybe a secret was being held from me, though I hoped it wasn't. I
awoke then to find that Kaido was happily humming a tune.
"Amkeni ndugu zetu. Tufanye sote bidi," Kaido sang out loud. I knew it
was in Kiswahili. Translated it meant, 'Let one and all arise, with
hearts both strong and true.' The melody and words brought back
memories I had of Kenya, there were of feasting, dancing, and other
joyous things. Finally, as he finished, I was singing too.
"You remembered Kenya's anthem, Maji," Kaido said a few brief seconds
after speaking.
"Yes I did. I mean how could I forget my countries anthem?" Maji
replied back. Kaido nodded slowly, and he seemed to be thinking of
something interesting, exciting or trouble, for he became very
absorbed. Maybe he was thinking about anthems, or perhaps it was about
Mitch. Judging by the sun it appeared to be 3 pm.
I got up carefully and told Kaido I was going for a walk and I would
be back sometime soon. I probably wouldn't get back for at least three
hours though. He merely nodded and quickly turned his head back around.
He began to think very deeply again, for he didn't turn around
anymore.
At first I didn't walk slowly, and I didn't absorb the surroundings
but then I slowed down and I looked around. The grass was so green,
thick and wild. It flared wherever it dared to go. The air was so
fresh, so clean and wildflowers of many shades thickly dotted the
landscape. There had to be at least 100 kinds of flowers, and thousands
of kinds of birds, and insects.
Everything was perfect and fine until I met a snake. I was scared, but
I tried not to be. I knew some types of animals could "smell" fear, but
I wasn't sure which ones. The snake was quietly hissing, and was a
fiery red, and volcano orange. It had radiant, fierce yellow eyes. It
stared at me with a look that I will remember for all eternity. When it
was a safe distance away, I felt relieved and I continued, quietly, on
my way.
I continually got closer, and closer to the hills, and they rose
higher and higher, spanning almost to the patchy clouds. I soon
realized that these weren't the little hills I had once thought, but
they were towering, craggy mountains, some were over 2000 meters tall!
I stood up and stared at the mountains cultivating radiance and beauty.
I had seen many mountains before, but none had so many green tress, and
flowers. I hadn't seen any so wide, or that had anything more then
white, black, gray, or brown. It was comforting and relaxing all in
one.
After spending a while there I decided that it would be a very good
idea to start heading back, I didn't want to worry Kaido after all. I
walked quickly back, and by the time I had arrived just at the edge of
camp it was nearly 7 pm. Well I guessed it was 7 PM, but I wasn't
100\\% sure. I looked around and scanned the camp for Kaido. I found by
the water and he appeared to be injured, hurt, or in pain.
"What's wrong? You seem to be hurt or not feeling well," I asked
quickly, sounding very worried. A worried and pained look was coming
slowly to my bright face, but I tried to conceal it by splashing water
in my face.
"It's nothing major, or life threatening, or new. So don't be such a
worry wart. It is just I got up and walked over her. Now my legs hurt
somewhat, but I'll be fine. I just know I can't walk anyone on these
bad, injured legs," Kaido said, sighing in between some words. He
always had a knack of knowing when someone around him was worried, even
if they didn't show it. His face and pain grew significantly better
once I splashed some ice cold water in his face. I was much relieved
and felt a lot better to see that he really wasn't that bad.
So I made some fish I had caught, practically barehanded out of the
brook. It came in from the sea I guessed, and it was quite a long, big
fish. I am sure it was coming through the brook to find some sort of
lake or river. After I cooked, and Kaido ate, we decided that it was
getting late, and we should go to sleep. Within a few minutes both of
us fell happily asleep.
I know I dreamt about mountains, and soft, fluffy, white clouds.
Distinct sounds of the night came out and the less distinct sound of
the day lurked in the shadows, making no noise at all. The earth again
had quieted down only to hear of sounds of people up late at night, or
animals prowling menacingly in the open African plains. Little did I
know is that something good was about to happen.
--------Narrators POV--------
The day that had begun for Shukuma and Mitch was not quite as boring.
Mitch and Kaiko got to go to Los Llanos de Aridane, a city roughly 6 to
10 miles south of where Mitch had been in the hut. Los Llanos de
Aridane was a city right on the coast, the second of only two cities on
the island, and even then it wasn't very big. It had modern
conveniences though, and Mitch could buy something. They didn't get
there until about noon and they were awaiting a meeting with some
members of the search time.
"Hello, thanks for searching for Maji, and Kaido all night," Mitch
replied, very thankfully. He gave them all a nod of approval and they
were smiling.
"No, no problem at all. We dint get veery far at nite tho," the leader
of the search team replied back happily. He spoke broken and different
English but Mitch was very happy that he could speak any English at
all. He, himself, spoke very little Spanish, but thankfully had Kaiko
to help translate.
"I understand, you didn't have to get very far at all last night. I
know that they are not to the south or the east of the hut. So all you
have to do is search 4 miles north and 3 miles west. I think that they
were at about 29 degrees north, and about 18 degrees west," Mitch
replied back, slowly. He was trying to give as many hints to the people
as possible.
"Also, you are looking for 2 African-American people. The younger one
and the one not hurt, as badly, is Maji. The older one and the one who
has both legs fractured is Kaido. They are near a brook and have built
some sort of shelter, according to Mitch," Shukuma added, being even
more descriptive and factual. Shukuma was a natural born leader, and
she was a very factual person. She was strikingly similar to
Maji.
"Thank yous for all help. We look for them, and find them. Half a nice
day," the leader spoke after closely listening to both individuals. He
quickly left without saying his name. He didn't even say where they
could contact him. All Mitch and Kaiko could do now is to wait for the
good news.
So they went to the store and bought a Spanish game to play. It was
similar to bingo and it was called Loteria. They got bored with that
game after some time and started to play another interesting game. They
played owari. Owari is a game similar to the traditional Mancala. It
was nearly siesta and snack time so they decided to put the games away
and have something quick to eat and then have a siesta.
They bought some tamales and some Spanish rice, and they ate a little
bit. Quickly they were informed that they wouldn't be having a siesta
but rather they would be having a briefing with the rescue team. They
found then the meeting wasn't going to be with the search and rescue
team, but the rather the mayor of Los Llanos de Aridane.