Quest For Love

Into The Deep Forest

She is sitting on the slightly wet ground,shivering from the ice cold air hanging around her. The wind is blowing loudly but the obstruction caused by the gigantic podo trees cause a whistling sound to the winds. The wind is penetrating her ears undeterred causing an excruciating pain to her eardrums which are about to burst out of the pain. Mosquitoes having not fed for a long time are enjoying the delicacy the gods have brought their way and they are doing everything to eat and save for the days(which are commoner than today) when the gods will not light their paths. When she feels the uncovered parts of her skin,there are contours of leper-like lumps which have been left by the hungry insects. All these,is in the bottom of the barrel of her expectations.

She tries to open her eyes a little wider to see if she can be able to manouver her way out of this God forsaken forest but she cannot see anything other than some humanlike shadows which seem to move with every shift of her eyes. She decides not to move at that hour of the night and decides to bear the cold but escape unhurt from God knows what might be lurking in that darkness. She'd better escape alive rather than feign bravity and welcome death. With her mind made,she says a short prayer asking for protection and implores Mother Mary to ask her Son to see her through and with that,she does the sign of the cross.

Ivy tries to concentrate on something,some bright memories of the past she would fancy reliving but her mind defies the will of the soul-it cannot concentrate on anything. Slowly,like a computer which is not in use,her mind starts closing down and in no time shuts down completely. In an almost instanous moment,she falls in a queer dream.

The nurses are rushing her down the brightly lit corridors of the brick structure and as they do so,they are warding off nurses,doctors and patients on that Emmergency Entrance. A few minutes later she is laid on the hospital bed but not before she is dressed in the large  blue dress with the initials of the hospital and straps behind the neck that prevent it from falling off the shoulders.  She can barely talk and she is experiencing shortness of breath and therefore the doctors have to run tens of test to ascertain what she is ailing from. An intravenous drip is connected on her free and almost lifeless right hand and a ventilator to her mouth.

In her sick state she hears the soft spoken male doctor order the the nurse " Check her blood pressure and confirm whether the heart beat is normal. Note the body temperature. 40 degrees? We need to bring that down. ".So she does and quickly records on the large form she is holding.
The doctor says "Get a sample of her blood and send it to the lab,we ought to be sure before commencing treatment. Instruct them to check the CD4 count however am almost sure that this is a C-19 case"

Ivy who all this while is following the conversation but cannot speak,is dumbfounded by the unfamiliar medical term which the doctor uses for the disease he suspects she is suffering from. She hears the doctor say to the nurse "you will keep an eye on her and let me know if she depicts any slight change" and with that the doctor closes the door behind him as he goes to attend to other cases. It is what he chose as his slavery,he had to serve to the end.

On the bed,she thinks about the doctor and his nurse. 'How many people have they seen die? Are they frightened by death anymore after watching a countless number of people die in their hands?" She thinks about the mothers giving birth who have died as they tried to save them or their kids,about the old people bugged by malignant tumors in their bossom and prostrates,about a youth full of life but who could not survive an accident. Their hearts must have turned to stones,a dark alley that anyone would not want to peer in to. Little does she know that with every life lost in their hands,a piece breaks from their soul.

As she is contemplating about the doctor and his profession,a patient lying on a bed in the farthest corner of the room lets out a loud shrill,and she assumes that this is caused by pain the patient is in. The patient falls in a delirium and is heavily shaking. All the patients' attention is now drawn towards the patient. "I see Jesus'' the patient says in what sounds like a murmur, "the fight i bravely.."the patient does not complete her statement. She stretches her hands,her legs relax and her neck drop. As the body is wheeled away to the morgue it seems like that of a child sleeping,it is at an immense peace. This contributes to Ivy's fear of death and the possibility thereof of life after death and the incarnation talk.

What if she dies?  Who would take care of her beautiful little daughter,Clarence,who is only four..would she survive in a world of sinners expecting her to act like an angel,perverts and perversed minds who would ask for innocence from her,sad souls who'd want total happinness of her? What a world to live in. The topic of death is disturbing for her,even after reading the Holy Book and being prepared for the Son of man would come unexpected,like a thief. She has also read religious texts like 'Momento Mori' a book by a nun that explains how to be in good terms with the maker and prepare for death but like most people of her age,she is not prepared for death. At least not now.

The time slowly pass and although she has spent a few hours in the hospital,it seems like she has been in this place for eternity. "The results are out",the nurse declares. And true to the doctor's worries,the patient has contracted the deadly viral disease. "We will do everything to make sure you get on your feet again miss,do not worry. We will start assymptomatic treatment for the disease you are suffering from since there is no known drug for this and such viral diseases" Says the doctor. Ivy watches as he draws the contents of a small bottle using a needle and a syringe,and when the syringe is half full the doctor puts the bottle away and goes for Ivy's hand which is not on IV. He smoothly rubs the skin on the underside of her forearm and as a large vein pops up,he painfully injects the needle. This pain brings her back to reality.

Startled,she sweats profusely;although judging by the rays of sun which are penetrating the canopies of the tall trees,she can tell that it is in the morning. At around 8 a.m if she is not wrong. She looks around her to confirm the presence of any doctors or nurses and patients in beds but there is none. She gazes at her hands to confirm whether there is or was a drip on it but the only thing she can see on her hands are lumps,big red lumps. The insects must have had a feast. She  feebly stands up and gathers all the energy in her frail body for the long journey she is about to take out of the forest. This being the third day she has been in this forest,she knows well what the forest has to offer. More on the negative than on the positive.

She recalls how she found herself together with a group of her colleagues in this forest.  John the group's hippe and planner of fun filled activities proposed one Friday afternoon that "We can  plan an escape from the city activities the coming weekend and look for a forest or something similar where we'll hike,play team building games and for those whose fun is incomplete without booze,have a few bottles in the quiet environment of a forest. How many are for the idea?" All agreed with the plan and therefore,the members had one week to prepare.

The days were lagging as slowly as a woman waits for her offspring to come in labour;the members of the crew awaited the big day and from time to time,they would call each other to inquire about the preparations the others we making for the same.
"Hello Marie,i have missed you big time...what, a whole suitcase for a three nights' hike? ...have you tagged along your sweet boyfriend because i want to snitch him..you know i am capable of that given i'm more endowed physically than you are.. Take care!" Ivy giggled while she was done taunting her best friend Marie. They were best of friends given they had been in the University together and worked for the same sales company but in different branches.

Finally,the long awaited day came and they all met at the City Square where they were to board the SUV car John owned to the hike. After hugs and exchange of the nitty gritties,the wheels touched the road. Inside the car,moderate music boomed out of the stereo and the girls in the vehicle sang along to almost all the music they had-they took turns to connect their phones to the system.
"I brought a pack of beer and three bottles of champagne for the ladies" Tom,their colleague declared.
"But you brought those of us who take hard drinks nothing? Marie asked cheekily.
"I gat you sorted babe!" Says John who saves his friend Tom who would have been 'roasted' for the rest of the journey by the babes.
"I have an idea" Ivy says " We'll start with the champagne,then the beers and then we'll spin the bottle and the unlucky champs will take the whisky shots. Deal?"
"Would you have planned your studies this well in school,you would have been among the First Class holders but it is what it is!" Retorts Tom.
As if to support this,the rest of the crew laughed loudly and sheepishly at Ivy. For the rest of the journey she assumed a rather sullen state although she knew her friends meant no ill and would abide with her plan.

They arrived mid-afternoon to their destination and got busy emptying the car of their bags and cases. They erected temporal tents which would be their homes for the next three nights. They then sat on the tall grass and popped a bottle of champagne. They drank slowly catching up since they had not been together for such an activity for some time. They talked about different topics;career goals,investments,love and so on. Then they engaged in a social talk about things they had developed interest for lately.
John surprised them when he declared,
"I'm considering abandoning all this marriage thing and join the priesthood"

"After rolling with all the girls in  the city you now want to be a saint?" Interjected Marie sending the others giggling.
 John seemed to have been serious. You could never rule out something or someone completely you know. They spent the afternoon talking and did a little of games before everyone got tired and asserted that they should save the energy for tomorrow or the day after.

At 7;30 p.m they were sitting round the large bornfire warming themselves and cracking friendly jokes. From time to time they would poke the fire and flames mixed with sparks would light the forest the more. They enjoyed this out-of-the-norm activity. These were the nights that would never die. They had improvised a roasting grill;two peggy branches of about three feet each had been put in the ground on either sise of the fire. A relatively bigger branch was put between the pegs in such a way that it ran across and above the fire. From it hang a metallic wire on whose end hang a large piece of meat that was slowly but well roasting. As they waited for the meat to get ready,they were sipping slowly from their favourite booze cans.

At around ten they had already eaten the meat hungrily,given they had not eaten for a better part of the day. Their eyes and brains could not hold long anymore to fatigue. Slowly they started dozing off and one by one they got in their tents;each tent had two occupants of the opposite sex. They left the fire burning as a way of scaring animals and anything that would want to attack them.

Pa! Pa!Pa!.. The loud steps woke them up in the deep night.
Tom asked "Did you hear them?"

"Yeah i did. What might that be. Must be some big animal",answered Ivy. "Do you
have an idea what it might be?" She asked.

"If i claimed that i did, i would be blatantly lying. Do not move. I will check what it might be".

"Please don't. You might be putting your life and ours in danger than we already are".
She tried to plead with him but he insisted. He lit his mobile phone torch and lifted one side of the temporal tent to get out. By that time,the steps were closer if not next to the tent.

He flashed his torch and the next thing that they heard was his yells "Help! Please Help! Do not kill me". They all got out but they were taken aback by the obscene scene that met their eyes.

Tom was in the hands of giants of men,who were naked from top to toe. Their bodies were hairy as those of animals that lived in the poles and that hibernate during the winter. They were more beasts than human. Their mere gait was scaring to look at. They all stood seven to seven and a half feet tall and were big enough to weigh a hundred and fifty pounds or more. Each of them was holding Tom on either of his limbs. They pulled with ease the limbs and in a blink of an eye,Tom's body was in shreds. The hands separated from the upper torso and the legs disjointed at the hips.  Each of the men held a limb in their hand and started mauling the raw meat. Blood covered their heavily-carpeted-with-beards mouths. They enjoyed. They laughed.

Ivy and her companions did not wait for their turn. Each run in a different way,deep into the forest. As they did they were shrieking,falling,their hearts beating like a stereo. Each of them was on their own and they hoped that God would save them all.
It is fascinating how many a times when living species are in danger,they tend to run more into the problem than from it.


Her thoughts are brought back by something she has stepped on. An animal is slithering below the carpet of the leaves that cover the forest and you can hardly notice because it has completely camouflaged to minimize its chances of being seen when preying on its food. Beautiful 'flowers' cover the upper part of the animal. She bends to take a closer look. Alas! She is stepping on one of the biggest and most dangerous forest pythons-this she knows from the knowledge she has gained from her love of wild documentaries. Either she is too light for the animal to have felt her weight or the gods have not yet decided her fate.

She continues with her journey,knowing well that she has got little energy to safe her. She must find something to eat or she will have skipped urine,that is,death in the hands of the beasts,and landed on feces,death caused by hunger.

She spots some smoke emanating from a what looks from a far like an inhabited spot between the trees. Her hope of getting something to eat finally becomes alive and she gathers all the remaining energy and walks in quick steps towards the locale. At this moment,she is less worried about what or who she might find there. Little food and water to quench her thirst would be more than she can ask for. As she nears the smoke,she realizes that it is actually a form of settlement. Smalls huts ehich are recklessly built sit close together on the ground and the area is 'fenced off' using thin sticks. There is what would be considered to be a gate;an unfenced three feet break off the perimeter fence. Her heart beats fast as she approaches.

Little kids with no clothes run away yelling when they spot her. The kids seem to be well fed but they are very dirty. They might not have taken a bath in their life. Their long hair is unkempt. Their legs are calloused and cracked. Their large bellies are protruding. When their parents hear the yells,they come out one after the other. They are more startling than their offsprings. The women are unclad,their skin is wrinkled and changed by long years of stay in the dark and cold forest. Their hair is cut short but has never been touched by a comb. Their breasts sag and enjoy relaxing on their bellies. This she attributes to nature mixed with countless number of kids who have suckled them.
She can comprehend nothing from the language they speak.

Their husbands have built small houses on the large branches of the tall trees. They have made steps(by cutting the stem using sharp objects) and this helps them to easily climb up and down the trees. Unlike the others,their loins are covered by a small animal skin. Their bodies are as hairy as a chimp's. Upon setting their eyes on this strange creature whose body is covered in clothes(something they have never seen) they start murmuring amongst themselves and in no time seem to reach a conclusion.
This while,Ivy has tried to introduce herself to them and make them understand that she means no harm. "I am called Ivy. I ended up in this place after my friends and i were attacked and one..." She stops when she notes the indifference of her audience. Probably because they cannot understand her language.

A kid is sent in to the hut and comes back with a rope-gotten from the bark of some tree in the forest. Women get hold of her and start undressing her from top to bottom. She is held firmly,lest she considers breaking away and fleeing. They take off her top and admire the fabric of this strange thing. They pull off her brasserie and giggle when they hold it and come closer to take a look. A kid grabs it,puts it around his face and runs away laughing. Ivy is wondering what kind of a beastly life these people are accustomed to. However,she is little worried because she can do nothing to overturn her fate. They take off her tight jeans trouser and struggle as they do so. They might be thinking that she is armed,and she assumes that they are looking for any weaponry she might use to attack them. They remove her pant exposing her nethers. She is stark naked and tied to a tree.

This was again among the last thing she would have expected; being tied to a tree and laughed at by people she cannot communicate with. She is dead tired and has what she assumes to be a fever. Her head is aching,she is shivering and her body temperature has risen  greatly.

Her tormentors notice her condition and to her surprise prepare some herbs made of leaves and barks of trees. They force the contents down her throat. The whiskies she is used to drinking are a sweet juice compared to this concoction. The bad face she makes while drinking the herbs is an indication of how bitter they are. When she is done,she spits to the ground the remaining contents in her mouth.

After a few hours her condition improves and she starts feeling better. Having noted that she means no harm,they untie her and let her in in one of the huts. A huge pot is sitting on the stones,boiling. When the food is ready it is served on large leaves at a central point and they all sit round and throw their dirty hands on the meal. The scene is disgusting but she must eat or die. She takes a bite of the cuisine the others seem to be enjoying and almost spits it out. Never in her life has she tasted such a plain and tasteless dish. With no knowledge of what food this might be,she takes courage and consoles herself that if the others have not died of eating this food,she won't either. This is the first of the many meals she takes in this place.

After spending a relatively long time with these forest dwellers,she learns a few words of their language and she can be able to express herself. She enjoys the forest life free of worries of money,clothes and such necessities that would be giving her sleepless nights if she were in the city. In this place,they live every day at a time. Death does not scare them  because they argue that the day a person is born is the day they are sentenced to death. She learns how they value socialism for everything they have is shared among them. An outsider might consider it a sorry life but for her it has been an eye opener. At the time she was lost,she found love in a hopeless place. Having also learnt much from her and her way of life,they have come to appreciate her stay and urge her to stay longer. She wonders whether John and Marie made it out of the forest alive. She will soon find out.

The time has come when she must go back to her people. She puts on the clothes she had when she set foot among the Makaka (this is the name of their tribe) and she is ready to move. The kids yell when she takes her steps out of the gate. This time they do, not because they are scared of her like the first time she came, but because they have lost a teacher,a cofidant,a person they played their silly games with. Women murmer like they did but they too this time,they do it because they will miss a helper,one who had become their own. Men climb down from the huts,and watch in awe as she leaves. Young men accompany her to show her through the forest and the shortcuts out of it.

At this place she has spent her days naked,she laid naked her soul to the folks who had an interest to listen to her story and life. She laid her heart naked to a young man who caught her eye. She could sneak into his hut in the night and make love. She carries his little growing flower in her belly. She smiles when she recalls this.