New Tales of the Gobi
St. Margaret’s Co-Educational English Secondary and Primary School: Secondary Section
Secondary, Diana Bezant, Fiction: Group 4
I
t was silent as death. The soft silence all around only muffled by all this sand. I used to love
the desert. I used to enjoy the long rides on the camels when the tribes moved around. You
see we never settle down for long. Mother says we are nomads, we move with the water and
the food for the camels and goats. We stick to the group and none wander, even little kids as
young as 3 know the rule “Never stray far from the group”. I wish I could, life is boring here, and
everything is the same every day, every year.
I often walk a little distance from the group; I enjoy the feeling of independence I get. But
every time, mother calls me back and gives me the usual lecture about the dangers of the desert.
Mother tries to understand me, she tells the elders that I am a brave and curious one but she
doesn’t know how I feel. I feel like a bird that wants to soar in the sky, unrestricted, a flower that
is dying for water, the freedom.
But no, mother wants me to listen and be obedient to her wishes and to marry Altai. But
marrying him will be more of a leash on me. How I long to run away, far away and see the world.
I am tired of this hot endless desert.
What I didn’t know was that after all this time; a chance of the freedom I longed for would
come. This was only the beginning …the adventure of my life.
It was a few weeks later, the tribe was on the move again, our waterhole had started to dry up
and the decision was made to move on. As usual I went to the camels, I have always loved them,
but mother told me to help pack up our yurt. This was strange normally she and another woman
from the village would take down the yurt and she would let me tend to the animals.
It wasn’t until we had set out that I had the courage to ask my mother why she insisted on me
helping her, I shall be honest, her answer scared me to death. She told me “Dear, you are growing
up now, and soon you shall be united with Altai, you would need to be able to take care of your
home and things like this, I have not prepared you enough before and now is the time to set
things right.” I could have screamed right then and there at mother, but it was not my place to
do so, instead tears ran down my cheeks. Where had my childhood gone? Why didn’t I get to be
young forever? Why couldn’t I be like a bird and soar through the skies without trouble?
Well I made up my mind then and there, that once a chance came I would take it. Curse me
if I didn’t. A couple of nights later, when mother was deep asleep due to her excessive morning
glory tea drinking habit, I silently crept out of my bedroll and picked up my knapsack with all my
belongings. I also took a knife and some flint. Very well, I also took enough provisions for 3 days
and food for my camel. And creeping up to my camel I got her up while keeping her mouth closed,
any sound could betray me. I didn’t ride her until we were away from the camp, when I was
sure that no one would hear the hoof beats thudding against the sand. From what I knew from
experience, the sun would rise in 5 hours, enough time to ride away from camp and set up camp
to wait for the cooler part of day. Until then, I would ride into my freedom with the unknown just
waiting to be found out.
I finally set up camp 4 hours into my ride. I was exhausted and so was my camel. Luckily I
had brought a small yurt with me, and this is where I shall stay till the cooler hours. Till then I
