the group up to look for me.
The days passed by again, each day longer, lonelier and more boring than the last. I was
starting to go thin; one cannot get much from the desert, even if you know where to look.
I would wake up and give my camel some food, then sleep some more, they say to escape the
heat one should sleep, mother would disagree though. She believed in hard work regardless of the
weather. I awoke one morning to hear my camel bleating loudly, from experience, I knew it was
fear. There was something wrong happening. When I ran out, I saw the cause of the camel’s fears,
a sand storm was approaching, luckily the only one outside was my camel, and I lead her inside
and quickly closed the flaps. Yurts are designed to withstand sandstorms…most of the time.
It was when the yurt started shaking violently, fear took over. I clung onto my camel and
buried my head into her stale-smelling fur. After what seemed like an eternity, the shaking ceased
and the natural silence began again. I dared to poke my head outside of the yurt and relief flooded
over me. However, I now realize that that sandstorm had altered the landscape, I had set off on my
journey in the east but after the storm, I suppose I was confused and went back the way I came.
This preceded an amazing discovery. After a few days ride, and setting up camp. I was hit
with boredom and frustration at my living condition. I decided to switch things up and go on a
walk. It was around 5 in the afternoon, the coolest time of day, I walked and I dared myself to
climb a big sand dune so that I could have a good time later rolling down. When I got to the top….
you would never believe what I saw.
I saw the tribe’s men on camels searching and spreading out together, one of them was looking
towards the dune I was on and noticed me, he gave a shout and all the men started in my direction.
I had to quickly ask myself on the plan. What are you going to do? Are you going to run? Or
are you going home?
They finally reached me, and tallest one got off the camel and offered me his hand, I took it
and looked into his eyes, he removed the scarf from his face and it was Altai, my betrothed.
“Your mother has been worried to death about you; she never gave up on looking for you even
though the elders did.” He then looked closer at me and whispered “Why did you run? Was it me?”
I looked up at him, his dark eyes full of unspoken worry. I looked away, “I wanted freedom,”
I murmured softly, tears spilling down my face. Altai seemed shocked by my tears and seemed
hesitant to say anything, when he lifted up a hand and wiped a stray tear by my cheek, he
finally spoke.
“Is freedom what you want? You wouldn’t be crying if you did.” I slowly lifted up my head and
looked straight into his eyes.
“How did you know that?”
“I may not know how you survived all this time, but if freedom was good to you, you would
have yelled at me to leave, not cry here with me”.
I was silent for a while, was I too harsh on my judgment of him before? Marrying him
wouldn’t be too bad, he understands me more than I thought, but am I ready? Noticing my silence
he leant down and asked me, “I love you, even though you don’t love me. I may not understand
you, but I really will try. If you wish to have your freedom and fly like a bird without anyone to
tie you down, I cannot force you.”
He started to turn away, the sad forlorn look in his eyes tugging at my heart.
“Altai…” my voice broke as I reached for his arm.
He looked at me and said “Would you like to go home?” It seemed more like a plea than a question.
