“Yo what’s wrong?” Chilala asked Nawa shaking him vigorously.
“What do you mean what’s wrong?” Nawa asked straightening himself.
“I’ve been calling you, what were you thinking of this time?” Chilala asked turning towards the setting sun.
“Its beautiful, isn’t it?” Nawa said motioning towards the sun as he resumed looking at it.
“Were you ignoring me to watch that?” Chilala said towering over Nawa menacingly. Nawa stared into Chilala’s round eyes noticing her usual dark spots from lack of sleep. He hesitated to speak considering his words cautiously.
“I had a dream last night” Nawa whispered turning away from Chilala’s piercing eyes. “I was running, the wind blowing through my hair. I didn’t know why I was running at first but I couldn’t stop. Before I knew what was happening the sun started setting and I started chasing it. I felt its warmth embrace me, I felt happy still do. But Mother Mary’s alarm rang, I woke up feeling like I was in the wrong body.” Nawa sighed going silent.
No one talked as the last rays of light faded into night. Nawa turned to Chilala grabbed her hand and started leading her towards the dinning hall. Turning the lights on revealing a room big enough for fifty people with tables and chairs already lined up from wall to wall with designated sitting facing the entire room for the elders of the orphanage.
“Place the table mats I’ll go get the cutlery” Chilala said walking towards a door joining the kitchen to the dinning hall. Nawa placed the white linen on every table and was putting table mats when Chilala walked back into the room pulling a cart filled with cutlery behind her.
“What’s wrong?” Nawa asked looking at the murderous expression plastered on her face.
“I miss Mbuuya, and Mother Mary isn’t making it easier!” Chilala said rolling her eyes.
“Sometimes I want to run off and disappear but I worry about who will protect you in my stead.” Chilala continued, rustling Nawa’s hair with a reassuring smile.
“Let’s run away” Nawa said excitedly
Chilala smiled widely noticing Nawa’s excitement.
“Great idea, let’s run with no plan, money or direction let’s just go! 1 last grand adventure before I go to Mbuuya” Chilala said wiping the tears from her eyes with a silly smile.
“I want to follow the sun to where it sets just like in my dream” Nawa said starry eyed.
“So that’s…..south. Livingstone isn’t a bad place to visit” Chilala said gauging her bearings before the pair erupted in laughter.
“Dreams really are for the young, where their youth will cause them to fly.” Sister Anna chimed from the back of the room scaring the pair. Walking towards the girls with her big arms open wide embracing them both. Before Nawa and Chilala could understand what was happening Sister Anna quickly walked back where she came, past the kitchen doors and out of sight.
Nawa dreamed all month with his dreams getting more and more vivid. A week after Sister Anna hugged them, Nawa remembered her words and a deep longing fell upon follow the sun.
Nawa paced around anxiously waiting for Chilala to come for him as he replayed Sister Anna’s words continuously in his head.
Chilala walked into Nawa’s room, Nawa was the only one at the orphanage who didn’t share a room with any other orphans.
“I’ve been thinking, let’s do it. Let’s run!” Nawa said ignoring the tired expression on Chilala’s face.
“I’m with you! Tired of this stupid place” Chilala mumbled into Nawa’s pillow as she tumbled on top of Nawa’s bed.
“Yes! I can’t imagine doing any thing like this without you” Nawa said grinning from ear to ear
“Yeah but it won’t be easy and that’s just finding a way to leave from here. Out there though, there is the real jungle” Chilala said looking at the mountain of a wall fence enclosing them in the orphanage.
Nawa’s dream kept getting more intense as his fifteenth birthday drew closer. The dreams intensified the pairs passion to escape the orphanage, setting their escape to coincide with Nawa’s birthday, fifth June.
Chilala and Nawa set the dinning hall planning their escape while everyone was eating. The pair left their bags packed with all their valuables ready to collect. Sister Anna was in charge of security round the orphanage which complicated matters further.
The security room by the gate housed the keys to the gate. The light was on which meant only one thing, Sister Anna was on duty.
“Look! The light, what now?” Chilala asked pointing towards the security room by the gate sounding defeated.
“Let’s hide and wait she has to go eat doesn’t she?” Nawa suggested feeling relieved by the delay to their plan.
The pair carefully walked to the adjacent wall furthest from the security post, avoiding the light. They sat in nervous silence watching for the light to go off. The pair waited for two hours before either of them spoke.
“Maybe we should cancel the journey?” Nawa said feeling relieved
“Planning your escape?” Sister Anna asked, turning her flash light on, blinding the duo.
“Or have you given up already?” Sister Anna asked sitting down next to Chilala
“What are you..”
“Don’t bother lying, I know you well Nawa, probably better than you.” Sister Anna interrupted Nawa with a heavy sigh as if she were shifting an uncomfortable weight in her mind.
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