A Flash of Blue

The early morning’s cold sunlight streams through a gap in the thatched roof, falling on my sleeping face. My eyes are closed but I know it is no longer night. The African sun has finally risen to show its radiant face; to signify the beginning of another day. I do not want to get up, so I lie in my hard wooden bed a little longer. That is until my mother’s shouts reach my ear. Groaning, I get up and gaze at the sun through the window. The shining orb is mocking me- yes, it is time to get up and go to work.

The water from the well feels icy cold on my face, but it wakes me from my half asleep daze. I look around the small community of mud houses. People are coming out of their homes, some rubbing their sleepy eyes, others ready for the start of another day. My eyes switch towards the sky. It is white now, with streaks of the faintest pink and orange. The sun of today hangs there, held by an invisible hand which moves it through the heavens, glowing but not as brightly as it will in midday. Tearing my gaze away, I bend down and enter our hut.     

My mother gives me a piece of bread to eat, saved from last night’s dinner. I chew on it slowly, hoping to prolong the time before I have to go to work. But like what happens everyday, my older sister notices and tells me to hurry up. I reluctantly do as she says; as usual, she is right, since I have to stop by for my friend on the way to the mines.

Cedric is waiting for me in front of his family’s hut. He is wearing his faded gray shorts and a green t-shirt; only they look brown as they are covered with dust. Cedric is smiling at me, his white teeth showing. I smile back. We walk side by side, our shadows appearing long on the yellow sandy ground next to us. I feel more cheerful having Cedric around. Laughing, I run ahead of him.

“Catch me!” I shout to him. His dark eyes gleam at the prospect of a challenge. Cedric

chases after me, his arms outstretched, grabbing at the air in front of him. We run along the path, with me just keeping myself out of his reach. However, the two of us soon tire and slow down to a walk. The journey we make every morning to the Merelani Hills is long and we do not have the strength to run the whole way.  The dust gently rises from the well-trodden path as our bare feet touch it, forming a slight haze around us, entering through our nose and mouth. But we barely notice this; we are so used to it.