by Becky Harmon
She calculated their trip in her head. Choum would probably be at least three or four hours by vehicle. Walking sixty miles would take almost a week, but the Mauritania desert would be unforgiving and not an option. This group was moving west now and that was the opposite direction of Choum. She kept her eyes alert for another vehicle they might be able to borrow. The men at the front of the group took a path to the left. She tried to access the map in her mind and remember where this road might go.
She leaned into Ellie and spoke softly, “Can you ask where they’re headed?”
Ellie turned to the elderly woman beside her.
Angel studied the group, watching it stretch into an almost parade-like travel procession while she listened to Ellie’s conversation. She guessed there were about fifty or so adults and a handful of children. Most of the men had moved into the lead. The women were walking slower, giving the children space in the middle to play. A few young men followed at the rear with several goats and a camel. She knew she was probably making it obvious she wasn’t a man, but she wasn’t willing to separate from Ellie.
“They’re headed to Terjit Oasis for the night,” Ellie whispered.
“That’s what I was afraid of. We need to go the other direction.”
“Toward Choum?” Ellie asked.
She nodded as she started to move them to the left of the group. The elderly woman reached out and grabbed Ellie’s other hand. She grunted something and Angel looked to Ellie to translate.
“She wants us to have dinner with them,” Ellie explained.
Angel considered this offer. Terjit Oasis was in the opposite direction of where she wanted to be, but it wasn’t too far out of their way if she remembered correctly. Maybe this wasn’t a bad idea. Getting off the road might take them out of sight of the men chasing them as well. She waited for a break in Ellie’s conversation with the woman and then she touched her arm to get her attention.
“Let’s go with them for the night.”
Ellie nodded. “We might find someone there to catch a ride to Choum with.”
She had a feeling that Ellie knew her plan, but she was glad that there wasn’t any hint of disagreement from her yet. She studied Ellie’s face as she turned to speak with the woman again. She wondered what Ellie was thinking. Was she upset that she had killed the man? She desperately wanted a moment alone with her so they could talk, but staying with this group was the best idea.
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she noticed the gendarmerie checkpoint ahead. She gripped Ellie’s hand tightly.
“Checkpoint,” she said softly.
“What do you want to do?”
“Let’s move to the rear of the group and see what happens when the lead men approach.”
“There’s nothing but sand around us. It’s not like we can separate from them now.”
“I know,” Angel said between gritted teeth. She was angry at herself. They had left the town on foot and now had nowhere to go.
Together they started to move toward the back of the procession. She stopped when Ellie pulled away from her.
“What?” she whispered. She looked from Ellie to the elderly woman beside them.
The woman shook her head and maintained her tight grip on Ellie’s arm.
“She doesn’t want us to move.”
They moved back to their original positions, and the woman patted Ellie’s arm as she released her grip.
She held her breath while the lead men cleared the checkpoint and began to move forward. The group had tightened their ranks as they waited, and now she was jostled from all sides with each step. She held tight to Ellie’s hand and noticed the woman had grasped Ellie’s arm again too.
Angel took a quick glance as they passed the two soldiers at the checkpoint. They were dressed in green woodland fatigues and black boots, the same as all the others they had seen. They each carried a rifle slung across their back and a pistol strapped to their waist. Once they had passed them with no trouble, she realized she was still holding her breath. The woman smiled broadly at them and released Ellie’s arm again.
“Wow,” Ellie breathed.
“Yeah, that was too close for comfort.”
The women spread out from the men, and the children began to play again. Older kids swinging sword sticks battled back and forth across the road amidst games of tag and chase. Occasionally Ellie contributed a few words to the jovial conversations around them. Mostly they walked in silence, appreciating the small feeling of safety they felt in this group of strangers.
The scenery around them began to come alive as they entered the little village of Terjit. Nestled between two tabular mountains, it was the gateway to luscious date trees, palm trees, and other vegetation. The village was only a few small shacks that seemed totally abandoned. The road was easy enough to walk on and clearly marked between the tall rock walls. Against the base of the mountains, wind-blown sand reflected the evening sun, creating a spectacular display of raging fire—and offering a welcome contrast to their perilous situation.
At the edge of the village, the group stopped to drink at a shallow stream. It wasn’t much more than a trickle that came down out of the mountain. Angel pulled a bottle of water from her pack and passed it to Ellie. She drained the remaining liquid when Ellie took a long drink and handed it back. When it was their turn at the stream, she refilled all their empty bottles and dropped in water purification tablets. The locals might be okay drinking mountain water, but she wasn’t going to take the risk.
The woman beside Ellie hadn’t said more than a few words since they left the checkpoint, but she kept them close by her side, steering them forward into the shadows of the many date and palm trees. The air around them became cool and damp. Water dripped from the cliffs above in a soothing rhythmic pattern. The sound of children playing echoed off the rock walls and as quickly as she heard it, it stopped. On all sides of them, everyone began dropping to their knees facing the last rays of the setting sun. Ellie pulled Angel to the ground beside her.
“Pretend to pray,” Ellie commanded harshly.
She suppressed a sarcastic chuckle. Why pretend? They were stuck in the desert with men who wanted to kill them. If there was ever a time in her life that she wanted assistance from a higher being, this was it. She closed her eyes and bent her head to her knees. Instantly her thoughts returned to the dead marines she had left behind. Her eyes burned with the memory. Vince had drilled into her head that you never leave a man or his body behind except to protect the living. She prayed that they would be able to retrieve their bodies and Nasri’s as well, when this was all over. When it is over? When will it be over? She knew the decisions she would make in the coming days would be critical to their survival. She inhaled deeply and slowed her breathing. She could do this. A plan began to form in her mind, and she saw them safely at the embassy again.
She felt Ellie stand beside her and she quickly jumped to her feet. She didn’t know how long they had been praying, but she was surprised at the peaceful feeling that had come over her. Her mind was focused, and her body was no longer tense. Small groups of people were beginning to separate from the mass. Little fires began popping up all over and the smell of cooking food drifted around her. Ellie pulled their loaf of bread from her pack, offering it to the woman they had been traveling with. It was met with exuberance and disappeared into the food preparation.
The woman placed a small rug on the sandy ground and motioned for Ellie and Angel to sit. Very little time passed before a man and two boys took up seats around the rug with them. She hadn’t heard or seen any type of signal to call the family to dinner, but clearly they knew when to arrive. Ellie spoke with them in soft tones and Angel tried to pick out words she understood.
“In the next couple of days, they’ll head back west to be closer to Nouakchott for the winter. There’ll be more food there,” Ellie relayed. “They were going to stay in Atar for the night, but the rumblings of trouble changed their minds.”
She appreciated E
llie’s ability to appear comfortable in this diverse setting. Sitting with her legs crossed in front of a campfire, making conversation with people from another country. She had pulled her mulafa down to her shoulders and her blond hair fell around her face when she leaned forward. Angel thought she looked more beautiful in this desert surrounding than in her expensive suit inside the embassy. The two boys seemed fascinated with her and tried to cut into the conversation at every chance.
The area around them was dark now except for the little fires placed here and there between palm trees. There was a dense area of vegetation a little farther away from the base of the cliff where they had stopped. She could imagine the cool water of the oasis and she longed to strip down and plunge into it.
Before the meal was served, a bowl of water and soap were passed to each person. Angel followed Ellie’s lead and washed her hands and face. The woman preparing the meal produced several little metal plates and scooped some of the mixture from the pot over the fire onto each. A piece of bread from Ellie’s loaf was placed on each plate before passing it along. When everyone had a plate, the man recited what she assumed was a prayer and they began to eat. She watched them use pieces of the bread to scoop up the mixture and she carefully did the same. She was thankful for the whispered reminder from Ellie to only use her right hand to eat.
The first bite was surprisingly tangy. The flame from the fire didn’t provide enough light for Angel to analyze what was in the stew. She had seen the woman picking dates from the trees surrounding the oasis and they certainly provided the sweetness. The other flavor was something like soy sauce. The rice was nothing like store-bought. It was filled with taste that exploded in her mouth. She could identify carrots, potatoes, and maybe okra, but she was most pleased that there was no unidentifiable meat.
When the meal was almost finished, the man stirred the coals in the sand and placed a teapot over them.
“Mauritanian sweet tea is served after meals. Typically, Chinese green tea is used. Three glasses are served to each person. Mint and sugar are mixed into the tea after each glass,” Ellie whispered softly.
Finally, the man sat up on his knees, raising his arm with the pot about two feet high as he poured the tea into another pot and then back into the original pot. He repeated the same process with each glass.
“That’s called tea pulling. It aerates the tea and creates a thick frothy foam on top. It’s a true art and takes quite a bit of practice to get it perfect.” Ellie picked up her first cup. “The saying is that the first glass is bitter like life.”
Angel took a sip of the strong tea. She agreed with the saying. It was very bitter, and she set the cup back down.
Ellie slurped her tea loudly and nudged Angel. “You have to drink it all and let them know you’re enjoying it.”
Angel picked up her glass and attempted to imitate Ellie. By the time she finished the glass, she was laughing so hard she could barely drink without choking.
The family seemed to understand she was new to this ritual and joined in with the laughter. Ellie picked up her second glass. “It’ll get better with each glass. This one is said to be strong like love or some say sweet like love.”
Angel sniffed and then took a sip. She couldn’t even look at Ellie and think about love at the same time. She glanced at the family watching her and wondered if they understood anything Ellie was saying. They seemed to be enjoying their tea and the show. At least, Ellie was right. This glass was a little better. The mint and sugar made it easier to drink.
“Since Muslims don’t drink alcohol and it is not allowed in Mauritania, some people believe the copious amount of sugar can create a high and the tea is sometimes called desert whiskey.”
“I can definitely feel a sugar high coming on,” Angel mumbled.
Ellie slurped beside her, sending Angel and the two boys into fits of laughter again. Although everyone else had leisurely sipped their glasses, she hurried to catch up when she was able to get her laughter under control.
Ellie held up her third glass. “The third glass is gentle like death or the end of all things, to which we all will come.”
“Okay, now that’s depressing. I can’t drink to death, but I can drink to the end of this trip.”
Ellie nodded. “I can drink to that too.”
Angel actually enjoyed the final glass. She was getting used to the sweetness and she enjoyed Ellie’s production of sharing the tea ritual with her. Much too soon the woman began gathering their dishes and Angel downed the last of her tea, surrendering her glass. With all the dishes bundled into a blanket, the woman shuffled off toward the sound of the stream. Ellie followed to help her wash them. The man had wandered into the darkness; Angel assumed he was going to visit with others. She stood to follow Ellie. She wasn’t concerned for her safety among this group; she only wanted to stay close to her in case they needed to leave quickly.
The two boys moved to each side of her and tugged her back into a sitting position. The taller of the boys, probably about twelve or thirteen years old, produced a bag of multicolored beads and split them evenly between the three of them. She ran her fingers through her stack of beads. Some were shiny and smooth, and others were filled with ridges and bumps. They were all brightly colored and the firelight made them sparkle. She was surprised when the younger boy, she guessed his age to be about ten, pulled a deck of cards from his pocket and began to shuffle.
Though they couldn’t communicate by words, the boys demonstrated the game and she nodded her understanding. She quickly lost the first two hands and her bead pile was depleting quickly. She had never played poker, but she imagined that what they were playing was some form of that. The third hand she won a few beads back, but the fourth took all of them away. She threw up her hands and started to stand. She really should find Ellie. She looked around but could see nothing but darkness outside their fire.
The boys shook their heads and divided the beads evenly among everyone again. She laughed. This game could go on all night. A few minutes later, she felt Ellie sit down close behind her. A clean fresh smell wafted from her and Angel turned to look at her. Ellie’s hair was wet, and her face looked relaxed.
“Taslima showed me the oasis.” Ellie smiled. “When you finish here, I’ll take you.”
She turned to face the boys again. “It won’t take me long to lose. I’m very good at it.”
Ellie leaned around her and stopped her from playing the card she had selected. She pulled her glasses from her pocket and studied Angel’s cards. “Play that one.” She pointed at the five of hearts.
She shrugged. “If you say so.”
She won the hand and Ellie nudged her with her shoulder. “See what happens when you listen to me?”
With Ellie’s help, she won the next couple rounds. She hated to leave the game when the boys were losing, but they seemed to be enjoying the game either way. She held up her finger to tell them one more game. She shrugged off Ellie’s recommendations and let one of the boys win the next game. Then she divided her beads between them and stuck out her fist. The boys giggled and bumped it with their own.
* * *
On Ellie’s instruction, Angel stripped down to her sports bra and boxer briefs. Thankful she wasn’t wearing some skimpy underwear, she couldn’t help but wonder what Ellie had worn. She tucked her pistol between the layers of folded clothing and glanced up as Ellie lay her mulafa on the ground.
“Are you coming in?” she asked, her pulse quickening.
“No.” Ellie sat on the mulafa at the edge of the water. “Probably not a good idea.”
She couldn’t see her face in the darkness, but she could hear the smile in her voice.
“Take as long as you want. I’ll be right here.”
She waded into the cool water. In the heat of the day it probably felt wonderfully refreshing, but the temperature had dropped after the sun set. She shivered as she submerged beneath the water. When she surfaced, Ellie tossed her a bar of soap. It had a refreshing ci
trus-like smell that Ellie had returned with earlier.
Covered in goose bumps, she quickly washed around and beneath her underwear. Ellie offered her mulafa as she walked out of the water and Angel wrapped it around her shivering body.
“Chilly?” Ellie asked with a laugh.
“A bit, but still refreshing.” She dried enough to pull on her clothes, and they returned to the warmth of the fire.
The fire appeared to have been recently stoked though there wasn’t anyone around. The belongings of the family they had dined with were still laying nearby so Angel knew they would return at some point. She sat down as close to the fire as she dared and absorbed the warmth. Ellie sat beside her, their legs touching.
She waited to see if Ellie would talk first. She knew the events of the day were weighing heavy on her and she wanted to give them both a chance to share their thoughts. Even if the consequences of that conversation would be learning that Ellie felt disdain for her now. After several minutes, she gave up and broke the silence. “Are you upset with me about what happened earlier?”
“Upset, yes, but not with you.”
“Because he’s dead or because I killed him?”
Ellie remained silent.
Angel took a deep breath. “I did what I had to do. Talking wasn’t going to work and using my pistol would have revealed our location.” She paused, not sure how much to say but wanting to make things better between them. She needed Ellie to understand that killing someone wasn’t easy for her. “Taking someone’s life is not something I take lightly…but I’d do it again to protect you.”
“Thank you.” Ellie’s voice was deep and filled with sorrow. “I’m sorry you had to do that on my behalf.”
She put her arm around Ellie and pulled her close. “It’s my job, but you have to know I’d do anything to keep you safe.”
The question she wanted to ask wouldn’t come out of her mouth. She feared the answer. Did Ellie feel differently toward her now? Without the answer, she could still dream about their future.
* * *