Alone but not lonely

by Vongai F. Svova. (Zimbabwe)

Making a local connection Zimbabwe

Birds tweet sweet melodies that take her into another realm as she allows her eyes and mind to wonder around sucking in the beauty of mother nature. She is surprised to still find peace and stillness inside her despite everything that has happened to her. Being a victim of early marriage at an age of only fifteen, Faith tells herself that no mater how bruised her life is there is healing in the precious gift of time. She decides to take a walk through the forest to her favorite spot. Sitting on a log,absorbed in thought, tears start to stream down her dark cheeks and unanswered questions pop into her mind. Why did she have to be the sacrifice?, why her? She had watched her dreams and aspirations going in vain only because of her gender. Not forgetting how unhappy she had become. She realizes that she and nature had something in common. People can not do without nature but still they exploit her. This girl remembers how this forest used to be dense and graced by flora and fauna of different species. Now it was competing for the title of desert with places like the sahara desert. Trees were cut ceaselessly affecting the ecosystem in the forest, no replacement was made. The damage seemed little but she knew it would yield adverse results. The story made her so emotional that she wanted to scream. They gave her hand in marriage to a man old enough to be her grandfather. She wasn't the only victim in her area but the pain was different because she was she. Faith used to be the beauty of the village, a blooming flower amongst other girls. Instead of her flawlessness being a gift it betrayed her and placed her into her situation. So much like humans, her parents were greedy and it made them feel like they owned her and could dispose her as they please. There was still hope for her although she didn't know how or when it would happen, she was going to be a travel writer, she promised herself that when she dies she must have visited at least almost all continents in the world. Her story she wanted to be an inspiration to the girl child in Africa. She just wished God could answer her before the situation got worse,before she has commitments like children to block her way. Her village she would never forget, she knew that education was the key to an open mindset so her people must be educated. Then she glanced to the horizon to notice that the golden sun was setting and the sight made her smile, it was beautiful. She realized that had set there for hours although she felt like she had only been there for minutes. Her thoughts had kept her company and taken her places. She had to go back to her old made, snap reality!