"The Black-Looking Jungle."

by Joseph Aboagye (Ghana)

I didn't expect to find Ghana

Finally, we were about 20 meters away from the long awaited destination, ahead lies the Atiwa Forest reserve. Looking from afar, it was not as fearful as the way people have been crafting their fears after feeling it. However, each of us lost his vigor to the strange silence of the jungle after exposing ourselves to it. It looked as if everything changed in a blink of an eye. Dusk has already set in and the night was already old. “Isn’t it quarter past 1PM?” I muttered as I look at my wrist watch. I could anticipate the lady in blue jeans with a Lacoste and a school bag at her back, already drowned in fears as she remains motionless and keep starring into the sky. Perhaps, she wanted a single ray from the sun to say hi, just to confirm she wasn’t in the wrong place, but the beam has already surrendered to the frowned forest and has refused to launch its rays into it. As each of us couldn’t withhold the cold sweat, the two foresters were forced to cause us regain our composure by bringing to light their flares. Smiles on alarmed faces, pulsating hearts mitigating. Veritably, that was saying without words; we were secured beyond the shadow of doubt. A brief educational-like encouragement was given as if we have totally forgotten all we read about our current end, and yes, everything proves that right. The lady in blue jeans and a Lacoste with bag was first to follow the foresters after we set to move around the jungle. She is a Johnny-come-lately, and the tallest among the three females in a total of thirty students from the university who accepted the call to be a part of this second research of the college. Could she be a postgraduate student? Oh, only undergraduate are permitted here, I battled within as I trod along. The rangers were brainy enough to cajole our interest with the beautiful sides of the jungle for about an hour; a cunning to prepare our hearts for the targeted atrocious vicinity. Inadvertently, there we were, right over the unrelenting valley! “Oh my God!” the lady in the blue jeans bellowed as she bounces herself back. “Thank you for the kind gesture, at least you’ve called bravery into me,” I whispered responsively as I stretched out my trembling hand to reach her. Within a couple of minutes, we’ve all managed to find ourselves a more convenient places to stand with our parchments on our hands, ready to jot whatever the ears decodes from the voice of the rangers. As we stayed mute with our eyes widely opened at them, the female ranger begun, “This valley is the center of the jungle and the valley of no return, as you may have heard or read. It is already evident from your standing positions that none of you is prepared to sacrifice himself to the already starved wildlife in there. We hope and advice you keep to your positions till the end of our discussions.” The male forester quickly dived in with his experienced and concocted explanations. “This is the home of every fearful animal in the jungle. Since light is scarce in there, each wildlife has its own way of calculating time to schedule its activities. Accordingly, some may be fast resting whiles are binging.” To prove his words, he pointed his flare into the belly of the valley and behold, there was a hot spot bouncing the light rays. Pointing to it, he assured, “That is definitely one of those beasts.” He continued, the animals are convinced to be quarantined by nature, which makes them alerted all the time to defend themselves against whoever appears a foe. Hence, they live mutedly to secure an inviolable abode.” Already loaded with many things to write home about, it was the eleventh hour to vacate our bedimmed jungle. Surprisingly, contrary to my thinking, we easily evacuated the jungle to see the smiling face of the already dying sun. She was first to give a heavy sigh of relief; the lady in blue jeans and Lacoste with a bag now resting on one shoulder.