Lost Out There
A story written about a girl and her border collie Keza and how they survived a tragedy when a car crashed into their bus on the way to Victoria Falls. The first story written by a 12-year-old girl who suffers from Dyslexia.
I stared up to the sky. The sun was so bright, that if it was shone over the North Pole it would melt instantly, turning runny like an ice-cream. I looked down at Keza; she was doing well in the heat for a thick furred border collie. I knew she wouldn't give up, every water hole we came across, I would let her bathe in, and drink from. I wouldn't let her off the lead, we were in a bad enough situation as it was, and I didn't want to lose her as well, after all she seemed to find all the food.
I don't even remember how we got here. At night I led and watched over Keza thinking, trying to work out what happened. All my memory held is that we were on a coach trip to see Victoria Falls when out of know where some man came and crashed into the bus. Everyone was unconscious, I was so scared, and I thought they were dead. The next thing I knew was Keza and I were under a huge tree. Keza sat wide awake and all bright-eyed next to me as I awoke, like she did when she was waiting for me to fill the food bowl. I just sat emotionless for ages before Keza ran off towards the coach and I had to fetch her. She must have pulled me out and reeled me to safety. I insisted I brought her on that student exchange trip, I'm so glad I did, I had a feeling that I would need her.
As we got back to the coach Mr. and Mrs. Coogwalla were still, not moving or responding, nor were there 3 children, Abebi, Gathee and Mambo. I was the only one with a phone and the battery was dead. The first thing I did was write a note on my note pad, telling them to stay there, and that we have gone to get help, for if they awoke. Then I grabbed the map off the front seat and started to study it, trying to find the nearest road in the African bush. It looked like it was a long trek and I had to get a move on. So I picked up the gun they carried for safety measures, the supplies bag and followed the map. I was so afraid of the unknown, but I just held it together, crying would have gotten me know where, and wouldn't save the Coogwalla family.
We walked for miles. One mile for sport relief tired me out last year, I can't belief I was managing 24. Half way there I made the stupidest mistake ever. It was day 4 we were almost out of food and I found out how to use the water treatment so we were having perfectly freshwater. I went to fill the bottle up at a lake, as I did I let Keza off the lead to bathe, she was so hot. The next thing I heard was yelping and splashing. I looked up and I saw a 4 meter crocodile snapping I called Keza's name and fired the gun, the croc plundered off onto the other side of the lake. I dived in to pull out Keza, she was clinging onto me, wailing in pain. As I got to the bank I led down a blanket and led her there. That overgrown thick-skinned lizard had bitten her leg, she was cut, bleeding. I raided the bag for medical supplies, luckily I found some bandages. I plastered her up and gave her the last ham sandwich. She limped on bravely. Every so often I had to change the bandage, much to her dislike, because she was bleeding through it. I felt so sorry for her.
It took us another 3 days to get to the road. At the edge of the dust path for trucks was a hut, we sheltered in it. I watched day and night waiting for someone to pass. In the middle of the night 2 days on, a car came by the deserted road, I screamed and wailed, Keza barked and howled but the guy in the land rover carried on. We were completely out of food, just 5 liters of water left, no more water treatment left. We waited another 24 hours until a car came this time I ran in front of it crying and at last the lady stopped. We told her the whole story, she was so understanding, she was British so knew what it was like to be in a strange world all alone.
I showed her the location of the coach by the red dot I put on the map, I only knew where it was because Gathee insisted on showing me every 5 minutes. The lady Mrs. Sarch called for backup, she practically knew the whole village. She gave me and Keza her lunch while we waited for everyone to arrive with medics. Mrs Sarch told me there a very, very slim chance that anyone would have survived, but I still had hope. I told her about the note and Keza's paw, she called the vet as she thought it might be badly infected. After an anxious 50 minute wait, the crew had arrived.
I wouldn't let them touch Keza or me until we had found the family and were in a proper animal hospital or hospitals. We drove for hours until we finally found the wreck that was left. Mambo was led under a tree; he looked asleep; with a bunch of berries. I ran over but the medic team pulled me back. We sat in the back of Mrs. Sarch's car nervously. Her husband brought us some food and water, we scoffed it down; it put the smiles back on our faces but not for long. Dr. Sanchji came over to the car, his head held down, it didn't look good.
He explained that Mr. and Mrs. Coogwalla were dead, Abebi was too, Gathee was alive but unconscious and dehydrated, and mambo had bad blood poisoning from the berries. I started to cry. Keza led over my lap looking down with pity. They rushed the two boys to the hospital by aircraft and Mr. and Mrs. Sarch drove us there. I fell asleep in the car, I had such a bad dream. Instead of it being the Coogwalla family in that situation, it was mine, lucky it was a dream but as I awoke the harsh reality sank in.
I called mom and told her about the last 2 weeks she demanded that I was to return home immediately, but I refused, then she insisted on flying over, but I discouraged this and ordered she was to stay in England. Keza's paw was fine, she got it bandaged and was ok. Gathee never regained consciousness after he was rescued; they decided to turn the life support off later that evening. Against all odds mambo pulled through, he was released from hospital after 10 days; he now lives with his aunty and uncle in Egypt. He lost all his family due to a man who turned out to be his uncle, yet he forgives him and lives with him. We went home later that week, even though I didn't want to.
Mum and dad fussed over me too much, but all I could think about was what was going to happen to Kiraje, the families eldest daughter, my exchange partner. In the end she said she had no reason to go home. So we adopted her, she is now my sister and my new best friend. I can't believe how brave she was, moving to a strange country and in with a strange family and just forgetting about her past life. She doesn't talk to her brother, mambo anymore, they agreed it was too upsetting but they want to regain contact in the future. I suppose I will never ever forget this terrible ordeal. To be honest it's made Keza and I closer and I am a stronger person. I speak to mambo all the time and would like to visit him one day. I take life more seriously now and appreciate it so much more. It's funny how one thing can change your life so much isn't it.
I don't even remember how we got here. At night I led and watched over Keza thinking, trying to work out what happened. All my memory held is that we were on a coach trip to see Victoria Falls when out of know where some man came and crashed into the bus. Everyone was unconscious, I was so scared, and I thought they were dead. The next thing I knew was Keza and I were under a huge tree. Keza sat wide awake and all bright-eyed next to me as I awoke, like she did when she was waiting for me to fill the food bowl. I just sat emotionless for ages before Keza ran off towards the coach and I had to fetch her. She must have pulled me out and reeled me to safety. I insisted I brought her on that student exchange trip, I'm so glad I did, I had a feeling that I would need her.
As we got back to the coach Mr. and Mrs. Coogwalla were still, not moving or responding, nor were there 3 children, Abebi, Gathee and Mambo. I was the only one with a phone and the battery was dead. The first thing I did was write a note on my note pad, telling them to stay there, and that we have gone to get help, for if they awoke. Then I grabbed the map off the front seat and started to study it, trying to find the nearest road in the African bush. It looked like it was a long trek and I had to get a move on. So I picked up the gun they carried for safety measures, the supplies bag and followed the map. I was so afraid of the unknown, but I just held it together, crying would have gotten me know where, and wouldn't save the Coogwalla family.
We walked for miles. One mile for sport relief tired me out last year, I can't belief I was managing 24. Half way there I made the stupidest mistake ever. It was day 4 we were almost out of food and I found out how to use the water treatment so we were having perfectly freshwater. I went to fill the bottle up at a lake, as I did I let Keza off the lead to bathe, she was so hot. The next thing I heard was yelping and splashing. I looked up and I saw a 4 meter crocodile snapping I called Keza's name and fired the gun, the croc plundered off onto the other side of the lake. I dived in to pull out Keza, she was clinging onto me, wailing in pain. As I got to the bank I led down a blanket and led her there. That overgrown thick-skinned lizard had bitten her leg, she was cut, bleeding. I raided the bag for medical supplies, luckily I found some bandages. I plastered her up and gave her the last ham sandwich. She limped on bravely. Every so often I had to change the bandage, much to her dislike, because she was bleeding through it. I felt so sorry for her.
It took us another 3 days to get to the road. At the edge of the dust path for trucks was a hut, we sheltered in it. I watched day and night waiting for someone to pass. In the middle of the night 2 days on, a car came by the deserted road, I screamed and wailed, Keza barked and howled but the guy in the land rover carried on. We were completely out of food, just 5 liters of water left, no more water treatment left. We waited another 24 hours until a car came this time I ran in front of it crying and at last the lady stopped. We told her the whole story, she was so understanding, she was British so knew what it was like to be in a strange world all alone.
I showed her the location of the coach by the red dot I put on the map, I only knew where it was because Gathee insisted on showing me every 5 minutes. The lady Mrs. Sarch called for backup, she practically knew the whole village. She gave me and Keza her lunch while we waited for everyone to arrive with medics. Mrs Sarch told me there a very, very slim chance that anyone would have survived, but I still had hope. I told her about the note and Keza's paw, she called the vet as she thought it might be badly infected. After an anxious 50 minute wait, the crew had arrived.
I wouldn't let them touch Keza or me until we had found the family and were in a proper animal hospital or hospitals. We drove for hours until we finally found the wreck that was left. Mambo was led under a tree; he looked asleep; with a bunch of berries. I ran over but the medic team pulled me back. We sat in the back of Mrs. Sarch's car nervously. Her husband brought us some food and water, we scoffed it down; it put the smiles back on our faces but not for long. Dr. Sanchji came over to the car, his head held down, it didn't look good.
He explained that Mr. and Mrs. Coogwalla were dead, Abebi was too, Gathee was alive but unconscious and dehydrated, and mambo had bad blood poisoning from the berries. I started to cry. Keza led over my lap looking down with pity. They rushed the two boys to the hospital by aircraft and Mr. and Mrs. Sarch drove us there. I fell asleep in the car, I had such a bad dream. Instead of it being the Coogwalla family in that situation, it was mine, lucky it was a dream but as I awoke the harsh reality sank in.
I called mom and told her about the last 2 weeks she demanded that I was to return home immediately, but I refused, then she insisted on flying over, but I discouraged this and ordered she was to stay in England. Keza's paw was fine, she got it bandaged and was ok. Gathee never regained consciousness after he was rescued; they decided to turn the life support off later that evening. Against all odds mambo pulled through, he was released from hospital after 10 days; he now lives with his aunty and uncle in Egypt. He lost all his family due to a man who turned out to be his uncle, yet he forgives him and lives with him. We went home later that week, even though I didn't want to.
Mum and dad fussed over me too much, but all I could think about was what was going to happen to Kiraje, the families eldest daughter, my exchange partner. In the end she said she had no reason to go home. So we adopted her, she is now my sister and my new best friend. I can't believe how brave she was, moving to a strange country and in with a strange family and just forgetting about her past life. She doesn't talk to her brother, mambo anymore, they agreed it was too upsetting but they want to regain contact in the future. I suppose I will never ever forget this terrible ordeal. To be honest it's made Keza and I closer and I am a stronger person. I speak to mambo all the time and would like to visit him one day. I take life more seriously now and appreciate it so much more. It's funny how one thing can change your life so much isn't it.
Post Comment
