The Boy by Trevor Herron

Author:Trevor Herron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Co.

Thursday, June 17 – The Aftermath

Most of the kids crept into wrecked cars to get what sleep they could, but Miriam found it difficult to get comfortable. Every time she turned seeking a better position, she aroused the annoyance of the kids crushed in with her.

I was not with the kids. After setting fire to the school, I was so tired I couldn’t stand any more. The big Zulu had picked me up and carried me. I soon fell asleep on his shoulder. He knew nothing of Miriam and so she got left behind when he took me to their hostel.

As the sun rose and dissipated the early morning cold, the inside of the car became stiflingly hot. Stiff, sore, and still very tired, she eventually risked the ire of the kids and climbed out. She would try and find Jonah. His leg had given him trouble after they had set fire to the school. She hadn’t stopped the big Zulu carrying her brother off; his leg must be really painful and he was so tired.

She had his hostel number; he had given it to the kids, but the sleep required by the kids would determine what time they got there.

Jonah must have been really tired because he put his head against the Zulu’s shoulder and was asleep almost immediately. How she wished there was someone who would pick her up and let her fall asleep with her head on a strong shoulder.

Instead, without Jonah, she was left to cope for herself so she tagged along with the other kids. It seemed that life had dissolved into one long stream of pain, hurt, and suffering. She desperately needed the comfort of her brother but he had been carried away by the big Zulu.

She didn’t begrudge him the special attention he was getting from the Zulu. It was always like that with Jonah. She knew he was special and she was proud of it.

Jonah had grown in stature lately, and young as he was, he was so strong. She wished he could give her just a small amount of his strength, then maybe she wouldn’t be so scared all the time. She set off haltingly down a strangely deserted road littered with the debris of unrest.

A skinny, yellow, long tailed mongrel scrounged fruitlessly for something to eat in a patch of spilled garbage. His tail dropped between his legs and he ran a short distance and then looked back at Miriam half hopefully and half fearfully, his tail tucked firmly between his legs. The dog looked like she felt.

She sympathized with the dog; both of them craved love and comfort, but who would give it to them? She was alone and afraid in a world that had become alien.

“Dear Jehovah,” she prayed, “I am so scared. Please help me and please help Jonah. Forgive me for fighting but I have to stay near my brother.” Her stomach formed a knot that halted her prayer in mid stride. Part tension and part hunger, she retched dryly once or twice before bringing up a tiny ball of burning bile.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.