Martha

MARTHA

MARTHA

Most people ask me how I found her,Martha I mean. It was during the war I found her. A war in a small hidden village below the mountains. One might mistaken them for cavemen on sight but when you are taken to the village you will know they are not cavemen. I was injured and I found my way there. I was treated by the medicine man and while I was on bedrest, a little girl walked up to me. She was very pretty and had small brown eyes,very beautiful that I can't define. I fell in love with her and I knew it was love. She smiled at me and I fell really deep this time. I asked her for her name and she said,"Martha is my name mister". I became fond of her and she became fond of me. I was on bed rest for seven days and when I was finally allowed to leave my bed,I wondered through the village and up the mountains. I saw the war was moving fast to the village,faster than i could imagine and I got scared for the people cause I knew the loss people would go through. While I was in my own world of thought, I heard bustling and rustling and l turned around to meet the pair of beautiful brown eyes standing on a rock behind me, I was frightened but she said,"Don't be scared Mister I won't eat you". I asked her what she was doing here and she said she followed me. I shook my head and carried her in my arms and we returned to the village. She run off as soon as I set her down and the chief called me back to the tent. He gave me the option of either stay or Leave. I quickly knew I wanted to stay. The chief welcomed me as one of his own and I was grateful for that.

I had never seen a night so beautiful but under the mountains in the small village the night was beautiful as there were beautiful lights and the tents were decorated with different flowers and some were even decorated with fireflies. I wore the native clothes I was given by the chief and I was walked to a desolate tent by Martha and when I entered,it was an experience I would never forget and I knew I will tell my children this story. I can't explain it but it was beautiful. At the end of the ceremony, I understood why they had to do it. It made me feel the connection with them. I learnt that day that Martha was the chief's daughter. She was a princess.

I came to love the people and the village and I decided I had to protect them. There was a war fast approaching and they weren't prepared. I made my decision known to the chief and he gave me the authority to train the men in the village. I was a war soldier so I agreed. I tried to get the attention of the men but they didn't pay any heed to me until their princess came through. Martha asked for my help to climb unto the the rocks and when she was up she screamed her lungs out. It drew the attention of everyone and at first they were running around cause they thought she was stuck but she stopped them and commanded all the men to gather infront of my tent and wait for their training to start.

I didn't spare them for ignoring me,I gave them the worst training in the world but it was worth it cause they were good. I didn't know they had weapons like guns and bombs until we started training.

My food and necessities was brought to me by Martha. Martha became my friend and one-day I told her about how beautiful her eyes were and she cupped my face with her hands and told me I looked like I fell from the bee's comb. I asked her what she meant and she told me I had a sweet personality and I was sweet myself. That was when Martha and I became like old companions. Oneday she told me she felt we were old companions from our past life but she wasn't born on time in this life. I laughed and that was when I realised she wasn't joking. It made me laugh even more.

I received a letter from my family telling me in the letter to come home and It sounded urgent. My home was one of the few houses in our town. We rebuilt it after the first war. I informed the chief and everyone prayed for my safe journey. Martha was sad I had to go but I gave her my promise.

I journeyed up the mountains,down the hills and through the swamps. It was a very long journey and when I finally got home,my parents welcomed me home. My sister was all grown up and wanted to be a nurse in the war which my father was against. My mom was a nurse when she was young and my father whose shoes I've stepped into,didn't want my sister to die at war like others. I told them about the village that had become my home,the people and yes,Martha.

It was time to go. The time I spent with them was too much for me and I couldn't wait to see Martha again. I journeyed up the mountains,down the hills and through the swamps and I finally got to the village where I met Martha sitting on a rock waiting for me. She was overjoyed when she saw me and I gave her a book my sister gave me for her which made her happier. She held my hand and led me home where everyone was happy to see me. That night,the whole village sat around a Bon fire where the chief told the story of how they came to that mountain. I sat down enjoying the story when suddenly they sang a song in Irish Origin which I now know the meaning. It was a war song and the meaning touched my heart;"Oh why must you start war when there is peace.

•Why must you suffer the land and the children,Oh let the children see,let them live to enjoy what they were made for.

•Let the old die in peace and don't deny them of their right to die how they wish.

•Oh soldiers fight,fight for the land,do not run,you were made for this

•Don't pretend you don't know that the innocent ones who just saw the world die by your wicked hands.

•Don't separate children home no more,home is their peace and home is their comfort.

•Fight all you strong men,lay down your lives for there are lives waiting for the peace of the land before they are born.

The song is a song I've always loved until now. It encourages the soldiers to fight for the land they live in,myself included. That night I couldn't sleep after learning the meaning of the song from the chief.I decided no matter the situation of the village,I'll fight alongside them.

Martha was reading the book I gave her while I sat on the rock making a sketch of her. When I was done I showed her and she was excited. "You like it don't you?" I asked her and she nodded while taking a proper look at the sketch. It was almost dark when we were done reading and sketching so I held her hand and we went back home. That night the chief invited me to dine with him and I did. Martha showed everyone the sketch and I could see the joy written all over her face.I woke up early the following morning and was on my way up the Mountains when the little hand I know so well held mine. I looked down at her and she already had her book in hand."Take me with you",She said and I carried her all the way up the mountain top.

After hours of sketching, we were hungry and decided to go back and eat. Martha kept talking all the way back and even when we were eating. After her mother took our plates away,she asked me,"Do you have a family?"

"Yes I have three of them,my father,my mother and my sister. She is the one who gave me this book you like so much to give to you" I replied.

"Really?" she asked and I nodded. "I want to see them" She said with excitement. Just then we heard a gunshot and a man screaming telling everyone to prepare for war. I wasn't surprised due to how fast the war was approaching. I carried Martha to the safe house for the women and children and I grabbed my g*n preparing for war. The enemies entered the village and the only noise one could hear was gunshot and bombing. As I was fighting,I felt something hit me,throwing me from where I was to somewhere else and that was it,everything turned black.

I woke up to the sound of cries and a foul smell. I opened my eyes and a blurry vision greeted me. I had to blink many times before I could see a child crying beside me. Someone hped me up and I took in the situation of the village. The whe village was was a disaster. Men and women lied on the ground dead with children scattered everywhere bleeding. At the sight of the children I quickly got the strength to stand up and dash forward to every child to see if they were breathing. I tried to see if the men and women were still alive but they were dead,all of them. I turned around to look at the chd who was still crying. A little boy and his mother. They seemed to be the only ones alive apart from me. I went bitterly for the village I once knew. I buried each of them with the help of the two people alive but I didn't see Martha. After burrying the chief paying my last respect,the woman called me and I turned around,Martha was in her arms lifeless. I wanted to run but over to her but no matter how hard I tried,my body didn't seem to comprehend. I felt terrible and broke down. After I gathered all the strength in me,I walked slowly over to her and took her into my arms. I hugged her like she was my own daughter. I cried like a child and begged her to wake up but she wasn't listening to me. They tried to take her away from me but I stopped them,they had no right to do that.,I held her in my arms and cried for a very long time. But,a miracle happened. All of a sudden she woke up and asked for water. The woman sprang into action to get her water.

Martha cried while saying goodbye to her people and when she was done, I held her hand and the four of us climbed up the mountain,down the hill and through the swamps back to my family. The town was happy to receive us though they were sad about the war. I adopted Martha and she became a happy child. Now,thinking about everything,I can't believe how developed our town now is. and how much the little girl I brought home has grown up. Martha works in the agency where children are being cared for. I really wiped her tears and put a smile on it. All the sketches I made over the years are still with me and everytime I look at it,I can't believe it's been thirty years since the war. I look out my window towards the hospital and the bank and I smile.