A Quest for Water, Chapter 5: Welcomed Like Princesses (4)

Quest for Water, tuareg manA QUEST FOR WATER: (Based on actual events in the southern Sahara)

Chapter 5: WELCOMED LIKE PRINCESSES (4)

The cheikh listened with great empathy, while pretending to be otherwise occupied. When Mouheini had finished, he turned around, “Alhamdulillah, you are safe now. Thanks be to God that the armed men did not get a hold of you.”

Turning to Housseina, he said, “Please bring our guests water for their bath, and food to dine on. Tomorrow, we will fill their jerry cans with water from our borehole.”

Mouheini turned to Housseina: “Fada also mentioned something called a borehole. I still don’t understand what this is.”

“It’s a special type of well,” the girl replied, “that makes water easy to get from the ground. You will see for yourselves in the morning.”

She handed each girl a long candle.