Waris. flower ; the dinary journey of “S8P) F SERT FLOWER ‘The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad WARIS DIRIE and Cathleen Miller WILLIAM MORROW AND COMPANY, INC. New York RUNNING AWAY 2 A lighe sound woke me, and when I opened my eyes, I was ‘searing into the fice of a lion, Riveted awake, my eyes stretched ‘wide—very wide—as if to expand enough co contain the ani ‘mal in front of me. I tied co stand up, but I hadn't eaten for several days, so my weak legs wobbled and folded beneath me. Collapsing, I slumped back against the tee where T had been resting, shelrered from the African desert sun that becomes $0 smerciless at noon. I quietly leaned my head back and closed my eyes, and fle the rough bark of che erce pressing into my skill ‘The lion was 90 neat I could smell his muscy scent in the hot sir. I spoke co Allah: “I's the end for me, my God, Please take ‘My long journey across the desert had come co an end. I had ‘no protection, no weapon. Nor the stength co ron. Even under the best of circumstances, I knew I couldn't beat th lion up the tree, because like all eas, lions with thei strong claws ae excel- len climbers. By the time I gor halfvay up—BOOM—one swipeand Td be gone. Without any fear I opened my eyes again and said to the lion, “Come and get me. I'm ready for you.” ‘He was a beautiful male with « golden mane and a long eal switching back and forch co ick away fies. He was five or six years old, young and healthy. I knew he could crush me in- stantly; he was the king. All my life Td watched those paws take down wildebeest and zebras weighing hundreds of pounds ‘more than me. ‘The lion stared at me and slowly blinked his honey-colored eyes. My brown eyes stared back, locked on his. He looked away, "Goon, Take me now.” He looked at me again, then looked away. Hie licked his lips and sac down on his haunches. Then the lion rose and paced back and forth in front of me, sexily, elegantly. Finally, he cured and walked away, no doube deciding that I had so licle flesh on my bones, Iwasa'e worth eating. He strode scross the desere until his tewny-colored fur was lost against the sand, ‘When I realized he was not going to kill me, I gave no sigh of relief, because I hadn't been afraid. Pd been ready to die, But ‘evidently God, who has always been my best friend, had some- thing ese planned, some reason to keep me alive. I suid, “What is it? Take me—direct me,” and struggled co my feet. ‘This nightmare jousney began beonse Iwas running aay from ay father. Twas about shire a he time, and ving with my Emily be of noma inthe Somalan dese, when father, announced be had ranged my eartige roan od man. Knowing Thad wo ac fe or seal one day my new hastand would come to get me, [eld my mer I wanted run amy. My Pan ‘wat nd my sone, my mothe se, who Lived in Mogadsha, the capa of Somalia. Ofcourse Id never been to Mogadihy— 0 any ober cy for eat mater. Nor had I ere met my tant. Buc with he optimism of «cil, I ele somehow things would imagiely wos ou ‘While ny fiher and te est ofthe family were til sleeping, my mother woke me and said, “Go now.” I looked around for something to grab, something to take, but there was nothing, no botele of water, no jar of milk, no basket of food. So, barefooe, and wearing only a scarf draped around me, Iran off into the black desert night I did know which direction led to Mogadishu, sol jus rn, Slowly a fis, because I coulda se; I stumbled along, tripping ‘over roots. Finally, I decided co just sit down because snakes are ‘everywhere in Africa, and I wat teeifed of snakes. Bach root I stepped on T imagined to be che back of a spcting cobra Isat watching the sky gradually lighten. Even before the sun came ‘up—wlveib—I was off like a gazelle. Iran and Iran and I ran for hours. By midday V'd traveled deep into the ed sand, and deep into ‘my own thoughts. Where in the hell was I going? I wondered. 1 dida't even know what direction I was heading in. The landscape strotched on to eternity, the sand broken only occasionally by an acacia ot thorn txee; I could see for miles and miles. Hungry, thirty, and tired, I slowed down and walked. Strolling along in ‘bored daze, I wondered where my new life would take me. What ‘was going to happen next? ‘As I pondered these questions, I thought I heard a voice: CWAARIS... WARES..." My father was calling me! ‘Whipping around in circles, I looked for him, but saw no one. Maybe 1 was imagining things, I thought. “W-A-RI-S W-A-RALS...." the voice echoed all around me. The tone was pleading, buc I was frightened all the same. Ifhe caught me, he ‘would surely take me back and make me marry chat man, and probably beat me besides. 1 was not hearing things; ic was my father, and he was geting closer. In earnest now, I started to ran as fase as I could. Even chough I had gotten a head start of several outs, Papa had caught up with me. As I laer realized, hed tracked me down by following my footprints through the sand. ‘My father was too old to catch me—so Thad thought—because 1 was young and fast. To my childish thinking, he was an old ‘man, Now I recall with «laugh thar at che time, he was only inhis chiccies. We were all incredibly fi, because we tan everywhere; ‘we had no car, no public transportation of any kind. And always | was fast, chasing the animal, heading afer wate, racing the ‘oncoming darkness to reach home safely before the light was lost. After a while I didn'e hear my father calling my name any- smote, s0 I slowed down to a jog. IFT kept moving, Papa would set tired and go back home, L reasoned. Suddenly I looked back toward the horizon and saw him coming overthehill behind me. He'd spotted me, to. Terrified, Iran faster, And faster. Ie was as if we were surfing waves of sand; I few up one hill, and he glided down the one behind me. On and on we continued for hours, ‘until eventually T realized I hado't seen hima for some time. He ‘0 longer called ous to me. ‘My heare pounding, finally I stopped, hiding behind a bush, and looked around. Nothing. I listened closely. No sound, When Tame across a fla rock outcropping, I stopped to ree. But Fd learned fiom my mistake che night before, and when I began ¢o un again, I went along the rocks where the ground was hard, then changed my direction so my father couldn't fllow my foot. prinss. Papa, I reasoned, had eurned around to try to make it back hhome, because now the sun was setting. Still, he would never make i back before the light faded. He'd have co run back through che darkness, listening for the nighttime sounds of our family, tracing his path by the voices of children screaming, laughing, che animal noises of che herds mooing, bleating. The wind carries sounds great distances across the desert, 20 these noises acted as a lighthouse when we were lost in the night Afeer walking along the rocks, I changed my direction, It didn’t really mactér what direction I chose, since T had no idea which was the right one ro lead me to Mogadishu. I kepe running uncil the sun set, the light was gone, and the nighe was so black coulda ee. By tis time I was eavig, and food was ll ‘think about. My fet were bleeding. Isat down to res under 1 tree and fell asleep. In the morning, the sun burning my face woke me. I opened my eyes and looked up atthe leaves ofa beautifal eucalypeus tree stretching tothe sky. Slowly che reality of my circumstances came tome, My Ged, I'm all aloe, What am I going 10 do? [got up and continued to run; for days T managed co keep it up. How many days, I'm noe sure. All I know is thae for me, there was no time; there was only hunger, thirst, fae, pain. When the evening grew too dark to see, I would stop and rest. At mid~ day, when the sun was a its hotest, I would sit under a tree and ake a siesta, Teas during one ofthese sestas tha I ll aleepand the ion ‘woke me. By this point Ino longer ced abou my from: 1 Simply wanted ro go back home ro Mam. What I wanted moce than food or water was my motes, And even though it was common for us to go fora day or two without fd oF wate, I Krew I coulda’ survive much longer, a 0 wen that T cold barely move, td my fee were so ercked and sre chat each step vw agony, By thecime the on info of me licking his lips In hinges {had given vp 1 weleomed his quick kill asa way out of my misery. But the lion looked a the bons jating out of my ska, my sunken cheek and bulging eyes, and walked away. I don’ kaow ithe cok pity on such « miscable sal, o ii was simply @ pgmtic decison that I wouldn't even make a worthy soak Or if God tnd inerceded on my behalf. But T decided God ‘would’ be ao heartles a8 co spre me, simpy to let me die in tome eter, creer way ike saving to deach, He had another plan in store forme, 0 I aed out for his guidance: “Take me— flee me," Holding onc che treet steady mye Toe to my feet and called ot for is help T began co walk gain, and within few mites came to 8 graing aren wth camels everywhere. sported thesia ae the mest fesh mil, and tan eI ned sacking ee mil like a baby. The herman sported me and yelled ou, “Get out "tnd Tear bllwhip crack But 1