N) Transhumance

We follow the birds when they go. Not many birds in these parts of
course, desert eagles and secretary birds mostly, some owls and ravens.
You wouldn't think the barn owl found on so many snowy Christmas cards
would get as far as the Sahara desert would you? Oh but they do,
sweeping low to catch gerbil or garter snake, they make the dietary
transition from mouse and vole with apparent ease.

We watch them as the sun sets red. All the birds leaving for the season
change. They always go at sunset. There's no sight more beautiful than
watching an eagle soar against a blood red sun.

And soon we dismantle our camp too. Kicking over the cinders of our
fire and collecting up our few belongings. We are moving eight months
of every year, we don't carry much baggage, mainly all we have is our
oxen and three goats. Like the birds we travel by night, it's cooler
then. But by midnight it's bitterly cold and the sand swirls in gusts
blinding our eyes and forcing us to rest for the remainder of the
night. At first light we move another two hours before the sun scorches
our skin and burns into our minds bringing on the delirium and heat
madness.

The days and nights pass in a heat haze of hunger and bi-polar
temperature change. By the quarter moon the goats will have dried, like
us they grow thinner with each passing day. Last year Jemush our cow
died, we left her to the vultures and monitor lizards. When our
supplies run out we drink our natural water, this caries no shame for
us, it is our means of survival. The night is too cold to tolerate and
the day is too hot to endure. So we sleep long hours, minding the sun
and the cold. Watching the young and old of our tribe for signs of
weakness and frailty.

Every four moons we move with the seasons and every transhumance
someone we love isn't there when we settle camp. But at night the men
cling to their women in the cold, and new life is born to replace the
lost. Its nature's way, our rhythm of life.

Ramoul smiled at me today. He has grown arm hair and wears a man's loin
cloth now. I leak the woman blood and my father says I can travel with
Ramoul. He is strong and will care for me and protect me well. Ramoul's
father has promised a new cow.

In two moons we settle camp if we survive the journey. Ramoul and I
will be with child.