We are on a learning trip in the reefs around my village. It's early, everyone else is still asleep. But the crabs that Mum and I are looking for are active right now. They are colourful. They will be beautiful in the aquariums at the entrance to our house. We swim around between the rocks and corals, occasionally catching a crab, grabbing it quickly and carefully stowing it away in our bag.
Even though I'm still tired, it's good to swim with mum and playfully catch the crabs. It's a great learning experience. Mum laughs happily when I catch a particularly fast crab.
‘Great Nanshe. Keep it up and you'll be the fastest swimmer.’
‘Ouch!’ One of the larger crabs pinched my nose.
‘And probably the boldest too. Here, hold on to these crabs this way, so they can't pinch you.’ Mum turns the crab in its fins in a certain way. Our prey can now only wave its pincers in the water.
A reddish-red ball of glowing light appears above us. Mesmerised, we turn towards the light, neither of us understanding what it means. Then the light crashes through the surface of the water. A long spike of glowing material bores past us. Deeper and deeper. It destroys everything around it. Even my home, my village, Tjaru, is hit.
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Mum rushes off, wants to help, warn the others. Too late. In her haste, she briefly forgets about me, but then stops and turns round. Her protective reflex seals her life. A spike of the red-hot material buries her underneath it.
There is glistening light everywhere in the water, I am alone, I call out, I scream, I am afraid. In front of me, in my home, everything is in flames.
What remains for me is the way to the next village, Hardai. My family and I often swam there on market days. I know the way well, even through my confusion and pain. When I arrive in Hardai, I sink to the ground. Ningishzida, the old teacher, finds me. He is affectionately called Ningi by everyone. The village has also seen the glowing star. With the last of my strength, I tell them what I saw. A few brave people want to explore Tjaru, but Ningi stops them. I slump down and fall asleep in Ningi's fins.
Many moons have passed since then. I keep dreaming of this morning and as the Hathor festival approaches, the dream grows stronger. I now dream it almost every night.
We Ravi no longer go to Tjaru. Everything is destroyed there. The brave ones came back and fell ill. Many died. I was the only one to survive. And yet, it drives me there again.